The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-03-25
THREE WARSH|PS
ARE DESTROYED
$50 Perish When French Battle
ship Is Destroyed.
BRITAIN LOSES TWO SHIPS
DrcsdnaurIt Irresistible and the
Cruiser Ocean Sent to Bottom
British Admiralty Makes An
nouncement of Heavy Loss.


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
British fleet while the ships were
bombarding eight of the Turkish forts.
The ships destroyed are the 10000
ton British second line battleship lire
sistible, the 12,5OO.ton British battle
ship Ocean ard the 12,205ton French
batteship Bouvet. In addition, the
British dreadnaught cruiser lnflexible
and the French battleship Gaulois
were damaged by the gunfre 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 were
saved
This tremendous loss was admitted
in an official statement given out by
the admiralty. Official dispatches
telling of the sinking of the Bouvet
from 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 a
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 1O.45 a. m. the superdreadnaugh
Queen Elizabeth and the battleships In
flexible, Agamemnon and Lord Nelson
bombarded forts j., L., r., Z. and ",
and the battleshps Triumph and
Prince George bombarded batteries f.,
r. and H. 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 +. replied strong
ly. Their fire was silenced by ten
battleshlps 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 battlcships Vengeance,
Irresistible, Albion, Ocean, Swiftsure
and Majestic then advanced 20 relieve
the six old battleshps, which we're in
side the straits
AS the French squadron, which had
engaged the forts in most brilliant
fashion, was passing out, the Bouvet
was blown up by a drifting mine and
sank in &c fathOms of water north OF
the village of Erenkeui in less than
three minutes.
AT 1886 p. m, the relief battleships
renewed the attack on the forts, which
again opened fire.
at 409 p. IN. the battleship lire.
sistible quit the line, listing heavily,
and at $50 p, m, sank, having prob.
ably struck drifting mine. At sos
p. m. the battleship Ocean also was
struck by mine. Both vessels sank
in deep water and practically the
whole OF their crews were removed to
safety under a hot fire.
The French battleship Gaulois was
damaged by guniire. The British bat
tleshp Inhexible was hit by a 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,
The battleshlps Queen and lmplac-
able, which were dispatched from Eng
land to replace ships damaged and
casualties suffered in anticipation Of
this operation, are due 10 arrive i'm.
mediately, bringing the British feet
again to its original strength
The operations are continuing as
ample naval forces are available.
on the 10th Yice-Admiral Garden.
who had been ncapactatcd by Illness,
was succeeded as chief IN command
by Rear Admiral John Michael Dero.
beck, acting with the rank Of vice
admiral"