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Chapter two - page 5
I commissioned a professional researcher to locate the Log Books of H.M.S. ‘Sagitta’, Mr. Peter Gardner and this is his report.
EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF H.M.S. ‘SAGITTA’
Kew Record Office ref. ADM 53/58969 - 58983.
1916
MAY
1/5-4/5 |
At North Shields and on patrol |
7.5-18/5 |
Refitting at Lowestoft. |
19/5-25/5 |
Lowestoft, Harwich, Immingham, Grimsby. |
26/5 |
Grimsby to Largs Bay (?) |
27/5 |
Largs Bay to Scapa Flow. |
31/5 |
Scapa Flow to 57* 12’ N, 01* 12’W |
JUNE
1/6 |
57* 12’N 01* 32W to 54* 50’N 01* 05’W, references to Granton & Inchkeith. |
3-20/6 |
Crew scraping & varnishing etc. |
21-30/6 |
Lowestoft, Southwold & Aldeburgh. |
JULY |
Generally patrolling Cromer, Haisbro, N.Hinder light vessel, Smiths Knoll (52* 40’N 02* 25E). |
19/7 |
Sighted periscope of submarine in 52* 06’N 02* 32’E. Dropped buffs(?) and steamed around vicinity. |
AUGUST
1-14/8 |
Refitting at Lowestoft. |
15-31/8 |
Sighted and fired on 3 Zeppelins in 52* 21’N 02* 34’E. |
SEPTEMBER
1/9-11/9 |
Lowestoft and on patrol Haisbro and Cromer Knoll. |
2-3/9 |
sighted & sunk 2 English mines. |
12/9 |
Lowestoft to Chatham. |
15/9 |
Harwich to Lowestoft. |
16/9 |
Lowestoft to Immingham. |
17/9 |
Immingham to Lowestoft. |
18-30/9 |
Lowestoft to Yarmouth (18/9) then patrolling and returned to Lowestoft. |
OCTOBER
1/10 |
Yarmouth to Bacton. Sighted and sank German mine. Heard engines of 2 Zeppelines. Heard explosions and saw flashes 3-6 miles to S.W.
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2/10 |
Bacton to Haisbro area. |
3-31/10 |
At Lowestoft patrolling. |
NOVEMBER/
DECEMBER |
Mainly at Lowestoft or patrolling locally. |
1917
JANUARY |
On patrol Yarmouth Roads, Corton Roads with spells at Lowestoft. |
FEBRUARY
1-13/2 |
Refit at dry dock at Lowestoft. |
14/2 |
Left Lowestoft for engine trials. |
MARCH
1-12/3 |
Patrolling Lowestoft - Yarmouth area. Sank several British mines. |
14/3 |
Downs to Portsmouth. |
16/3 |
Portsmouth to Itchen (Southampton). |
17-31/3 |
Refitting Itchen. |
APRIL
1-7/4 |
Refitting at White’s Yard, Itchen. |
8/4 |
Portsmouth to Lowestoft. |
12-13/4 |
Lowestoft to Aberdeen. |
16-20/4 |
Aberdeen to Swarback’s Mine (Main?). |
17/4 |
SS Charles Goodanew on fire and sank. Arranged transfer of mined vessel’s crew from drifter (type of fishing vessel) to Cromarty (mouth of R.Humber). Anchored Tarbert Ness. |
20-22/4 |
Continued to Buster Voe. |
23/4 |
Left Buster Voe for Romanoff. |
MAY/
AUGUST |
Appears to have been mainly at sea with references to Romanoff and Tynva Bay (?) |
SEPTEMBER/
NOVEMBER |
Apparently operating in Barents Sea / White Sea area. Various references to Murmansk, Pechinga (?), and Yukauskie (?) which appears to be where she was mainly based. Loose papers in this log refer to boiler examination and cleaning, listing 23 HM trawlers and 17 other vessels. Papers signed by Captain Hurt RN, HMY Sagitta. |
7/11 - 13/11 |
Yukauskie to Murmansk & return. |
14/11 - 29/11 |
Mainly at Yukauskie with one trip to Archangel. |
30/11 |
Left Yukauskie with 4 tramps and 4 trawlers in convoy. |
DECEMBER
9/12 |
Arrived Lerwick. |
10-12/12 |
Lerwick to Loch na Beiste (?). |
12-13/12 |
Loch na Beiste to Milford Haven. |
14/12 |
Left Milford Haven. |
16/12 |
Berthed Portsmouth alongside Salvator. |
21/12 |
To Southampton - dry dock. |
1918
5/2
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Returned to Portsmouth. |
14/2 |
Orders to pay off ship and recommissioned by civilian crew. |
Notes.
British (English) mines sunk. Just how many British vessels were sunk by our own mines one can never say. Mines were secured to the sea bed by chain and during stormy weather would frequently break adrift becoming as much a hazard to friend and foe alike.
Zeppelines. Designed by Count Graf Zeppelin. They were huge hydrogen filled sausage shaped craft with ‘gondolas’ for crew, navigators, engineers, gunners etc. slung beneath. Before aircraft were sufficiently developed the Zeppelines flew over the North Sea to bomb targets in England. Damage done was relatively slight, far more demoralising affect than anything.
The Sagitta spent almost all her naval life patrolling the North Sea, it is not too difficult to imagine the ‘buzz’ that must have gone round the lower deck when she was ordered to go to Southampton for yet another refit just a month after the refit at Lowestoft. This second refit at White’s in Itchen would have been to install heating and very likely strengthening the hull for ice.
It was whilst the Sagitta was in the White Sea area that very possibly Claude watched ice sailing.
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