The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-01-07
NAVAL DISASTER ...
MUCH |MPREssEs
GREAT. BRITAIN
eATTLEsHlP FORMIDABLE is DE.
sTRoYED BY SUBMARINE.
SUCHlOSSES MUST BE EXPECTED
There Is Much irritation and Critl-
cism of UseIessness of British
Submarines-Vessel Torpedoed
Fore and Aft and Sinks.

Fore and Aft and Sinks.
London, Jan. mo naval disaster
of the war to date has so impressed
Great Britain as the loss of the bat
tleship Formidable. 1t is now con-
sidered certain that she was destroy
ed by a German submarine. Naval
experts united in declaring that while
such losses must be expected, they
again call special attention to the
submarine policy. There is much
irritation and criticism of the appar-
ent uselessness of the British sub.
marines.
Seventy Survivors Rescued.
The Daily Chronicle states that sur.
vivors of the battleship Formidable
report that the vessel was torpedoed
both fore and aft and sank al
most Immediately.
The Chronicles Brixham cores
pondent, who is authority for the
above, says the captain of the trawl-
err Providence, which rescued seven
ty survivors who had escaped from
the battleship in a cutter, states that
other fishing boats were close at
hand. The captain expresses the be-
lief that other survivors have been
rescued and taken to Dartmouth. He
saw no other boats belonging to the
Formidable, however.
Sinking Of the Formidable.
London, Jan. 2.-The British bat
tleship Formidable has been sunk in
the English channel, 1t was officially
announced by the admiralty through
the government press bureau.
The Formidable carried a compile
ment of $50 men. She was command
ed by Capt. Arthur N. Loxley. Hell
displacement was $1,000 tons.
The following official statement was
given out:
The British battleship Formidable
was sunk in the English channel
SeVenty-one members Of her crew
were saved. 1t is not known at this
time whether the ship was sunk By
mine or a German submarine"
The Formidable is the twentieth
big ship lost by England since th'
war broke out.
Not more than 80 of the 800 mer
aboard the battleship Formidable
were saved, according to the first Otti
cial list of the survivors issued by
the admiralty. Fourteen officers and
G6 men were rescued, says the admir-
atty.
The survivors were landed by g
trawler during a terrific storm, accord
ing to report to the Exchange Tele
they were landed is deleted by the
censor
Ship Carried Big Guns.
The Formidable was a sister ship
Of the Irresistible and the Implaca
BILE She was completed in 1901 and
put in commission in 1908 and carried
the following armament: Four IL
inch guns in pairs In turrets, fore and
aft; II six-inch guns in easements;
16 three-inch guns 02-pounders), si>
ee-pounders, two machine guns and
torpedo tubes.
The officers OF the Formidable, In
addition to Captain Loxley, were:
Commander Charles F. Ballard, Lieu
tenant Commander William c. Harri
son. Lieutenant Commander Henry l.
Street, Lieut.. Henry D. Simcnds
Lieut.. Trevor H. S. latham, Lieut.. Ed
mund A. Hill, Lieut.. Hugh c. H. Cox
Lieut.. Bernard w. Greathed and Lieut.
James c. J. Soutter.
German Submarine Raid.
The press bureau announcement
was made at two o'clock and caused
much excitement. The immediate
conclusion reached was that German
submarines had again become busy in
retaliation for the Christmas raid Of
the British against Cuxhaven.
The Formidable has been attached
to the home feet and has been used
both for patrol duty and to guard
transports plying between English
and French ports.
The last heavy naval loss sustained
by the British was the destruction OF
the battleship Bulwark, which was
blown up by a mysterious explosion
off Sheerness on November 26.
The survivors of the Formidable
were picked up by a light British
cruiser which was in the neighbor
hood when the disaster occurred.
In making the announcement it was
pointed out by the secretary of the
aA ~ hot 20
estimate the exact number of victims.
because other survivors may have
been picked up by other ships which
were near by when the Formidable
went down