[Sidenote: Torpedo strikes fuel-oil tank below water line.]
The torpedo broached and jumped clear of the water at a short distance from the ship, submerged about 50 or 60 feet from the ship, and struck approximately three feet below the water line in the fuel-oil tank between the auxiliary room and the after crew s.p.a.ce. The ship settled aft immediately after being torpedoed to a point at which the deck just forward of the after deck house was awash, and then more gradually until the deck abreast the engine-room hatch was awash. A man on watch in the engine room, D. R. Carter, oiler, attempted to close the water-tight door between the auxiliary room and the engine room, but was unable to do so against the pressure of water from the auxiliary room.
[Sidenote: Effects of the explosion.]
The deck over the forward part of the after crew s.p.a.ce and over the fuel-oil tank just forward of it was blown clear for a s.p.a.ce athwartships of about 20 feet from starboard to port, and the auxiliary room wrecked. The starboard after torpedo tube was blown into the air.
No fuel oil ignited and, apparently, no ammunition exploded. The depth charges in the chutes aft were set on ready and exploded after the stern sank. It was impossible to get to them to set them on safe as they were under water. Immediately the ship was torpedoed, Lieutenant J. K.
Richards, the gunnery officer, rushed aft to attempt to set the charges on "safe," but was unable to get further aft than the after deck house.
[Sidenote: Impossible to use radio.]
As soon as the torpedo struck I attempted to send out an "S. O. S."
message by radio, but the mainmast was carried away, antennae falling, and all electric power had failed. I then tried to have the gun-sight lighting batteries connected up in an effort to send out a low-power message with them, but it was at once evident that this would not be practicable before the ship sank. There was no other vessel in sight, and it was therefore impossible to get through a distress signal of any kind.
[Sidenote: Confidential publications are weighted and thrown overboard.]
Immediately after the ship was torpedoed every effort was made to get rafts and boats launched. Also the circular life belts from the bridge and several splinter mats from the outside of the bridge were cut adrift and afterwards proved very useful in holding men up until they could be got to the rafts. Weighted confidential publications were thrown over the side. There was no time to destroy other confidential matter, but it went down with the ship.
[Sidenote: Men jump overboard.]
The ship sank about 4.29 p. m. (about eight minutes after being torpedoed). As I saw her settling rapidly, I ran along the deck and ordered everybody I saw to jump overboard. At this time most of those not killed by the explosion had got clear of the ship and were on rafts or wreckage. Some, however, were swimming and a few appeared to be about a ship"s length astern of the ship, at some distance from the rafts, probably having jumped overboard very soon after the ship was struck.
[Sidenote: The ship sinks stern first. Depth charges explode.]
Before the ship sank two shots were fired from No. 4 gun with the hope of attracting attention of some nearby ship. As the ship began sinking I jumped overboard. The ship sank stern first and twisted slowly through nearly 180 degrees as she swung upright. From this nearly vertical position, bow in the air to about the forward funnel, she went straight down. Before the ship reached the vertical position the depth charges exploded, and I believe them to have caused the death of a number of men. They also partially paralyzed, stunned, or dazed a number of others, including Lieutenant Kalk and myself and several men, some of whom are still disabled but recovering.
[Sidenote: Rafts and boats float.]
Immediate efforts were made to get all survivors on the rafts and then get rafts and boats together. Three rafts were launched before the ship sank and one floated off when she sank. The motor dory, hull undamaged but engine out of commission, also floated off, and the punt and wherry also floated clear. The punt was wrecked beyond usefulness, and the wherry was damaged and leaking badly, but was of considerable use in getting men to the rafts. The whaleboat was launched but capsized soon afterwards, having been damaged by the explosion of the depth charges.
The motor sailor did not float clear, but went down with the ship.
[Sidenote: Submarine appears and picks up one man.]
About 15 or 20 minutes after the ship sank the submarine appeared on the surface about two or three miles to the westward of the rafts, and gradually approached until about 800 to 1,000 yards from the ship, where it stopped and was seen to pick up one unidentified man from the water.
The submarine then submerged and was not seen again.
