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From: <>
Subject: Re: First Submarine
Date: 4 Apr 2000 10:51:08 GMT


> > Assuming M2 was a submarine as well, this must have complicated the
> > diving routine somewhat. Did they launch the plane before going below?
> > Further details please!
>

Others have answered that bit - and the problem was that the hangar doors
were not easy to close in a hurry - with the result that M2 sank off
Portland Bill on Jan 26th 1932 with all hands, apparantly when surfacing
after a dive. Since it took a long time to blow the main ballast tanks
the sub was held on the surface by the aft hydroplanes while the plane
was launched, and its postulated that these failed allowing the whole
thing to sink back, flooding the hangar and thence possibly the boat via
the access hatch.

She, along with her sisters M1 and M3 were of course originally laid down
as one of the ill fated K class subs - the steam driven "fleet"
submarines that were not exactly successful (the full story is told in
The K-Boats by Don Everitt). The admiralty decided to abandon the K
class as such but did complete the three M boats (conventionally powered)
as big gun submarines. M1 remained in that guise till she sank, M2 was
converted to a seaplane carrier andM3 to a minelayer.

At 339' long and a submerged displacement of 2600 tons these were by far
the largest subs built up until then, and with the exception of the
similar Japanese Kaigun class, three US boats a bit bigger and the French
Navy's Sircouf at 2880 tons remaind so for a long time (up until the
German "milch cows" I think).

Officially she was never raised (she's still there and I've dived on her)
despite strenuous attempts at salvage. Coincidentally with her loss it
is said that some local civilians went missing and were never found.

I have however heard a witness account on tape that she was raised (some
while after she sank), that an officer went aboard and when he returned
ordered her cut loose to sink again. Since then the Navy has been
extremely discouraging of anyone expressing too much interest in her, and
one person who wished to form a consortium to raise her, and told me he
had obtained written permission of all known relatives to do so, said he
was warned off in a rather forceful manner.

Who knows what happened - it certainly makes an interesting story however!

Hugh Ainsley - the AINSLEY one name study

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