The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-03-25
3 WARSHIPS SUNK
SOME OF THE LARGEST BATTLE
SHIPS IN FRANco-eRITIsH
FLEET LOST.
$50 DIE ON FRENCH SHIP
British Admiralty Admits Heaviest
Blow Of Naval War In Sinking Of the
Dreadnausht Irresistible, Ocean and
5ouvet by Mines.


5ouvet by Mines.
London, March 22-The greatest
blow suffered by the allies on the seas
since the war began was administered
by the Turks Thursday, when drifting
mines in the narrows- of the Darda'
nelles blew up and sank three of the
largest battleships in the Franco
Turkish feet while the ships were
bombarding eight of the Turkish forts.
The ships destroyed are the $4,000
ton British second line battleship lire
sistible, the 12,50O-ton British battle
ship Ocean and the 12,205-ton French
battleship Bouvet. In addition, the
British dreadnaught cruiser lnt1exible
and the French battleship Gaulois
were damaged by the gunfire from the
forts.
Nearly every man of the $50 in the
crew Of the Bouvet was lost with the
ship, but almost the entire crews OF
the Irresistible and the Ocean we're
saved
This tremendous loss was admitted
in an official statement given out by
the admiralty. Official dispatches
telling of the sinking of the Bouvet
:rom Constantinople via Berlin, be-
sides telling of the sinking Of the Bou-
vet and saying the Irresistible was
put out of action" also claim that
British torpedo boat was sunk, but
the English admiralty has not con-
firmed this fact.
The admiralty's statement is as fol-
lows:
Mine sweeping has been in prog
ress for ten days inside the straits.
A general attack by the British and
French fleets was opened on the morn
ing of the 18th against the fortresses
in the narrows.
At 10:45 a. m. the superdreadnaught
Queen Elizabeth and the battleships In
flexible, Agamemnon and Lord Nelson
bombarded forts j., L., T., U. and v,
and the battleships Triumph and
Prince George bombarded batteries F.,
Z. and n. A heavy fire was opened
on the ships by the enemy howitzers
and field guns.
AT 1922 p. m. the French squad
ron, consisting of the battleships Suf-
fren, Gaulois, Charlemagne and Bou-
vet, advanced into the Dardanelles
and engaged the forts at closer range.
Forts j., L., F. and f. replied St 'Ong
ly. Their fire was silenced ht ten
battleships inside the straits. All
the ships were hit several times dur
ing this part of the action.
"At l:25 p. m all the forts ceased
firing. The battleships Vengeance, r.
resistible. Albion, Ocean, Swiftsure
and Majestic then advanced to relieve
the six ola battleships, which were in
side tie straits.
"A5 the French squadron, which had
el. gagged the forts in most brilliant
fashion. was passing out, the Bouvet
was blown up by drifting mine and
sank in 50 fathoms Of water north OF
the village of Aren Kios in less than
three minutes.
at 2:36 p. m. the relief battleships
renewed the attack on the forts, which
again opened fire.
AT 4:09 p m. the battleship lrresist-
ible Quit the line, listing heavily, and
at $50 p. m sank, having probably
struck a drifting mine. At sos p. N.
the battleship Ocean also was struck
by mine Both vessels sank in deep
water and practically the whole Of
their crews we're removed to safety
under a hot fire.
The French battleship Gaulois was
damaged by gunfre. The British bat
tleship InfleXible was hit by heavy
shell, damaging her forward control
position, which requires repair.
THE damage to the forts effected
by the prolonged direct fire Of the
very powerful forces employed can
not yet be estimated The losses in
ships was caused by mines drifting
with the current, which was encoun-
tered in areas hitherto swept clear.
The British casualties in personnel
were not heavy considering the scale
Of the operation, but practically the
whole of the crew of the Bouvet was
lost with the ship. an internal explo-
sion having apparently supervened
the explosion of the mine.
THE battleships Queen and Impiac
able. which were dispatched from Eng
land to replace ships damaged and
casualties suffered in anticipation OF
this operation, are due to arrive i'm
mediately, bringing the British fleet
again to its original strength.
The operations are continuing as
ample naval forces are available.
On the 10th Vice-Admiral Garden,
who had been incapacitated by illness,
was succeeded as chief in command
by Rear Admiral John Michael Dero-
beck, acting with the rank of vice-ad-
miral."