In the final year of World War I the Royal Navy suffered a catastrophic disaster, which involved no enemy ships. Over 100 sailors were lost in a tragedy which became known as the "Battle of May Island."
K-Class Submarines at Rosyth Naval Base
The 12th and 13th submarine squadrons relocated from Scapa Flow to the naval base at Rosyth in Fife, Scotland, over the winter of 1917-18. Both squadrons were equipped with K-class submarines. These were steam-powered when operating above water, which enabled them to keep pace with surface ships. This gave them a rather odd appearance as they sported funnels, which had to be lowered and stored before submerging.
On the evening of 31st January, 1918, a total of nine submarines left Rosyth, heading for the North Sea and a rendezvous with Admiral Beatty’s fleet. The 12th squadron comprised submarines K3, K4, K6 and K6. The other five submarines in 13th squadron were K11, K12, K13, K14 and K22. The squadrons were accompanied on their voyage by an assortment of battleships, destroyers and cruisers. Near the Isle of May, on the east coast of Scotland, other surface ships were operating, unaware of any submarine movements in the area. This, combined with wartime blackout regulations and radio silence, set the scene for the disaster.
The Isle of May Submarine Tragedy
Two minesweeping trawlers crossed in front of the approaching fleet, causing confusion in which the submarine K22 collided with K14. The latter received serious damage to its bow, but worse was to follow. K22 was itself struck by the battle-cruiser HMS Inflexible. K17 was then hit by HMS Fearless, most of the crew managing to escape before the submarine sank.
The submarines K3 and K4, having witnessed the carnage, both stopped. K6 did not, and ploughed into K4. Although the crew of K6 escaped, K4, having also been struck by K7, sank with no-one surviving. Those who did manage to escape from the damaged submarines faced further danger, as the surface ships hit stranded sailors in the darkness. Despite many of K17’s crew making it out of the sinking vessel only eight survived.
In total two submarines, K4 and K17, were lost, and three more damaged. HMS Fearless was also damaged in the tragedy. Neither K4 nor K17 were raised, and remain where they came to rest in 1918. A memorial cairn commemorating the wartime disaster can be seen in the nearby Fife coastal village of Anstruther.
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