Rock Island Argus., 1914-09-26
OFFICIAL REPORT
ON SEA DISASTER
British Admiralty Publishes Ac-
count of Sinking of
Three Cruisers.

London. Sept 26-The facts concern
ing the sinking of the British cruisers
Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy. are con-
sued Friday night.
The reports OF Commanders Nichol-
son OF the Cressy and Norton of the
Hogue, state that the Aboukir was hit
by one torpedo and sunk in 35 min
utes. Three torpedoes were fired at
the Cressy, one OF the explosives miss
ing narrowly. She lasted from thirty
to forty minutes. The Hogue was
struck twice, ten TO twenty seconds
elapsing btween the torpedoes and
went under in five minutes.
The statement follows:
"The fact of this affair cannot be
better conveyed to the public than by
the attached reports of the senior
officers who have survived and have
landed in England.
The sinking of the Aboukir was,
of course, an ordinary hazard of pa
trolling duty. The Hogue and the
Cressy. however, were sunk because
they proceeded to the assistance Of
their consort and remained with en-
gines stopped, endeavoring to save
life. thus presenting an easy and GER
tain target to further submarine at
tacks.
mo act OF humanity, whether to
friend or foe, should lead to neglect
of the proper precautions and dis
positions of war and no measures can
be taken to save life which prejudice
the military situation. Small craft of
all kinds, should have been directed
by wireless to close on the damaged
ship at all speed.
THE report on the sinking of the
Cressy signed by Bertram w. L.
Nicholson. commander of the late H
N. S. Cressy follows:
"'Sir, l have the honor to submit
to you the following report in connec-
tion with the sinking of II. NJ. S.
Cressy in company with II. NJ. S.
and Hogue on the morning of
the twenty-second of September while
on patrol duty.
1.-The Aboukir was struck at about
g. % a. m. on the starboard beam.
The Hogue and Cressy closed and took
up a position, the Hogue ahead of the
and the Cressy about 400
yards on her port beam. AS soon as
it was seen that the Aboukir was in
danger of sinking all the boats were
sent away from the Cressy and a
picket boat was hoisted out with |
steam up. When cutters full of the |
Aboukirs men were returning to the |
Cressy. the Hogue was struck, appar- |
emily under the aft, an explosion fol /
lowing. Almost directly after the |
Hogue was hit we observed a peri !
scope on our port bow about 300
yards Off
Fire was Immediately opened and !
the engines we're put full speed ahead /
with the intention of running her
down. Our gunner, Mr.. Dougherty. |
positively asserts that he hit the peri
scope and that the submarine sank.
An officer, who was standing alongside
the gunner thinks that the shell struck
only floating timber of which there
was much about but it was evidently
the impression of the men on deck
who cheered heartily. that the sub
marine had been hit. This submarine
did not fire a torpedo at the Cressy.
1.-The second torpedo which struck
the Cressy passed over the sinking
hull of the Aboukir. narrowly missing
Il. II is possible that the same sub
marine fired all three torpedoes at the
Cressy.
"'Thc conduct OF the crew was ex-
cellent. l have already remarked on
-he bra"ery displayed by the Captain
Phillips master of the trawler L. T.
Toriarder end his crew who picked
IN 156 officers and men,"