Selected Extracts from the Log Books of ML 325
PRO Adrn53/51630 - 10/11/17-16/2/18
7/12/17 At Queenstown. Lt. Vince to Dublin to record Canadian vote. Vessel collided with raft and sustained damage to stern
Thursday 27/12/17 At Queenstown. Lt. Bidwell assumed command
3/2/18 At Queenstown. Lt.Cmdr. Norcock joined vessel. Kersiake, Signal Rating, joined vessel
PRO Athn53/51631 - 17/2/18 - 20/4/18
3/4/16 At Queenstown. B. Caughlan, Yeoman of Signals, joined us
8/4/13 We put back from patrol, water in petrol
9/4/18 -do-
12/4/18 Arr. Kingstown. Anchored in 2-1/2f. 1/2 cable ENE yacht club
13/4/18 We proceeded Kingstown-iXthlin(for fuel)-Kingstown
16/4/18 We proceeded from Kingstown to Holyhead
PRO Adm53/51632 - 21/4/18 - 21/7/18
23/4/18 At sea.
1043 spoke airship SSZ5O
24/4/18
0120 challenged by destroyer
25/4/18
1500 spoke US destroyer about gunfire heard. Destroyer informs she was engaging in target practice
2/5/18 At sea
1225 W/T operator from STAG on board testing W/T gear
1420 W/T operator transferred to STAG
2115 arrived Holyhead
3/5/18 At Holyhead.
1100 W/T ex'd by operator from (-?-) and found to have broken glass(?)
1500 W/T gear put in order and tested
6/5/18 At sea.
1053 spoke destroyer SPRIGHTLY
7/5/18
1755 explosion NNW
1815 spoke US destroyer 62. Reported between 5 & 5.30 destroyer dropped depth charges
8/5/18 v/i at Dundrurn Bay and Cariingford
1000 gunnery practice, 17 rounds fired
1435 steering gear carried away
1500 GRETA took us in tow
1615 repaired and cast off
0850 ML207 dropped two depth charges
At sea off Holyhead. Wind NNE force 2. Haze. State of sea 1. Bar.29.40
0730 proceeded to inner harbour for fresh provisions
0945 left Holyhead. S.0.S. 8 miles W of S. Stack
0955 N. Stack abeam. course ordered W. Approx.course NNW
1015 came up with torpedoed steamer, stood by with other ships
1200 course NNW 10 knots
1245 American destroyer passing astern
1300 stop and hydrophone
1310 spoke airship SSZ34 "have you anything to report" reply "no"
1445 ahead suspicious movement of water
1450 stop. Tide rip only
1515 ahead, course SE x E
1540 approx.course E x S
1700 communicated with S. Stack
1715 course W. 10 knots
1745 stop & hydrophone
1800 ML167 reports strange noises and oil. Investigated, found nothing untoward
1815 ahead, course ordered W
2100 course SW x W
2200 Church Bay
21/6/18
2/7/18
7/7/18
8/7/18
16/7/18 On patrol. Wind ESE force 1-2. Fog. State of sea 1 Bar.29.63 temp.56F Rain. Hydrophone watch
0700 under weigh (sic)
0715 spoke GOLDEN EFFORT
0730 stop. Hydrophone watch
0825 GOLDEN EFFORT directing steamer steering NNW
1110 ahead, course ordered SSW
1135 stop
1150 ahead
1155 approx.course S 40 E (?)
1250 approx.course SSE. Chickens bearing NE 4 miles GRETA and ML407 came up Wind SW force 2. Rain. State of sea 1. Bar.29.62 62F
1723 Pt. Lynas bearing WSW 6 miles. Approx course NNE
1800 approx.course SSW
1835 stop. Lynas bearing SW x W. ML's drop depth charges on oil patch Hydrophone POS 41P
1930 ahead
1945 stop
2030 dropped two depth charges POS 41P
2100 ahead, course ordered S x W
2135 Gt. Orme SSE Lynas WSW, P08 41W
2205 ahead N
2230 stop
2235 ahead, course ordered SSE
2350 stop. Gt. Orme W 1/3 E Lynas W 1/2 S. POS 41V Hydrophone watch
17/7/18
0305 M407(?) drop depth charges
The Log Book record for ML325 terminates at 21/7/18. There are no Log Books in the Public Record for her W/T consort ML187. The Log Book record for the other vessels in the Hunting Flotilla, ML's 181, 320, 410, 487, 132 and 167, remains to be investigated as of July 1985.
