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  • Foreign Naval Visits 2005

    2005
    After a period of inactivity over the winter months,we can expect to see Warships from other nations on our Quays once again shortly.

    The RN are expected to send a vessel to Cork during the anniversary commemoration for one of the First RN submarines,A5 which suffered an explosion in Cork Harbour in 1905. One of the early Holland type boats,it was being put through its paces in the harbour when it got into difficulties,killing 6 of its crew,5 of whom are buried in Cobh.

    HM Submarine A5 (Forgotten Submariners)
    Early in 1999, CPO Owen O'Keeffe of the Irish Naval Service was visiting Old Church Cemetery near Cobh, County Cork. The purpose of his visit was to do some research on U.S. Navy graves dating back to the First World War. In the course of his search for the American graves, O'Keeffe came across five particular graves that had like headstones. The graves were very neglected and overgrown and the headstones, which were in the form of crosses, were moss covered.

    On discovering, through research, that the graves were those of Royal Navy Submariners who were killed in an explosion onboard HMS/M A5 in February 1905. O'Keeffe decided to do something about restoring the graves. As well as the restoration task, O'Keeffe decided to research the cause of death of the occupants of the five graves.

    HMS/M A5 was built in Barrow-in-Furness, launched in March 1904 and commissioned on 11 February 1905. Her displacement was 190 tons surfaced, length 105 feet, beam 12.5 feet and a draught of 10.5 feet, so she was tiny by today's standards or even those of the immediate post war era. The A5's engines were powered by petrol and she had a range of approximately 300 miles. Her armament consisted of two 18-inch bow torpedo tubes and she carried 4 torpedoes, two in the tubes and two spare. A5's crew consisted of 2 officers and 9 ratings.

    HM Naval Base Haulbowline, located on the western side of Cork Harbour, was quite large and had a dockyard and dry dock capable of holding a vessel of cruiser size. The base was almost entirely self-contained and even had its own hospital. The designs of the buildings were, and are, very similar to the buildings in RN bases worldwide. Cork being a natural harbour is the ideal location for a Naval Base. The ships based at Haulbowline would have looked after the Western Approaches area of the Atlantic. Cobh in Cork Harbour was also the last port of call of western bound trans-Atlantic liners.

    Once commissioned, A5 accompanied by her depot ship, HMS Hazard, sailed from Barrow-in-Furness and called at Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire), Co. Dublin, and Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, before arriving at Queenstown (now Cobh), Co. Cork on 13 February 1905. HMS/M A5 was the first submarine to be seen at the Haulbowline Naval Base. She attracted a great deal of attention and a large number of people were out to view the new arrival. Apart from being the first submarine to arrive at the Haulbowline Naval Base, the public were aware that a sister ship of A5, the A1, had been sunk during 1904 when in collision with a Liner. On arrival in harbour the A5 berthed alongside 'Hazard', which in turn was moored to a buoy. The crew moved over to the depot ship, which must have been a great relief when one considers the noise from the engines and the very cramped conditions within the small submarine when underway. It is difficult to imagine how the crew were able to get much sleep because of the engine noise etc.

    During 14 and 15 February 1905, preparations were underway for A5 to carry out some exercises, in a type of shop-window effort to demonstrate her capabilities to the Commanding Officers of ships present in the naval base, and some 60 to 70 naval officers who had arrived at Haulbowline to witness the exercises and attend a subsequent lecture on submarines. These exercises were scheduled for 16 February and it was immediately prior to sailing on that fateful day that the submarine commenced refuelling from 'Hazard'. The A5's engines were petrol fuelled. Refuelling was completed at 0805. Approximately two hours later an explosion occurred inside A5 toward the stern, a second explosion some thirty minutes later followed this. The second explosion was located in the conning tower area. So great was the force of the explosions that members of the crew were actually blown out of the boat through the main hatch into the water. Subsequently two crew members were picked up by a tug.

    The following were either killed by the explosion or died subsequently from injuries received:

    Sub-Lieutenant F.C. Skinner
    CERA Charles Sinden
    PO 1st Class Arthur Manley
    PO 1st Class William J Pryor
    L/h Stoker Ernest Goldthorpe
    The remainder of the A5's crew were injured but survived:

    Lieutenant H.G.J. (Commanding Officer)
    Chief Stoker Thomas Winstley
    Acting ERA John B Randall
    AB Edwin W Hughes
    AB Edward Banham
    Sub-Lieutenant Skinners's remains were taken to his hometown, Bedford, where he was buried with full military honours. The remains of the five ratings were interred in Old Church Cemetery near Cobh, with full military honours on 20 February 1905. It was a funeral the like of which has never been seen in Cobh since. Bands and pipers from HMS Emerald, The Royal Gordon Highlanders and that of the Admiral in charge of the Haulbowline Naval Base, Rear-Admiral McLeod. The town of Cobh actually closed down for the duration of the funeral, in a mark of respect to the deceased submariners.

