HMS C34 (Lt I S Jefferson) sailed from Scapa Flow on the evening of 16 July 1917 to conduct an anti-submarine patrol between the Orkneys and the Shetland islands. At 1335 the following afternoon, she was on the surface when she was sighted by U52 (Hans Walther). U52 fired a torpedo at 1446, striking C34, which sank at once engulfed in smoke and flame. U52 approached the point of the attack and found one survivor, Stoker Frank Scoble, covered in oil. He was hauled aboard U52 and is alleged to have uttered what the Germans described as a typically English expression‚ “You have won the game”.

C34 was listed as overdue on 21 July 1917, and this is the official date of death of the crew.  The actual date of 17 July 1917 was not ascertained until information from U52‘s log was available after the war.