Problems on board of British submarine depot ship HMS Lucia according to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 5 January 1931

An item dated London 5 January reported that on the evening of the 4th  Portsmouth rumours suggested that there were troubles on board of the depot ship for submarines HMS Lucia (1) in which 42 crewmembers were involved. It was however believed that the rumours were mainly nonsense. The British Admiralty announced an investigation by the commander-in-chief at Portsmouth. The involved sailors neglected orders and were transported to the navy barracks at Devonport and kept on surveillance. They were replaced by an equal number of men. The evening edition of two days later reported that she would not participate in the spring manoeuvres of the Atlantic Fleet starting the next day. Another newspaper De Gooi- en Eemlander dated 6 January 1931 supplied more details why some sailors protested. The men requested for an equal number of Christmas leave like the sailors of the Atlantic Fleet which she yearly several voyages supported. Despite this they got two days less with as result that they refused their orders to do their work. Admiral Sir Hubert Brand (2) interrogate them although all details were kept strictly secret. The Lucia was the former German Spreewald which was built in 1907 in England for the Hamburg-Amerika-Line and seized in 1914 by the HMS Berwick and added to the British submarine fleet.

Notes

1. Launched at the shipyard of Furness Withy Co. Ltd., West Hartlepoot with yardnumber 307, United Kingdom on 21 November 1907 for the Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt AG, Hamburg, Germany.. Pennant in January 1918 P.2A and during the Second World War F27. With a displacement of 5.805 tons. Her crew numbered 262 men and her speed was 12,75 knots. Captured in 1914 and after conversion into a submarine depot ship was she commissioned in the Royal British navy in 1916. In the Second World War was she classified as repair ship. On 4 September 1946 sold to the Cia. Maritime Geojunior, Panama, renamed Sinain 1948, a year later laid up and finally broken up at La Spezia, Italy in 1951.

2. Sir Hubert George Brand (20 May 1870-14 December 1995), commander-in-chief of the Atlantic Fleet and in 1929 commander-in-chief of Plymouth.