The Washington herald., 1916-04-20

Possession of the French naval au-
thorities at Boulogne, Rochefort and
Toulon. and British naval authorities
at Portsmouth. These officers are
positive in their opinion that these
pieces OF metal were not parts OF
mine. report of Lieut. Smith, cabled
April and 81
Among these Is pieces OF metal were
two sorew-boits showing the effects
of an explosion, which were stamped
with TX" and "56'' on faces of the
head of one, and "K'' and ''5s' on
faces Of the head Of the other. on
examining German torpedoes in the
possession Of the French naval au-
thorities at Toulon, and OF the Eng
hsh naval authorities at Portsmouth,
the American officers found that
Identical screws with the letter "K"
and number were employed to fas-
ten the war head QkopO to the air
chamber. uaeutenant Smiths reports,
cabled April = and 13)
The screws used I'm French and
English torpedoes have no markings
and are OF a slightly different size.
(Same reports.) Furthermore, the
American officers were able by COM
parison and close examination to posi-
lively identify and locate all the re-
naming 1s pieces of metal as parts Of
German torpedo. as follows:
Fragment 8. part OF inner seat Of
water relief valve of engine valve.
Fragments and o, punto bands Of
engine-room casing.
Fragments 8 to 10 inclusive and y,
parts of engine cyiinsers.
Fragments II. 13 II, Is, parts Of
steel war head still being the distinc-
tive red paint common to German tor
pedo war heads. CReport Of Lieuten-
ant Smith. cabled April 81
In view of these authenticated facts
there can be no reasonable doubt but
that the Sussex was torpedoed and
that the torpedo was OF German man
ufacture. As no vessel was seen by
any person on the Sussex, the con-
clusion is irresistible that the tor
pedo was launched without warning
from sunartne which was SUBJ
merged at the time of the attack
and remained beneath the surface
after the explosion.
The conclusion thus reached from
the evidence (the affidsvits being those
Of American citizens) collected by the
Department of State is substantiated
by the statements in the Imperial
Governments note of April 10, 1916.
According to those statements
(9 German submarine torpedoed
a steamer 11-2 miles southeast of
Bull Rock Bank.
Department Comment-The point OF
attack is exactly in the course which
was taken by the Sussex after pass-
ing Dungeness and about 1-2 mile from
the place where the captain of the
Sussex states he was torpedoed.
(b) The attack took place at $:S5
o'clock, p. m, Central European
time.
Departments comment-3:85 D.
m. Central European time would
correspond to 1855 p. m, Western
European time. The time of the
striking of the torpedo according
to the captain OF the Sussex, and
the stopping of the clocks on board
the vessel. was 2:5o p. m, Western
time.
(c) The torpedo. when it struck,
caused an explosion which tore
away the whole foreship up to the
bridge.
Departments comment - The
forepart OF the Sussex was
wrecked as far back as the first
water-tight buIkhead. according to
the Official reports.
(d) The German submarine was
submerged when the torpedo was
launched and there Is no statement
that 1t came to the surface after
the attack.
Departments comment-The con-
clusion was reached that the sub
marine was submerged from the
fact that no one on the Sussex saw
a submarine, though the weather
was fine.
IAA NN -
no attempt was made to give one
since 1t is not mentioned.
Departments comment-The evil
dence collected shows Affirmative
ly no warning was given.
(f) A sketch by the submarine
commander of the steamer which
he torpedoed does not agree with a
photograph of the Sussex in the
London Graphic.
Departments comment - This
sketch was apparently made from
memory of an observation of the
vessel through a periscope. As the
only differences noted by the COM
mander. who relied on his memory,
were the position of. the smoke
stack and the shape of the stern,
1t is to be presumed the vessels
were similar in other respects.
(g) No other German submarines
on that day attacked steamers in
that locality.
Departments comment-As no
vessel is reported to have been
torpedoed without warning by a
submerged submarine other than
the Sussex 1t is beyond question
that that vessel was torpedoed by
the submarine whose commanders
report is relied upon in the note
of April 10.
TANGTNC