Submarines. 24 hours in G2, a submarine on patrol in the North Sea during WWI.

Rights Information
Year
1962
Reference
24062
Media type
Audio
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Rights Information
Year
1962
Reference
24062
Media type
Audio
Categories
Personal recordings
Sound recordings
Duration
00:14:05
Credits
RNZ Collection
Fell, W. R. (William Richmond) 1897-1981, Speaker/Kaikōrero

Captain William Richmond Fell, R.N. was a New Zealander who served for many years in the Royal Navy. In this recording he gives a detailed account of his first 24 hours in G2, a submarine on patrol in the North Sea during World War I.
He was appointed to HMS Titania in late September 1918 as a sub-lieutenant. It was the parent ship of a flotilla of G class submarines. He describes going on his first patrol in a submarine, G2. He gives a detailed, vivid account of the unpleasant conditions onboard a submarine in rough weather. He describes sighting a German submarine and gives an account of how a gun on deck was used against it. The G2 dived and eventually resurfaced near the Dogger Bank light vessel, where they saw the German submarine again.
He describes being on watch and later hearing the Germans sending Morse code signals on the hydrophone. The G2 surfaced again to see a large submarine crossing behind them. In the confusion, a round was fired from a Lewis gun in the control room but miraculously missed all the crew or any vital equipment.
The only available torpedo was hurriedly fired and to their surprise, hit its target. Fell says it was the U-boat U98, which was sunk with all hands.
[Other records suggest it was the U78, which was sunk by the G2 on 27 Oct 1918]