A Sub and a Submarine: The Story of H.M. Submarine R19 in the Great War

In Short

This brisk naval adventure captures the perils of submarine warfare during the First World War. When Lieutenant Noel Fordyce is assigned to the H.M. Submarine R19, his Irish terrier, Flirt, stows away, eventually playing a surprising role in the crew's survival. The narrative follows the R19 as she navigates minefields, evades German destroyers, and deals with the political chaos of the Russian Revolution. It is a quintessential boys' adventure story, defined by its stiff-upper-lip sensibility, technical naval detail, and the unshakeable camaraderie of the British service.

The Story

The story begins in the coastal town of Otherport, where Lieutenant Noel Fordyce finds himself in an absurd conflict with a local councilor named Mindiggle. Mindiggle, who is secretly a German agent, attempts to blackmail Fordyce into smuggling a dangerous explosive—disguised as diamonds—to Petrograd. Fordyce refuses, but when he unexpectedly finds his dog, Flirt, hiding on his submarine, the R19, he realizes his personal life and professional duties have become dangerously entangled.

Under the command of the Honorable Derek Stockdale, a capable and fair-minded officer, the R19 departs for the Baltic. Their journey is fraught with immediate danger. As they navigate the North Sea and the Skagerrak, they must dodge floating mines and outmaneuver both Zeppelins and U-boats. The crew’s technical skill is tested when they are forced to dive and clear a fouled propeller while trapped in a hostile net, a sequence that highlights the claustrophobic tension of submarine life.

Upon reaching the Baltic, the R19 finds Russia in the throes of revolutionary fervor. The crew discovers that their allies have become volatile and unpredictable, influenced by German propaganda. While attempting to repair damage to the submarine, Fordyce and a fellow sailor are captured and imprisoned in a house in Petrograd, where they confront the treacherous Mindiggle and his accomplice, Klostivitch. Through resourcefulness and grit, they manage to escape just as the political situation descends into violence. Klostivitch meets a grim end, falling from a rooftop during a bungled flight, while Mindiggle is captured and eventually secured by the R19’s crew.

The final act of the war sees the R19 engaging in a desperate duel with a German destroyer. After the submarine is forced to submerge to avoid destruction, the crew manages to surface and triumph, effectively neutralizing the enemy threat. The mission concludes with the R19 returning to safety. Fordyce arrives home with Flirt, who has successfully navigated the hazards of war, earning the begrudging respect of even the most skeptical members of the family. The tone shifts from the harrowing tension of the Baltic to the domestic comfort of a British home, where the "too faithful" terrier is finally accepted as a hero of the conflict.

How It Unfolds

The stowaway discovered Following a legal dispute with a German agent, Noel Fordyce boards his submarine and discovers his dog, Flirt, hiding in his cabin. The crew, led by the unflappable Lieutenant-Commander Stockdale, accepts the terrier as their mascot.

Navigating the North Sea The R19 encounters a series of life-threatening obstacles, including a Zeppelin and a hidden U-boat. These early skirmishes establish the submarine's prowess and the crew's ability to remain cool under fire.

Caught in the nets During a daring run through a German-controlled minefield, the R19 becomes entangled in a defensive net. The crew must conduct a dangerous underwater repair operation to free themselves while enemy destroyers hunt for them overhead.

The Russian chaos Arriving in the Baltic, the crew finds the political landscape decimated by revolution. Their mission turns into a survival ordeal when Fordyce is imprisoned in Petrograd, leading to a race against time to escape the city.

Final confrontation After escaping the city, the R19 engages a German destroyer in a final, decisive duel. The submarine survives the encounter, secures their prisoner, and begins the long journey back home to Britain.

The People

Noel Fordyce is the story’s heart—a young, determined sub-lieutenant whose loyalty to his dog, Flirt, mirrors his dedication to his country. He is defined by his pluck and his ability to maintain his composure even when threatened by sophisticated espionage.

The Hon. Derek Stockdale, the submarine’s captain, serves as the ideal of an officer. He is fair, calm, and highly experienced. He refuses to indulge in favoritism and treats his crew with a balance of strict discipline and genuine concern, earning their total loyalty.

Mindiggle (or von Verbrennungsraum) is the classic antagonist, a German agent who operates through blackmail and sabotage. His arrogance is his undoing; he underestimates the ingenuity of the British crew and the simple, animalistic loyalty of Flirt.

Flirt, the Irish terrier, acts as the emotional anchor of the book. While she is a source of comic relief and mild trouble, her presence provides a touch of normalcy in the cold, mechanical environment of the submarine. She transforms from a "stowaway" into a symbolic mascot, her survival representing the resilience of the men she accompanies.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the intensity of the crew's first brush with an enemy airship, the narrative highlights the chaos of the scene:

"Ahead, astern, above and below, the shells burst."

This observation occurs during a desperate defensive maneuver against a German seaplane that threatens to bomb the submarine. Later, after a narrow escape from a deadly trap, the captain acknowledges the success of the mission:

"The Hon. Derek was a genial host. He possessed a strong vein of humour and had the happy knack of putting a guest entirely at his ease."

This follows a moment where the captain maintains his composure while entertaining a guest, despite the grave dangers the R19 has just faced.

What It's Really About

At its core, this is a study of professional composure under extreme pressure. It explores the idea that in times of global chaos—represented here by the First World War and the Russian Revolution—the only things one can truly rely on are technical competence and personal integrity. The book argues that "freedom" without discipline leads to the societal ruin depicted in the scenes of Petrograd, contrasting the orderly, duty-bound life inside the submarine with the anarchic, dangerous world outside. The subtext is a glorification of the "gentleman-officer" ideal, suggesting that the stability of the British Empire rests upon the shoulders of men who remain calm and decisive when the world is literally exploding around them.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy historical naval fiction will find this book a rewarding, if brisk, experience. It is written in a style that is urgent and unadorned, characteristic of early 20th-century adventure literature. You will feel the claustrophobia of the R19’s interior and the freezing, biting cold of the Baltic sea.

However, the modern reader should be prepared for the period-typical attitudes that permeate the text. The characters frequently view the world through a lens of British exceptionalism, and the portrayals of foreign nations—particularly the revolutionary Russians—are blunt and dismissive. The dialogue reflects the formal, stiff, and occasionally melodramatic tone of its time, which may feel jarring to those accustomed to more nuanced character development. Despite these limitations, the book succeeds as a piece of period storytelling. It remains a fascinating artifact of its era, capturing the spirit of a generation that romanticized the bravery of those serving "under the white ensign." If you can set aside the didactic tone and the dated social views, you will find a genuinely exciting, well-paced maritime thriller that celebrates the quiet, often overlooked, courage of the submarine service.