HMS Titania

HMS Titania at Portland © IWM (FL 20126)
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Titania
Builder: Clyde Shipbuilding Co. (Glasgow, Scotland)
Launched: March 1915
Commissioned: November 1915
Fate: Scrapped in 1948/9 at Faslane
General characteristics
Displacement: 5,250 long tons (5,330 t)
Length: 335 ft
Beam: 46 ft 3 in
Draught: 18 ft 3 in
Speed: 14.5 knots (16.7 mph; 26.9 km/h)
Complement: 249

HMS Titania (1915) was a Royal Navy Submarine Depot Ship (Pennant F32). Titania was one of many submarine depot ships. Most of them that saw service in the First World War were scrapped in the 1930s[1]. Titania, however, saw service in the Second World War. She was scrapped at Faslane, Scotland, in September 1949[1].

Chronology and Voyages of HMS Titania

Construction

HMS Titania (1915) was built in Glasgow, Scotland,[1], by the Clyde Shipbuilding Co.[2] (Glasgow, Scotland) originally as a merchant ship ordered by Royal Hungarian Sea Navigation Company "Adria" as Károly Ferencz József[3][4]. She was launched in March 1915 and commissioned by the Royal Navy as a Submarine Depot Ship in November 1915.[5]

1915-1919: 11th Submarine Flotilla, Blyth[6]

When she was first commissioned, in November 1915, she was stationed at Blyth and under the command of Capt. Stanley L. Willis, RN[7]. In December 1915, the Eleventh Flotilla became the first directly supporting the submarines of the Grand Fleet[6]. The Flotilla was formed at first from submarines D7 and D8 taken from the Eighth Flotilla[8] and HMS Titania as their depot ship. During the period in which Titania was the depot ship of the 11th Submarine Flotilla[6], other ships shared the role at various times, including HMS Mastiff (1914), HMS Talisman, HMS Trident (1915), HMS Tartar and HMS Moon[9]. Other submarines of the G and J classes joined the Flotilla and the D-class submarines were removed.

An account of life on the ship is to be found in (Hawthorne (1980))[10].

On 3rd June 1916, following the Battle of Jutland, HMS Titania instructed submarine G10 to locate and sink floating remains of HMS Invincible to prevent the capture of materials. No remains were found[11].

On 28 October, 1918, Captain Frederick Avenel Sommerville, RN[12], was put in command of HMS Titania and made Commander (S) of the 11th Submarine Flotilla based at Blyth[13]

The Eleventh Flotilla was disbanded in March 1919[14].

1919-1929: 4th Submarine Flotilla, China[15]

Establishment of the Flotilla

On 1st Oct 1919 HMS Titania and HMS Ambrose were the two ships commissioned at Chatham as depot ships for the 4th Submarine Flotilla[15], China. At that time, another depot ship was already in service in Hong Kong. HMS Rosario[16] had been converted to a depot ship in 1910 and was serving in Hong Kong as the depot ship for the Hong Kong Submarine Flotilla[17], which consisted of three C-class submarines, C36, C37 and C38. These three submarines were built by Vickers, Barrow, commissioned on 1 February 1910 and sailed with HMS Rosario[16] to Hong Kong in February 1911. They were all sold in Hong Kong on 25 June 1919. HMS Rosario[16] was sold for scrap in Hong Kong on 11 December 1921.

The story of the 4th Submarine Flotilla from 1914 to 1919 is told on www.dreadnoughtproject.org[15].

Voyage to Hong Kong

HMS Ambrose, under the command of Cecil Ponsonby Talbot, left Devonport in October 1919 and sailed with six L-class submarines of the 4th Submarine Flotilla[15] (L1, L3, L4, L7, L9 and L15) to Hong Kong, where she remained until 28 March 1928. The exact timing of HMS Ambrose's voyage to Hong Kong is not known. It appears that her arrival in Hong Kong was in January 1920.

