WWI forum
World War One discussions.
Re: U154 and U153 / HMS Bombala 1918
Posted by:
David H
()
Date: February 29, 2008 09:01AM
The Willow Branch was a collier, which acted as a submarine decoy or 'Q' ship, under a number of different names.
Under the command of Lieut. Bernard Anderson RNR she sailed from Gibraltar on 18 April,the tug John of Gaunt in tow, bound for Sierra Leone. At 10.30 on 25 April in position 20.52N 17.36W a surfaced submarine was sighted and fifteen minutes later a second was seen - these were the U.154 and U.153. The tug was cast off and a gun action commenced, the 4 inch gun of the Willow Branch being outranged by the more powerful 88mm guns of the submarines. She was hit repeatedly and abandoned in a sinking condition at 13.00. The crew took to the boats having suffered nine men killed and two wounded in the action. The submarines closed and one of them took Sub-Lieutenant Allen RNR prisoner before making off. The boats became separated, and only one made it to the shore on the coast of Senegal eight days later.
The U.154, with Allen onboard, was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine U.35 on 11 May, with no survivors.
In all 32 men died from the Bomblala/Willow Branch, either by direct action or later.
Under the command of Lieut. Bernard Anderson RNR she sailed from Gibraltar on 18 April,the tug John of Gaunt in tow, bound for Sierra Leone. At 10.30 on 25 April in position 20.52N 17.36W a surfaced submarine was sighted and fifteen minutes later a second was seen - these were the U.154 and U.153. The tug was cast off and a gun action commenced, the 4 inch gun of the Willow Branch being outranged by the more powerful 88mm guns of the submarines. She was hit repeatedly and abandoned in a sinking condition at 13.00. The crew took to the boats having suffered nine men killed and two wounded in the action. The submarines closed and one of them took Sub-Lieutenant Allen RNR prisoner before making off. The boats became separated, and only one made it to the shore on the coast of Senegal eight days later.
The U.154, with Allen onboard, was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine U.35 on 11 May, with no survivors.
In all 32 men died from the Bomblala/Willow Branch, either by direct action or later.