New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-29
Leon Gambetta TorpedOed
in Strait Of OtrantO-
1856 of Grew Saved.
ALL OFFICERS GO
DOWN WITH VESSEL
Italian Boats Hurry to Rescue OF
Stricken Craft, Which Dis
appears in Ten Minutes.

London. April 28.-The French cruiser
Leon Gambetta was sunk by torpedo
from the Austrian submarine U-5 in the
Strait Of Otranto, leading to the Adri-
attic Sea, about midnight on Monday,
carving with her to the bottom 578
men, including all Of the twenty-five
officers, according to dispatches re-
ceived here to-day from Brindisi, Italy,
from the French Ministry of Marine
and from the Austrian war office.
Only 1856 men were rescued.
1t has not yet been definitely ascer-
tained whether the attack on the French
warship occurred within the territorial
waters of Italy.
The Leon Gambetta parted company
with the French cruiser Jules Ferry
Monday night to cross the Strait OF
Otranto. the advces from Brndlsl say,
with a view to cooperating with other
French ships in an attempt to block
the Austrian fleet if it should seek to
leave the Adratic. This was not an
unusual manpuvre, as the Leon Gam
bctta for months had been going up
and down the coast from Cape Santa
Maria Leuca to Brindisi, Bari, or across
to Corfu and Vallona.
Cruiser Caught by Surprise.
The sea was perfectly calm and the
moon shone brightly. Although the
Gambetta showed no lights and adopt
ed the other customary precautions,
there was no suspicion of danger. At
midnight the warship was about twenty
miles from Cape Santa Maria Leuca.
The lookout could see distinctly the
lights on the Italian coast. At sea
nothing appeared on the horizon.
Suddenly there was a fearful explo-
sion. 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 attack their
assailant. They scanned the sea for
a periscope, but in vain.
As the cruiser was listing rapidly the
commander gave orders that signals
for help be sent and that the boats be
lowered. 1t proved to be most dlfhcult
TO lower the boats, owing TO the posi-
tion of the ship in the water. some
of the men leaped overheard IN the
bare hope of saving themselves. others
were washed off the deck. The com
mander, although urged to abandon
4 10
the survivors was able 70 sa. how long
il was before assistance arrived. 1t is
probable tn t several hours elapsed be-
fore these men were rescued.
Italian Vessels to Rescue.
The first report of the destruction of
this cruiser came from the men on
dutv 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 Gambetta from
Brindisi, Taranto, Otranto and Bari.
The men at the station also went out
in their own boat and were the hrst
to reach the scene.
The relief ships are still looking for
possible survivors. Those who have
been saved are virtually without cloth
ing. They were taken from the water
in Dltltu. cOndltlOn. SOmc were
wounded ard others were almost un-
conscious, while all suffered from ex-
posure.
Watch for Submarines.
Since the beginning of Anglo-French
operations against the Dardanelles
Frenc. warships in the Adriatic have
| limited their activities TO watching the
Strait of Otranto 70 prevent any Aus
trian submarine from escaping from
the Adriatic. at the head of which is
Pola. the Austrian naval base, and
reaching the coast of Turkey. This
patrol duty was particularly necessary
to protect the vessels of the Allies op-
Grating against the Dardanelles, as 1t
is we'll known that Austria possesses
several submarines whose cruising
range is sufficient TO permit them to
travel from Pola TO the Dardanelles
witholt replenishing their fuel supply.
The submarine which attacked the
Leon Gambetta came from Cattaro, on
the eastern coast OF the Adriatic. an
Austrian port. about 300 miles distant
from Santa Maria Leuca Point This
/ distance could have been travelled By
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