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HMS Firedrake (1912)
Encyclopedia
HMS Firedrake was a modified Acheron-class destroyer
, named after the firedrake of Teutonic mythology
, and the sixth ship of the Royal Navy
to bear the name.
maintained that it was possible to build strong, seaworthy
destroyer
s with a speed of 32 kn (62.7 km/h), and a contract for three such boats was placed with Yarrow & Company of Scotstoun
, Glasgow
. The "Firedrake Specials", "Special I class" or "Yarrow Specials" were a little larger than the rest of the class but carried the same armament. Firedrake, Lurcher
and Oak
were, however, distinctive in appearance and at least 4 knots (7.8 km/h) faster than the rest of their class. They all exceeded their contract speed, Lurcher making over 35 knots (68.6 km/h). Firedrake became part of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla.
in the Republic of Ireland
) in order to preserve communications between Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Paget in Dublin and the British Government in London. She left Southampton at 10:30pm on 19 March, making the passage in record time. The Unionists
suspected that the naval movements were part of a plot to subdue Ulster
, and Firedrake's captain, Lt Cdr B W Barrow, was ordered to report to Paget's Headquarters in civilian clothes
.
Discomfort in the British Army
with possible military action within Ireland was to some extent mirrored in the Royal Navy. In Firedrake, Engineer Lieutenant Ranken informed his captain Had General Paget, he declared, Lt Cdr
Barrow did not share his principles, and Ranken was relieved by another officer on 22 March. On 2 April all naval forces, including Firedrake, were withdrawn for Easter leave, with no intention to return them. Although the Royal Navy soon returned to prevent gun-running to the Ulster Volunteers, Firedrake does not appear to have taken part.
_at_a_buoy.jpg)
At the start of World War I
Firedrake and Lurcher
were assigned to the Eighth Submarine Flotilla under the command of Commodore Keyes, and were based at Parkeston Quay, Harwich
. Both ships were employed in escorting, towing and exercising with submarines of their flotilla, and the more notable episodes are detailed below:
against German Naval
attack; Firedrake and 12 submarines formed the north-eastern line. No transports carrying the British Expeditionary Force were sunk, although the German Navy made little or no use of submarines against non-military ships at this stage of the war.
According to the despatches of Commodore Keyes,
in Lurcher, leading Firedrake, two D-class
and six E-class
submarines eastwards into the North Sea
. Also at sea were the destroyers of Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt
. The plan was to place elements of the High Seas Fleet
between Royal Navy surface ships and bottomed Royal Navy submarines. Unknown to Keyes and Tyrwhitt, the Admiralty
had added significant reinforcements at the last minute.
Keyes' despatch reads:
Battle was joined at 7:00 on 28 August in misty conditions. Due to lack of information about reinforcements sent by the Admiralty
, great potential existed for fratricidal
attacks; at 8:15 am Firedrake and Lurcher came close to attacking the cruisers Lowestoft
and Nottingham
.
.jpg)
After the German cruiser Mainz
was heavily damaged and disabled, Commodore Goodenough
ordered his ships to cease firing on her at 12:55 pm and a rescue operation was undertaken. Liverpool
, accompanied by Firedrake and Lurcher
, manoeuvred close to Mainz in an effort to recover the surviving crew. Boats from Liverpool were deployed to retrieve those who had abandoned ship while Lurcher positioned alongside Mainz to transfer the crew who remained on board. By 1:10pm the Royal Navy
ships withdrew as the height of tide was high enough to allow larger German Navy
units to enter the area. Although the operation had been something of a shambles in the mist, the results were clear: Three German light cruisers and a destroyer sunk against no Royal Navy losses.
and E5
towards the Skagerrak
. This was the first act in a long saga that culminated in a British submarine flotilla in the Baltic
.
had advance warning of the intended raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
through signals intelligence. Commodore Keyes was ordered to send eight submarines and his two command destroyers, Lurcher
and Firedrake, to take stations off the island of Terschelling
to catch the German ships should they turn west into the English Channel
. On 16 December, as the situation developed, the submarines were ordered to move to the Heligoland Bight
in order to intercept returning German ships. They failed, although one torpedo was fired at SMS Posen
by HMS E11
, which missed. As a last ditch attempt to catch Hipper
, the Admiralty
ordered Keyes to take his two destroyers and attempt to torpedo Hipper as he returned home around 2 am. on 17 December. Keyes himself had considered this and wanted to try, but the message was delayed and failed to reach him until too late.
