The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-14
Battleship Messudieh
Is Destroyed in Dar-
ing Feat of English
Commander
HE DIVES UNDER
5 ROWS OF MINES
Lieutenant Holbrook Enters Dardanelles
in Spite of Difficult Current and At
tacks the Messudieh, Which Was
Guarding the Mine Fields
BY Associated Press.

London, Dec. IA, 1925 A. MA
communication issued by the official bu-
reau to-day announced that the Turkish
battleship Messudieh has been torpedoed
by a British submarine. The official bu-
reau's statement is as follows:
Yesterday submarine Bill in charge
of Lieutenant. Commander Norman B.
Hofbrook, of the Royal navy, entered
the Dardanelles and in spite of the diff
fcult current dived under FIVE rows of
mines and torpedoed the Turkish battle
ship Messudieh, which was guarding
the mine fields.
Although pursued by gunfre and
torpedo boats the Bill returned safely
after being submerged, on one OCCASION
for nine hours. When last seen the
Messadieh was sinking at the stern"
Lieutenant Commander Holbrook of
the submarine Bill, is one of five broth
crs. all serving with the colors, the sons
of Colonel Arthur Holbrook, newspap-
er owner of Portsmouth.
The Messudieh was a very old boat,
having been built at Blackwell, England,
in 1874. and reconstructed at Genoa in
1903. She was 332 feet long. SO feet
beam and Of about ten thousand tons
burden. She had a speed of 171a knots
and her main battery consisted of two
80 inch guns in turrets and twelve g.
inch guns in battery. In the war with
-, oh
ported badly damaged in a naval battle
in the Dardanelles. She carried a crew
of 500 men.
First Serious Blow to Turkish Navy
London, Dec. IA, 1915 P. M.-The
first serious blow inflicted on the Turk
ish navy since the entrance of the porte
into the war, the torpedoing of the
Turkish battleship Messudieh by Brit
ish submarine in the Dardanelles, gave
naval color TO to-day s war news and
was in fact the only striking occurrence
chronicled by land or by sea.
Little or no change has been report
ed on the western battle front and in
the east Russia and Germany continue
to fight seemingly endless battle for
the control of western Poland.
Advance of Allies Predicted
English and French newspapers unite
in declaring that the time is drawing
near for the much discussed general ad-
vance of the allies through France and
Belgium and some unofficial reports say
this move is about to be undertaken, if
il has not actually begun. Progress
necessarily would be inch by inch and
ho 90, - -, -
observers, assuming that a general for
ward movement of the allies is to be
essayed concede that it would be spring
before any appreciable eastern progress
could be made.
Boldest Marine Exploit of War
The feat of Lieutenant Commander
Holbrook in diving under five rows of
mines in the Dardanelles and torpedoing
the Turkish battleship is described here
as perhaps the boldest marine exploit
of the war. The submarine presum-
ably was not scratched. She escaped
from gunfire and the pursuit of tor
pedo boats in a manner truly remark
able and it was necessary for her crew
TO endure the ordeal of remaining. under
water for nine hours n stretch.
Russian guns have from time to time
inflicted some damage on Turkish war
ships bombarding Russian ports, but the
disaster reported to-day robs the Porte
of its first big ship. The loss of life
is not estimated in the brief announce
ment of the episode given out by the
British Admiralty, but, if the Messu-
dieh was manned as other Turkish
ships have been, then there were num-
ber of German officers on board