After commissioning HMS Titania sailed to Malta. The Ship's Log[18] shows that she left Chatham on 9th October 1919 and sailed via Sheerness to Portsmouth, arriving there on 14th October 1919. On 29th October 1919 she set sail for Malta, sailing via Gibraltar, where she stayed from 3rd to 8th November 1919, arriving in Malta on 12 November 1919.

On 18 February 1920 she and the remaining part of the 4th Submarine Flotilla[15], consisting of 7 L-class submarines, (L2, L5, L6, L8, L19, L20 and L33), under the command of Captain Frederick A. Sommerville, RN[12], set sail for Hong Kong via Port Said, Suez, Ismailia, Aden, Colombo, Penang and Singapore. She arrived in Hong Kong on 14 April 1920. The ship's log[18] records that HMS Titania weighed anchor and secured to Storm Signal Buoy at 10.17 a.m. on 14 April 1920. Gap Rock Light referred to in the Log is in the Wanshan Archipelago, to the south of Hong Kong Island. The reference to Waglan Light shows that she entered Hong Kong Harbour from the east through Tathong Channel and passed by the fishing village of Lye Mun (Lei Yue Mun) in Kowloon before docking. The exact location of Storm Signal Buoy is uncertain. It is likely to have been in the Admiralty area of Hong Kong Island, at the HMS Tamar shore station.

The latitude and longitude coordinates given for the ship's position at 8 a.m., Lat 22.18, Long 114.31, are the coordinates of the Waglan Lighthouse.

Ship's Log entry, 14 April 1920, Arrival at Hong Kong[5]
14 April 1920
From Singapore to Hong Kong and At Hong Kong
Position at 8 am: Lat 22.18, Long 114.31
Lat 22.3, Long 114.2
10 on sick list
1.0 am Put clocks on 15 minutes.
1.23 am Sighted Gap Rock Light: N20E.
3.42 am Gap Rock Light: abeam 8.4 miles.
3.45 am Altered course N52E.
5.15 am Sighted Waglan Light: N56E.
5.30 am Altered course N60E.
7.50 am Waglan Light: abeam 1 1/2 E.
7.52 am Altered course North.
8.0 am Waglan Light House: S87W, Hak Kok Tan* Light House: N36W. Altered course as requisite through Tathong Channel. Hauled in log.
8.50 am course as requisite through Lye Mun. Submersibles in single line astern.
9.15 am Course and speed as requisite foo Buoy.
9.25 am Let go Port anchor off Kan Ling Point. Turned ship.
9.50 am Weighed.
10.17 am Secured to "Storm Signal Buoy" Hong Kong.
1.0 pm Submarines secured alongside.

Submarines of the 4th Flotilla[15]

The submarines of the 4th Flotilla that accompanied HMS Titania and HMS Ambrose are identified on the britsub.x10.mx website[19]. They were all of the L-class.

Seven submarines accompanied HMS Titania on the voyage to Hong Kong. Submarines mentioned in the Ship's Log[18] are L2, L5, L6, L8, L19, L20 and L33. The names of the commanders are those who were in command in 1920. The submarines were as follows:

  • HMS L2, commanded by B. Ackworth and later by Colin Cantlie
  • HMS L5, commanded by Lt. A.M. Carrie
  • HMS L6, commanded by Lt. T.F.A. Voysey.
  • HMS L8, commanded by Lt. Cdr. T.A. Powell
  • HMS L19
  • HMS L20, commanded by Lt. Cdr. C.G.B. Coltart
  • HMS L33

A further six submarines were assigned to HMS Ambrose:

HMS L9 sank in Hong Kong harbour on 18th August 1923 during a typhoon. She was raised, refitted and put back into service. She was sold in Hong Kong on 30 June 1927, the first L-class boat to be sold.

There were in total 34 L-class submarines, numbered L1 to L12, L14 to L27, L33, L52 to L56, L69 and L71[19].

