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HMS Zedwhale
HMS Zedwwale was an admiralty whaler built in 1915 by
Smith's Dock Company, weighing 336 tons she had a 12 pounder a
six pounder and a three pounder gun. She was coal driven and
held a complement of 26. She was used for anti submarine work
experiments and training .
She's been classified as "something of a mystery amongst
mystery ships".
Zedwhale was originally built as a submarine chaser, Z1 she was
taken up 2nd of August 1915 and renamed Meg and as such
was under French command with a French crew and flying the tricolor but under the orders of the British Admiralty
Her first commanding officer was Lieutenant de Vaisseau
Auxillaire Jean Charlot(sic). our auxiliary Jean
Charlotte make was transferred back to the Royal Navy after
paying off 13th January 1916 then renamed Zwale and
recommissioned at Granton with a British crew tended to HMS
attentive six destroyer for the Tiller leader Dover she was
transferred back within days to Granton as tender to HMS
Columbine Base ship and by 1917 she was partnering the
steamroller koot H897 employed with the fourth down the East
Coast Fisheries and for a time she partners partnered HMS
submarine C7 on anti U boat patrols
She was sold in February 1920
Lieutenant William Douglas is credited with sinking a German
submarine in or near the Firth or 4th there is some clue to this
in the description of Z whale anti submarine work and
experiments I believe that he may have been involved in the
operation of Q ships which appear to have operated out of
Granton the clue is in a letter from Admiral James Startin to my
grandfather in which he refers to quote our little jaunt
together see if I can make sense of that
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Granton
The harbour at Granton was a naval base from 14 August 1914 to 15 July 1919. The base initially held 29 trawlers and three yachts, employed in patrol work and minesweeping, and grew through the war to 300 ships, serviced by 400 officers, 8000 men and 300 Wren officers and ratings. From 1915 Granton became a base for the fitting out and operation of "Q" Ships, merchantmen and trawlers fitted with hidden weapons, to lure in and then attack German submarines.
Granton Harbour naval base was named HMS Gunner, after the largest trawler in its flotilla, and used for minesweeping, decoy vessels (‘Q-ships’), anti-submarine patrols and the maintenance of the outer boom defences. The first members of the Women’s Royal Naval Service, the WRNS, arrived during 1918. The command at Granton was divided into two parts. The northern area had a large complement of 24 motor launches and eighteen paddle minesweepers, as well as 30 boom defence vessels amongst its flotilla of 103 craft. The southern area was smaller, with a total of 47 yachts and fishing boats./p>
From 1916 onwards more German mines were placed on the east coast and the role of the Granton minesweepers became more important. The Granton boats were also responsible for the maintenance and operation of the permanent anti-submarine booms and for temporary, mobile nets that were deployed to protect the Grand Fleet when training in the lower part of the estuary. After the Armistice the base was engaged in mine clearance.
The harbour was used again during the Second World War.span>
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