[Sidenote: The captain"s boat steers for the Scillys.]
I was picked up by the motor dory and at once began to make arrangements to try to reach the Scillys in that boat in order to get a.s.sistance to those on the rafts. All the survivors then in sight were collected and I gave orders to Lieutenant Richards to keep them together. Lieutenant Scott, the navigating officer, had fixed the ship"s position a few minutes before the explosion and both he and I knew accurately the course to be steered. I kept Lieutenant Scott to a.s.sist me and four men who were in good condition in the boat to man the oars, the engine being out of commission. With the exception of some emergency rations and half a bucket of water, all provisions, including medical kit, were taken from the dory and left on the rafts. There was no apparatus of any kind which could be used for night signaling.
[Sidenote: Survivors are picked up.]
After a very trying trip during which it was necessary to steer by stars and by the direction of the wind, the dory was picked up about 1 p. m., December 7, by a small patrol vessel about 6 miles south of St. Marys.
Commander Randal, R. N. R., Senior Naval Officer, Scilly Isles, informed me that the other survivors had been rescued.
One small raft (which had been separated from the others from the first) was picked up by the S. S. _Catalina_ at 8 p. m., December 6.
After a most trying experience through the night, the remaining survivors were picked up by H. M. S. _Camellia_, at 8.30 a. m., December 7.
[Sidenote: The number lost.]
I deeply regret to state that out of a total of 7 officers and 103 men on board at the time of the torpedoing, 2 officers and 64 men died in the performance of duty.
The behavior of officers and men under the exceptionally hard conditions is worthy of the highest praise.
[Sidenote: Lieutenant Scott"s valuable services.]
Lieutenant Norman Scott, executive officer, accomplished a great deal toward getting boats and rafts in the water, turning off steam from the fireroom to the engine room, getting life belts and splinter mats from the bridge into the water, in person firing signal guns, encouraging and a.s.sisting the men, and in general doing everything possible in the short time available. He was of invaluable a.s.sistance during the trip in the dory.
[Sidenote: Calmness and efficiency of other officers.]
Lieutenant J. K. Richards was left in charge of all the rafts, and his coolness and cheerfulness under exceedingly hard conditions was highly commendable and undoubtedly served to put heart into the men to stand the strain.
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) S. F. Kalk, during the early part of the evening, but already in a weakened condition, swam from one raft to another in the effort to equalize weight on the rafts. The men who were on the raft with him state, in their own words, that "He was game to the last."
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) N. N. Gates was calm and efficient in the performance of duty.
[Sidenote: Men recommended for commendation.]
During the night, Charlesworth, C., boatswain"s mate first cla.s.s, removed parts of his own clothing (when all realized that their lives depended on keeping warm) to try to keep alive men more thinly clad than himself. This sacrifice shows his caliber and I recommend that he be commended for his action.
At the risk of almost certain death, Burger, P. J., seaman second cla.s.s, remained in the motor sailer and endeavored to get it clear for floating from the ship. While he did not succeed in accomplishing this work (which would undoubtedly have saved 20 or 30 lives) I desire to call attention to his sticking to duty until the very last, and recommend him as being most worthy of commendation. He was drawn under the water with the boat, but later came to the surface and was rescued.
Kelly, L. J., chief electrician, and Chase, H. U., quartermaster third cla.s.s, remained on board until the last, greatly endangering their lives thereby, to cut adrift splinter mats and life preservers. Kelly"s stamina and spirit were especially valuable during the motor dory"s trip.
Gibson, H. L., chief boatswain"s mate, and Meier, E., water tender, were of great a.s.sistance to the men on their rafts in advising and cheering them up under most adverse conditions.
The foregoing report is made from my own observations and after questioning all surviving officers and men.
The American naval authorities early recognized that the swift destroyers were the most effective instruments for hunting down German submarines, and the most efficient guardians for the loaded troop and food ships crossing the Atlantic. Life on board one of these swift and powerful boats is described in the following narrative.[1]
FOOTNOTE:
[1] Transcriber"s Note: This narrative will be found in Vol. III of this series.