His Majesty's Submarine L55

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Blacksheep
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His Majesty's Submarine L55

#1 Post by Blacksheep » Wed Aug 26, 2015 10:30 am

HMS L55 was sunk in action with Bolshevik destroyers in the Baltic Sea in 1919 with the loss of all her crew. It isn't clear if the Bolsheviks hit the submarine or if it hit a mine, but the Bolshies claimed to have sunk her. My interest is that the PO Telegraphist aboard was my grandmother's first husband. The Soviets raised the submarine in 1928, repaired the damage and ℅ mmissioned L55 in the Soviet navy. She sank again during a training trip with the loss of all hands, was raised and remained in service as a training submarine into the 1950s.

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Re: His Majesty's Submarine L55

#2 Post by Opsboi » Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:06 am

I take it the 'L' stands for 'lucky'?

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Re: His Majesty's Submarine L55

#3 Post by 500N » Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:47 am

Very interesting, thanks for posting. Raised twice.

The first (and only) Australian sub lost, the AE2 in WW 1 was an E class which the L class replaced
As an improved E class.

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Re: His Majesty's Submarine L55

#4 Post by Woody » Wed Aug 26, 2015 12:59 pm

Not the only one to be sunk twice.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Thetis_(N25)
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Re: His Majesty's Submarine L55

#5 Post by Blacksheep » Wed Aug 26, 2015 3:22 pm

The damaged area certainly looks like a mine blast, but there was a 5 inch gun directly above that area and it would have had "ready use" ammunition stowed in the tower. A lucky hit from a Bolshevik destroyer might have hit the ammunition store and caused that damage.

PO Charles Dagg's demise left his wife Leah Matilda a widow, with a 3 month old daughter. She married my widower grandfather the following year - so I guess I owe my very existence to the Bolsheviks, one way or another!

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Re: His Majesty's Submarine L55

#6 Post by Tom Joad » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:47 pm

Looked like a fast boat - nice clean shape.

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