Ernest Martin Jehan
Encyclopedia
Ernest Martin Jehan DSC
(2 February 1878 – 7 December 1929) was an officer in the Royal Navy
during the First World War. Jehan is best known for the sinking of a German
submarine
by he and his crew aboard the smack
Inverlyon
. He began the war as a warrant officer and was decorated and commissioned after sinking UB-4.
on 2 February 1878, Ernest Martin Jehan had worked as a plasterer
before joining the Royal Navy on 8 February 1894, when he reached the age of eighteen he signed up for 12 years service initially. At the age of 18, he was described as being 5 foot with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a "dark" complexion.
Jehan's first posting on 4 February 1894 was to the stone frigate
HMS Impregnable, then based on the former HMS Howe
, where he was rated
boy seaman
. He was then moved to HMS Boscawen (on the former HMS Trafalgar
) on 22 February 1895, then HMS Victory I on 10 July 1895 and HMS Australia
on 12 September 1895, where on turning eighteen he was rated ordinary seaman. He briefly returned to Victory I from 6 February before being posted to HMS Fox
on 14 April 1896. He was rated able seaman
on 11 June 1896, when he also began specialist gunnery training.
Jehan was posted to HMS Duke of Wellington I on 8 July 1899, and was rated leading seaman
on 28 October 1899. He then transferred to the naval gunnery school HMS Excellent on Whale Island
on 5 December 1899, and then briefly to the torpedo
school HMS Vernon
in September 1900, before returning to Excellent on 25 November . He was posted to HMS Duke of Wellington
on 2 December HMS Raven
on 9 December and back to Duke of Wellington I on 26 March 1901. He joined HMS Eclipse on 30 May 1901 and was rated petty officer 2nd class on 14 October. He returned Excellent 8 April 1903, and was rated petty officer 1st class
on 17 June 1904. He briefly went back to Vernon on 28 June before returning to Excellent on 10 November. He was posted to HMS Sappho
on 1 December 1904.
Jehan was then promoted to acting gunner (a warrant rank) on 11 April 1905. He served as an interpreter during a visit to Portsmouth by the French fleet in August 1905 but failed a preliminary French exam in October that year. His rank was confirmed on 2 April 1906. He was largely employed on training duties in various establishments around Portsmouth
until on 11 July 1910, he was appointed to the crew that took the light cruiser
to Canada
, one of two warships purchased by Canada from the British Admiralty. There he remained aboard the Canadian cruiser at Esquimalt, British Columbia
, until ordered back to England
in 1913, arriving back on 19 November. On 4 April 1914, just prior to the outbreak of the First World War, Jehan was posted to HMS Dryad
, a torpedo boat
converted into a minesweeper
. From Dryad he was sent to Inverlyon as the commanding officer.
had begun its first U-boat
campaign of the First World War. U-boats operated all around the British Isles
, attacking allied warships and merchant vessels. The allies therefore began conducting counter submarine activities. One of the first counter measures to be taken was the deployment of Q-ships, merchant ships armed with hidden heavy weapons to lure out and destroy German submarines.
Inverlyon, a fishing smack
, was one of these vessels. Fitted with a 3-pounder
and commanded by Jehan, Inverlyon sailed for enemy infested waters. While sailing off the coast of Great Yarmouth
on 14 August 1915, Gunner Jehan received news that a merchant ship, the Bona Fide, of 59 tons, had been stopped by the German submarine UB-4 and subsequently scuttled with explosives by a boarding party. By the next day Ernest had rushed to the Bona Fides last known position, at about 20:20 hours, The German sub surfaced near the Inverlyon. Then from the submarines conning tower
came the shouts from a German sailor ordering Inverlyons crew to prepare for boarding. Naturally the Q-ship disregarded the German officer's order. Jehan waited until the submarine came to 30 yards (27m) away when he gave the command to raise the White Ensign
and open fire. A series of three rounds from the sailing ship's gun struck the U-boat's conning tower and bridge
, disabling the German commander. UB-4 then drift
ed behind Inverlyon, where her gun crew fired another six shots into UB-4's hull
while others raked the sub with small arms
fire. The U-boat then began to take on water from the bow
area; the submarine was almost vertical before slipping beneath the waves and getting caught on Inverlyons fishing net. Because the submarine was caught on Inverlyons net, Jehan sent a message home asking if the submarine should be raised and salvaged
. The Admiralty
replied with a negative response so the net was simply cut, allowing UB-4 to finish sinking to the bottom. All of the crew and commanding officer, Lt. Karl Gross, were killed. As result of the battle, Ernest Martin Jehan was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
on 19 November 1915, and promoted to lieutenant.
