Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-29
On Watch at Entrance of
Adriatic Sea for Austrian
Fleet When Fatal Explosion
Occurs.
OFFICERS GO DOWN
WITH DOOMED VESSEL
Major Part of Crew Believed to
Have PerlShed as Launch
ing of Life Boats Proved
Difficult,

Brindisi. Italy, April % (via Paris.
April 2S.)--The French cruiser Leon
Gambetta, has been torpedoed by the
Austrian submarine U-G in the strait
of Otranto. the waterway leading to
the Adriatic sea.
The first report of the destruction
OF this cruiser came from the men on
duty at the semaphOre station of
Santa Maria Leuca. These men at
once gave the alarm, and vessels were
sent out to the aid of the Leon Gam
betta from Brindis, laramie, Otran-
to and Bari
Watching for Austrians.
Since the beginning Of Anglo
French operations against the Darda-
nelles, French warships in the Adri-
attic have limited their activities to
watching the strait of Otranto with
the idea OF preventing any Austrian
submarine escaping from the Adri-
attic, at the head OF which is Pola,
the Austrian naval base, and reach
ing the coast of Turkey This patrol
duty was particularly to protect the
vessels Of the allies operating against
the Dardanelies.
The submarine which attacked the
Leon Gambetta came from Cattaro,
on the eastern coast of the Adriatic,
an Austrian port about 500 miles
from Santa Maria Leuca point. This
distance could have been Travelled by
the submarine in about twenty hours.
Three French cruisers were last
night watching the strait between the
island of Corfu and the Italian
coast.
Waits for Its Prey.
II appears that the US took up a
position about half way between
Santa Maria [A,hsa and the Greek
island of OthonL There the craft
waited for It's prey, and when the
opportunity offered, discharged its
torpedo against the Leou Gambetta,
which was one of three French cruis-
ers doing patrol duty.
1t Is believed the Leon GambettO
had on board crew numbering ia
men. including 22 officers A majority
of the men were asleep at the time
the cruiser was sunk
From informa ton gathered from
various survivors, 1t is possible to
construct the story OF the disaster as
follows
The Leon Gambetta parted com
pany with the French cruiser Jules
Ferry last night to cross the Strait
of OtrantO, with a view to co-operat-
ing with other French ships in an
attempt to block the Austrian fleet
if it should seek to leave the Adriatc
This was not an unusual maneuVer.
as the Leon Gam betta for months
had been going up and down the
coast
sea Calm: Moonlight Bright.
The sea was perfectly calm and
the moon shone brightly Although
the Leon Gambetta showed no lights
and adopted the other customary
there was no suspicion
OF danger.
At midnight the warship was about
twenty miles from Cape Santa Maria
Lueca. The lookout could see distinct
ly the lights on the Italian coast. At
sea nothing appeared on the horizon.
suddenly there was fearful eX
plosion which shook the cruiser fore
and aft. Officers and men remained |
calm and the survivors say. their
first thought was not for their own
safety, but rather to detect and at
tack their assailant. They scanned the !
sea for a periscope, but in vain.
Officers sink With Ship.
AS the cruiser was filing rapidly, |
the commander gave orders that sig |
nails for help be sent and that the |
boats he lowered. 1t proved to be
most difficult to lower the boats. ow-
ing to the position of the ship in the /
water Some of the men leaped over |
board in the bare hope of saving |
themselves. Others were washed off /
the deck, The commander, although |
urged to abandon his ship, refused to
10 So