Although the official cause of the HMS Princess Irene explosion was "accidental", that may not be the true story. On page 132 of "The Philby Conspiracy" by Page, Knightley & Leitch (1968): "MI 5 had done reasonably well in World War I (although it failed to capture the unknown saboteur who is assumed to have been behind the destruction by magazine-explosion of four British warships in harbour between 1914 and 1917)."
These seem to be: HMS Bulwark ---1914Nov26; HMS Princess Irene -- 1915May27; HMS Natal -- 1915Dec30; HMS Vanguard -- 1917Jul09. A 5th warship, HMS Glatton, suffered the same fate 1918Sep16.
The authors were insiders in the British clandestine community and may have had knowledge withheld from the public. But MI 5 and MI 6 were bitter rivals and perhaps (not knowing the allegiances of the authors) this is just an attempt to smear MI 5's reputation or an example of MI 5's cautious assessment of a potential danger by making a worst-case assumption.
Michael Saunders
These seem to be: HMS Bulwark ---1914Nov26; HMS Princess Irene -- 1915May27; HMS Natal -- 1915Dec30; HMS Vanguard -- 1917Jul09. A 5th warship, HMS Glatton, suffered the same fate 1918Sep16.
The authors were insiders in the British clandestine community and may have had knowledge withheld from the public. But MI 5 and MI 6 were bitter rivals and perhaps (not knowing the allegiances of the authors) this is just an attempt to smear MI 5's reputation or an example of MI 5's cautious assessment of a potential danger by making a worst-case assumption.
Michael Saunders
