"A" class, pre WW1. - 3 photo's. + 11 crew graves of "A8"

Photo's 1 and 3 above courtesy of Mr. Peter Mitchell ( Submerged.co.uk )

"Click" on Images to enlarge.

This class of submarine was, basically, a slightly enlarged version of the earlier "Hollands" and, like them, suffered from similar defects and vices. The class as a whole had great surface stability problems having at the most only 600lb of reserve buoyancy. - 60 Imperial gallons of water on board was enough to destroy their trim and cause them to lose control. Most of them sank at one time or another killing their crews and the graves shown below are from just one such incident here at Plymouth. The "A8" sank, trapping and killing most of her crew, in about 60ft. of water just outside Plymouth Breakwater in June 1905, but was subsequently recovered and put back into service. 

The "A7" was not quite so lucky and was lost with all hands in January 1914 in Whitsands bay, to the South West of Plymouth. Although no-one knows for sure what exactly happened to her, it is quite probable that she was late arriving on station, during an exercise with other ships, and was mishandled by her relatively inexperienced crew. It is felt that, due to the fairly "choppy" conditions prevailing, her bow was pushed under by wave effect and her speed was sufficient to take her down enough for her open conning tower hatch to become submerged and to allow the 60 gallons sufficient to seal her fate, - a mere dustbin full - to come on board. Frantic efforts would then have been made to try to bring her bows to the surface, which would only hasten her doom, as any water she had taken on board would now run to her stern under the "Free surface effect" and down she would go, stern first, out of control. When she was finally found, in nearly 150ft. of water, she was embedded stern first into the mud for 22ft. Recovery attempts were made, but were eventually abandoned as unsuccessful, and she remains to this day where she sank, complete with her crew, now laying level and upright on her marks, in Whitsands Bay as a "Protected Wreck", and recreational SCUBA Diving on her has now been banned.

Follow this link from - "HERE" - to one of our "Sister Sites" to view a more complete report on the tragic loss of the "A7", 

and also from - "HERE" - to view a report, by the same site, on the loss of the "A8".  

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"A8" crew graves at "Ford Park Cemetery", Plymouth.

      Arthur Bunn Crew.                           Arthur Rylands.                     Edmund Green.                        George Beedham.                      James Simpson.

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            John Mc.Night.                     Stephen Birch.                                 Tom Reeve.                         William Ayloff.                       William Bruckland.

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                                                             Thomas Cusack   ----------  As this Grave marker is awkward to find, this 2nd photo above has been included to show 

                                                                                                          the whereabouts of Tom Cusack's marker in the Roman Catholic area.

                                                                                                             His Marker is at the foot of the grave of Robert John Wallser M.C. 

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The "Ford Park Cemetery Trust" and the various "Submariners Associations" must be thanked for the cleaning and restoration of these markers.

Visit our "Other Sister site" from - "HERE" - to read another account of the events leading to the loss of the "A8"

Return to "Index 20" - Submarines.