HMS C34 was a Group 2 C Class submarine built before the First World War. C34 and her sisters were the final evolution in the Royal Navy of the original Holland design. The C Class featured innovations such as forward hydroplanes, but lacked even a proper toilet for her crew. C34 was the last C Class submarine built at Chatham.


HMS C34 was laid down on No 7 slip on 29th March 1909. She was launched into the Medway by Mrs Ommanney, wife of the Admiral Superintendant at Chatham, Rear-Admiral Robert Ommanney on 8th June 1910. After fitting out, she commissioned at Chatham on 17th September 1910.


C34 at sea





Line drawing of a C Class submarine





HMS C34 was with the 4th Submarine Flotilla at Dover at the outbreak of WW1, with HMS Arrogant as her depot ship, employed on patrols in the English Channel.


By July 1915, she had moved to Harwich and was employed on 'U-Boat Trap' patrols in the North Sea. The U-Boat Trap was an attempt to disrupt U-Boats then causing mayhem in the North Sea. It worked by having a bait vessel, usually an armed trawler, towing a submerged submarine. When challenged by a U-Boat, the trawler would transmit orders to the submarine via a telephone cable. The towed submarine would slip its tow and attempt to torpedo the U-Boat. This method did have some success, but after the loss of 2 C Class submarines, including the Chatham Built C33, it was abandoned.


On 24th July 1917, HMS C34 was caught on the surface off Fair Isle in Shetland by U-52 and was sunk by gunfire. There was only one survivor, Leading Rating John Capes, who was rescued by U-52 and spent the rest of the war in a German POW camp.


The roll of honour of HMS C34 can be found here:


http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/submarines/pages/c_class/c_34_roll_of_honour.htm