H.M.B. AUDACIOUS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 4, 15 January 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

H.M.B. AUDACIOUS.

GERMAN ACCOUNT OF HFR LOSS

TORPEDOED BV A SUHMAPJNI

WASHINGTON. November 21

Almost a month alter the British Dreadnought Audacious was ouiik my.stc riousfv off the North Irish const the authentic story of her destruction has become known—that she wa s sunk by a torpedo ironi a German submarine and not by -i mine, as formerly believed. Despite all the mystery whioh the British Admiralty sought to throw around this disaster to one of h''r lieweSt and greatest ships. what are believed here to be the real facts are available for publication. The news was received here from an authoritative source in Berlin, and the details fit closely with the report- that came from eye-witnesses of the disaster fioin tilie steamship Olvmpie. WARSHIP IS HIT TWTCK.

The Audacious was hit twice, and the second torpedo caused her magazine to explode. There has been much mystery about the base of the British fleet.c, and last month the Germans through their system of espionage. learned that the British battleship ft c-t was making its base at Lough Swillv. a harbour on the iiortb-west coast of Ireland, where the

water is deep an<l there is fin© protection in all weathers. When this information was obtained by the German authority ss a 1 nmll squadron of submarines «a s sent- out to try and catch one or more of the big British battleships and at the same time to show how alert tlie Germans were in having discovered t-he British base.

COAST OF SCOTLAND SKIRTED. Submarines convoy d by a mother craft left Wilhelmshafen, and. carefully dodging mines, worked its way north and then kirted the coast of Scotland, and on October 2G had discovered the ba9j; at Lough SwMly. Early in the morning of October 27 it was blowing a gale, and a heavy sea was running. In a measure this was favourable to the submarines, because in a high tumbling sea it would be difficult t° see the small periscope when the submarine came to the surface to take s'ght. The scene wh in the tiny vet sel of destruction arrived was one to gladden th e heart of any commander nf such a vessel. Spread out Ijefore him was a squadron of British battleships, all new. including the latest turned-out battle enlist ts, armoured cruisers, scouts, torpedo-boat and in an v other units that go to make up the 'fighting machine in command of Admiral .) ellicoe. The German naval authorities believe in a short range for -their torpedoes an t an exceedingly high explosive. The ■range of their torpedoes is about 6(H) yard;, and tbe Audacious was not more •'than a quarter ci a mile from the hidden destruction. How many torpedoes were fired from the submarine is not known. One caught the Audacious astern and, ex plotting probably damaged that - sel's propellers. It. also disabled tli-o afteir-turbine. according 'to reports iroin a vessel in the vicinity. It is probable the men on the- Audacious saw fho torpedo before* it srnciv. DREADNOUGHTS SCAT! ER. Before clie was struck the Audacious began to steer a z'g-zag course, whic.i is the accepted way to try to avoid a toroodo attack. The submarine dived immediately. The British vessels, acting on tho orders of the Admiralty, scattered, cac-h looking out for herself Destroyers and scout cruisers darted hither and thither Irving to find the enemy. A wireless was cent to the Olvmpic warning Captarn Haddock of the presence of tho enemy's submariner, and asking lor help. . , ~ . The Audacious for a time head-d in towards the harbour of Lough Sw-iIIy. but before she had gone far she was dead in the water and Fettling astern. The Olvmpic came up and tri'd to tow the disabled battleship, but the steel hawser parted. When the German commander thought the danger was over he carefully came to the surface- again and took another tight to see what had hapP " D SECOND TORPEDO FIRED Tlie Audacious was hclpkr, s and-not far away. '.Flic com ni and or of tlie PU'>marine decided to take another shot at the Dreadnought, and it went straight to th? mark, caught the battleship amidships, and the force of the explosion caused ammunition in the magazine to explode, and the great vessel was a wreck, slowly settling in tho deep. , . , This time the submarine clfia'red out altogether and tried to make her way home. Whether idle reached her parent ship, which is supposed to have been the Berlin, formerly one of the trans-Atlantic passenger steamships, has not vet been reported. The Berlin, however. ha s reached Trondhjem, a town on the coast of Norway, and has been interned there.

(The above story has sieo been discredited. For instance, tbe Olympics officers d?niccl having seen the Audacious in the plight referred to. Wh--n it is remembered that the American public lias been cons'.-tently fed on similar stories of British and Allied imaginary reverses and German victories, it- is easy to realise that an erroneous public opinion regarding the war has boon created.)