The 8th August 1915 was the fateful and tragic day for HMS India and her crew.  The ship was on patrol in the North Sea in the Arctic Circle near the Lofoten Islands in Norway.  She was accompanied by two armed trawlers, HMS Saxon and HMS Newland.  The tasks for the day were similar to those undertaken over the past few months, watch for other ships and attempt to establish what their cargo was and whether they were belligerent.  On the morning of the 8th August they had made contact with two Swedish ships, boarded one and searched it for contraband.  Both ships were allowed to continue on their journey and HMS India and its support trawlers returned to their patrol line, zig zagging as commanded and making a speed of about 14 knots.  At midday an urgent message was received from a superior ship, HMS Virginian, commanding that HMS India try and find one of the Swedish ships, S.S Gloria, and send it to Kirkwall for further examination.  Kirkwall was a port in the Orkney Islands, Scotland and was one of the bases of the 10th Cruiser Squadron.  HMS India spent several hours searching, unsuccessfully, for S.S Gloria and after reporting this to command they sight another steamer which quickly moves inside the Norwegian territorial limits meaning that HMS India is powerless to act on the suspicion that this ship, professing to be S.S Hillhouse, is not who they say they are.  Heading back to the patrol line another steamer is sighted and whilst Commander Kennedy is in the wireless room making contact, the alarm is sounded.  A torpedo has been sited.  The time is 1740.  The torpedo struck the ship at 1741 and she disappeared into the freezing North Sea at 1746.

The story of the sinking of HMS India is best told by those who experienced it and I have two reports to share here (there are more in my book!).  Both of these reports can be found in the National Archives, Kew in file ADM 1/8429/227.  They are written, respectively, by Sub-Lieutenant Alltree R.N.R and Midshipman H.R Jenkins R.N.R.

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Report by Sub-Lieut. Alltree R.N.R, Jorstadmoen, October 11th, 1915

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In accordance with your orders I beg to make an additional report of the sinking of H.M.S “India” and the arrival of survivors at Helligvaer Island.  On August 8th H.M.S “India” was steaming at 56 revolutions, 14 knots, heading about SSW to head off Swedish Steamer.  Lookout on foc’sle reported “Submarine on starboard bow”.  Looking in the direction indicated I saw track of torpedo about 300 yards distant: at the same time Commander Kennedy ran on the bridge and ordered “hard sport” “full speed ahead” which orders were immediately carried out by Navigator and myself.  I also sounded war alarm.  Torpedo struck the ship, in my opinion, below No. 3 starboard gun.  Orders were given by Commander to send messages for assistance, as vessel had heeled over to port about 10 degrees and was going down by the stern.  Commander gave the order to “Abandon ship”.  I went into No. 2 cutter and found her ready for lowering and apparently full.  I then got into the boat which was lowered by Chief Gunner Byrne and a seaman; great difficulty was experienced in getting away from the ship as she was still going through the water at about 10 knots, all other boats in port side with exception of port whaler capsizing in water.

“India” was sinking rapidly by the stern, bow being lifted right out of the water and guns on foc’sle carrying away, vessel then broke in two by after well deck and sank rapidly.  Torpedo had struck ship at about 5:41pm and she disappeared at about 5:46pm.

On No. 2 cutter I went to edge of wreckage and saw all hands near us hanging on to spars, wreckage or rafts, whom we left for Swedish steamer, which was about 2 miles distant proceeding to assistance, to pick up, considering it not advisable to enter field of wreckage on account of capsizing, having 35 hands in cutter at the time.  Port whaler left the ship with 10 hands, picking up 3 more out of the water, she being deep in the water owing to water shipped when leaving ship.

I headed for Swedish steamer, but afterwards headed for the land: Helligvær bearing about Se distant 7 or 8 miles.  We also saw trawler “Saxon” steaming to assistance of those in the water.

When about 2 miles from scene of disaster we sighted submarine submerged all but periscope distant about half a mile heading towards us, she diving when only about 30 yards distant,

When about halfway to land we met three motor boats one of which lowered a rowing boat which piloted us to Helligvær; we requested the motor boats which had come out to help us to land, to go to the scene of the disaster.  At 8:30pm we arrived at Helligvær, where we were well received, served with support and allotted rooms for the night.  9pm roll call 48 hands all told.

August 9th at 3:00am.  Three bodies, identified as Private L. Marks R.M.L.I.  Petty Officer Prior and Wm. Dent, Greaser, were brought ashore by motor boat.  Considerable wreckage was also brought ashore and inspected, no confidential books or papers being amongst it, with the exception of charts of coast of Scotland which I burnt.  At 6am I left Helligvær with postmaster on SS “Bodin” for Bodø to report to Consul.  10am arrived Bodø and reported to Vice-Consul who communicated with Narvik and Christiania.  I was then sent on Norwegian gunboat “Andenes” Lieut. Johannessen in command to Helligvær and brought men, bodies and boats to Bodø.  On arrival at Bodø bodies were placed in coffins and we followed them to the mortuary.  I also took a doctor to Helligvær on that journey to see Seaman Keats who was injured in back and out hospital on arrival at Bodø.