HMS Titania's Service in Hong Kong

In her service life she made a number of voyages in the Far East. Her movements in the period 1919 to 1924 are recorded on Naval-History.net.[18] Between 1920 and 1926 she sailed several times on voyages from Hong Kong to destinations around the Far East.[20].

Titania fielded a football team in the Hong Kong Second Division League and the team won the championship in the 1921/22 and 1923/24 seasons.

She was recommissioned at Hong Kong in 1921, 9 Feb 1924 and 5 Nov 1926.

The Ship's Log for the period 1919 to 1924[18] shows that Titania was based at Hong Kong on many occasions. When away from Hong Kong the destinations were mostly along the Chinese coast, Shanghai, Wei Hai Wei, Tsingtau, and other destinations round the South China Sea and Malaya.

  • 15 Apr 1920 to 24 Jun 1920 - stationed in Hong Kong
Voyage No 1: 25 Jun 1920 to 10 Dec 1920
DatesRoute Taken
1 25 Jun 1920 to 3 July 1920 Hong Kong to Wei Hai Wei
2 20 Sep 1920 to 22 Sep 1920 Wei Hai Wei to Nagasaki
3 23 Sep 1920 to 25 Sep 1920 Nagasaki to Kobe
4 18 Oct 1920 to 20 Oct 1920 Kobe to Port Hamilton
5 21 Oct 1920 to 22 Oct 1920 Port Hamilton to Wei Hai Wei
6 18 Nov 1920 to 20 Nov 1920 Wei Hai Wei to Nimrod Sound
7 27 Nov 1920 to 28 Nov 1920 Nimrod Sound to Samsa Inlet/Santu Anchorage
8 02 Dec 1920 to 03 Dec 1920 Santu Anchorage to Amoy
9 09 Dec 1920 to 10 Dec 1920 Amoy to Hong Kong

Note: The Ship's Log[18] gives the lat/long locations: Nimrod Sound (Lat 29.5, Long 121.5) is in the harbour at Fenghua, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. Santu Anchorage (Lat 29.66, Long 121.9) is also in the Ningbo area, at the entrance to the harbour in the East China Sea. Lu Wang Anchorage, mentioned in a later voyage, is also in that area.

