Photo: Torbjörn Gylleus.
In August 1915, Francis Cromie became lieutenant commander of the British submarine E19. One of the first assignments in his new post met with success beyond expectations. In a single day, the submarine sank four German cargo steamers and forced a fifth aground.
Swedish iron ore exports were important for the German war industry during World War I. For Great Britain, it was equally important to prevent the ore from reaching German ports. Therefore, German vessels carrying ore in the Baltic Sea were priority targets for the British naval fleet.
On 11 October, the E19 began its day by sinking the steamer Walter Leonhardt. Cromie lacked experience of submarine torpedoes, so he decided that the German ship would be sunk by removing the caps on the circulation pump, opening the bottom valves and attaching an explosive device to the afterdeck.
Germania was soon forced aground, and shortly after that Cromie sighted the steamer Gutrune. The German crew was ordered into the lifeboats and the ship was sunk. Director Reppenhagen was next in line. As the steamer sank, another ship approached, the 120-metre-long Nicomedia. The German crew tried to appease the submarine crew by offering them a whole barrel of beer, but that didn’t help. At 19.30, Nicomedia sank.
Without firing a single torpedo, the E19 managed to sink four German ore-laden steamships and force a fifth aground. No one on board the five merchant ships was injured.