    An official inquiry and inquest were held in Haulbowline Base and Cobh Town Hall respectively, into the cause of the tragedy. The result was that the first explosion occurred towards the stern of the A5. The cause of the explosion was the vapour from the petrol mixing with the air and being ignited by a spark from the electric switch when the submarine's main motor was activated. Smouldering clothing or electric leads, resulting from the first explosion, was the cause of the second explosion under the conning tower. In March 1905, A5 was taken back to Barrow-in-Furness where she underwent major repairs. She rejoined the Fleet in October of that year and continued as part of the Home Fleet until December 1915, when she was paid off for disposal. A5 was broken-up in Portsmouth Dockyard in 1920.

    The Irish Naval Service, in response to CPO O'Keeffe's good work, donated a granite block with a brass plaque giving details of the A5 tragedy. This was unveiled in March 2000 at a ceremony attended by Members of the Cork & County Branch of the RNA, whom CPO O'Keeffe had contacted in the course of his research. The Cork & County Branch also laid a wreath at the A5 Memorial following Ireland's 'Sea Sunday' Service in July 2000 and will continue to do so in the future.

    Because the accident occurred before the First World War, the graves do not come under the remit of the War Graves Commission, which probably accounts for the neglect. Cork & County RNA intend holding a Commemoration Ceremony to mark the centenary of the tragedy in 2005. In the meantime it would be interesting to know if the War Graves Commission can give any assistance towards these neglected graves.

    Since the restoration of the graves, there has been a visit, by the grandchild of one of the victims of the tragedy. The note on the wreath simply said, "Granddad, sorry it took me so long visit". Perhaps there are other relatives of these submariners who would like to visit the graves


    Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Goldie fish
    Dad Just saw 2 ships entering Cork Harbour with A770 and A771 on their sides. No other info. Any Ideas?

    does anybody have any news on the ark royal

    Comment


    • #3
      welcome to last year....Live in the now!!!


      Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

      Comment


      • #4
        eh ! whos navy do those two belong to...at a guess I'd say French!
        Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

        Comment


        • #5


          29 Apr 05 BNS Aster M 915 Cork
          06 May 05 BNS Aster M 915 Londonderry
          28 May 05 H(SW)MS Carlskrona M 04 Cork
          6-9 Jul 05 STI Tall Ships Waterford, Ireland
          06 Jul 05 USCGC Eagle WIX 327 Waterford, Ireland


          Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Goldie fish
            http://www.seawaves.com/navcall.htm

            29 Apr 05 BNS Aster M 915 Cork
            06 May 05 BNS Aster M 915 Londonderry
            28 May 05 H(SW)MS Carlskrona M 04 Cork
            6-9 Jul 05 STI Tall Ships Waterford, Ireland
            06 Jul 05 USCGC Eagle WIX 327 Waterford, Ireland


            Goldie great site well done

            Comment


            • #7
              The Irish Times

              Ireland Thu, Feb 24, 05

              Four-day visit by British aircraft carrier
              Tim O'Brien

              HMS Illustrious, a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier, will arrive in Dublin Port for a courtesy visit this morning.

              The ship, the second of three Invincible class aircraft carriers and the fifth ship to bear the name Illustrious, will remain in the port for the weekend, playing host to groups of schoolchildren from Dublin and Belfast.

              Fresh from a two-year refit, the ship is about to undergo an extensive period of sea trials and exercises as she prepares to become the flagship of the British fleet.

              Security measures in Dublin Port have been increased for the visit, monitored by the British embassy.

              The embassy told The Irish Times that the visit reflected a warming of relations between Ireland and Britain.

              During the four-day visit, children from the Shankill/Shankill project, a grouping of schoolchildren from Bray, Co Wicklow, which is close to Shankill, Co Dublin, and Skankill in Belfast, will visit the ship.

              Other schools involved are Rutland Street Primary School in Dublin and St Columba's College, Rathfarnham. Patients of the National Children's Hospital will also attend.

              Further details on the Illustrious are available on www.royal-navy.mod.uk

              © The Irish Times

              Sorry, we've looked high and low, as we say here in Ireland and there's not a sign of that page. Why not go back to the homepage to find something else?

              Comment


              • #8




                Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

                Comment


                • #9
                  that ain't Dublin!
                  Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Sure it is. That's our new super- duper navy in the picture with it. Willie just bought it for us
                    There is no problem that cannot be fixed with high explosive.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      They dont call dubs west brits for nothing...thats the RN Base in Poolbeg...


                      Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Attached are some photo's of HMS Illustrious in Dublin port.
                        Attached Files

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by B Inman
                          Attached are some photo's of HMS Illustrious in Dublin port.

                          Massive pics it's a pity they would not allow access on board. maybe next time

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            While nutters are trying to petrol bomb them or force their way onboard,I think they are better off keeping their access limited.


                            Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Great photos B. Inman, but what a berth to be stuck in, I wonder did anyone go ashore?

                              Comment

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