HMS E47
Encyclopedia
HMS E47 was an E-class
submarine
launched by Fairfield
, Govan
for the Royal Navy
and completed by William Beardmore
, Dalmuir
. She was laid down on 29 May 1916 and was commissioned in October 1916.
coasts. Following the resumption of German coastal shipping between Heligoland Bight
and Rotterdam
, four E-class submarines were sent to intercept. E47 was lost in the North Sea
on 20 August 1917. There were no survivors.
. The deck gun
, which was torn off its mounting, probably by a trawler, and was lying beside the wreck, has been salvaged and identifies the wreck.
The wreck bears the Dutch Hydrographic Department wreck number 927, and lies in position 53°6′8.10"N 4°33′28.0"E.
British E class submarine
The British E class submarines started out as improved versions of the British D class submarine. All of the first group and some of the second group were completed before the outbreak of World War I....
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
launched by Fairfield
Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited was a British shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Navy and other navies through the First World War and the...
, Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and completed by William Beardmore
William Beardmore and Company
William Beardmore and Company was a Scottish engineering and shipbuilding conglomerate based in Glasgow and the surrounding Clydeside area. It was active between about 1890 and 1930 and at its peak employed about 40,000 people...
, Dalmuir
Dalmuir
Dalmuir is an area on the western side of Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.-Location:It is neighboured by the village of Old Kilpatrick, the Mountblow and Parkhall areas of Clydebank, as well as the town centre...
. She was laid down on 29 May 1916 and was commissioned in October 1916.
Service history
E47 was based at Harwich with the 9th Flotilla - depot ships and . She was engaged in North Sea patrols off the German and DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
coasts. Following the resumption of German coastal shipping between Heligoland Bight
Heligoland Bight
The Heligoland Bight, also known as Helgoland Bight, is a bay which forms the southern part of the German Bight, itself a bay of the North Sea, located at the mouth of the Elbe river...
and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, four E-class submarines were sent to intercept. E47 was lost in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
on 20 August 1917. There were no survivors.
Wreck of E47
The wreck of E47, found in 2002 by Divingteam Noordkaap from Vlieland, lies about 6 nmi (6.9 mi; 11.1 km) northwest of TexelTexel
Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...
. The deck gun
Deck gun
A deck gun is a type of artillery cannon mounted on the deck of a ship or submarine.The deck gun was used as a defensive weapon against smaller boats or ships and in certain cases where torpedo use was limited. Typically a crew of three; gunner, loader, and layer, operated the gun, while others...
, which was torn off its mounting, probably by a trawler, and was lying beside the wreck, has been salvaged and identifies the wreck.
The wreck bears the Dutch Hydrographic Department wreck number 927, and lies in position 53°6′8.10"N 4°33′28.0"E.