A Mystery Of
pp. 24-25 · Read in the full issue
1914 Australia's First Submarine, AE1, Disappeared at Rabaul
RECENT activity and success —of Allied submarines in New Guinea and Western Pacific waters against Japanese shipping recalls the interest ing though melancholy, fact that Rabaul Harbour was the graveyard of Austra lia’s first submarine.
When the Great War broke out, the unfledged Royal Australian Navy had just received from Britain two 800-tons submarines, AEI and AE2. Quickly re fitted in Port Jackson, the AEI cruised north to join other units of the RAN detailed to occupy Rabaul, seat of gov ernment and chief centre of settlement in German New Guinea. An out-of-the way island in the Louisiades (Papua) was the rendezvous. Rabaul was seized on September 11, 1914, and the German wireless station at Bita Paka occupied. Six Australians lost their lives in the clash between men of the Australian Naval and Military Expe ditionary Force (unofficially and collo quially known as the “Coconut Lancers”) and the Germans and their armed native police, on the road leading to Bita Paka At 7 a.m. on September 14. the sloop “Parramatta”, from Herbertshohe (now Kokopo) and the submarine AEI, from Rabaul, left Blanche Bay together to patrol off Cape Gazelle, the most east erly point of the bay. Blanche Bay forms a wide semi-circular entrance, with Rabaul at the north-west corner.
They were in communication with each other hourly; and at 3.30 p.m., offi cers on the “Parramatta” saw the sub marine south-west of the Duke of York Islands, apparently on her way back to Rabaul Harbour. The destroyer stayed in St. George’s Channel for an hour or two longer, then made Herbertshohe at twi light.
By nightfall, the Admiral of the fleet signalled that AEI had not returned to her moorings. “Parramatta” and “Yarra”, using searchlights and flares, made an immediate search in the vicinity of the harbour, but without avail. Next day all the smaller vessels of the squadron at Rabaul and dozens of commandeered motor and steam launches scoured the coasts of New Britain and New Ireland.
All the neighbouring waters for 30 miles and more were examined, but no trace of the AEI was found —not even the tell tale shimmer of escaping oil on the water.
To this day, the fate of the AEI and her complement of 35 —Lt.-Commander T. Besant, RN (one of the most skilful and alert underwater-craft commanders of the day), two officers, and 32 ratings (half of them Australians, the other half British) —is a mystery.
Many theories have been advanced to explain away the AETs disappearance— the least improbable, according to official records, is that the submarine dived for practice when nearing the mouth of
Blanche Bay and came up close to the coastal reef which there forms a preci pitous, overhanging edge to the deep entrance channel and that her steel plates were pierced by the sharp coral rock. But why were no traces of oil seen, ask the experts?
Exactly what happened will always remain a question mark, for the sea keeps well her secrets.
AE2 Broached the Dardanelles AE2, sister sub. of the AEI, accom panied HMAS “Australia” to Fiji in Sep tember, 1914, and then returned to Syd ney As German New Guinea had been captured and the Pacific situation now seemed under control, the Royal Navy asked that AE2 be transferred to- the Mediterranean command.
During the Gallipoli campaign, she did splendid work and actually made a pas sage through the mined Dardanelles— the first Allied craft to do so. After a series of adventurous encounters with Turkish naval patrols—once she grounded and the crew spent a ticklish hour or two counting enemy ships passing over head. seeking their quarry—she was shelled and sunk in the Sea of Mar mara, on April 30, 1915. All her officers and crew (Australian and British) were rescued.