Evening star., 1939-10-14
SUB SINKS BRITISH WARSH|P; $50 MISSING
80 Men Saved From Royal Oak
29>15O-Ton Veteran Of Jut|and
EngIond's Second
Big Naval Loss
Of the War
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct. 14.-The admiralty
announced today the sinking of the
battleship Royal Oak and placed at
370 the number of survivors known
so far-of the total crew of about
1900.
The number missing, $50, far eX-
ceeded the SIS who lost their lives
in Germany's first major success in
the sea warfare, the sinking Sep
tember II of the British aircraft
carrier Courageous.
First announcement of the dis
easter by the admiralty expressed be-
lief the $4,000, 900, heavily armored
warship was the victim of "U-boat
action"
German newspapers, acclaim
ing the sinking in special edl-
tions, attributed it to German
U-boat actionD
More Lists to Be Issued.
A second admiralty communique
issued this afternoon said:
The secretary of the admiralty
announces that so far as is at pres
ent known the number of survivors
from H. M. S. Royal Oak is approx
mately $40.
LAS already stated. lists of sur
vivors will be published as soon as
the names have been received. The
complement of the ship was ap-
proximately 1900. The above fig
ures include both officers and men. !"
= The Royal Oak was veteran of
the World War and its battle of
Jutland. Where the sinking oc-
CURED was not disclosed immedi-
ately.
(The Chicago Daily News for
eign service reported that in Lon
don it was generally assumed the
sinking occurred in the North
Sea before two of Germanys
ocean-going submarines and one
smaller one were sunk by British
destroyers yesterday
Had Special Protection.
The Royal Oaks defensive arma-
ment included deep bulges extend
ing almost to the gun batteries.
Bulges are armored air spaces de-
signed to explode torpedoes without
fatal damage.
Vessels of her class We're fitted
with special internal protection and
with the protective bulges their de-
fense against underwater attack had
been considered strong.
With the acknowledgment of the
loss. responsible British naval sources
amplified the governments Friday
the 18th" announcement that three
German submarines had been sunk
yesterday. They described two of
the three as of the enemys largest
ocean-going type.
The August, 1899, naval list showed
. that the Royal Oak was COM
nanded by Capt. w. c. Benn. Be-
fore she was recommissioned during
the summer at Portsmouth the Royal
Oak was with the I'd Battle Squad
ron of the British Home Fleet.
Her normal complement of men
was from 1.0O9 to 1O46, but in times
past the ships company had ap-
preached 115O.
Armament Described.
According to James Fighting
Ships" compendium of the worlds
warcraft, the ROYAL Oak mounted
eight 15-inch guns and IL 6-inch
guns with four submerged torpedo
tubes. She carried one catapult for
aircraft.
James also decribed the battle
ships armor and defense against
underwater attack as very good"
The lighter armament of the Royal
Oak included eight 4-inch anti
aircraft guns, four 3-pounders and
one l2-pounder.
The Royal Oak was 620 feet long
over all and was capable of a speed
of about % knots. Her keel was
laid down in January, 1914. and she
was completed in May, 1916, at a
cost of f2,468.269 (currently about
$4,000 ,000) 00)-somewhat below the
average for the four other battle
ships of her class, the Royal Sow
cIclkH, ItcSUlutlOIl, fLdfnlllleS ana
Revenge. All had been fitted as
aagships.
The Royal Oak was first in line
in the British feet at Jutland after
the flagship Iron Duke. Both Ger
many and Britain claimed the vic
tory. but the German feet did not
challenge the British thereafter
Ready for Nazi Move.
Whether the new blow at the Brit
ish Navy marked the start of the
total war" threatened by Adolf Hit
Ter following Prime Minister Cham
berlain's rejection of German terms
for peace remained to be seen.
The landing of 5000 British SOL
diers in France and British sue
cesses against German submarines
had led London observers to de-
clare that Britain was ready for Hit
ler's next move-whether in warfare
or diplomacy.
The press also generally agreed
that Britain could play waiting
game and ultimately crush the Nazi
(See ROYAL OAK, Page ABB