SUBMARINE DISASER

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1922, Page 2

SUBMARINE DISASER

>■*-„. LSI HAI,I».N AND !T.Z. CA81.15 ABS'.»CIA I iOX. LONDON, March 24. The British submarine H 42 has been icst in naval manoeuvres at Gibraltar, rlie destroyer Versatile cut her in aalves. Sl.\2 was rising to the surface at manoeuvres when she was telescoped by t.e Versatile, which was going at 27 mots. The submarine came to the sur,.ice within twenty ytlrds of the destroym, so a collision was inevitable, the lest rover cutting right through the tiny •essel. The Versatile stood by for some lours, but the hope of any rescue was small. The water rushed in and the submarine instantly sank in half a mile depth of water. . All on board must have jeen drowned within two or three minites, as there was no chance of. eseap-

nig. ' The vessel was not taking part in the manoeuvres but was under orders to return to England, and was on her way thither when the accident happened. Her bows were so damaged that she was towed to Gibraltar, stern formpst, with two of her compartments flooded. The lake commander of the submarine (Lieut, Seatey) bad a distinguished war record, especially hi the Baltic. Lieut. Price (second in command) wOlia D.S.O. as midshipman for heroic service in tile Dardanelles battle. Thirty-three of the crew belonged to Portsmouth, where they spent their Christmas leave. Pathetic scenes were witnessted at the dockyard gates, where mothers and wives waited all night long, hoping for details, Or even news of rescues. It is not certain that all the crew were on board the submarine, but some reports state that as many as forty died, as extra men were on board for training. The accident follows dose upon the narrow escape of the sister ship H 24 (cabled on Feb. 13th,). The destroyer belonged to the same flotilla as the Versatile. The H 42 was damaged in a collision in 1919, and was not worth salving. Most of the “H ” class were built in Canada during the war. The Navy has now lost ten submarines in peace time and 47 in war time. The King sent this message to the Commander of tl*e Atlantic Fleet:— “ I am greatly shocked to hear of the disaster. I wish that the deep sympathy of myself and Her Majesty the Queen will be conveyed to the families of the missing.” Jn the House of Commons, it was officially stated that the H 42 came to the surface thirty or forty yards front the Versatile, which was steaming at the rate of 20 knots. There was no spjmi crew on the submarine. .