HMS C-34
HMS C 34 . 17/07/1917
Displacement: 321 grt.
Length: 43.6 m. Beam: 4.1 m. Draught: 3.51 m.
Propulsion: 1 x diesel engine (600 hp), 1 x electric engine (200 hp electric), 1 screw.
Complement: 19 officers and men.
Armament: 2 torpedoes, 2 x 18"/450 mm T.T.
Submarine C 34 was built at the Royal Navy Dockyard, Chatham in 1910. In 1917 C 34 was attached to HMS Lucia based at Scapa Flow.
HMS C34 left Scapa Flow on 16th July 1917 at 19.00 hrs. C 34 was in escort with C 19 and HMS Medusa and was to patrol north of Fair Isle and up to Shetland and act as protection to Lerwick Convoys.
On the 21st July 1917 C 34 was scheduled to meet with C 19 off the NE corner of Fair Isle but C 34 failed to do so. Radio messages were sent telling C 34 to return to base.
On the 22nd July 1917 C 34 was listed as 15 hours overdue. Fair Isle and Sumburgh were asked to keep a lookout. A submarine was sighted but turned out to be C 22.
On the 23rd July 1917 there was a report in the Dutch press that C.34 had been sunk and one survivor, a stoker was taken prisoner.
It had been widely documented, in some books and on crew memorials, that the date of loss was 21st July 1917. This was the date the submarine was listed as overdue. It is known that C34 was sunk by U 52 (Kptlt. Franz Krapohl). A review of U 52's KTB (logbook) shows the date of sinking to be 17th July 1917.
U 52 saw C 34 on the surface and fired one torpedo from 500m. The C 34 exploded and when U 52 surfaced they found, among some wreckage, one survivor, Stoker Frank Scoble K.22307 (Dev) who was taken prisoner.
On being recovered from the water Frank Scoble said to U 52's commander Kptlt. Franz Krapohl ''You won the game''.
Displacement: 321 grt.
Length: 43.6 m. Beam: 4.1 m. Draught: 3.51 m.
Propulsion: 1 x diesel engine (600 hp), 1 x electric engine (200 hp electric), 1 screw.
Complement: 19 officers and men.
Armament: 2 torpedoes, 2 x 18"/450 mm T.T.
Submarine C 34 was built at the Royal Navy Dockyard, Chatham in 1910. In 1917 C 34 was attached to HMS Lucia based at Scapa Flow.
HMS C34 left Scapa Flow on 16th July 1917 at 19.00 hrs. C 34 was in escort with C 19 and HMS Medusa and was to patrol north of Fair Isle and up to Shetland and act as protection to Lerwick Convoys.
On the 21st July 1917 C 34 was scheduled to meet with C 19 off the NE corner of Fair Isle but C 34 failed to do so. Radio messages were sent telling C 34 to return to base.
On the 22nd July 1917 C 34 was listed as 15 hours overdue. Fair Isle and Sumburgh were asked to keep a lookout. A submarine was sighted but turned out to be C 22.
On the 23rd July 1917 there was a report in the Dutch press that C.34 had been sunk and one survivor, a stoker was taken prisoner.
It had been widely documented, in some books and on crew memorials, that the date of loss was 21st July 1917. This was the date the submarine was listed as overdue. It is known that C34 was sunk by U 52 (Kptlt. Franz Krapohl). A review of U 52's KTB (logbook) shows the date of sinking to be 17th July 1917.
U 52 saw C 34 on the surface and fired one torpedo from 500m. The C 34 exploded and when U 52 surfaced they found, among some wreckage, one survivor, Stoker Frank Scoble K.22307 (Dev) who was taken prisoner.
On being recovered from the water Frank Scoble said to U 52's commander Kptlt. Franz Krapohl ''You won the game''.
KTB (logbook) U 52 sinking C 34 with translation
U Boat Grid map showing ''069''
Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer - Tuesday 14 August 1917
The Fight Between Submarines.
A rather unusual story appeared in the ''Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer'' based on an article in an American newspaper the ''Schenectuckt Gazette''.
The article describes a battle between an unnamed U boat and the British submarine C34 but contains many mistakes.
It claims the action took place of the Frisian Islands but it in fact took place off Shetland. The location in given in both the KTB and also the submarines orders which were to operate off Fair Isle, Scotland.
It claimed the submarine and U boat exchanged gunfire until, after 55 shots, C 34 was hit ''fairly'' and sank. The KTB from U 52 clearly shows C 34 was sunk by torpedo and may not even have been aware U 52 was there as no record of any defensive action.
It claimed the men operating the deck gun were thrown into the water and then one of them recovered. C 34 did not have a deck gun.
Stoker Frank Scoble was taken prisoner and ended up in Germany at Brandenburg prison of war camp.
The Wreck Today.
To date the wreck of the C 34 has not been located. UKHO gave a position in 1983 of 59 51.00N, 01 05.00W.
This area was searched in 1985 with side scan sonar but no wreck was located and gave the comment ''CONSIDERED THAT CONTACT IS NO LONGER CLOSE TO ITS QUOTED POSN, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WRECKAGE HAS MOVED SINCE 1917 IN THE RELATIVELY STRONG TIDAL STREAMS IN THE AREA.''
069 is a large grid square and above Latitude longitude is approximately centre of the grid square.
To date the wreck of the C 34 has not been located. UKHO gave a position in 1983 of 59 51.00N, 01 05.00W.
This area was searched in 1985 with side scan sonar but no wreck was located and gave the comment ''CONSIDERED THAT CONTACT IS NO LONGER CLOSE TO ITS QUOTED POSN, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WRECKAGE HAS MOVED SINCE 1917 IN THE RELATIVELY STRONG TIDAL STREAMS IN THE AREA.''
069 is a large grid square and above Latitude longitude is approximately centre of the grid square.
The Crew - (Research ongoing)
We have however, posted two complete profiles of
Lieutenant Ingleby Jefferson and survivor Frank Scoble for the anniversary of C34's sinking.
We have however, posted two complete profiles of
Lieutenant Ingleby Jefferson and survivor Frank Scoble for the anniversary of C34's sinking.
