With the Fleets.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 275, 30 April 1915, Page 5

With the Fleets.

FRENCH CRUISER TORPEDOED. Paris, April 28. j Official: The French cruiser Leon Gambcttta. was torpedoed in the Adriatic I during the night of the 20th. The bulk of the crew were saved, : Rome, Apr,il 28. ! The Leon Gambetta was beached to • prevent her from sinking. FURTHER DETAILS. SUDDEN AND SWIFT DESTRUCTION. ■ RESCUE BY ITALIANS. Rome April 28. Austrians torpedoed the Leon uamictta off Santa Maria Dilenca. The Leon Gambetta was steaming at teven knots und was going to Malta. A iubinarine suddenly appeared, and in a lecond a torpedo exploded, flooding tho mgine-room, wrecking the dynamos and ■eaving the ship in darkucss. The wireless operator was paralysed and unable to signal for help. The captain headed for the Bhore, in the hope of beaching the vessel. Two v boats werfc lowered, but they capsized, drowning all the occupants. The Italian patrolling flotilla, which was cruising near by, rushed up to the rescue, regardless of the chance of the submarine mistaking them for French in the darkness. They found some of tho bluejackets clinging to the wreckage, while others were on rafts constructed from poars and planks.

Rear-Admiral Scnes went down with his ship. Except the watch, the crew were in their sleeping quarters. The •BUrvivors were picked up without Slothlug.

ALL THE OFFICERS PERISH, 136 OF THE CREW SAVED. Received April 20, 11 p.m. Paris, April 28. The Leon Gainbctta was cruising in the Straits of Otranto when Submarine 5 fired two torpedoes at night-time. The vessel sank in ten minutes. The officers perished at their 1 ports. Italians ships rescued 130 of the crew. Forty-eignt bodies have been recovered. Most'of the survivors were injured. GERMAN DESTROYER HANDY. Received April 30, 12.30 a.m. Rome, April 29., Survivors state that during the attak on the Leon Gambetta a German destroyer protected the. submarine, which came from Cattaro. The destroyer also fired at the Leon Gambetta. ,' GERMAN DESTROYERS IX NORTH ' _. . SEA. London, April 28. ' A Danish skipper reported that he saw 'a Zeppelin, two submarines, and thirty .'German destroyers in the North Sea. The Germans were anxious to warn ves'scls. not to approach the German coast, ['evidently fearing that they might hide ''the approach of the British. GERMANY'S LATEST (SUBMARINES, • (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) Received April 29, 5.30 jwa. London, V^. ,; l 29. \ Tin skipper of the Danish ttcamer Nidaros reports that he was stopped by a submarine in the North Sea. It w«a the finest he had ever seen, being about thirteen hundred tons, built turret shape and armed with a three-pounder and a number of smaller guns.