submarines had been delivered, and six were used in the Heligoland Bight, first for reconnaissance patrols only and subsequently with a free hand.
The first offensive success by a British submarine was scored by E9, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Max Horton, who had 'stood by' his boat during her construction at Barrow. On 13th September 1914, Horton sighted the German cruiser Hela near Heligoland, closed to 600 yards and fired two torpedoes, one of which struck amidships. Hela sank and E9 was hunted for the remainder of the day but successfully escaped. During her next patrol in the Bight, E9 sank the destroyer S116.
These first successes were followed by many courageous exploits. Particularly important were the operations carried out
