The Disposition of RN Submarines at the Outbreak of War, 4 August 1914

Contributed by J. D. Perkins, author of Canada's Submariners.


Taken from the September 1914 Navy List and other sources. Submarines are listed in order of seniority within each flotilla. The Flotillas were not numbered at the beginning of the war. (corrected to 15 October 1999, with the assistance of Brian Head)

HMS ONYX

Devonport (1st Flotilla)

In command and S/Ms LCdr. Tom K. Triggs

A9 - Lt. George S. Walsh

A8 - Lt. Robert N. Stopford

HMS DOLPHIN

Portsmouth (2nd Flotilla)

Commodore S/M's: Captain Roger J. B. Keyes

E10 - LCdr. William St. J. Fraser

D2 - LCdr. Arthur G. Jameson

S1 - LCdr. Gilbert H. Kellett

A5 - Lt. John de B. Jessop

A6 - Lt. Henry E. Smyth

A13 - Lt. Edward R. Lewes

B1 - Lt. Basil A Beal

HMS ARROGANT

Dover (4th Flotilla)

Commander S/M Cdr. Charles J. C. Little

C32 - LCdr Brownlow V. Layard

C34 - Lt. John F. Hutchings

C31 - Lt. George Pilkington

C33 - Lt. Gerald E. B. Carter

C18 - Lt. Victor E. Ward

C35 - Lt. Alfred Gordon-Hine

C17 - Lt. Thomas B. S. McGregor Robertson

HMS THAMES

Sheerness (5th Flotilla)

Commander S/M Cdr. Alexander R. Palmer

C1 - LCdr. Clyfford H. Warren

C2 - LCdr. Herbert W. Shove

C6 - LCdr. Thomas C. B. Harbottle

C3 - Lt. Edward W. B. Ryan

C4 - Lt. Alfred E. Whitehouse

C5 - Lt. George E. Jenkinson

HMS BONAVENTURE

Humber (6th Flotilla)

Commander S/M Cdr. Stanley L. Willis

C9 - LCdr. John R. G. Moncreiffe

C13 - LCdr. William J. Foster

C10 - The Hon. Lt. Byron P. Cary

C7 - Lt. George F. Bradshaw

C8 - Lt. Richard H. B. Everard

C12 - Lt. Percy H. Boulnois

HMS VULCAN

Leith (7th Flotilla)

Captain S/M Captain Vernon S. Haggard

C23 - LCdr. Geoffrey Layton

C27 - LCdr. Claude C. Dobson

C21 - LCdr. Vincent M. Cooper

C26 - Lt. Colin Cantlie

C29 - Lt. William R. Schofield

C30 - Lt. Allan Poland

C25 - Lt. Henry G. Higgins

C24 - Lt. Fredrick H. Taylor

C28 - Lt. Kenneth Michell

C22 - Lt. Edward C. Carré

C19 - Lt. Hugh R. Marrack

C20 - Lt. Francis J. H. Dawson

HMS MAIDSTONE

Harwich (8th Flotilla)

Captain S/M Captain Arthur K. Waistell

E4 - LCdr. Ernest W. Leir

E1 - LCdr. Noel F. Laurence

E3 - LCdr. George F. Cholmley

E2 - LCdr. David de B. Stocks

E6 - LCdr. Cecil P. Talbot

E8 - LCdr. Francis H. H. Goodhart

D8 - LCdr. Theodore S. Brodie

E9 - LCdr. Max K. Horton

E5 - LCdr. Charles S. Benning

E7 - LCdr. Ferdinand E. B. Feilmann

D4 - LCdr. Kenneth M. Bruce

E11 - LCdr. Martin E. Nasmith

D7 - LCdr. George C. Street

D1 - LCdr. Archibald D. Cochrane

HMS ADAMANT

Harwich (8th Flotilla)

Commander S/M Cdr. Fredrick A. Sommerville

D3 - LCdr. Edward C. Boyle

D6 - LCdr Robert C. Halahan

D5 - LCdr Godfrey Herbert

HMS PACTOLUS

Ardrossan (9th Flotilla)

In command and S/Ms LCdr. William R. D. Crowther

A12 - Lt. David M. Fell

A10 - Lt. Cromwell H. Varley

A11 - Lt. Ernest G. Ebblewhite

HMS FORTH

Devonport (10th Flotilla)

In command S/Ms LCdr. Lionel A. D. Sturdee

C15 - LCdr. Robert R. Turner

C16 - LCdr. Geoffrey N. Biggs

C14 - LCdr. George W. E. Naper

B3 - Lt. Robert F. Chisholm

B4 - Lt. Henry P. Hughes

B5 - Lt. Thomas Kerr

HMS CORMORANT

Gibraltar

HMS RAPID

(Tender to Cormorant)

In command and S/Ms LCdr. Charles H. Brodie

B6 - Lt. Philip E. Phillips

B8 - Lt. Eric E. C. Tufnell

B7 - Lt. Thomas C. A. Ouchterlony

HMS EGMONT

Malta

In command S/Ms LCdr. George H. Pownall

B9 - Lt. Geoffrey Warburton

B10 - Lt. Samuel M. G. Gravener

B11 - Lt. Norman D. Holbrook

NOTE

The six B-class boats based at Malta and Gibraltar were all sent to the Dardanelles shortly after the outbreak of war arriving there during September 1914. They were accompanied by their depot, the converted merchant ship Hindu Kush.

HMS ROSARIO

Hong Kong

In command S/Ms LCdr. F. N. A. Cromie

C36 - Lt. D. I. McGillewie

C37 - Lt. John A. Gaimes

C38 - Lt. Rowland K. C. Pope


Last Updated: 31 October, 1999.

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