Anyone
strolling along Maidencombe beach on the evening of September 16th
1918 would have witnessed the sinking of the Lord Stewart - a 1445 ton
armed merchantman (converted collier) - en route from Cherbourg to
Barry. At 8 pm in the evening, she was directly opposite Maidencombe,
some 11 kilometres offshore when a torpedo hit her on the port side at
50° 30'N, 3° 17'W. The merchantman sank in just four minutes but with
only one fatality.
The author of her destruction was the infamous Kaiserliche Marine U-boat commander Oberleutnant zur SeeThomas Bieber, who prowled the South Devon coast and was responsible for 35 ships being sent to the bottom of the sea in the First World War.
If the conditions on board the WW2 U-Boats were difficult, then their WW1 counterparts could be described as operating in the most primitive of living standards with a multitude of on board dangers such as poisonous fumes from the batteries and equipment failure on a less than perfected technology.
The author of her destruction was the infamous Kaiserliche Marine U-boat commander Oberleutnant zur SeeThomas Bieber, who prowled the South Devon coast and was responsible for 35 ships being sent to the bottom of the sea in the First World War.
Periscope view of a target |
Any lesser U-boat commander would not have attacked the Lord Stewart on sighting no less than three Royal Navy warships escorting her across Lyme Bay. There were 375 U-boats operational in WWl and a total of 7,659 ships sunk. Bieber's 35 sinkings was well above average.
A 'Bieber type attack' - surfacing to shell a barque - note the crew being allowed to disembark. |
At the start of the war, U-boats operated by 'gentlemanly' rules of engagement whereby they surfaced, issued their intentions and gave merchant crews time to board life rafts before sinking with their 88mm deck gun* or putting a prize crew aboard.
If the conditions on board the WW2 U-Boats were difficult, then their WW1 counterparts could be described as operating in the most primitive of living standards with a multitude of on board dangers such as poisonous fumes from the batteries and equipment failure on a less than perfected technology.
DID BIEBER ATTACK A Q-SHIP?
One of the dangers facing U-boat commanders in WW1 was the advent of the Q-Ships, pressed into service by the Admiralty to counter the mounting threat of U-boats. They were decoy vessels, typically a merchant ship with concealed armament, designed to lure a U-boat within gun range and then open fire at close range.
Such a vessel was HMS Hyderabad which was especially well armed with 1x4 in gun hidden abaft of her funnel, 2 x 12 pounders and a deck mounted 2.5 pounder (the only weapon visible). HMS Hyderabad also had four Sutton-Armstrong bomb-throwers behind cargo hatches, two depth-charge throwers concealed on deck and four 18in torpedoes in launching tubes masked by screens. She also had a very shallow draught of 6 feet 9 inches, designed to let torpedoes go beneath her.
Obltnt. Bieber may well have been responsible for an attack on HMS Hyderabad in Lyme Bay on November 26th 1917. His UB31 had sunk the Steamer Farn off Start Point on November 19th so he was in the area. A torpedo was fired at close range and narrowly missed astern, mainly due to the quick response of the officer on watch. A U-boat commander of Bieber's experience had almost certainly observed the ship before attacking and had been suspicious enough not to have surfaced to engage with his deck gun (the preferred method of attack as UB31 only carried six torpedoes).
BIEBER'S FINAL TOUR
UB104 returned to Bieber's hunting ground for what was to be his final tour in September 1918 - just two months from the end of the war. It must have seemed like 'business as usual' as Bieber entered Lyme Bay on September 14th, routinely sinking the Steamer Gibel Hamam 15 miles off Portland Bill before heading across to his favourite haunt and so well-known area off South Devon.
The next day, September 15th, the Kendal Castle was sunk off Berry Head and Bieber, almost brazenly, stayed close by this latest sinking to attack and sink the Steamer Ethel four miles away, the very next day. Bieber still hadn't finished, as a few hours later, after tracking across Tor Bay, Bieber surfaced to periscope depth to sight the armed merchantman Lord Stewart** approaching him as he lay off Hope's Nose in the fading light. A scan of the horizon also revealed three Royal Navy warships close by, but Bieber, his confidence high, nevertheless proceeded to attack the Lord Stewart, firing a spread of torpedoes from his bow tubes. One of the torpedoes hit the Lord Stewart on her port side and she sank inside four minutes with the loss of one crew member.
