E3 was built at Barrow by Vickers and launched on the 29th of December 1912. E3 left Harwich on the 16th October 1914 to patrol an area off Borkum. At the same time U27 was patrolling off the mouth of the Ems. At 1025 on the morning of 18 October U27 sighted E3 on the surface and was able to approach unobserved firing her torpedoes at a range of approximately 300 yards. The resulting explosion broke E3 in half and sent her immediately to the bottom.