The Station Records are referenced as follows:
Auxiliary Patrol Areas, Weekly Reports -
Queenstown XXI 1918 Adm137/562
Holyhead XXII Adm137/634
Dover XI Adm137/529 & 530
Selected extracts from these records are recorded below:
QUEENSTOWN: Lt. Bidwell was in MLX31 as of 4/1/16
ML325 "additions and new shaft" 29/12/17 to 2/2/18
Sixteen ML's on Base as of February 1918
ML's 325 and 187 laid up to complete fitting paravanes and wireless telegraphy etc. 3/4/18 to 8/4/18
Extract from Queenstown Letter No.1155 dated 15/4/18: "The fitting of ML's 181, 187, 320, 325, 410, 487, 132 and 167 as a Hunting Flotilla being completed they were detached temporarily on 12/4/18 for special duty in the Irish Sea under the immediate orders of Lt.Cmdr. C.V. Norcock RN."
HOLYHEAD: Extract from Holyhead Letter dated 22/4/18:
"On Tuesday 16/4/18 Sixteen ML's under the command of Lt.Cdr. Norcock arrived to operate in this area."
ML325 laid up, exhaust manifold defective - slipped, general refit - defective manifolds, on slip (variously reported) 10/5/18 to 1/6/18 and 6/6/18 to 15/6/18.
ML325 laid up, new star'd shaft required, port engine badly damaged - fit new port #6 cylinder (variously reported) 24/8/18 to 7/9/18.
ML325 Port propellor damaged, laid up 24/10/18 to 25/10/18
On Tuesday May 14th 1918 HMS PATROL arrived at Holyhead Irish Sea Hunting Flotilla defined as HMS PATROL + 6 TBDts + (variously) 12 and 16 ML's.
7/6/18 Capt. G.F. Hyde, RAN superseded R.Adm. Da Costa
15/8/18 Lt.Cmdr. R.de Sausmarez superseded Capt. Hyde
28/9/18 Six U.S.submarine chasers arrived on station
16/10/18 Six additional U.S.chasers attached
Week ending 15/12/18 Depth charges landed from ML's at Menai Bridge
PRO Adrn53/51630 - 10/11/17-16/2/18
7/12/17 At Queenstown. Lt. Vince to Dublin to record Canadian vote. Vessel collided with raft and sustained damage to stern
Thursday 27/12/17 At Queenstown. Lt. Bidwell assumed command
3/2/18 At Queenstown. Lt.Cmdr. Norcock joined vessel. Kersiake, Signal Rating, joined vessel
PRO Athn53/51631 - 17/2/18 - 20/4/18
3/4/16 At Queenstown. B. Caughlan, Yeoman of Signals, joined us
8/4/13 We put back from patrol, water in petrol
9/4/18 -do-
12/4/18 Arr. Kingstown. Anchored in 2-1/2f. 1/2 cable ENE yacht club
13/4/18 We proceeded Kingstown-iXthlin(for fuel)-Kingstown
16/4/18 We proceeded from Kingstown to Holyhead
PRO Adm53/51632 - 21/4/18 - 21/7/18
23/4/18 At sea.
1043 spoke airship SSZ5O
24/4/18
0120 challenged by destroyer
25/4/18
1500 spoke US destroyer about gunfire heard. Destroyer informs she was engaging in target practice
2/5/18 At sea
1225 W/T operator from STAG on board testing W/T gear
1420 W/T operator transferred to STAG
2115 arrived Holyhead
3/5/18 At Holyhead.
1100 W/T ex'd by operator from (-?-) and found to have broken glass(?)
1500 W/T gear put in order and tested
6/5/18 At sea.