The next day, September 17th, Bieber sank the Ursa off Beer Head and that was the last time Bieber and the crew of UB104 were ever seen or heard from again. The likelihood was that his U-boat had either exhausted its supply of torpedoes (10 in the UB III series vessel) or was heading home after sinking five ships in four days and anticipating the resultant furore.
One report states that UB104 struck a mine in the North Sea, whilst another source stated that: UB104 disappeared presumably in Lyme Bay for an unknown reason on or after September 17th 1918 with 36 dead (all hands lost).
What cannot be disputed is that in a scenario so reminiscent of the final episode of 'Das Boot' - the much acclaimed fictional account of WW2 U-boat U96 and its crew - Oberleutnant zur See Thomas Bieber and his crew were killed after surviving nearly all of World War 1. The wreck of UB104 has, to this day, never been located.
DID BIEBER ATTACK A Q-SHIP?
One of the dangers facing U-boat commanders in WW1 was the advent of the Q-Ships, pressed into service by the Admiralty to counter the mounting threat of U-boats. They were decoy vessels, typically a merchant ship with concealed armament, designed to lure a U-boat within gun range and then open fire at close range.
Such a vessel was HMS Hyderabad which was especially well armed with 1x4 in gun hidden abaft of her funnel, 2 x 12 pounders and a deck mounted 2.5 pounder (the only weapon visible). HMS Hyderabad also had four Sutton-Armstrong bomb-throwers behind cargo hatches, two depth-charge throwers concealed on deck and four 18in torpedoes in launching tubes masked by screens. She also had a very shallow draught of 6 feet 9 inches, designed to let torpedoes go beneath her.
Obltnt. Bieber may well have been responsible for an attack on HMS Hyderabad in Lyme Bay on November 26th 1917. His UB31 had sunk the Steamer Farn off Start Point on November 19th so he was in the area. A torpedo was fired at close range and narrowly missed astern, mainly due to the quick response of the officer on watch. A U-boat commander of Bieber's experience had almost certainly observed the ship before attacking and had been suspicious enough not to have surfaced to engage with his deck gun (the preferred method of attack as UB31 only carried six torpedoes).
BIEBER'S FINAL TOUR
UB104 returned to Bieber's hunting ground for what was to be his final tour in September 1918 - just two months from the end of the war. It must have seemed like 'business as usual' as Bieber entered Lyme Bay on September 14th, routinely sinking the Steamer Gibel Hamam 15 miles off Portland Bill before heading across to his favourite haunt and so well-known area off South Devon.
The next day, September 15th, the Kendal Castle was sunk off Berry Head and Bieber, almost brazenly, stayed close by this latest sinking to attack and sink the Steamer Ethel four miles away, the very next day. Bieber still hadn't finished, as a few hours later, after tracking across Tor Bay, Bieber surfaced to periscope depth to sight the armed merchantman Lord Stewart** approaching him as he lay off Hope's Nose in the fading light. A scan of the horizon also revealed three Royal Navy warships close by, but Bieber, his confidence high, nevertheless proceeded to attack the Lord Stewart, firing a spread of torpedoes from his bow tubes. One of the torpedoes hit the Lord Stewart on her port side and she sank inside four minutes with the loss of one crew member.
The next day, September 17th, Bieber sank the Ursa off Beer Head and that was the last time Bieber and the crew of UB104 were ever seen or heard from again. The likelihood was that his U-boat had either exhausted its supply of torpedoes (10 in the UB III series vessel) or was heading home after sinking five ships in four days and anticipating the resultant furore.
One report states that UB104 struck a mine in the North Sea, whilst another source stated that: UB104 disappeared presumably in Lyme Bay for an unknown reason on or after September 17th 1918 with 36 dead (all hands lost).
What cannot be disputed is that in a scenario so reminiscent of the final episode of 'Das Boot' - the much acclaimed fictional account of WW2 U-boat U96 and its crew - Oberleutnant zur See Thomas Bieber and his crew were killed after surviving nearly all of World War 1. The wreck of UB104 has, to this day, never been located.