. Later he commanded HMS PC-55 from 1919 to 1920 and retired on 29 October 1920. Jehan died on 7 December 1929.
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(2 February 1878 – 7 December 1929) was an officer in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the First World War. Jehan is best known for the sinking of a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
by he and his crew aboard the smack
Smack (ship)
A smack was a traditional fishing boat used off the coast of England and the Atlantic coast of America for most of the 19th century, and even in small numbers up to the Second World War. It was originally a cutter rigged sailing boat until about 1865, when the smacks became so large that cutter...
Inverlyon
HM Armed Smack Inverlyon
His Majesty's or HM Armed Smack Inverlyon was a fishing smack that was converted to a Q-ship during the First World War. Q-ships served as decoys to lure German submarines near enough so that concealed weapons could be brought to bear and sink the submarines...
. He began the war as a warrant officer and was decorated and commissioned after sinking UB-4.
Early life and career
Born in Forest, GuernseyForest, Guernsey
The Forest is a parish in Guernsey. It is the highest parish on the island, with altitudes of up to about 100 m. The full title being Ste Margurite de la Foret after the parish church....
on 2 February 1878, Ernest Martin Jehan had worked as a plasterer
Plasterer
A plasterer is a tradesman who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls...
before joining the Royal Navy on 8 February 1894, when he reached the age of eighteen he signed up for 12 years service initially. At the age of 18, he was described as being 5 foot with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a "dark" complexion.
Jehan's first posting on 4 February 1894 was to the stone frigate
Stone frigate
Stone frigate is a nickname for a naval establishment on land. The term has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French...
HMS Impregnable, then based on the former HMS Howe
HMS Howe (1860)
HMS Howe was built as a 121-gun screw first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She and her sister HMS Victoria were the first and only British three-decker ships of the line to be designed from the start for screw propulsion, but the Howe was never completed for sea service as she had...
, where he was rated
Naval rating
A Naval Rating is an enlisted member of a country's Navy, subordinate to Warrant Officers and Officers hence not conferred by commission or warrant...
boy seaman
Boy Seaman
A boy seaman is a boy who serves as seaman and/or is trained for such service.-Royal Navy:In the British naval forces, where there was a need to recruit enough hands to man the vast fleet of the British Empire, extensive regulations existed concerning the selection and status of boys enlisted to...
. He was then moved to HMS Boscawen (on the former HMS Trafalgar
HMS Trafalgar (1841)
HMS Trafalgar was a 120-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 June 1841 at Woolwich Dockyard. She was the last to be completed of the successful Caledonia class....
) on 22 February 1895, then HMS Victory I on 10 July 1895 and HMS Australia
HMS Australia (1888)
HMS Australia, an Orlando-class cruiser of the Royal Navy completed in 1888 and named after the colonies of Australia...
on 12 September 1895, where on turning eighteen he was rated ordinary seaman. He briefly returned to Victory I from 6 February before being posted to HMS Fox
HMS Fox (1893)
HMS Fox was a second class protected cruiser of the Astraea-class of the Royal Navy. The class represented an improvement on previous types, 1,000 tons displacement larger with better seaworthiness due to improved hull design...
on 14 April 1896. He was rated able seaman
Able Seaman (rank)
In the British Royal Navy in the middle of the 18th century, the term able seaman referred to a seaman with at least two years' experience at sea...
on 11 June 1896, when he also began specialist gunnery training.