, to little avail; it transpired later that she had been mined off the Belgian coast on 4 January.
On 27 April 1916 the German Navy
submarine UC-5 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Ulrich Mohrbutter ran aground on Shipwash Shoal in position 52°03′N 01°46′E. Firedrake captured the U-boat
at 1:00pm relatively intact; apart from some damage incurred in the grounding, the crew had taken measures to damage instruments and equipment, including firing small arms
at them, and seven destruction charges had caused several holes in the pressure hull. UC-5 was towed to Harwich and placed in a dry dock
, where she was examined and reconditioned. She was displayed at Temple Pier on the Thames in London, and later moved to New York, where she was displayed in Central Park
. Firedrake's captain, Cdr Aubrey Thomas Tillard RN was mentioned in despatches for his part in the capture.
commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans Galster was sunk by Firedrake on 13 November or 17 November 1917, either off Harwich or Start Point
. It seems most likely that UC-51 was mined in the English Channel
and lies in position 50°08′N 03°42′W off Start Point.
, a 1936 short story
by Robert Buckner
, featured Roger Bradman as the Commanding Officer of Firedrake who, in the early days of World War I
, lands on the Belgian
coast and devises a plan that succeeds in stopping the German Army from reaching Paris
. It was first printed in Atlantic Monthly
in February 1936, and then reprinted in Reader's Digest
(April 1936) and The Best American Short Stories of 1937.
Acheron class destroyer
The Acheron class was a class of twenty-three destroyers of the British Royal Navy, all built under the 1910-11 Programme and completed between 1911 and 1912, which served during World War I. A further six ships were built to the same design for the Royal Australian Navy as River-class destroyers...
, named after the firedrake of Teutonic mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, and the sixth ship of 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...
to bear the name.
Pennant Numbers
| Pennant Number | From | |To |
|---|---|---|
| H97 | 6 December 1914 | 1 January 1918 |
| H33 | 1 January 1918 | Early 1919 |
| H89 | Early 1919 | 10 October 1921 |
Construction
Sir Alfred YarrowAlfred Yarrow
Sir Alfred Fernandez Yarrow, 1st Baronet, of Homestead was a British shipbuilder who started a shipbuilding dynasty, Yarrow Shipbuilders.-Life and career:...
maintained that it was possible to build strong, seaworthy
Seakeeping
Seakeeping ability is a measure of how well-suited a watercraft is to conditions when underway. A ship or boat which has good seakeeping ability is said to be very seaworthy and is able to operate effectively even in high sea states....
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s with a speed of 32 kn (62.7 km/h), and a contract for three such boats was placed with Yarrow & Company of Scotstoun
Scotstoun
Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The "Firedrake Specials", "Special I class" or "Yarrow Specials" were a little larger than the rest of the class but carried the same armament. Firedrake, Lurcher
HMS Lurcher (1912)
HMS Lurcher was a modified Acheron-class destroyer, named after the lurcher-type dog, and the fifth ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name; when new she was the fastest ship in the Royal Navy.-Pennant Numbers:-Construction:...
and Oak
HMS Oak (1912)
HMS Oak was a modified Acheron-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1912, she saw extensive service during World War I as a tender to the Flagship of the Grand Fleet, and for this purpose she was painted white, instead of the usual warship grey. She was sold in 1921 to be scrapped...
were, however, distinctive in appearance and at least 4 knots (7.8 km/h) faster than the rest of their class. They all exceeded their contract speed, Lurcher making over 35 knots (68.6 km/h). Firedrake became part of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla.
