WW1 Postcard Photo of Sailor from HMS Drake  
HMS Drake sunk by U79 2 Oct 1917

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WW1 Postcard photo measuring 3.5" x 5.5" produced by Gales Studios of Manchester

HMS DRAKE - On the morning of October 2nd 1917, HMS Drake was several miles off the north-west tip of Rathlin Island, carrying out routine escort duties with convoy HH24 inbound from America. The area was frequented by German U boats who were engaged in both mine laying and convoy attacks in the Western and Northern Approaches - as part of an overall German strategy to blockade convoy supplies reaching the United Kingdom.  U79, a mine laying submarine was on active duty around the north west of Ireland and the western Scottish Isles at the time.   The U-Boat located HH24 in the early morning, found the Drake in her sight and fired one of her compliment of four torpedoes, the resulting explosion killed 19 seamen though the cruiser remained afloat. The crippled Drake under the command of Captain S. H. Radcliffe was escorted into Church Bay by H.M.S. Martin and other auxiliary ships  where she was anchored.  There were suggestions that to save her an attempt was going to be made to beach her in Church Bay, unfortunately the degree of list became critical and she was abandoned to capsize in eighteen metres of water a few hundred metres from the shore. There were no casualties as a result of the capsizing and the Admiralty announced her loss on October 4th, though no reference was made to HMS Brisk.  H.M.S.Drake was built in 1902, a 'Drake' class  armoured cruiser,  at 23 knots was  one of the fastest cruisers in the world at that time, her armaments included two primary 9.2 inch centre line turrets, sixteen secondary 6 inch single barbettes,  twelve auxiliary twelve pounders,  three auxiliary  three pounders and two eighteen inch submerged torpedo tubes.