Completed in the autumn of 1891, HMS Formidable was a pre-dreadnought battleship. She initially served in the Mediterranean, but was moved to the Channel Fleet in 1908.
At the outbreak of the First World War, the squadron she was attached to – the 5th Battle Squadron – carried out operations in the English Channel, and Formidable was involved in the supporting the British Expeditionary Force as it moved to France.
On 31st December 1915, HMS Formidable took part in exercises off the Isle of Portland, Dorset. That night the squadron remained off the Dorset coast, Formidable the last in the convoy. While visibility was good, the sea was rough enough to make detecting submarines a challenge, while the commander of the squadron, Sir Lewis Bayly, did not think they would pose a problem. Unfortunately, he was to be proved wrong.
Unbeknown to the squadron, the German submarine U-24 had been stalking the ships since the afternoon, and as the new year began, she moved in.
Just after 2am, U-24 fired a torpedo at HMS Formidable, striking the starboard side. The other ships were unaware what had happened, but, as her commander, Captain Loxley, turned her closer to shore, one of them, the cruiser HMS Topaze, came alongside to determine what had happened.
By the time Topaze reached the battleship, she was already listing significantly. Loxley gave the order to abandon ship, and, while some of the crew remained on board to try and save her, the Formidable was low in the water.
Just after 3am, the U-24 struck again, hitting the battleship close to the bow. By this point a full rescue effort had been instigated, but just under two hours later, the Formidable sank. More than 100 of the crew were saved, but a total of 35 officers and more than 500 men were lost.
A subsequent inquiry determined that the risk of running training exercises was too great, and they should not continue. Sit Lewis Bayly was relieved of command for failing to take the necessary precautions to avoid such an attack.
(Thanks to Wikipedia for the above information.)
Commonwealth War Graves
Bernthall, Stoker 2nd Class Horace (d1915, aged 21, killed in action)
Eley, Stoker 1st Class William (d1915, aged 24, killed in action)
Fawkes, Stoker 1st Class William (d1915, aged 31, killed in action)
Feldon, Petty Officer 1st Class William (d1915, aged 36, killed in action)
Smyth, Boy 1st Class Bernard (d1915, aged 17, killed in action)
Death and Service 