HMS E14 was a British E-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 14 December 1912, launched on 7 July 1914, and commissioned on 18 November 1914.
The Dardanelles and Sea of Marmara
E14 became one of the most successful Allied submarines operating during the Gallipoli Campaign. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Edward Courtney Boyle, she forced her way through the heavily defended Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmara in April 1915, where she attacked Ottoman shipping and communications. These operations seriously disrupted the movement of troops and supplies. Boyle was awarded the Victoria Cross for this achievement.
During her patrols, E14 sank or damaged numerous Ottoman vessels, including transports, gunboats, and supply ships, making her one of the standout British submarines of the campaign.
Final Mission and Loss
In January 1918, under Lieutenant Commander Geoffrey Saxton White, E14 was sent into the Dardanelles to locate and attack the battlecruiser Goeben (then serving with the Ottoman Navy as Yavuz Sultan Selim). After failing to find the target, E14 attacked another vessel. A torpedo exploded prematurely, damaging the submarine and forcing her to surface. She then came under heavy fire from Turkish coastal batteries near Kum Kale. Fatally damaged, she sank on 28 January 1918.
Of her crew, only nine men survived and were taken prisoner. White was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry during the action.
A Unique Distinction
HMS E14 is notable for having two commanding officers awarded the Victoria Cross:
- Lt Cdr Edward Courtney Boyle VC (1915)
- Lt Cdr Geoffrey Saxton White VC (1918, posthumous)
This made E14 one of the most highly decorated submarines of the First World War.
Specifications
- Class: E-class submarine
- Displacement: 662 tons surfaced; 807 tons submerged
- Length: 181 ft (55 m)
- Speed: 15.25 knots surfaced; 10.25 knots submerged
- Armament: Five 18-inch torpedo tubes, later fitted with a deck gun
- Complement: 30 personnel
Interestingly, the wreck of HMS E14 was located off Kum Kale in 2012, making her one of the best-preserved First World War British submarines discovered in the Dardanelles region
