SUBMARINES:  CHATHAM BUILT

HM Submarine E8

Ordered under the 1911-12 building programme E8 was laid down on 30 March 1912. She was launched on 30 October 1913 by Miss Ollis and completed on 13 June 1914. The commissioning date was 15th June 1914.

At the outbreak of war under the command of Lt Cmd. F.H.H. Goodhart E8 was part of the 8th Flotilla at Harwich.
Immediately war was declared, E8 was towed by the destroyer Arial into the North Sea for her first patrol.
On 15 August 1915 she sailed to join the Baltic flotilla. It was an eventful passage. She had a number of escapes from German patrol boats and at one stage damaged one of her propellers. E8 finally met up with E9 on 22 August and sailed into Reval harbour.
The Baltic would be her home for the next three years. In fact, like others in the flotilla, she would never leave the Baltic.
Despite ice in Reval harbour, she made a patrol in the winter of 1915. Unfortunately, on her return, she collided with a Russian submarine and was out of action for many weeks.
In 1917 with the Russian Revolution in full swing, E8 sailed with E9 and E19from Reval to Hango. In April 1918, the Germans landed at Hango and it was decided the flotilla would be destroyed to prevent capture.
On 3rd April, E8 together with E1, E9 and E19, left Helingsford to scuttle the boats. E1 E9 and E19 were sunk but the charge on E8 failed to work. She spent the night at sea and was joined by C26 and C35. E8 was tied to C26 and both boats were blown up.
Her career in the Baltic had been long and successful. Her first sinking was the steamer Margarette by gunfire 5 October 1915. Later the same month she sank the Cruiser Prinz Adelbert of 9000 tons.