Themes

Article Highlights

• Introduction

• First missions

• Istanbul

• Commander Nasmith

Commander Nasmith

E11's crew greatly respected Lieutenant Commander Nasmith's conduct during the patrol. For instance, Nasmith ordered the recovery of any torpedoes that missed their target. He was the first person to dive in to retrieve and disarm the first torpedo recovered.

E11 had been on patrol for nearly three weeks before she attempted to return to base in June. Nasmith feared that the passage through the Straits of Chanak would now be even more dangerous as the Turkish would be looking for them.

During the return passage through the Dardanelles, E11 encountered another transport. The submarine was running short of torpedoes and had mechanical by this stage. Despite these problems, Nasmith attacked and sank the ship with his final two torpedoes.

Later in the journey, Nasmith discovered that the submarine had snagged a mine on her forward hydroplane. He initially refrained from telling his crew and allowed the submarine to drag the attached mine. Nasmith only revealed the situation to his men nearly two hours later in order to give a series of swift orders designed to dislodge the mine. The mine and its cable luckily slipped clear of the bows and plunged away beneath them.

After a rest and refit in Malta, E11 returned to the Dardanelles in August and conducted two further patrols. Altogether, E11 crew succeeded in sinking over 80 vessels during her time in the Sea of Marmara.

Lieutenant Commander Nasmith also received the Victoria Cross for his role in E11's first patrol.