Curragh Incident
During the Curragh Incident in the spring of 1914, Firedrake was despatched to Kingstown (now Dún LaoghaireDún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
) in order to preserve communications between Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Paget in Dublin and the British Government in London. She left Southampton at 10:30pm on 19 March, making the passage in record time. The Unionists
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
suspected that the naval movements were part of a plot to subdue Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, and Firedrake's captain, Lt Cdr B W Barrow, was ordered to report to Paget's Headquarters in civilian clothes
Mufti (dress)
for more information see civilians Mufti, or civies/civvies , refers to ordinary clothes, especially when worn by one who normally wears, or has long worn, a military or other uniform.-Origin:...
.
Discomfort in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
with possible military action within Ireland was to some extent mirrored in the Royal Navy. In Firedrake, Engineer Lieutenant Ranken informed his captain Had General Paget, he declared, Lt Cdr
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Barrow did not share his principles, and Ranken was relieved by another officer on 22 March. On 2 April all naval forces, including Firedrake, were withdrawn for Easter leave, with no intention to return them. Although the Royal Navy soon returned to prevent gun-running to the Ulster Volunteers, Firedrake does not appear to have taken part.
World War One
World War I
World 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...
Firedrake and Lurcher
HMS Lurcher (1912)
HMS Lurcher was a modified Acheron-class destroyer, named after the lurcher-type dog, and the fifth ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name; when new she was the fastest ship in the Royal Navy.-Pennant Numbers:-Construction:...
were assigned to the Eighth Submarine Flotilla under the command of Commodore Keyes, and were based at Parkeston Quay, Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
. Both ships were employed in escorting, towing and exercising with submarines of their flotilla, and the more notable episodes are detailed below:
Landing of the BEF
From August 1914 the British and French Navies attempted to seal the English ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
against German Naval
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
attack; Firedrake and 12 submarines formed the north-eastern line. No transports carrying the British Expeditionary Force were sunk, although the German Navy made little or no use of submarines against non-military ships at this stage of the war.
According to the despatches of Commodore Keyes,
The Battle of Heligoland Bight
On 26 August 1914 Commodore Keyes hoisted his broad pennantBroad pennant
A broad pennant is a swallow-tailed tapering flag flown from the masthead of a ship to indicate the presence of a commodore on board. It is so called because its dimensions are roughly 2:3....
in Lurcher, leading Firedrake, two D-class
British D class submarine
There were plans for a further two, D9 and D10, but these were launched at Chatham Dockyard as HMS E1 and HMS E2.-See also:*Not to be confused with the United States D class submarine of 1909-1910.-Sources:...
and six E-class
British E class submarine
The British E class submarines started out as improved versions of the British D class submarine. All of the first group and some of the second group were completed before the outbreak of World War I....
submarines eastwards into the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. Also at sea were the destroyers of Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt
Reginald Tyrwhitt
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, 1st Baronet, GCB, DSO was a senior officer of the Royal Navy in World War I who commanded light forces stationed at Harwich on the east coast of England during the first part of the war.-Naval career:Tyrwhitt entered the Navy as a cadet in July, 1885...
. The plan was to place elements of the High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
between Royal Navy surface ships and bottomed Royal Navy submarines. Unknown to Keyes and Tyrwhitt, 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...
had added significant reinforcements at the last minute.
Keyes' despatch reads:
Battle was joined at 7:00 on 28 August in misty conditions. Due to lack of information about reinforcements sent by 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...
