The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-22
|AUOAC|OUS WAS
| HELPLESS VICTIM
Of SUBMARINE
Reliable Reports Indicate That
$l6.00O.000.00 Dreadnaught
Was Sunk by Torpedo
Proves Great
German Victory
Tiny Underwater Craft De-
stroyed One of Britain 8
Greatest Warships
ceden,ed Exploit

Washington, Nov. @1.--Almost
month after the British dread
nalght Audaedous WINS sunk mys-
tchioaslv OF the north Irish coast
the authentic story of her de-
struction has become known
that she was sunk by q tor edo
from German submarine and
not by a mine as formerly sup
posed. Despite all the mystery
which the British admiralty
sought to throw around this dis
aster TO one of her newest and
safest ships, the real facts are
now able to be published
The news was received here from
an authoritative source In Berlin anG
the details fit closely with the re
port that came from eye-witnesses
who saw the disaster from the steam
ship Olympic.
The Audacious was hit twice, ana
the second PUNK caused her maya
zines TO explode and entirely refutel
the suggestion that the big battle
ship was blown Up by her own crew
TO prevent her becoming a menac,
70 navigation" as Was stated by som,
after the disaster.
sic, 900. 900 Destroyed by Submarine
The Audacious cost 1900. 900 am
she was put out Of business by a lit.
TIE boat. THAI cost at the outsid
100000 The German submarine
was Of the L class The boats of tina,
class are about ITO feet long. They
have a displacement at the surface d
from 500 10 700 tons and a cruising
radius of about 2.ooo msies.
Never before In the history of ma
val warfare had a submarine come tr
conflict with a dreadnanght, and S.,
Percy Scott's assertion that the nav,
of the future would be made up ii
submarines instead or drea dnaughts
seems to be we'll founded. in view OF
,he fact of the latest disaster to tins
British navy.
There had been much mystery
about the base OF The British fleets
and last mon.h the Germans, through
that the British batileship feet WA
making ITS base at Tough SwiIly. a
harboI On the northwest coast OF e.
land, where the water is deep ana
inere is nne protection IN all wealth
erS
When this information az learned
by the German authorizes small
squadron OF submarines Was sent o1'
to try to catch one or more of tns
big British battleships. and at tia
same time to show how alert tbs
Germans were In having discovered
the British base.
Cruise OF Submarines.
'fae submarines left WIheimshaver
and carefully lodging the mines
worked ita way north and then skirt
ed the coast of Scotland. and on Uc.
,ober 20 had discovered the base al
Tough swiftly Early on the morn
ing OF October II 1t was blowing a
gale. and a big sea was running. IN
measure this was favorable to IN,
submarine. because In the high tum
bling sea 1t would be very difficult,
TO see the small periscope when the
submarine came to the surface to take
a sight. The scene which met the eye
of the commander OF the tiny vessel
of destruction WAS enc to gladden. the
heart OF any commander of such I
vessel Spread ont before him wa.
the big British fleet. hattleships ali
new. Including the very latest turn
ed OCT 'attle cruisers. armored cruz
scrs, scouts. torpedo boat destroyers
and n any other units that go to
make nj the fighting machine in
command of Admiral Jellico. The
ti-eatina I'll u ss--~ere steaHiiRs along
with waves breaking over their for
ward decks and were all In readi-
ness TO make dash at the enemv
should he appear.
The submarine took one look AM
then submerged. Again q little later
II came to the surface and WAS Their
only short distance from the Auda-
c'ous and vii hin striking distance
The German naval authorities believ-
ed in a short range for their torpe-
dos and a very hiah explosive. The
range OF the torpedos Is about coo
Yards. and the Andac.ous was NOT
more than quarter OF a mile from,
he hidden destruction.
just how many torpedos were nrei
from the submarine is not Known, blu.
one CAUGHT the audacious astern and
EXPLODING probably damaged that yes
SETS projectors. II also disabled the
after turbine. acro-dir~ to re~ortS
rom vessels I'm the vicinity. II Is
'''' pfVtdDJt ludt tHDst ofI tfN Nu-
"s saw the torpedo before Il
struck.
Rsx veasels Scattered.
The submarine dove under water at
nrce. Her commander knew that II
aha STAYED near the surface things
would he made rather hot. At once
there was CONSERVATION In the fleet.
The ht~ vessels acting on orders from
the British admiralty scattered. each
looking out for herself
The German submarine rested quiet
iy below tho surface until her com
mander Thought the danger was over.
Then he carefully came TO the surface
again ard took another sight to see
what had happened The Audacious