The_Poppy_March_2012.pdf - The Western Front Association

The Kronstadt Raid, 18th August 1919: The Other Boats
by Niall Ferguson
In The Poppy, issue 27, dated September 2011, I gave the
personal account of Sub-Lt. Frank Howard onboard CMB 86
and the actions of CMB 72 in the raid. But what happened to
the other boats?
Whilst Frank Howard had been escaping the attentions
of Fort Alexander, in and around Kronstadt harbour the
other boats had been having varied success that, nevertheless,
amounted to a great victory, possibly the greatest dividend/
resources ratio ever achieved by the Royal Navy.
In summary:
• CMB 4 (Agar): Fired his single torpedo through the
entrance of the military harbour and succeeded in hitting
a group of patrol craft. Observed and returned safely.
• CMB 24 (Napier): Fired at the destroyer Gavriel which
was guarding the harbour entrance but the torpedo
passed underneath and the destroyer then engaged CMB
24 and sank her. Napier was taken prisoner with his
wounded No.2, Giddy.
• CMB 79 (Bremner): Sank the submarine depot ship
Pamyat Azova. CMB 79 then collided with CMB 62
(Brade) and Bremner had to destroy his boat before
clambering to safety on the mole to be taken prisoner.
Sub-Lt Usborne was killed.
• CMB 62 (Brade): After assisting CMB 79, also attempted
to torpedo the Gavriel but the torpedoes passed
underneath and CMB 62 was also sunk by Gavriel’s guns.
Brade was killed.
• CMB 31 (Dobson): Both torpedoes hit and sank the
Petropavlovsk (which only had about 2 metres of water
below the keel). Returned safely to base.
• CMB 88 (Dayrell-Reed): Dayrell-Reed was shot in
the head as he started the run towards the Andrei
Pervozvanni. With remarkable initiative his No.2, Gordon
Steele, took over and completed a successful attack. They
got back to base but Dayrell-Reed died.
Overall, three CMBs had been lost and four officers,
including Brade and Dayrell-Reed and three ratings had been
killed. Three officers and six ratings had been taken prisoner
and were later repatriated. It is sad that those who were
killed in action could not be decorated (only the VC could
be awarded posthumously). Those who lived were awarded a
rich and well-deserved harvest of medals:
Commander Claude Dobson, DSO
VC
Lieutenant Gordon Steele
VC
Engineer Lieutenant Commander Francis Yates DSO
Lieutenant Augustus Agar, VC
DSO
Lieutenant Russell McBean, DSC
DSO
Act. Sub-Lieutenant Edward Bodley
DSO
Sub-Lieutenant Roland Hunter-Blair
DSC
Sub-lieutenant John Boldero
DSC
Sub-Lieutenant Robert Wight
DSC
Sub-Lieutenant Edgar Sindall
DSC
Act. Sub-Lieutenant Francis Howard
DSC
Act. Sub-Lieutenant Norman Morley
DSC
Lieutenant James Fairbrother, RAF (and 3 DFC
other RAF officers)
In addition, Rear Admiral Cowan was made a baronet,
Baronet of the Baltic. Those taken prisoner such as the brave
Lieutenant Bremner were also later awarded DSOs and DSCs
and fifteen ratings were awarded the DSM. Frank was thrilled
that, on his recommendation, his Engineer Officer and his
First Lieutenant received a DSO and DSC respectively. It is to
be supposed that he regretted having broken down as, if he
had succeeded in torpedoing the Rurik, he would probably
have received a VC, although considering the likely size of
the resultant explosion had Rurik’s cargo of mines gone up,
he would not have been at the ceremony!
Again, let us take up Frank’s account to his mother:
The next day I dined with the 1st Lieutenant of the destroyer
who towed us out here and after dinner the servant I had
in her (the destroyer) came to the Wardroom and said “Mr
‘Oward, Sir. The ‘ands would like you to speak a few words to
them”. So, fortified by a glass of port, I went forward armed
with a couple of charts and a piece of chalk and went over
the show for their benefit. They clapped loudly when I had
finished. The next day we went to the funeral of one of the
officers who had been killed during the show but his boat
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