Daily Event for October 15, 2013

HMS Cymric was a 3 masted schooner fitted with an auxiliary triple expansion engine built by William Thomas & Sons on Anglesey Island, Wales in 1893. Used in commercial service until late in the Great War, Cymric was requisitioned by the Admiralty on Mar. 15, 1918 and converted to another purpose. Referred to by officials as a "special service vessel", Cymric (A.K.A. Olive) was now a Q-ship fitted with one 4", two 12 pounders and one 7.5" howitzer all well hidden to keep the true purpose secret.

On October 15, 1918 while cruising off Blyth searching for U-boats HMS Cymric approached a submarine on the surface about three miles away. At first the commanding officer, Lt. Frederick H. Peterson, D.S.C., D.S.C., R.N.R. took note and identified the unknown boat as a J class submarine. However after a second look he thought the boat to be suspicious because of the position of the deck gun which did not match a known configuration to him. With his men at the ready Lt. Peterson moved closer to the boat.

With clear weather in mid-afternoon Lt. Peterson held his fire until the submarine could be identified. The unidentified boat failed to fire recognition any signals and this made Lt. Peterson even more suspicious, but he was mistaken about the signals. Submarines were not to fire a recognition signal, but were only to respond to a challenge from a surface craft. Lt. Peterson soon saw what he needed, painted on the conning tower he could see U-6, he now believed this to be a German submarine.

At the same time that Lt. Peterson was considering attacking, the men in the submarine were also observing the schooner which was approaching. According to a surviving crewman they saw nothing about the ship to cause them any concern. The unidentified submarine was HMS J-6. She was outbound from Blyth for a patrol in the North Sea, the White Ensign flying from the W/T mast. Her commanding officer, Lt. Commander Geoffrey Warburton, D.S.O., R.N. was below when the unthinkable happened.

At about a quarter past three Lt. Peterson ordered his men to open fire with the 12 pounder. Shells began to fall near J-6, first they were short, but the third shell hit the conning tower. When Lt. Cdr. Warburton made it to the conning tower he found a grizzly scene. The signalman had been killed, holding the signal gun as he fell. The watch officer was terribly wounded and soon died. Warburton picked up the gun and fired six recognition grenades to stop the carnage. They were not seen by the men on Cymric, perhaps due to the smoke from their guns.

As the shells continued to hit the boat it soon became clear that they were going to founder. Warburton had ordered the engines to full speed and tried to move into a fog bank to provide cover, but Cymric followed. With the boat listing and taking on water fast, Warburton now ordered all stop. Chief Engine Room Artificer Robertson shut down the starboard engine and then was ordered to close the bulkhead door. He made every effort to get anyone in the motor room out, but smoke and fumes prevented him from entering. He finally closed the door, knowing that anyone still inside would perish.

During all this only one man on Cymric correctly identified the White Ensign, but Lt. Peterson dismissed this as a German ploy, he also dismissed the white cloth being waved by one of the crewmen on the after part of the boat. Perhaps Lt. Peterson was so suspicious because of what he was doing. After all Q-ships flew no flag or flew a false flag until they were ready to open fire, and they used every trick in the book to lure a submarine close alongside. With this in mind why would he think the Germans would do anything less to bring him closer.

Perhaps the men in Cymric were on edge as a German submarine had been reported to have been in the area only days before (of course phantom German submarines were constantly reported during the war). They also should also have been aware of the fact that they were not far from a submarine base and British submarines should have been expected. As stated before, he at first identified the submarine as a J class, but only thought it was a German submarine because he saw U-6 painted on the conning tower. He admitted later that he saw this at an angle, and also claimed that something was hanging down over part of the J which made it look like a U. It has not been confirmed if anything was actually hanging down over the J. It should be pointed out that German U-boats did not have their number painted on the conning tower during wartime, surely Lt. Peterson should have been aware of this.

As J-6 moved away Cymric continued to shell her until the crew finally identified the White Ensign, they also saw colored smoke which was being used as a signal from J-6. Lt. Peterson ceased fire, but soon resumed because again he thought this was a German trick. Lt. Cdr. Warburton's boat was doomed. He moved into the fogbank and ordered the boat to be abandoned.

About twenty minutes later Cymric found the boat and immediately realized their terrible mistake. Boats were lowered and men, including Lt. Peterson, jumped overboard to help in the rescue of the survivors. Shortly thereafter HMS J-6 slipped below the surface never to rise again. The men were taken aboard Cymric and treated for wounds. Sadly one man died after being rescued, his was the only body recovered, the remaining fifteen men who had died were never found. Following the rescue operation Lt. Peterson made for Blyth and anchored near a nest of other J-boats of the 11th Flotilla. Outside the gates family members, who had already learned of the loss, gathered waiting to see who had survived.

News of the loss was quashed and nothing was published in the national press. The findings of the inquiry held on Oct. 19 were put under the official secrets act and sealed for 75 years. They have now been released. No action was taken against Lt. Peterson, but that is not to say that everyone was satisfied with the judgment. The commander of submarines Commodore Sydney S. Hall, C.B. was perhaps his biggest critic. He wrote to First Sea Lord Admiral Beatty the following:

"It does not appear reasonable that an officer whose particular business it was, should be capable of mistaking the silhouette of J6 for 'U6' even if he did not know that U-6 had been sunk 3 years ago." He further wrote; "To expect a German submarine in this position to have mast up and colours flying, gun unmanned and men on deck in low visibility shows a further want in judgment."

Lt. Peterson without a doubt showed a complete lack of judgment and a lack of knowledge about not only German U-boats, but of how British signals were to be carried out. At the very least he should have been relieved of command and perhaps drummed out of the navy.

Nevertheless when the inquiry was completed and Lt. Peterson stood up to leave he was met with the entire surviving group of J-6 men standing at attention and giving him a salute. They apparently did not harbor any ill feelings for Peterson.

This tragedy was compounded by the fact that negotiations to end the war were already underway and the armistice would be signed only 27 days later. There is no doubt that the events of that day haunted Lt. Peterson and every man on Cymric and J-6 until the end of their days. Cymric was later returned to her owners, but disappeared sometime after leaving Ardrossen, Scotland on Feb. 23, 1944.
© 2013 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com



Roll of Honour
In memory of those who lost their lives in
HMS J-6
"As long as we embrace them in our memory, their spirit will always be with us"

Name
Rate
Notes
Armstrong, Ernest W.
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Brierley, James R. I.
Sub-Lieutenant
*
Bright, Charles T.
Artificer Engineer
Burwell, Herbert E. P.
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Hill, Arthur H.
Able Seaman
Lamont, Athol D.
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Rayner, Edward G.
Leading Seaman
Russell, William T.
Able Seaman
Savidge, Albert E.
Stoker 1st Class
Sexton, Henry P.
Boy Telegraphist
Stevenson, Percival J.
Leading Stoker
Tachon, Philip
Stoker 1st Class
Thompson, William P.
Stoker 1st Class
Tyler, Frank A.
Able Seaman
White, Henry T.
Able Seaman
Wicksted, George H.
Leading Telegraphist
       
*
Died on Cymric


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