DOLPHIN INQUEST

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20951, 2 November 1939, Page 9

DOLPHIN INQUEST

FURTHER EVIDENCE POSITION OF GUN SIGHTS SETTING ALTERED (By Telegraph.—Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday Giving evidence at the inquest into the death of F. J. Brasell, owner and master of the thawler Dolphin, which was shot and sunk from the battery fort, SergeantMajor James Patrick O’Connor said that he was advised by Second-Lieutenant Smith that there was a boat coming in that might ■ have to be stopped. He had the battery manned. He placed Bombardier Mclvor as No. 1, Gunner Grundy as layer for line, Gunner Cotton as layer for elevation, and Gunner Rolton as setter, j Witness went to the position of sight setter and personally set the deflection at “right two degrees,” and instructed the setter he was not to move it under any consideration. Witness gave the order, “Cartridge only, load.” He then proceeded to the command post to act as section commander and receive the fire orders. Witness gave out the fire orders, which were: “Target, launch moving right, two degrees.” He next ordered No. 1 to check the setting of the deflection scale, and to move in rear of the gun and check the gun for line. He then ordered, “Fire,” and looked ahead for the splash. A moment or two later he observed that the Dolphin had been hit. He advised an officer to call a tug. Examination of Scale His first examination after the accident, witness continued, was that of the scale, which read, “Left 10 minutes.” He questioned the setter if that I was where he had set it. He re- | plied, “No.” Witness then turned | the deflection scale to “Right two de- ! grees.” He made the remainder of the j detachment move clear, i Lieutenant Symons and Major Mitchell arrived on the gun platform, and witness requested them to test the sights for line. The setter, on ! examination, said he had altered the setting, but gave no explanation for his act. When witness examined it he had expected to find “Right two degrees.” There was an order from the Battery Commander as, “20 minutes.” This was incorrect, and witness gave the order, “Two degrees.” The order, “20 minutes,” was not passed on to the gun. Should Have Been 20 Yards Ahead The actual check fer line was made by No. lin rear of the gun. Witness first inspected the deflection scale. The time would not be more than three seconds from the time of checking to the time of firing. It would not be possible for the layer to take off “Two degrees right.” The shell should have passed at least 20 yards ahead of the ship at that range. In witness’s opinion the cause of the vessel being hit was that the deflection scale was not set correctly, or that the layer was at fault. It was quite impossible for the deflection dial to have moved when the gun was fired. The gun crew did not leave the gun.