HMS
L24 was a British L class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness.
She was laid down on 13th February 1919 and was commissioned
later. She was sunk in a collision with the battleship HMS
Resolution during an exercise off Portland Bill in the
English Channel on 10 January 1924. The crew were lost. A
memorial is located in St Ann's Church in HMNB Portsmouth
on the south wall of the nave, above the most Easterly window.
To
the memory of
THE OFFICERS AND MEN
of His Majesty's Submarine
L.24.
LOST BY COLLISION WITH
HMS RESOLUTION WHEN SUBMERGED
10 Miles 221 degrees FROM PORTLAND BILL
on the 10th January 1924 |
Details
HMS
L24 was detailed to take part in Exercise GA in January 1924,
which was intended to improve submarine tactics in dealing
with aircraft, both friendly and hostile. On 10th January
HMS Resolution, a 29,000-ton
battleship, left Portland bound for the exercise. After several
hours at sea a lookout on board the Resolution reported a
disturbance on the surface ahead and at 1113 a slight bump
was felt. L24 was shortly afterwards reported missing and
salvage vessels were dispatched to the area.
Unfortunately
night soon fell and the weather the next day prevented any
further search and by the 12th all hope of finding survivors
had to be given up. The Resolution was checked for evidence
of a collision, her chain was found to be fractured at the
very bottom and this was taken as evidence of a collision.
It is believed that L24 was unaware of the Resolution’s
position having carried out a mock attack on another ship
and was surfacing when she suddenly became aware of the looming
battleship. A crash dive was probably attempted but L24 was
unable to avoid the battleship.
[Details,
and further details availabe, from Wikipedia
HMS L24 and Submarine
Losses 1904 to present day]
TO
THE GLORY OF GOD AND TO THE IMPERISHABLE MEMORY OF THE 43
OFFICERS AND MEN OF H.M. SUBMARINE L.24 LOST OFF PORTLAND
JANY 10TH 1924
