The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-05-05
HOW CRUISER SANK
ALMOST ENTIRE CREW OF THE
FRENCH SHIP LOST
TAKEN BY SURPRISE

italian Accounts Tell How French
Ship Was Torpedoed in Bright
Moonlight on Smooth Sea-Cap-
tain Refuses to Leave Ship and
But Few Escape Destruction.
Rome, Italy, reports: The 10000
ton French armored cruiser Leon
Gambetta was torpedoed by an Aus
trian submarine in the Strait OF
Otranto the night of April 26 and
went down in ten minutes, carrying
with her her captain and more than
500 of her crew.
1t is reported from Cape Santa
Maria di Leuca, the nearest point to
the scene of the disaster, that not a
single officer Of the Leon Gambetto
was saved.
The 1876 petty officers and seanen
rescued by boats from the Italian
shore are in pitiable condition, with
out clothing, most of them having
beer awakened from sleep by the ex-
plosion of the torpedo and. forced to
leap overheard and swim for their
lives. Some had been keeping them
selves afloat with the aid of bits OF
wreckage for more than an hour
when help reached them.
According to an official report
from Vienna, the Leon Gambetta was
sunk by an Austrian submarine, U-5,
a Holland boat of 273 tons, COM
manded by Lieut.. George Ritter Won
Trrapp. The Austrian report also
claims that the French cruiser was
sunk in the Aegean, which would
make it appear that Austrian SUBJ
marines are menacing the Darda-
nelles fleet.
The. Leon Gambetta, with her SIS
ter ship, the Jules Ferry, formed part
of the French patrol squadron watch
ing the mouth of the Adriatic and
penning the Austrian fleet in their
bases at Pola and Cattaro. Since the
opening of the war, this squadron has
been on duty, and, although several
times before attacked by Austrian
submarines and aeroplanes, has hith-
erto escaped practically unscathed,
and has kept the entire Austrian
navy rigidly blockaded.
The Leon Gambetta was laid down
in the Brest yards in January, 1901,
and put in commission in 1903. She
was 4S7 feet long, displaced 1916
tons and made speed on her trails
of slightly more than 90 knots. She
carried a main battery Of four 7.6-
inch and sixteen 6.4-inch guns, with
FIVE 6 ga inches belt and S-inch tur-
rets and coming tower. Although
outclassed by the battle cruisers Of
more recent construction, she was
considered fine ship Of her class.
Three French cruisers, the Leon
Gambetta,' the Jules Ferry and an
other, believed to be the Victor Hugo,
of the same class, were that night on
active patrol duty for the French
squadron in the western passage Of
the Straits Of Otranto, between the
island of Corfu and Cape Santa
Maria Leuce. on the Italian coast.
The sea was calm, the night clear,
and the moon shone brightly. Early
in the evening, the Leon Gambetta
parted company with the Jules Ferry,
near Corfu, to steam across to the
Italian coast, running up toward
Brindisi, as was customary in the
plans for patrolling arranged by the
admiral commanding the blockading
squadron.
For a long time the blockade had
been quiet, and the patrol unevent-
full. Although the Leon Gambetta
was cleared for action and showed no
lights, all the crew except the look
outs and the watch on deck, had been
permitted to turn in, and were fast
asleep in their hammocks.
The ship was about twenty miles
northeast of Cape Santa Maria Leu
ca, and the lights on the Italian coast
were plainly visible, when a terrific
explosion shook the big cruiser from
end to end. All hands tumbled out
of their hammocks and ran, half
awake and unclad, to their stations,
hurriedly casting loose the guns and
searching the placid waters for the
trail that would mark the passage OF
a periscope.
Nothing could be seen, however,
and in few moments. as the snip
began to list heavily to port, and
the intrushing water drove the men
below from their stations, it was
plain that the cruiser had received
her death blow. The captain, stand
;ng on the bridge, gave the order to
swing out and lower the boats.
All the survivors agree that there
was not the slightest sign OF panic.
Every officer and man stood quietly
at his post, or moved promptly to
obey orders. But the boats, swung
inboard out of harms way, and to
clear the sweep Of the turret guns
when the ship was cleared for action,
could not be swung out in time and
in g. few minutes the ship, listing
rapidly, made it impossible to lower
the boats on the starboard side.
The wireless and signal lights
were already sending out signals for
help, and the message Of the signal
lights was seen and understood on
the Italian shore, but help was too
far away to be reached in time.
Several of the survivors say that,
when it was seen the ship was DOOM
ed, many officers implored the cap
tain to leave the bridge and save him
self, but that he refused, saying: i
go with my Ship
The crew. lined up on deck, were
permitted tn seize gratings, life-pre-
servers. etc., and leap over the side
to clear of the suction as she went
down; but only few availed them
selves of this, and the majority OF
those rescued were washed off the
deck, where they stood in line with
their fellows as the ship careened be-
fore taking the final plunge. The Of
fcers, while encouraging their men
to seize articles that might save
them. followed their commanders S
example. and refused to avail them
selves of the possibility Of rescue.
Just ten minutes after the explo-
sion of the torpedo, the Leon Gam
BETA turned on her side and slowly
disappeared from view. Not man
~ hoard tho shin saw the DerlScODe