Jehan was posted to HMS Duke of Wellington I on 8 July 1899, and was rated leading seaman
Leading Seaman
Leading seaman is a junior non-commissioned rank or rate in navies, particularly those of the Commonwealth. When it is used by NATO nations, leading seaman has the rank code of OR-4. It is often equivalent to the army and air force rank of corporal and some navies use corporal rather than...
on 28 October 1899. He then transferred to the naval gunnery school HMS Excellent on Whale Island
Whale Island
Whale Island is the name of several islands, including:* Whale Island, Canada* Whale Island, New Zealand* Whale Island, United Kingdom* Whale Island, an island in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia...
on 5 December 1899, and then briefly to the torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
school HMS Vernon
HMS Vernon (shore establishment)
HMS Vernon was a shore establishment or 'stone frigate' of the Royal Navy. Vernon was established on 26 April 1876 as the Royal Navy's Torpedo Branch and operated until 1 April 1996, when the various elements comprising the establishment were split up and moved to different commands.-Foundation...
in September 1900, before returning to Excellent on 25 November . He was posted to HMS Duke of Wellington
HMS Duke of Wellington
HMS Duke of Wellington was a 131-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1852, she was symptomatic of an era of rapid technological change in the navy, being powered both by sail and steam...
on 2 December HMS Raven
HMS Raven (1882)
HMS Raven was an Banterer-class gunboat of the Royal Navy, built by Samuda Brothers, Poplar, London and launched on 18 May 1882.She commenced service on the Australia Station at Sheerness on 25 April 1883...
on 9 December and back to Duke of Wellington I on 26 March 1901. He joined HMS Eclipse on 30 May 1901 and was rated petty officer 2nd class on 14 October. He returned Excellent 8 April 1903, and was rated petty officer 1st class
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
on 17 June 1904. He briefly went back to Vernon on 28 June before returning to Excellent on 10 November. He was posted to HMS Sappho
HMS Sappho (1891)
HMS Sappho was an Apollo class cruiser of the British Royal Navy which served from 1892 to 1918 in various colonial posts, including service during the Second Boer War in 1901. During the First World War, Sappho and her sisters saw service off the British Isles as hastily converted minelayers...
on 1 December 1904.
Jehan was then promoted to acting gunner (a warrant rank) on 11 April 1905. He served as an interpreter during a visit to Portsmouth by the French fleet in August 1905 but failed a preliminary French exam in October that year. His rank was confirmed on 2 April 1906. He was largely employed on training duties in various establishments around Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
until on 11 July 1910, he was appointed to the crew that took the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, one of two warships purchased by Canada from the British Admiralty. There he remained aboard the Canadian cruiser at Esquimalt, British Columbia
Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
, until ordered back to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1913, arriving back on 19 November. On 4 April 1914, just prior to the outbreak of the First World War, Jehan was posted to HMS Dryad
HMS Dryad (1893)
HMS Dryad was the name ship of the Dryad-class torpedo gunboats. She was launched at Chatham Dockyard on 22 November 1893, the first of the class to be completed...
, a torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
converted into a minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
. From Dryad he was sent to Inverlyon as the commanding officer.
Action of 15 August 1915
The Action of 15 August 1915 was a small naval battle involving Ernest Jehan. In 1915, the German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
had begun its first U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
campaign of the First World War. U-boats operated all around the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, attacking allied warships and merchant vessels. The allies therefore began conducting counter submarine activities. One of the first counter measures to be taken was the deployment of Q-ships, merchant ships armed with hidden heavy weapons to lure out and destroy German submarines.
