The AE1, the Royal Australian Navy’s first submarine

Discussion in 'World War 1' started by liverpool annie, May 19, 2009.

  1. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    Does anybody know anything about her ?

    The AE1 - the Royal Australian Navy’s first submarine, was commissioned in the United Kingdom on 28 February 1914.

    After commissioning, AE1 accompanied by AE2, sailed to Australia crewed jointly by British and Australian sailors, arriving at Sydney in May 1914.

    Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, both submarines proceeded to New Guinea for operations against the German colonies. On 14 September, AE1, accompanied by HMAS Parramatta, left Blanche Bay, New Britain, to patrol off Cape Gazelle. She was last seen by Parramatta at 3.30 pm that day and no trace has been found of her, or her company, since. It has been presumed that AE1 struck an uncharted reef and sank.

    Heres a site that contains the Honour Roll .......

    http://submarineae1.org.au/honour/
     
  2. Dolphin

    Dolphin New Member

    The RAN tried to find the wreckage of the AE1 a couple of years ago, based on the last sightings and position reports, but without success. Something that adds to the difficulty of finding the submarine is the presence of wrecks from the Pacific War of 1941-1945.

    What's left of HMAS Parramatta, the escorting destroyer, can be seen on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, north of Sydney. It was wrecked there during a storm in the 1930s, after there was a scheme to use her, and her sister ship HMAS Swan, as annexes to NSW prisons.

    Gareth
     
  3. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Didn't know that about Parramatta, Gareth. Many thanks.
     
  4. Dolphin

    Dolphin New Member

    Andy

    Next time you're in Sydney, go on the Riverboat Postman cruise, which leaves Brooklyn at 09:30 on weekdays. It delivers mail to the small settlements along the Hawkesbury that don't have any road access, and its route takes it past the wreck of the Parramatta. The hulk is visible on Google Earth at 33˚ 30’ 04.03” S, 151˚ 10’ 53.40” E.

    Cheers

    Gareth
     
  5. Golden Wattle

    Golden Wattle New Member

    AE1, the RAN’s first sub-Priority vessel HMAS Centaur

    Dolphin,
    Well done re: the Parramatta.

    LA: As dolphin said the searchers/researchers thought they had the AE1 a few times but no luck so far.
    Now that the Sydney has been found, I believe that there are calls to "find" HMAS Centaur.
    A hospital ship sunk by the Japanese off the coast On 12 May 1943 the Centaur sailed unescorted from Sydney at 0945 hours carrying her crew and normal staff, as well as stores and equipment of the 2/12th Field Ambulance but no patients. It was sunk without warning by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine on 14 May 1943 at approximately 0400 hours, its position being approximately 27°17' S, 153°58' E about 50 miles east north-east of Brisbane.

    Of the 332 persons on board, only 64 survived. These survivors spent 35 hours on rafts before being rescued. Sister Ellen Savage, the only one of twelve nursing sisters on board to survive, though injured herself, gave great help to the other survivors and was awarded the George Medal for this work.

    The ship had been appropriately lit and marked to indicate that it was a hospital ship and its sinking was regarded as an atrocity. The Australian Government delivered an official protest to Japan over the incident. The Japanese did not acknowledge responsibility for the incident for many years and the War Crimes Tribunal could not identify the responsible submarine. However, the Japanese official war history makes clear that it was submarine 1-177, under the command of Lt Commander Nakagawa who had sunk the Centaur. Lt Commander Nakagawa was convicted as a war criminal for firing on survivors of the British Chivalry which his ship had sunk in the Indian Ocean.
    Reference AWM
     
  6. cally

    cally New Member

    A fine old submarine...
     

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  7. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Excellent, thanks Gareth. Not sure when I'll be up there but will certainly keep it mind. Have only seen the Cerberus hulk down here once but I'm always keen to see such rare things that still survive in some form or other.

    There's further discussion about the loss of the Centaur over on WW2Chat.
     
  8. Dolphin

    Dolphin New Member

    Andy

    The Riverboat Postman cruise lasts just under four hours and, from memory, costs around $40. The scenery is spectacular.

    Cheers

    Gareth
     
  9. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    My in-laws will be in Sydney with UK relatives in early November so I'll suggest it.
     
  10. Cobber

    Cobber New Member

    I have recently heard of another attempt to locate HMAS AE1. It is a mixture of Naval and civilian ships doing the searching.
    Andy mate next summer swim out to the Cerberus, been about 20 years since i last did she was still in decent condition above the water line back then. Arh the navy of the Colonies.
    The hospital ship was carrying weapons no ammo but the SMLE 303 weapons were ordered stowed at bottom of ship, so IMO she was a legitimate target.
     
  11. cally

    cally New Member

    In case anybody is interested a couple of pictures of HMAS Parramatta as she is today.
     

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  12. Dolphin

    Dolphin New Member

    Thanks for the photos. She looks to be slightly beyond the possible restoration stage. Part of her stern is preserved near Queens Park Wharf next to the Parramatta River, while the bow is at Garden Island Naval Base.

    See: http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_10632.asp

    Gareth
     
  13. cally

    cally New Member

    Thanks for that bit of info Gareth. It was clear from the pictures I posted above that something had happened to the bow. Now I know exactly what!
     
  14. Dolphin

    Dolphin New Member

    What's left of the stern of HMAS Parramatta is visible on Google Earth at: 33˚ 48’ 57.69” S; 151˚ 00’ 49.21” S

    Gareth
     
  15. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    I think there's an exclusion zone around Cerberus now after a storm in 1993 caused her hull to collapse. She should have been recovered and preserved years ago but, of course, that'd cost tonnes. I think the guns were removed relatively recently to lessen the weight. She's an incredibly historic vessel.

    http://www.cerberus.com.au/index.html

    I am amazed how much of Parramatta survives. A crying shame to see her like that.
     
  16. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Can't stop thinking about the Parramatta. Surely those remains must be one of the most substantial remains of a WWI-vintage ship surviving today? Can't think of any old ships along those lines - anyone?

    There's enough there to preserve. Look what they're doing with the CSS Hunley from the Civil War ... and that was fully submerged. I know, I know, money...still...
     
  17. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

  18. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Thanks Annie. That makes for very interesting reading.
     
  19. Cobber

    Cobber New Member

    Hey Guys
    I am not a expert of such things, however the Confederate ship was covered in water while the Parramatta is siting in the open to all elements, so I guess i am trying to say, that the craft under the sea seem to hold up much better than those left on land, also you get scavengers stripping parts of them and all sorts of other possibilities.
    If it is at all possible it would be great to rebuild her however i think she has completed her last mission.

    I would place the money towards raising AE1, AE2 and possible HMAS Sydney.along with others maybe HMVS Cerberus if possible as well

    VALE HMAS Parramatta
     
  20. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    heres another snippet I found ..... :)

    The Parramatta (I) was a River Class Torpedo Boat Destroyer launched on 9 February 1910. She served in WW1 and as a training ship for the Naval Reserve and finally paid off on 20 April 1928. She was handed over to Cockatoo Island for dismantling. Her hull was used as penal accommodation by the NSW Penal department before being sold to Mr George Rhodes of Cowan as scrap. He used it as a Blue Metal barge and eventually sold it to persons unknown who it used to store water for local residents during the depression.
    It blew ashore on the mud flat in 1934 and has remained there as a wreck.
    She lay on the mud bank until 7 July 1973 when the bow and stern were removed for use as monuments at Garden Island and Queens Wharf Reserve in Parramatta.
     

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