Andy South - The Suicide Club: A history of the Royal Navys steam powered submarines. (Second Edition)

A: SCOTTISH MAINLAND

B: SCAPA FLOW

C: K1'S

GROUNDING

D : FAIR ISLE

E: SHETLAND

THE BATTLE OF MAY ISLAND

31st JANUARY 1918

A: ROSYTH.

B: CEAMOND ISLE.

C: INCHCOLM ISLAND.

D: INCKEITH.

E: ISLE OF MAY.

F: K4 WRECKAGE.

G : K17 WRECKAGE.

AN INTRODUCTION

Jinx: "bad luck, or a person or thing that is believed to bring bad luck".

(The Cambridge English Dictionary)

T he Solent is formed from a large body of water which lays off the southern coastline of England. It is framed by the Isle of Wight to the south and the home of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth to its north. The river Hamble empties into this large expanse of water, bringing with it shipping from one of England's main seaports, Southampton. The area has since Roman times, has never been devoid of shipping. Amongst those merchant and warships are the numerous ferries that ply the route between the mainland and the Island. By the second year of the war, (1916) the expanse of water was even busier than was usual as the Royal Navy was both fighting a war and escorting the crowded troopships to the French and Belgium ports.

On a cold autumnal day in October 1916 the troops bound for France and the passengers on the ferries would have seen a unique and bizarre sight as they peered out over the deck rails of their transports.

Towering over the water, leaning at a deranged angle, stood a steel spire of over a hundred feet in its height. The summit of this steeple was not marked by a weathervane or a cross, but instead by two bronze seven-foot propellers, which were spinning as if they were possessed by a demonic force.

Within that sea bound 'church' tower was 'Bertie', the future King of England and the father-to-be of Queen Elizabeth II. The prince was clinging on to the submarines internal fittings, so as to avoid the slide and fall down the 'K' Class submarines Control Room's length. Alongside him and holding on with an equal determination was an Admiral and around, struggling to redeem the situation were over fifty Royal Navy Officers and crew. As odd and weird as the scene appeared both on the surface and within that 'steeple' it could be accepted as just another normal day in the life of the 'Jinx' that both haunted and blighted the Commissions of the Royal Navy's giant submarines, the 'K' Class.

These eighteen submersible submarines are probably the worst submarines to ever have flown the White Ensign. From that December day off Portsmouth, they were to quickly become known for being both accident prone and killers of their own Crews. The reputation was so bad that to some within the Naval world the submarines earned the name, the 'Suicide Club' and to others they were the 'Kalamity' Class. By the time K26, the final boat in a saga lasting just fifteen years, hauled down her White Ensign in 1931, over two hundred men had died serving on these vessels. Of those Crews many were burnt, scalded, and scarred by service on the 'K' Class submarines. Most served within the Royal Navy, but among those hundreds were a number of dockyard workers who also became ensnared by the 'jinx'.

The submarines were to serve through the latter half of World War One and after hundreds of hours patrolling the North Sea, only one was to ever encounter and engage the enemy. True to the reputation of the 'K' Class, that encounter started farcically with friendly fire and ended with a rapid withdraw by the British submarine. The 'K' Class submarines were never to fight or be present in a sea Battle, but in 1918 nine of them took part in the so called 'Battle of May' Island, where two 'K' Class submarines were sunk, four more damaged and a light cruiser heavily damaged. But although submarines were lost and men died, no enemy were present at this 'Battle'! But despite all the 'weirdness' of the Class, they held one more trump card. They were something rare in the world of Naval vessel, they were steam powered!