, great potential existed for fratricidal
Fratricide
Fratricide is the act of a person killing his or her brother....
attacks; at 8:15 am Firedrake and Lurcher came close to attacking the cruisers Lowestoft
HMS Lowestoft (1913)
HMS Lowestoft was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 23 April 1913 from Chatham Dockyard. She was part of the Birmingham subgroup....
and Nottingham
HMS Nottingham (1913)
The fifth HMS Nottingham was launched in 1913 and commissioned in 1914. A light Town class light cruiser of , in length and a complement of 401 men, she had thick armour plating and was armed with nine guns, one 13-pounder anti-aircraft gun and two torpedo tubes...
.
SMS Mainz
SMS Mainz was a light cruiser of the Kolberg class in the Imperial German Navy, launched in 1909, with 4,400 tons displacement. She was armed with twelve 10.5 cm guns and had a top speed of 27 knots...
was heavily damaged and disabled, Commodore Goodenough
William Goodenough
Admiral Sir William Edmund Goodenough GCB, MVO was a senior Royal Navy officer of World War I.-Naval career:Goodenough joined the Royal Navy in 1882. He was appointed Commander of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in 1905...
ordered his ships to cease firing on her at 12:55 pm and a rescue operation was undertaken. Liverpool
HMS Liverpool (1909)
HMS Liverpool was a 4,800 ton Town-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy commissioned in 1909. Named for the port city of Liverpool, the cruiser served continuously in home waters subordinated to the Home Fleet from 1909 through the initial stages of the First World War.During the war,...
, accompanied by Firedrake and Lurcher
HMS Lurcher (1912)
HMS Lurcher was a modified Acheron-class destroyer, named after the lurcher-type dog, and the fifth ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name; when new she was the fastest ship in the Royal Navy.-Pennant Numbers:-Construction:...
, manoeuvred close to Mainz in an effort to recover the surviving crew. Boats from Liverpool were deployed to retrieve those who had abandoned ship while Lurcher positioned alongside Mainz to transfer the crew who remained on board. By 1:10pm 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...
ships withdrew as the height of tide was high enough to allow larger German Navy
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
units to enter the area. Although the operation had been something of a shambles in the mist, the results were clear: Three German light cruisers and a destroyer sunk against no Royal Navy losses.
Submarines in the Baltic
On 22 September 1914 Firedrake and Lurcher towed the submarines E1HMS E1
HMS E1 was a British E class submarine built by Chatham Dockyard and cost £101,700. E1 was laid down on 14 February 1911. She was launched on 9 November 1912 and was commissioned on 6 May 1913...
and E5
HMS E5
HMS E5 was a British E class submarine built by Vickers Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 9 June 1911 and was commissioned on 28 June 1913. She cost £106,700.-Service history:...
towards the Skagerrak
Skagerrak
The Skagerrak is a strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea.-Name:...
. This was the first act in a long saga that culminated in a British submarine flotilla in the Baltic
British submarine flotilla in the Baltic
A British submarine flotilla operated in the Baltic Sea for three years during the First World War. The squadron of nine submarines was attached to the Russian Baltic Fleet. The main task of the flotilla was to prevent the import of iron ore from Sweden to Imperial Germany...
.
Raid on Scarborough
By 14 December 1914 the AdmiraltyAdmiralty
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...
had advance warning of the intended raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
The raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby, which took place on 16 December 1914, was an attack by the Imperial German Navy on the British seaport towns of Scarborough, Hartlepool, West Hartlepool, and Whitby. The attack resulted in 137 fatalities and 592 casualties, many of which were civilians...
through signals intelligence. Commodore Keyes was ordered to send eight submarines and his two command destroyers, Lurcher
HMS Lurcher (1912)
HMS Lurcher was a modified Acheron-class destroyer, named after the lurcher-type dog, and the fifth ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name; when new she was the fastest ship in the Royal Navy.-Pennant Numbers:-Construction:...
and Firedrake, to take stations off the island of Terschelling
Terschelling
Terschelling is a municipality and an island in the northern Netherlands, one of the West Frisian Islands.Waddenislanders are known for their resourcefulness in using anything and everything that washes ashore. With few trees to use for timber, most of the farms and barns are built with masts...
