SUBMARINES:  CHATHAM BUILT

HM Submarine E2

Chatham had received an order to build D10 but under the 1910-11 building programme this was changed to E2.
E2 was laid down on 14 February 1911.
She was launched on 23 November 1912 by Mrs Erskine, wife of Captain Seymour Erskine ADC. RN. Commodore of RN Barracks, Chatham.

In January 1914 she was attached to the 8th Flotilla at Portsmouth and at the outbreak of WW1 in august 1914 the flotilla had moved to Harwich.
In August 1915 Commander D. Stocks took E2 through the Dardanells to relieve E14. Whilst dived to pass the net off Nagara, her gun mounting became fouled by a 3.5 inch wire. During her manoeuvring to free the boat, small explosions could be heard. These were caused by small bombs being thrown over the side of a guard boat. Later, louder explosions could be heard, these being shells fired from a destroyer. Commander Stocks managed to free the boat and she successfully passed through the Dardanells.
On the 14 August she handed over fresh supplies of ammunition to E11. During August E2 and E11 worked together attacking coastal traffic.
On 22 August they bombarded the magazine and railway station at Mudania. On the same day E2 attacked and sank a large steamer off Mudania pier.
Later in August she moved to Constantinople but found nothing to attack.
On September 7th, Lt Lyon swam with explosives to two dhows and destroyed both. The next day he again swam from the boat with a bag of gun cotton on a raft. His objective was to destroy a railway bridge. E2 waited 5 hours but nothing was heard and Lt. Lyon did not return. Commander Stocks remained in the area for two days but Lt Lyon was never seen again.
E2 was the last boat to be recalled from the area on 2nd January 1916. Later that year she joined the Mediterranean Flotilla at Malta.

During April 1917 patrolling off Sicily and now under the command of Lt Cmd Gravener, E2 attacked without success a German U-boat.
In January 1918 E2 was undergoing repairs in Malta.
E2 was sold on 7th March 1921.