  • 11 Dec 1920 to 24 Jul 1921 - stationed in Hong Kong
Voyage No 2: 25 Jul 1921 to 9 Nov 1921
DatesRoute Taken
1 25 Jul 1921 to 29 Jul 1921 Hong Kong to Wei Hai Wei
2 3 Oct 1921 to 5 Oct 1921 Wei Hai Wei to Shanghai
3 26 Oct 1921 to 27 Oct 1921 Shanghai to Nimrod Sound
4 1 Nov 1921 to 2 Nov 1921 Nimrod Sound to Amoy
5 8 Nov 1921 to 9 Nov 1921 Amoy to Hong Kong
  • 10 Nov 1921 to 17 Jan 1922 - stationed in Hong Kong
Voyage No 3: 18 Jan 1922 to 18 Mar 1922
DatesRoute Taken
1 18 Jan 1922 to 25 Jan 1922 Hong Kong to Singapore
2 31 Jan 1922 to 2 Feb 1922 Singapore to Penang
3 14 Feb 1922 to 15 Feb 1922 Penang to Port Swettenham
4 19 Feb 1922 to 20 Feb 1922 Port Swettenham to Singapore
5 23 Feb 1922 to 26 Feb 1922 Singapore to Labuan
6 3 Mar 1922 to 3 Mar 1922 Labuan to Jesselton/Gaya Bay
7 9 Mar 1922 to 12 Mar 1922 Jesselton to Manila
8 14 Mar 1922 to 18 Mar 1922 Manila to Hong Kong
  • 18 Mar 1922 to 7 Jul 1922, stationed in Hong Kong
Voyage No 4: 7 Jul 1922 to 17 Nov 1922
DatesRoute Taken
1 7 Jul 1922 to 13 Jul 1922 Hong Kong to Wei Hai Wei
2 26 Sep 1922 to 26 Sep 1922 Wei Hai Wei to Dairen Wan
3 10 Oct 1922 to 10 Oct 1922 Dairen Wan to Wei Hai Wei
4 26 Oct 1922 to 26 Oct 1922 Wei Hai Wei to Tsingtau
5 1 Nov 1922 to 3 Nov 1922 Tsingtau to Nimrod Sound
6 9 Nov 1922 to 10 Nov 1922 Nimrod Sound to Amoy
7 16 Nov 1922 to 17 Nov 1922 Amoy to Hong Kong
  • 10 Nov 1922 to 27 Jun 1923 - stationed in Hong Kong
Voyage No 5: 28 Jun 1923 to 3 Jul 1923
DatesRoute Taken
1 28 Jun 1923 to 3 Jul 1923 Hong Kong to Wei Hai Wei
2 9 Oct 1923 to 10 Oct 1923 Wei Hai Wei to Tsingtau
3 12 Oct 1922 to 13 Oct 1922 Tsingtau to Woosung
4 14 Oct 1923 to 14 Oct 1923 Woosung to Tsinghai*
5 15 Oct 1923 to 16 Oct 1923 Tsinghai* to Santu Inlet
6 19 Oct 1923 to 21 Oct 1923 Santu Inlet to Hong Kong
  • Note: The location of Tsinghai is not known; however, the sailing times suggest a location between Woosung and Santu Inlet.
  • 22 Oct 1923 to 13 Feb 1924 - stationed in Hong Kong. Recommissioned on 9 Feb 1924.
Voyage No 6: 14 Feb 1924 to 27 Mar 1924
DatesRoute Taken
1 14 Feb 1924 to 20 Feb 1924 Hong Kong to Singapore
2 3 Mar 1924 to 7 Mar 1924 Singapore to Port Swettenham
3 7 Mar 1924 to 8 Mar 1924 Port Swettenham to Singapore
4 20 Mar 1924 to 27 Mar 1924 Singapore to Hong Kong
  • 28 Mar 1924 to 26 May 1924 - stationed in Hong Kong
Voyage No 7: 27 May 1924 to August 1924
DatesRoute Taken
1 27 May 1924 to 27 May 1924 Hong Kong to Lu Wang Anchorage
2 28 May 1924 to 29 May 1924 Lu Wang Anchorage to Shanghai
3 4 Jun 1924 to 6 Jun 1924 Shanghai to Wei Hai Wei
4 6 Jun 1924 to 14 August 1924 Stationed in Wei Hai Wei.

The Transcript of the ship's log[18] ends on 14 August 1924. The voyages of HMS Titania in the period August 1924 to 1930 need to be transcribed from the Ship's Log to complete the account of her service in Hong Kong.

HMS Titania's Return to Britain

At the end of her service in Hong Kong, she returned to the UK via Malta. HMS Medway took her place in Hong Kong as the depot ship for the 4th Submarine Flotilla[15]. HMS Medway sailed to Hong Kong with six O-Class submarines of the Odin group. They were:

1930-1940: 6th Submarine Flotilla, Portland/Blyth

On 1 Oct 1930 she was commissioned at Chatham for the 6th Submarine Flotilla based at Weymouth/Portland.

1935 temporarily with the 3rd Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet.

16 Jul 1935 Flagship of the Flag Officer Commanding Submarines at the Silver Jubilee Review at Spithead.

1936 attached to 6th Flotilla, Portland.

20 May 1937 Coronation Review at Spithead as Flag Officer Submarines' Flagship.

1939 based at Blyth with the 6th Flotilla.

1940-1945: Holy Loch

In 1940 she was refitted on the Tyne and transferred to Holy Loch for the remainder of the war.

