FRANCONIA NO. 1.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 267, 10 November 1937, Page 9

FRANCONIA NO. 1.

TORPEDOED IN WAR.

SUNK IN MEDITERRANEAN.

ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE.

The announcement that the Cunard liner Franconia, a luxury cruising vessel of 20,175 tons, will visit Auckland on April 26-28, during a "two-hemi.-sphere cruise," brings memories of Fran- 1 conia No. 1 to Mr. E. Wvatt, purser of the Middlesex, now in port. The earlier Franconia, a vessel of just under 20,000 tons, was engaged in the Liverpool-New York-Boston passenger service when war was declared in 1914. She was immediately taken over by the Admiralty as a troopship and during her two years' service was credited with having carried over 50,000 soldiers, including the first Canadian contingent, to Europe. The Franconia was one of the vessels ' at the Dardanelles and carried many!J wounded Anzacs to Port Said. It was!] after landing about 1000 troops at Port j Said, when she was on her way back to Marseilles in October, 1916, that she was struck by a torpedo some 120 miles ' east of Malta and sank in less than 40 ' minutes. i Lifeboats Launched. Mr. Wvatt, who was one of her crew, and helped to launch the lifeboats, managed to save his camera, and as they waited to be picked up by the hospital ship Dover Castle, which answered their S.O.S. call, he took the photograph reproduced on this page. The picture shows the Franconia about 10 minutes after being struck. The boats had been lowered and pulled clear. The Franconia took a list to starboard and within 20 minutes of the picture being taken she rolled over! on her beam end and sank, bow first.) Out of a ship's company of 300, 13 lives were lost. It was thought they were killed when the torpedo exploded. Just before the ship dived a man climbed on the rail and jumped into the sea. Several of the boats pulled back, after the vessel sank and the seaman was found clinging to wreckage.

Slept Through Explosion. The ship was torpedoed shortly after breakfast. The rescued sailor had been on night duty and was in his bunk. He slept soundly through the explosion, being awakened just in time by the rising water. Soon after the sinking a British destroyer arrived, and later the Dover Castle took the survivors on board and landed them at Salonika. Mr. Wyatt's certificates of discharge include the Mauretania, in which he served four years, also the Lusitania and Aquatania. of the Cunard Line. The Franconia discharge is signed l»v her commander, Captain D. Miller, and is surcharged "sunk by enemy submarine when on His Majesty s service, October, 1911 i."'