LOSS OF SUBMARINE SEAL

Chronicle (Levin), 11 April 1946, Page 8

LOSS OF SUBMARINE SEAL

-P.ress Association

OFPIUER TOUND NOT G4JI'LTY AT C OURTM ARTIAL.

By Telegraph-

LDNDON, April 9. Tke story of how me isriiasn Navy lost :its uewest mine-laymg suomarine, oue beai, ofl tne SwecUsn coast in May, jii/iO, vas toia at a courxmariiai in rortsmouth. Dne oi the snhmarine's officers, Lieut. Trevor Agar Beet, faced two cnarges — tliat he, in negligence of his duty, first as the Seal's second-in-coimnand, failed to take steps to ensure that siie sank when it appeared possible she would fall into enemy nands; secondly, that'he failed to ,ensure ner sinking when the eoniniand devoived on him. Lieut. Beet pleaded not guilty. The Peputy-Judge-AdvQ.cate said that Lhe Beal, under the command oi Lieut.Jommander R. P. Lonsdale, sailed on April 29, 1940,. on a mine-laying expedition. She was attacked by aircraft on May 4 and though she dived she received minor darnage. The Seal remained sabmerged for nine hours. A J neavy explosion then occurred under j the stern and she grounded in 22 j fathoms of water. She was brought to j the surface with great dirficulty after being submerged for. 22 hours and found ! to be darnaged to an extent which caused Lieut.-Coinmander Lonsdale to decide to make for Swedisli waters. The long submersion had affected the physical and mental capabilities of the ofhc^rs and nxen, but Lieut. Beet appeared to be capable. An aircraft two hours iater machine-gunned the Seal, causing further damage and casualties. The latter includsd the hrst lieutenant, and the duties of second-in-command, therefore, devoived on Lieut. Beet. .Further., aircraft attacks ensned until the submarine was fpur miles from the

Swedish coast. Then an enemy aero- j plane alighted clcse to the submarine : and one of the occupants indicated that i Lieut.-Comraander Lonsdale should i swim to the seaplane. Lieut. -Commander Lonsdale did this and the command devoived on Lieut. Beet, who was in t the control-roora when an enemy officer later boarded the Seal. | Lieut.-Commander Lonsdale gave | evidence of the submarine 's experiences i | and concluded with ?■ tubute to Lieut. | Beet as a conscicntious and efficient j i officer.

DOCUMENTS DESTROYED. The Chief Petty-Officer Telegraphist of the Seal desoribeci how, with Lieut. | Beet, he destroyed coiffidential booxs | and documents. The Seal's coxswain said that four bombers appeared overhead after the j submarine came to the surface. Lieut.Commander Lonsdale asked for a towel j or wbite tablecloth to be passed to the bridge and he waved it, after which ] the seaplane alighted ciose to the submarine which was still moving. As Lieut.-Commander Lonsdale ieit witness and Lieut. Beet assured him they would sink the Seal, they descended the copning-tower and went forward. Lieut. Beet said: "Let us open up forward and sink the ship.'' They were •working on the fiood-vaive when a German officer, anned with a revolver, appeared and took them away. Lieut. Beet in evidence said that some time after the Seal submerged he was overcome by acute depression, then an overwhelming desire to sleep. It became difficult to breathe. ' 1 The next thing I remember was Lieut.-Command-er Lonsdale saying, 'There is little more we can do. We should all stand ui? and say the Lord's Prayer'. It was a never to be forgotten scene. I was completely exhausted by the time the crew got the submarine on an even keel. The initial elation when the Seal surfaced was soon replaced by a blinding headache."

i Lieut. Beet said that, after the cap- ! tain left, a saconcl seaplane alighted . and the coxsv/ain swam over to her. ! Lieut. Beet said his main worry was. J that the submarine was sinking by the j stern, but was worried lest a depth- 1 charge iixed to fche fore-end would ex- 1 plode before the crew got clear. It was set under his orders to explode at 50 feet. After the crew entered the ,motor-boat, the G-ermans attached a -tow-line and when last seen the Seal's after-casing was completely submerged. A staff officer of Operations told of the receipt of a v/ireless' message from the Seal on May 5, stating that the Seal was full of water, the confidential books had been destroyed, and she was making for Sweden. A signal was sent to the Seal, "Best of luck; well clone." A further message was sent to the Seal telling her that the safety of the personnel should he the first consideration after the destruction of the asdics. "She had done the job and done it well. The natural consideration was, 'We do not want livcs thrown away'." Lieut. Beet was found not guilty on both charges.