WHY A3 WAS LOST.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 101, 27 April 1912, Page 17

WHY A3 WAS LOST.

BLOCK OF WOOD IN -THE - PROPIELL.ER. DYING EFFORTS OF HER COMMANDER Evidence given at the inquest included some remarkable new facts concerning the sinking of the submarine A3, with the loss of fourteen lives, in collision with the gun"boat Hazard off the Isle of Wight on February 3. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental collision." and attached no blame to anyone. But for the fact that a large block of 1 wood caught in the submarine's propeller at the critical moment her commander, the late Lieutenant Ormand, would probably have been able to avoid the collision. Lieutenant Charles Worthin-gton Craven, continuing his evidence, said it -was not necessary for a submarine to be close for an attack, the practical range being between 400 and 900 yards. Evolutions carried out on the day of the disaster were of the usual character, and Lieutenant Ormand had had good experience of submarines during two years. Witness -thought, having regard to the injury to the boat, that she must have filled in a very few seconds and that no salvage appliances would have been of avail to save human life. The conning tower, he found, was flooded, and Lieutenant Ormand was standing by to fire a port torpedo, which was ready. Water was being blown from the ballast tanks at the time of the collision, and the electric motors were switched on to go astern, and there were indications that the propeller had actually moved astern. PREPARING TO RISE. He formed the opinion that the submarine was not aiware of the close proximity of the Hazard until a few seconds before the collision, and it -was evident -that means were being taken to come rapidly to the surface and avoid collision. The captain had either seen the Hazard through the periscope while submerged or bad heard the gunboat's propeller, and the course he took to come to the surface was the proper one in the circumstances. The submarine must have been considerably out of her position, but he Would rather not express an opinion as to why this was. It might have been due to overtrimming. When he examined the submarine In dock he found a large block of wood jamming the propeller. Had it not been there the submarine would have been able to go astern and clear the Hazard. He did not think the block of wood was there before the submarine started to go astern, because there was only one big cut in it. The timber was a big submerged block. GUNBOAT CAPTAINS ACCOUNT. Lieutenant-Commander Little, who was in charge of the Hazard, said the A3 was the only submarine engaged at the time. He expected an attack on the starboard side. It was impossible for him to follow A3's course accurately. Submarines had to look after themselves. Witness was with Lieutenant Craven -when he examined the boat in dock, and agreed with his conclusions. He thought the reason why the submarine came too close would never be found out. The Hazard's port propeller shaft was bent and both propellers badly damaged. The spindle of the foremost rudder was fractured and the rudder lost. The submarine first struck the Hazard on the port propeller shaft, her forepart then passing under the stern of the Hazard, and she received a very severe blow from the Hazard's rudders which caused the large rent. A matter of a very few seconds would have avoided the collision. The coroner produced a wrist watch found on one of the deceased officers. It had stopped at lo.na. the exact time mentioned by the Hazard's log as that of the collision.