SUBMARINE DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1925, Page 3

SUBMARINE DISASTER

80 MEN A HOAR D. [Australia it N.Z. Cable Association.] LONDON, Nov. 12. The Admiralty announces that tlio •submarine “M.l” durino exercises this morning. was seen to dive at a point fifteen miles south of Start Point, and she has not lieen seen since. Every effort is being made to locate' her, and to establish communication.

The missing submarine was one

•the war emergency vessels, each car Tying a twelve inch gun. The con strtiction of this type has since lieei prohibited by the Washington Treaty Those ships, though first regarded a good diving craft, did not live up L

reputation. Tt is feared that “.MU” carried a ■complement of sixty men, because she was cn route to Gibraltar. The Admiralty issued the names of four officers, including Lieut. Casey.

an Australian, and sixty-four otl—r ranks aboard the submarine “M. 1.”

A later message says the missing submarine was one of a class which was the outcome of Lord Fisher’s proposals in 1915 to mount a big gun on a socalled submarine monitor. There is a twelve-incher, mounted inside a shield, which must be loaded on the surface, but which can lie fired uhen the boat iis either afloat or submerged.

As a matter of fact, after she was launched from Vickers yard in 1918. '“M.I ” was not used as a submarine monitor, ns the Admiralty felt that ■a submarine monitor was impracticable •in case the enemy should adopt the idea. Instead, the submarine was used for spotting work in conjunction with the Corsairs for Cosair bombardment work.

The class has a displacement of 1950 tons, and a surface speed of fifteen and a-lialf knots. Intense anxiety is felt at Portsmouth from where a large proportion of the crew of the missing submarine are drawn. No details have so far been allowed to transpire concerning the vessel's disappearanee.

It is believed the vessel carried a crew of about eighty. She left Portsmouth early in the morning, with the parent ships, .Maidstone, Aleeto, Ross, and the remainder of a group of submarines. News of the mishap was only known when the Admiralty issued a statement that tlie submarines left Portsmouth at .'{..lf) o’clock in tin* morning, and that, after diving, “M.l” was Hast, heard of by wireless at 10 o’clock. Aline sweepers are sweeping the area where she was last seen, in the hope of locating her whereabouts. It is irnprobnle that divers will be able to be sent down, owing to the depth of the water. At the time of her disappearance there was a strong wind, and the

sea, was rough, “M.l” was equipped with the latest apparatus for communicating with the surface, and experts are of the opinion that she would bp able to stay under water without harm for at least two days, so it is too early to abandon all hope. A signal from Admiral Oliver. Com-mandcr-in-Chief of the Fleet, however, has been received as follows:—"Much regret appears “M.l” lost, with ail hands.” This is regarded as anony-

mous. Unfortunately .large submarines are difficult to handle when submerged. The inflow of water when they are diving must be carefully regulated. The least hitch may take the submarine too low for recovery. Thus, if something goes wrong with the compressed air. it may not be possible to cheek the dive as Ihe vessel gains momentum. The great danger is the difficulty of correcting a diving error with sufficient promptitude.

(Recoived this day at 8 am.) LONDON. Nov. 12

The first indications of disaster was the failure of the M.l after submersion; to answer submarine signals. A search was commenced within two hours, but it is presumed the submarine is lying at a depth ot 220 to 240 feet rendering salvage practically impossible, although if the Lull is intact the occupants may survive two or three days.

The crow included a number of recruits undergoing instruction, and Lieut.-Comnnder Alee Carrie ectnmand-

The weather is moderating. Derrick ships are proceeding to the scene.