The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Shipping in the harbour at the Aegean island of Lemnos. On the left is the submarine AE2, which, along with its sister ship AE1, was the first submarine allocated to the Royal Australian Navy. Both submarines were commanded by British officers and over 50 per cent of the crew were from the Royal Navy. The two submarines took part in the operations that led to the capture of the German colonies in the southwest Pacific, but AE1 was lost with all hands. AE2 left Western Australia with the second Anzac convoy on 31 December 1914 and joined the Gallipoli operations of the British Navy. In April 1915 AE2 was ordered to try to pass through the Dardanelles to disrupt enemy shipping in the Sea of Marmora. After repeatedly diving to avoid enemy attack, she succeeded in entering the Sea of Marmora on 26 April 1915. After several days of unsuccessfully firing at enemy vessels, she made a rendezvous with HM Submarine E14 on 30 April 1915. The lack of gun armament on the E type submarines was a major weakness, which meant that the AE2 could not defend herself on the surface from even the smallest attacker. She came under fire from two enemy vessels, including the torpedo boat Sultan Hissar, and dived; when technical problems made the vessel impossible to handle, Lieutenant Commander Stoker opened all tanks to sink her. All hands were rescued by the torpedo boat and spent the rest of the war as prisoners of the Turks; one officer and three sailors died in captivity.
Australian Navy (RAN) submarines AE1 and AE2. AE2 later joined the British Fleet at the Dardanelles, Turkey, on 1915-04-25 and was sunk in the Sea of Marmora by the Turkish torpedo boat Sultan Hissar;
Australian Navy submarine AE2 at sea. AE2, and its sister ship AE1, were the first submarines allocated to the Royal Australian Navy arriving in Sydney Harbour on 24 May 1914 under RN command. On the
The Australian Navy submarine AE1 coming into port. AE1, and her sister ship AE2, were the RAN's first submarines arriving in Sydney Harbour in May 1914 under RN command. On the outbreak of war bot
Australian Navy submarine AE1 at sea. AE1, and sister boat AE2, were the RAN's first submarines arriving in Sydney Harbour in May 1914 under RN command. On the outbreak of war both vessels moved to Ne
Memoir relating to the First World War service of 2148 Stoker Charles George Suckling, Royal Australian Navy. This account was written at some stage after the First World War and before its donation i
This painting shows the Australian submarine 'AE2' on patrol in the Sea of Marmora. The 'AE2' was the first allied submarine to penetrate the Narrows of the Dardanelles. The artist has painted 'AE2'