*Type UB II = UB31 carried 6 torpedoes and 120 rounds for the 88mm deck gun.
*Type UB III = UB104 carried 10 torpedoes and 160 rounds for the 88mm deck gun.
**The Lord Stewart was en route to Barry from Cherbourg so her position and path was strange - heading directly into what was known as a graveyard for shipping.
Map fragment courtesy of Google maps.KEY TO MAP
BIEBER'S RECORDED ATTACKS OFF THE SOUTH DEVON COAST
Type UB II - UB31 carried six torpedoes and 120 rounds for the 88mm deck gun
1 24 April 1917 sailing vessel St Jacques (Fr) damaged by gunnery 15M south of Portland Bill, beached and refloated
2 28 April 1917 passenger steamer Medina sunk 3M ENE of Start Point 6 casualties
3 15 June 1917 steamer Teesdale damaged 2 miles off Bolt Head: beached and refloated
4 17 June 1917 steamer Stanhope sunk 7M SW x W of Start Point 22 casualties
5 5 July 1917 sailing vessel Ocean Swell stopped and sunk by gunnery 15M SE of Start Point
6 6 July 1917 steamer Ariadne Christine torpedoed and damaged 6M south of Start Point
7 10 July 1917 sailing vessel Hildegard stopped and scuttled 10M SE of Start Point
8 11 July 1917 steamer Brunhilda sunk 7M S of Start Point
9 1 August 1917 steamer Laertes sunk 1.25M SSW of Prawle Point 14 casualties
10 2 August 1917 steamer Newlyn torpedoed and sunk 2M S of Prawle Point 4 casualties
11 8 August 1917 steamer Algerie (Fr) damaged 2M SW of Portland Bill
12 8 August 1917 sailing vessel stopped and scuttled 12M ESE of Start Point
13 9 Sept 1917 steamer Pluton (NOR) torpedoed and sunk 6M ESE of Start Point 10 casualties
14 19 Oct 1917 steamer Waikawa sunk 4M ENE Start Point
15 20 Oct 1917 steamer Colorado torpedoed and sunk 1,5M E of Start Point 4 casualties
16 23 Oct 1917 steamer Lepanto torpedoed and damaged 3.5M off Dartmouth 2 casualties
17 19 Nov 1917 steamer Farn sunk 5M E x N Start Point
17 19 Nov 1917 steamer Farn sunk 5M E x N Start Point
18 15 December 1917 steamer Sachem torp. and damaged off Start Point 1 casualty
19 18 Dec 1917 steamer Riversdale torp. and sunk 1M S of Prawle Point 1 casualty
20 20 Dec 1917 steamer Alice Marie sunk 6M ENE Start Point
21 20 Dec 1917 steamer Eveline sunk 9.5M SW Berry Head
22 20 Dec 1917 steamer Warsaw torp and sunk 4M SE x E Start Point 17 casualties
23 22 Jan 1918 steamer Admiral Cochrane torp. and damaged 3M SE Berry Head
24 22 Jan 1918 steamer Greatham torp and sunk 3M SE Dartmouth 7 casualties
25 24 Jan 1918 steamer Elsa (NOR) sunk 5M ESE Dartmouth
(Last time in UB 31 which was lost on 2nd May 1918 hitting a mine in the Dover Strait)
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26 14 Sept 1918 steamer Gibel Hamam sunk 15M S of Portland Bill 21 casualties
27 15 Sept 1918 steamer Kendal Castle sunk 4M SE Berry Head 18 casualties
28 16 Sept 1918 steamer Ethel sunk 8M SE Berry Head
29 16 Sept 1918 steamer Lord Stewart sunk 6M E x N Hopes Nose 1 casualty
30 17 Sept 1918 steamer Ursa (SWE) torp. and sunk 8M SSW Beer Head
1 comment:
My grandfather, Frank Arthur South b.1870 d. 22 April 1918, was 1st mate aboard the Greatham, sunk by U31, captained by Bieber on 22nd Jan 1918.
Remembering him today as it is ANZAC day in New Zealand. Frank Arthur’s death resulted in 3 of his sons coming to New Zealand on a youth migrant scheme and they subsequently had families.
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