1053 spoke destroyer SPRIGHTLY
7/5/18
1755 explosion NNW
1815 spoke US destroyer 62. Reported between 5 & 5.30 destroyer dropped depth charges
8/5/18 v/i at Dundrurn Bay and Cariingford
1000 gunnery practice, 17 rounds fired
1435 steering gear carried away
1500 GRETA took us in tow
1615 repaired and cast off
0850 ML207 dropped two depth charges
At sea off Holyhead. Wind NNE force 2. Haze. State of sea 1. Bar.29.40
0730 proceeded to inner harbour for fresh provisions
0945 left Holyhead. S.0.S. 8 miles W of S. Stack
0955 N. Stack abeam. course ordered W. Approx.course NNW
1015 came up with torpedoed steamer, stood by with other ships
1200 course NNW 10 knots
1245 American destroyer passing astern
1300 stop and hydrophone
1310 spoke airship SSZ34 "have you anything to report" reply "no"
1445 ahead suspicious movement of water
1450 stop. Tide rip only
1515 ahead, course SE x E
1540 approx.course E x S
1700 communicated with S. Stack
1715 course W. 10 knots
1745 stop & hydrophone
1800 ML167 reports strange noises and oil. Investigated, found nothing untoward
1815 ahead, course ordered W
2100 course SW x W
2200 Church Bay
21/6/18
2/7/18
7/7/18
8/7/18
16/7/18 On patrol. Wind ESE force 1-2. Fog. State of sea 1 Bar.29.63 temp.56F Rain. Hydrophone watch
0700 under weigh (sic)
0715 spoke GOLDEN EFFORT
0730 stop. Hydrophone watch
0825 GOLDEN EFFORT directing steamer steering NNW
1110 ahead, course ordered SSW
1135 stop
1150 ahead
1155 approx.course S 40 E (?)
1250 approx.course SSE. Chickens bearing NE 4 miles GRETA and ML407 came up Wind SW force 2. Rain. State of sea 1. Bar.29.62 62F
1723 Pt. Lynas bearing WSW 6 miles. Approx course NNE
1800 approx.course SSW
1835 stop. Lynas bearing SW x W. ML's drop depth charges on oil patch Hydrophone POS 41P
1930 ahead
1945 stop
2030 dropped two depth charges POS 41P
2100 ahead, course ordered S x W
2135 Gt. Orme SSE Lynas WSW, P08 41W
2205 ahead N
2230 stop
2235 ahead, course ordered SSE
2350 stop. Gt. Orme W 1/3 E Lynas W 1/2 S. POS 41V Hydrophone watch
17/7/18
0305 M407(?) drop depth charges
The Log Book record for ML325 terminates at 21/7/18. There are no Log Books in the Public Record for her W/T consort ML187. The Log Book record for the other vessels in the Hunting Flotilla, ML's 181, 320, 410, 487, 132 and 167, remains to be investigated as of July 1985.
The Station Records are referenced as follows:
Auxiliary Patrol Areas, Weekly Reports -
Queenstown XXI 1918 Adm137/562
Holyhead XXII Adm137/634
Dover XI Adm137/529 & 530
Selected extracts from these records are recorded below:
QUEENSTOWN: Lt. Bidwell was in MLX31 as of 4/1/16
ML325 "additions and new shaft" 29/12/17 to 2/2/18
Sixteen ML's on Base as of February 1918
ML's 325 and 187 laid up to complete fitting paravanes and wireless telegraphy etc. 3/4/18 to 8/4/18
Extract from Queenstown Letter No.1155 dated 15/4/18: "The fitting of ML's 181, 187, 320, 325, 410, 487, 132 and 167 as a Hunting Flotilla being completed they were detached temporarily on 12/4/18 for special duty in the Irish Sea under the immediate orders of Lt.Cmdr. C.V. Norcock RN."
HOLYHEAD: Extract from Holyhead Letter dated 22/4/18:
"On Tuesday 16/4/18 Sixteen ML's under the command of Lt.Cdr. Norcock arrived to operate in this area."
ML325 laid up, exhaust manifold defective - slipped, general refit - defective manifolds, on slip (variously reported) 10/5/18 to 1/6/18 and 6/6/18 to 15/6/18.
ML325 laid up, new star'd shaft required, port engine badly damaged - fit new port #6 cylinder (variously reported) 24/8/18 to 7/9/18.
ML325 Port propellor damaged, laid up 24/10/18 to 25/10/18
On Tuesday May 14th 1918 HMS PATROL arrived at Holyhead Irish Sea Hunting Flotilla defined as HMS PATROL + 6 TBDts + (variously) 12 and 16 ML's.
7/6/18 Capt. G.F. Hyde, RAN superseded R.Adm. Da Costa
15/8/18 Lt.Cmdr. R.de Sausmarez superseded Capt. Hyde
28/9/18 Six U.S.submarine chasers arrived on station
16/10/18 Six additional U.S.chasers attached
Week ending 15/12/18 Depth charges landed from ML's at Menai Bridge