*British, WW1, HM Submarine E18 – Original Photograph*
Original Photograph of WW1 Submarine E18. This photograph originally formed part of the Lou Britton British Submarine Collection, which was acquired by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport in 2007.
Approximate Dimensions: 17.7x 12.6cm
HMS E18 was a British E-class submarine launched in 1915 and lost in the Baltic Sea in May 1916 while operating from Reval (now Tallinn, Estonia). The exact circumstances of her sinking remain unknown, but her wreck was discovered in October 2009 off Hiiumaa, Estonia, with an open hatch, suggesting she struck a mine while surfaced.
Design & Specifications
E18 belonged to the post-E8 group of British E-class submarines, displacing 662 long tons (673 t) surfaced and 807 long tons (820 t) submerged. She measured 180 feet (55 m) in length with a 22-foot-8-inch (6.92 m) beam. Powered by two 800-horsepower Vickers eight-cylinder diesel engines and two 420-horsepower electric motors, she could reach 16 knots (30 km/h) on the surface and 10 knots (19 km/h) submerged. She carried 50 long tons (51 t) of diesel, giving her a range of 3,255 miles (5,238 km) at 10 knots.
Originally built without a deck gun, E18 was later fitted with a 12-pounder (76 mm) QF gun mounted forward of the conning tower. She had five 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes—two in the bow, one on each beam, and one in the stern—carrying a total of ten torpedoes. Her wireless system had a 1-kilowatt power rating, later upgraded in some submarines to 3 kilowatts. She was designed for a maximum diving depth of 100 feet (30 m), though some E-class boats exceeded 200 feet (61 m) in service. Her crew complement consisted of three officers and 28 enlisted men.
Service History
1915: North Sea & Transfer to the Baltic
E18 entered service in 1915 under Lieutenant-Commander R.C. Halahan, initially joining HMS Maidstone at Harwich. She completed a North Sea patrol in July before being ordered to the Baltic as part of the British submarine flotilla supporting Russian naval operations. Departing Harwich on 28 August 1915 with HMS E19, she reached the Baltic after a hazardous passage through the Øresund, narrowly avoiding German warships and engaging in a dangerous near-grounding while evading enemy patrols. She arrived in Reval on 13 September.
E18 conducted multiple patrols through the autumn of 1915, often encountering German forces. In September, she nearly torpedoed the German cruiser Bremen, but a surfaced Russian submarine inadvertently caused the target to turn away. In October, she attempted to attack the battleship Braunschweig, but mechanical issues with her torpedo tubes prevented her from firing effectively. She continued patrolling Swedish trade routes and German naval movements but saw limited success.
1916: Final Patrol & Loss
After being trapped in ice for much of early 1916, E18 resumed operations in April. On 26 May, she successfully torpedoed and crippled the German destroyer V100. Her last confirmed sighting was on 1 June 1916 by the German submarine UB-30 northwest of Steinort (now Sztynort, Poland). Various theories exist regarding her loss, but the most widely accepted is that she struck a mine while returning to Reval.
Aftermath & Discovery
Tsar Nicholas II posthumously honoured E18’s crew, with Halahan receiving the Order of St. George and his officers the Order of St. Vladimir. Three crew members who had missed the patrol due to illness or reassignment survived.
The wreck of HMS E18 was located in October 2009 by the Swedish survey vessel MV Triad near Hiiumaa, Estonia. Images revealed an open hatch, supporting the theory that she was mined while surfaced. E18’s loss remains one of the many unresolved mysteries of World War I submarine warfare.
*Condition*
Excellent used condition. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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