On 6 May 1942, HMS H 28 (Lt. R.E. Boddington, RN), HMS H 32 (Lt. J. Whitton, RN), HMS P 614 (Lt. Denis John Beckley, RN (29 Apr 1914 - 26 Aug 1978)[21]) conducted practice attacks on a convoy made up of the submarine tenders HMS Cyclops (Capt. Roderick Latimer Mackenzie Edwards, RN (10 Jul 1900 - 27 Nov 1975)[22]), HMS Titania (Cdr. Harold Robson Conway, RN (1 Jan 1901 - 16 Dec 1990)[23]) and their escort HMS Breda (Capt.(Retd.) A. E. Johnston, RN), HMS La Capricieuse (Lt.Cdr. George William Dobson, RNR (24 Feb 1905 - 20 Nov 1971)[24]) and HMS Boarhound (formerly HMS Terje 2 (FY315), renamed on 19 Jan 1941) (Skr. Sidney George Jinks, RNR (14 Nov 1904 - 2 Nov 1965)[25]).

In 1943 she served as a depot ship in sea trials of the Welman mini-submarine.

1945-1949: 5th Submarine Flotilla, Portsmouth

In 1945 she was transferred to Portsmouth Naval Base to serve as a depot hulk for the 5th Flotilla.

Disposal

In June 1949 she was broken up at Faslane.

Officers and Crew of HMS Titania

Commanders

Commanders[5]
NameFromTo
1 Capt. Stanley L. Willis, RN[7] 21 Oct 1915 Oct 1918
2 Capt. Frederick A. Sommerville, RN[12] 28 Oct 1918 Dec 1920
3 Capt. Charles S. Benning, RN[26] 31 Dec 1920 Mar 1923
4 Capt. Charles G. Brodie, RN[27] 1 Feb 1923
5 Capt. Robert H.T. Raikes[28] Mar 1925 Mar 1927
6 Capt. John B. Glencross[29] 27 Jan 1927 Feb 1929
7 Cdr. Anthony B. Lockhart[30] Jan 1929
8 Cdr. Henry I.M.L. Scott[31] 28 Mar 1930 31 Oct 1930
9 Capt. Hugh R. Marrack[32] 1 Nov 1930 2 Feb 1931
10 Cdr. Edward G. Stanley[33] 2 Feb 1931 6 Feb 1933
11 Cdr. Edward A. Aylmer, RN[34] 6 Feb 1933 23 Jul 1935
12 Not known
13 Capt. Ian A.P. Macintyre, RN[35] 26 Aug 1936
14 Cdr. Jocelyn Slingsby Bethell, RN[36] 28 Apr 1938 27 Apr 1940
15 Capt. Hugh Meynell Cyril Ionides, RN[37] 1 Jul 1940 14 Aug 1940
16 Capt. Philip Ruck-Keene, RN[38] 14 Aug 1940 9 Sep 1940
17 Cdr. Harold Robson Conway, RN[39] Dec 1941 12 Jun 1942
18 Cdr. Geoffrey Mainwaring Sladen, DSO, DSC, RN[40] 12 Jun 1942 early 1943
19 Cdr. (retired) William Richmond Fell, DSC, OBE, RN[41] early 1943 18 Jan 1944
20 Cdr. (retired) Thomas Bennett Brunton, DSC, RN[42] 18 Jan 1944 8 Mar 1944
21 A/Cdr. (retired) Sydney Pengelly, RN[43] early 1944 mid 1945
22 Not known

Ship's Officers

These officers' names all appear in the ship's log for the period 1919 to 1924.

