Ernest Martin Jehan

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Ernest Martin Jehan
Born2 February 1878
First World War
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross

Ernest Martin Jehan

warrant officer and was decorated and commissioned after sinking SM UB-4 (2)
.

Early life and career

Born in Forest, Guernsey, on 2 February 1878, Ernest Martin Jehan had worked as a plasterer before joining the Royal Navy on 8 February 1894, when he reached the age of eighteen; he signed up for 12 years service initially. At the age of 18, he was described as being 5 feet 2.5 inches (1.588 m) with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a "dark" complexion.[1]

Jehan's first posting on 4 February 1894 was to the

able seaman on 11 June 1896, when he also began specialist gunnery training.[1]

Jehan was posted to

petty officer 1st class on 17 June 1904. He briefly went back to Vernon on 28 June before returning to Excellent on 10 November. He was posted to HMS Sappho on 1 December 1904.[1]

Jehan was then promoted to acting gunner (a warrant rank) on 11 April 1905.

minesweeper
. From Dryad he was sent to Inverlyon as the commanding officer.

Action of 15 August 1915

Action of 15 August 1915
Part of
Atlantic U-boat Campaign

A smack, similar to Inverlyon.
Date15 August 1915
Location
off Great Yarmouth, England, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean
Result British victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  German Empire
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Ernest Martin Jehan German Empire Karl Gross
Strength
1 smack 1 submarine
Casualties and losses
none 14 killed
1 submarine sunk

The action of 15 August 1915 was a small naval battle involving Ernest Jehan. In 1915, the

Q-ships
, merchant ships armed with hidden heavy weapons to lure out and destroy German submarines.

Inverlyon, a fishing

Admiralty replied with a negative response, so the net was simply cut, allowing UB-4 to finish sinking to the bottom. All of the crew and commanding officer, Lt. Karl Gross, were killed. As result of the battle, Ernest Martin Jehan was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on 19 November 1915,[3] and promoted to lieutenant.[4]

After Inverlyon's cruise

By 1916, Jehan was relieved of the Inverlyon and sent to HMS Sarpedon as the executive officer. Later he commanded HMS PC-55 from 1919 to 1920 and retired on 29 October 1920.[4] Jehan died on 7 December 1929 aged fifty-one.

Notes

Due to Inverlyon's sinking of UB-4, Jehan became the first and only commander to sink a modern steel submarine with a sailing vessel.

Second World War
.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Registers of Seamen's Services—Image details—Jehan, Ernest Martin" (fee usually required to view pdf of original service record). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  2. ^ a b "RN Officer's Service Records—Image details—Jehan, Ernest Martin" (fee usually required to view pdf of original service record). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  3. ^ "No. 29374". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 November 1915. p. 11558.
  4. ^ a b "No. 32114". The London Gazette. 5 November 1920. p. 10754.

Bibliography

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