Diane

Diane
Rig Class.Steam Yacht
Year built:1902
General characteristics
Ton:259 tons
Beam:


Diane was taken up for war service in September 1914 and served until November 1917 with the Dover Patrol.

On 24 April 1916 she was with the 11th Drifter Division in the vicinity of the Dunkirk Roads guarding an anti-submarine net barrage which had been laid ten miles off the Belgian coast.  A U-Boat (later found from German records to have been UB13) became fouled in the nets of one of the drifters and Diane dropped two lance bombs and then a depth charge.  The latter was dropped by the mate, Mr Dunstan, who, after the war became skipper of Captain Slade's schooner Diane.

Although the depth charge shattered part of the yacht's stern, it also found its target.  A heavy explosion took place, followed by a large eruption of bubbles and oil.  The air bubbles became much reduced later on, but oil continued to come to the surface and when Diane returned through that position at 5:25pm she passed through pools of oil.  The vessels concerned were credited with a sinking.

Diane continued to serve with the Dover Patrol and sank several German mines by gunfire.  In June 1917 she captured a German seaplane off Gravelines.  She took two prisoners and tried to tow the seaplane into Dover, but it began to disintegrate and was cut adrift.

Owners

Namefromto
Captain Cecil William Paulet Slade 1910 1916

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