NameComment
Lt. R.M. StopfordCommander of HMS L15 on the journey to Hong Kong
Lt. Cdr. Ditten
Eng. Lt. Humphreys
Lt. Reid
Lt. Cdr. Jordan
Lt. Spragge
Lt. Thomson
Eng. Cdr. Horsley
Surg. Lt. Cdr. Aveling(Later Surgeon Captain) Charles James Aveling[44], (6 Jan 1882 to 24 Feb 1945)
Eng. Cdr. Bury
Lt. Cdr. MacGill
Lt. Keller
Sub. Lt. Ritchings
Lt. Tweedy(Later Commander) George John Drumelzier Tweedy[45] (27 Nov 1891 – )
Lt. Holt
Lt. Harrison
Lt. Clarke

Other Crew Members

These crew members' names all appear in the ship's log for the period 1919 to 1924.

See Also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Submarine Depot Ships - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  2. ↑ "Graces Guide, Clyde Shipbuilding and_Engineering Co". www.gracesguide.co.uk.
  3. ↑ "Titania". www.clydeships.co.uk. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  4. ↑ "100 éve történt (100 years ago)" (in Hungarian). Magyar Hajózásért Egyesület (Society for Hungarian Navigation). Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  5. 1 2 3 "H.M.S. Titania (1915) - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  6. 1 2 3 "Eleventh Submarine Flotilla (Royal_Navy)". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  7. 1 2 "Stanley L. Willis, RN". dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  8. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List, (December, 1915), pp. 12-13
  9. ↑ "H.M.S._Moon_(1915)". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  10. ↑ Hawthorne, G. (1980, June)., "HMS Titania 1917-1918. The South African Military History Society, Military History Journal, 5.", samilitaryhistory.org/vol051gh.html
  11. ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 28
  12. 1 2 3 "Frederick Avenil Sommerville, RN". dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  13. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1919). p. 920a.
  14. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1919). p. 12
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Fourth_Submarine_Flotilla_(Royal_Navy)". dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  16. 1 2 3 "H.M.S._Rosario_(1898)". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  17. ↑ "Hong Kong Submarine Flotilla". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "HMS Titania, depot ship - British warships of World War 1". www.naval-history.net. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  19. 1 2 "L-Class Boats". britsub.x10.mx. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  20. ↑ "1926 Submarines and HMS Titania | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong". gwulo.com. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  21. ↑ "Lt. Denis John Beckley, RN". www.unithistories.com.
  22. ↑ "Capt. Roderick Latimer Mackenzie Edwards, RN". www.unithistories.com.
  23. ↑ "Cdr. Harold Robson Conway, RN". www.unithistories.com.
  24. ↑ "Lt.Cdr. George William Dobson, RNR". www.unithistories.com.
  25. ↑ "Skr. Sidney George Jinks, RNR". www.unithistories.com.
  26. ↑ "Charles S. Benning, RN". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  27. ↑ "Charles G. Brodie, RN". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  28. ↑ "Robert H.T. Raikes". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  29. ↑ "John B. Glencross". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  30. ↑ "Anthony B. Lockhart". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  31. ↑ "Henry I.M.L. Scott". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  32. ↑ "Hugh R. Marrack". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  33. ↑ "Edward G. Stanley". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  34. ↑ "Edward A. Aylmer". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  35. ↑ "Ian A.P. Macintyre, RN". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  36. ↑ "Jocelyn Slingsby Bethell, RN". uboat.net.
  37. ↑ "Hugo Meynell Cyril Ionides, RN". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  38. ↑ "Philip Ruck-Keene, RN". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  39. ↑ "Harold Robson Conway, RN". uboat.net.
  40. ↑ "Geoffrey Mainwaring Sladen, DSO, DSC, RN". dreadnoughtproject.org.
  41. ↑ "William Richmond Fell, DSC, OBE, RN". uboat.net.
  42. ↑ "Thomas Bennett Brunton, DSC, RN". uboat.net.
  43. ↑ "Sydney Pengelly, RN". uboat.net.
  44. ↑ "Charles James Aveling". www.unithistories.com.
  45. ↑ "George John Drumelzier Tweedy". dreadnoughtproject.org. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  46. ↑ "John Edward Barrow, RN". www.wikitree.com. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
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