Australian Navy submarine AE2 at sea. AE2, and its sister ship AE1, were the first submarines ...

Australian Navy submarine AE2 at sea. AE2, and its sister ship AE1, were the first submarines allocated to the Royal Australian Navy arriving in Sydney Harbour on 24 May 1914 under RN command. On the outbreak of WW1 both submarines were dispatched to New Britain under escort. AE2 was later based at Suva returning to Sydney in November 1914. On 31 December 1914 AE2 departed from West Australia with the second ANZAC convoy. The submarine was towed across the Indian Ocean and eventually arrived in the Gallipoli area joining the Britisn Naval Squadron. In April 1915 AE2 was ordered to attempt the passage through the Dardanelles to the Sea Of Marmora and disrupt enemy shipping. The passage was successful. On 30 April 1915 AE2 moving to meet a RN submarine which had arrived after the RAN vessel was forced to dive but technical problems made the vessel impossible to handle and the captain was forced to surface and surrender after opening all tanks to sink AE2. (Donor W.M. Warburton)