to catch the German ships should they turn west into the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. On 16 December, as the situation developed, the submarines were ordered to move to the Heligoland Bight
Heligoland Bight
The Heligoland Bight, also known as Helgoland Bight, is a bay which forms the southern part of the German Bight, itself a bay of the North Sea, located at the mouth of the Elbe river...
in order to intercept returning German ships. They failed, although one torpedo was fired at SMS Posen
SMS Posen
SMS Posen "SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship" was one of four battleships in the , the first dreadnoughts built for the German Imperial Navy...
by HMS E11
HMS E11
HMS E11 was an E-class submarine of the Royal Navy launched on 23 April 1914. E11 was one of the most successful submarines in action during the 1915 naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign, sinking over 80 vessels of all sizes in three tours of the Sea of Marmara.-European operations:In...
, which missed. As a last ditch attempt to catch Hipper
Franz von Hipper
Franz Ritter von Hipper was an admiral in the German Imperial Navy . Franz von Hipper joined the German Navy in 1881 as an officer cadet. He commanded several torpedo boat units and served as watch officer aboard several warships, as well as Kaiser Wilhelm II's yacht Hohenzollern...
, 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...
ordered Keyes to take his two destroyers and attempt to torpedo Hipper as he returned home around 2 am. on 17 December. Keyes himself had considered this and wanted to try, but the message was delayed and failed to reach him until too late.
Search for Submarine C31
On 7 January 1915 both Firedrake and Lurcher carried out a search for the missing British submarine C31HMS C31
HMS C31 was a C-class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow for the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 7 January 1909 and was commissioned on 19 November 1909....
, to little avail; it transpired later that she had been mined off the Belgian coast on 4 January.
Capture of UC-5
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
submarine UC-5 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Ulrich Mohrbutter ran aground on Shipwash Shoal in position 52°03′N 01°46′E. Firedrake captured the 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...
at 1:00pm relatively intact; apart from some damage incurred in the grounding, the crew had taken measures to damage instruments and equipment, including firing 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...
at them, and seven destruction charges had caused several holes in the pressure hull. UC-5 was towed to Harwich and placed in a dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
, where she was examined and reconditioned. She was displayed at Temple Pier on the Thames in London, and later moved to New York, where she was displayed in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. Firedrake's captain, Cdr Aubrey Thomas Tillard RN was mentioned in despatches for his part in the capture.
Sinking of UC-51
Some sources state that UC-51SM UC-51
SM UC-51 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 5 December 1916...
commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans Galster was sunk by Firedrake on 13 November or 17 November 1917, either off Harwich or Start Point
Start Point, Devon
Start Point is a promontory in the South Hams district. It is one of the most southerly points in Devon, England, . It marks the southern limit of Start Bay, which extends northwards to the estuary of the River Dart....
. It seems most likely that UC-51 was mined in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and lies in position 50°08′N 03°42′W off Start Point.
Commanding officers
| Approximate date | Captain |
|---|---|
| 1914 | Lt Cdr Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander... B W Barrow RN 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... |
| 1915 | Cdr Aubrey Thomas Tillard RN 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... |
HMS Firedrake in fiction
The Man Who Won the WarThe Man Who Won the War
The Man Who Won the War is a short story by Robert Buckner. The story tells of an exiled British Naval Officer, Roger Bradman, who "really" won the First World War. Before the start of the story, Buckner writes a short paragraph explaining why none of the story can be "legally" proven. This short...
, a 1936 short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Robert Buckner
Robert Buckner
Robert Buckner was a film screenwriter, producer and short story writer.He wrote the screenplays for films including Knute Rockne All American...
, featured Roger Bradman as the Commanding Officer of Firedrake who, in the early days of World War I
World War I
World 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...
, lands on the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
coast and devises a plan that succeeds in stopping the German Army from reaching Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It was first printed in Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
in February 1936, and then reprinted in Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
(April 1936) and The Best American Short Stories of 1937.