Under directions of Consul we were allotted hotel accommodation.  August 10th at 10am I inspected No.1 starboard cutter which had been brought into Bodø.  She was holed below waterline in 2 planks, the hole being only about 6” square, also stern board partially carried away: this boat with number 2 cutter and port whaler I left in care of Vice-Consul.

Funeral arrangements were made with Vice-Consul.  The service being our own service was read by a Norwegian Chaplain in Norwegian.  I had previously without success searched several shops and inquired of Vice-Consul for a book of Prayer in English.

The Norwegian Navy supplied a guard of six sailors, a Petty Officer and a Warrant Officer.  Amongst the mourners being the British Vice-Consul, Lieut. Arentz Norwegian Navy and Lieut. Johannessen Norwegian Navy.  The coffins were covered with flags picked up from H.M.S “India”, white ensign, Union Jack and red ensign.  There were also very many floral tributes, amongst them being wreaths from the British Vice-Consul, the Norwegian Navy and the survivors of H.M.S “India”.

At 3:30pm we left Bodø for Bjerkvik in Gunboat “Andenes” arriving there and being turned over to the military authorities at 4am, when we were encamped with the remaining survivors.

Whilst in Helligvær and Bodø we had every kindness shown to us by the Norwegian people.

(signed) E.W Alltree Act Sub-Lieut. R.N.R

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Statement by Midshipman H.R Jenkins R.N.R

October 10th 1915

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I have the honour to submit the following report from memory of what occurred from the time of leaving the torpedoed H.M.S “India” on August 8th in the West Fjord to our arrival at Helligvær.

After clearing the ship’s side we pulled away from the ship to avoid swamping.  A few minutes after, H.M.S “India” sank rapidly by the stern and disappeared.  The boat I was in, the 2nd cutter, contained Sub-Lieutenant Alltree in charge, Eng Sub Lieut Patmore, myself and 32 ratings.  The boat being full we were unable to pick up any men who were in the water, where there was a large quantity of wreckage.  We saw only one other boat clear the ship which we afterwards found to be the port whaler containing 13 men.  We observed a Swedish steamer and the British armed trawler “Saxon” steaming towards the scene of the disaster and we soon after proceeded towards the nearest point of land, the whaler being some distance astern and following us.  About half way to the shore we sighted the periscope of a submarine approximately 200 yards distant on our port bow coming towards us.  When within about 30 yards of us she stopped, and having taken a look round, submerged.  We had seen no identification marks on her.  When about 3 miles from land we sighted 5 boats coming towards us, 3 were motor boats one of which flew the pilot flag, one small sailing boat, and a rowing boat with 2 fishermen in it.  They hailed us in Norwegian which none of us understood.  Four proceeded to the scene of the disaster whilst the fifth, the rowing boat, turned towards the beach indicating that she was going to show us the way in, and keeping a few yards ahead of us.  About an hour after we arrived at the Island of Helligvær in company with the whaler, and landed at the jetty.

(Signed) H.R. Jenkins. R.N.R

 

There is a compelling account of the torpedo attack from one of the crew of the U-Boat, a gentleman called Ernst Hashagen who was later promoted to Captain.  In his book, Boats Westward! (Translated by Celestino Corraliza), he speaks of the cat and mouse game played by the U-boat in it’s attempts to get within striking distance of HMS India.  Unbeknownst to the British ship, they had been being watched all day.  After seeing the torpedo strike Hashagen writes –

'The commander lets me take a look through the periscope. The ship sinks so rapidly that hardly any boats are launched. After four minutes, the whole stern section is already under water. Another three minutes, the mast tops disappear in the sea after the whole mighty ship once again rises high out of the water. Countless debris, life preservers, boats crowded with people drift on the site of the sinking. With the speed of the disaster many will be pulled down.

We go underwater to 20 meters and after about two hours we return to the wreckage to fish for life preservers or other pieces of wreckage that tell us the name of the ship we do not even know. As we approach, we still see boats drifting around, as well as a Norwegian and an armed English steamer intervening to pick up the survivors. We therefore give up our plan and run off submerged again.'

 

After the rescues had taken place the two larger ships, the Saxon and the Gotaland sailed straight to Narvik with the rescued men aboard.  The men were traumatised, cold and many had lost or discarded their clothes whilst in the water and so were huddled in blankets.  The men who had been rescued by the neutral vessel, those on the Gotaland, were soon given permission to be transferred to English ships and taken home but those who were rescued by belligerent boats suffered a very different fate.  Commander Kennedy was given the option of leaving the approximately 60 men rescued by the Saxon on board and heading straight back out to sea but he came to the painful realization that he did not have the clothing, blankets, food, or medical supplies needed on the trawler and felt that he had no choice but to move the men to dry land.  By doing so the Commander and the rescued men found themselves at the mercy of the Norwegian government and in agreement with the Hague Treaty that had been put in place prior to the First World War, became internees or Prisoners of War.