Inverlyon, a fishing smack
Smack (ship)
A smack was a traditional fishing boat used off the coast of England and the Atlantic coast of America for most of the 19th century, and even in small numbers up to the Second World War. It was originally a cutter rigged sailing boat until about 1865, when the smacks became so large that cutter...
, was one of these vessels. Fitted with a 3-pounder
QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss
The QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss was a light 47-mm naval gun introduced in 1886 to defend against new small fast vessels such as torpedo boats, and later submarines...
and commanded by Jehan, Inverlyon sailed for enemy infested waters. While sailing off the coast of Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
on 14 August 1915, Gunner Jehan received news that a merchant ship, the Bona Fide, of 59 tons, had been stopped by the German submarine UB-4 and subsequently scuttled with explosives by a boarding party. By the next day Ernest had rushed to the Bona Fides last known position, at about 20:20 hours, The German sub surfaced near the Inverlyon. Then from the submarines conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
came the shouts from a German sailor ordering Inverlyons crew to prepare for boarding. Naturally the Q-ship disregarded the German officer's order. Jehan waited until the submarine came to 30 yards (27m) away when he gave the command to raise the White Ensign
White Ensign
The White Ensign or St George's Ensign is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton....
and open fire. A series of three rounds from the sailing ship's gun struck the U-boat's conning tower and bridge
Bridge (ship)
The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW aided usually by an AB acting as lookout...
, disabling the German commander. UB-4 then drift
Drift
- Film and literature :* Drift , a 2002 Doctor Who novel* Drift , a series of Japanese films written and directed by Futoshi Jinno* Drift, 2007 experimental short film by Max Hattler* Drift , a fictional character...
ed behind Inverlyon, where her gun crew fired another six shots into UB-4's hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
while others raked the sub with small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire. The U-boat then began to take on water from the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
area; the submarine was almost vertical before slipping beneath the waves and getting caught on Inverlyons fishing net. Because the submarine was caught on Inverlyons net, Jehan sent a message home asking if the submarine should be raised and salvaged
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
. The Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
replied with a negative response so the net was simply cut, allowing UB-4 to finish sinking to the bottom. All of the crew and commanding officer, Lt. Karl Gross, were killed. As result of the battle, Ernest Martin Jehan was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
on 19 November 1915, and promoted to lieutenant.
After Inverlyons Cruise
By 1916, Jehan was relieved of the Inverlyon and sent to HMS Sarpedon as the executive officerExecutive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
. Later he commanded HMS PC-55 from 1919 to 1920 and retired on 29 October 1920. Jehan died on 7 December 1929.
See also
- Action of 15 October 1917Action of 15 October 1917The Action of 15 October 1917 was a naval engagement of World War I between Imperial Germany and the United States off the coast of Mind Head, Ireland.-Action:...
- Action of 17 November 1917Action of 17 November 1917The Action of 17 November 1917 was a naval battle of the First World War. The action was fought between a German U-boat and two United States Navy destroyers in the North Atlantic Ocean.-Action:...
- Felix von LucknerFelix von LucknerFelix Graf von Luckner was a German nobleman, navy officer, author and noted sailor who earned the epithet Der Seeteufel -- and his crew that of Die Piraten des Kaisers -- for his exploits in command of the sailing commerce raider SMS Seeadler in...
, commander of the Seeadler - SMS Seeadler, a sail rigged vessel that served with distinction during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. - USS Irene Forsyte (IX-93)USS Irene Forsyte (IX-93)USS Irene Forsyte was a three masted schooner originally built as MacLean Clan which was briefly converted to a Q-ship, of the United States Navy.-In commercial service:...
, a sail rigged Q-shipQ-shipQ-ships, also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships, or Mystery Ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them...
used by the US Navy during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... - USCGC Eagle (WIX-327)USCGC Eagle (WIX-327)The is a barque used as a training cutter for future officers of the United States Coast Guard. She is one of only two active commissioned sailing vessels in American military service, the other being the USS Constitution....
, one of the last sail rigged vessels to see combat in warWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.