HMS/M E49
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
The HMS/M E49, an E21 variant of the E Class submarine, built under the Emergency war Programme in 1916 by Swan Hunter, The Tyne, England. 55 L x 7 B metres, displacement 660 or 791 tons surfaced (the available records are in dispute), 800, 807 or 835 tons dived (the available records are in dispute). Registered in London, England. Captain Lieut. B. A. Beal R.N. complement either thirty, or thirty one, comprising three officers and twenty eight ratings (the available records are in dispute).
The E Class submarines were all Admiralty wing-tank type, and the first British submarines to have beam torpedo tubes, and to be internally subdivided by water-tight bulkheads. Of the 58 built, 28 were lost, a direct reflection of their status as the standard British submarine of WWI. HMS/M E49 was propelled by twin diesel engines, developing 2600hp or either 1600hp or 1700hp surfaced (the available records are in dispute), and either 840hp or 860hp dived (the available records are in dispute). The vessel carried 30 tons of fuel, and her maximum speed was 15 knots surfaced, 10 knots dived.
Armament consisted of either four or five torpedo tubes (the available records are in dispute), and one twelve pound gun. The record which gives five torpedo tubes states distribution to be, two bow, two beam and one stern.
Balta Sound, Unst was used as a base by the submarines G-13 and HMS/M E-49 for war patrols in the waters off Muckle Flugga. The German mine laying submarine UC76 had left Heligoland on March 3rd 1917 for the Cromarty Firth, Scotland where she laid mines on March 9th, on March 10th she laid a minefield off Balta Sound, it is possible this was as a result of knowing it was being used as a base, or having observed one of the British submarines entering. HMS/M E49 departed Balta Sound at 12.55pm on March 12th 1917 to commence a patrol, she was observed from shore disappearing from sight behind the isle of Huney to the south of the entrance, followed shortly by a loud explosion and a column of smoke, water and debris rising above the island. The submarine failed to appear beyond Huney so Naval drifters proceeded to investigate, and found uniform Navy caps and a grating floating on the surface. It is generally believed that HMS/M E-49 struck at least one of the mines laid by UC76, causing her to sink at a position approx 500 metres SSW of the Balta Sound Lighthouse and between the isles of Balta and Huney, with the loss of all on board. The wreck site is now an official War Grave.
She was inspected by divers later in 1917 who reported her bows had been entirely blown away, and the decision was taken that there would be no attempt made to salvage her. On December 28th 1923 an application by the Scapa Flow Salvage and Shipbreaking Co Ltd to purchase the wreck was refused. On May 8th 1980 the Shetland Sub Aqua Club applied for permission to locate the wreck, which assumedly was granted, as in a follow up report by the Club on August 29th/September 2nd 1983 it is stated that despite an extensive search involving a qualified hydrographic surveyor, using sonar, and two diver searches, no trace of the vessel was found at the recorded position.
The wreck site is recorded as having been found again in August 1987 by persons unknown, lying in generally 33 metres of water, at the above location. This is followed by a report dated September 19th 1990 concerning the removal of artefacts from the site being the subject of investigation by the Police. Finally there is a record from 2001 noting that a Compass binnacle from the wreck was reported to the Receiver of Wrecks during an amnesty in 2001.
More pictures of the wreck can be seen here.
