THE H 47 DISASTER

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1929, Page 13

THE H 47 DISASTER

DEATH ROLL REACHES 24 DIVE OUT OF GASHED HULU > BOAT AT PERISCOPE DEPTH SALVAGE WORK STARTED TWO MIRACULOUS ESCAPES JJy Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian Press Association. Received July 10, 7.15 p.m. United Service. London, July 10. A revised list shows there were 24 deaths when the British submarine H 47 Bank after a collision with Ll2 in St. George’s Channel yesterday morning. Detail's of the disaster, however, are not available.

The two survivors of 1147 had a remarkable escape. They are the commanding officer, Lient.-Commarider Gardner, and the telegraphist, Petty-Officer Oleburn. Leading-Signalman Bull, of Ll2 is missing, and Abie-Seaman Sampson, of Ll2, who was critically injured, has died.

The submarine sank immediately and must have filled in an instant. The collision occurred 20 miles west of Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, where the water is 4a fathoms deep. Salvage operations have been begun with the latest

equipment. Late reports state the H 47 was cruising at periscope depth ; when it was rammed by LI 2. This ripped a hole in the hull which allowed two of the company miraculously t 0 escape. Ll2 was damaged in the neighbourhood of the battery tanks, which are 80 feet from th© bows. Both vessels were returning to port after manoeuvres. H 47 was being used as a training ship. The accident happened shortly aftci* nine o’clock in the morning. ... ’ ' salvage work is in charge of Rear- ? C'race, son of the famous i. Ji'?' r : r ®heter, Dr. W. G. Grace. Diving op113 " ®TAtiofis are being continued from H.M.S. Rodney and new deep-water diving apparatus is being tried. Sixteen naval vessels and two flying-boats are on tho scene. Gloom has spread over the naval towns of Deyonport, Portsmouth and ' Chatham, where many of the bereaved ■ J :..ftfcmilies. reside. Groups of men and women soon gathered at the naval barracks discussing the calamity. All naval festivities have been cancelled. The disaster was the subject of a question in the House of Commons thisnfternoon, when the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. V. Alexander, made a -statement giving the facts disclosed in the communique. He added that the Submarine's involved formed part of an instructional submarine flotilla proceeding from Lamlash to Portland. No details were yet available as to the circumstances of the collision. Steps were foaing taken with all dispatch to locate H 47, but her salvage in such deep water .was improbable. The best diving apparatus available had been dispatched to the scene, Mr. Alexander said.'. Professor Leonard Hill was on his way to advise and deal with diving operations.

LITTLE HOPE ENTERTAINED.. “I regret, however,” added the First Lord, “that no hope can be entertained of any of tho remainder of the crew being alive. I am sure the whole House will desire to join in conveying our heartfelt sympathy with the bereaved relatives.’' The H 47 was one of several submarines of the Holland class constructed in 1918 by Messrs Beardmore under the war emergency programme. They are the smallest and slowest of British submarines. Single-hull boats 161 feet long, they have a displacement of 450 tons. They have two Diesel engines and four torpedo tubes, but no mounted guns. Several vessels of the class have for come time been on the disposal list. The Ll2 is one of the class built after 1915. They are from 890 to 1000 tons, with a complement of 30 men. The tragedy recalls the disaster that attended another of the Holland class, the H 29, throe years ago. It heeled over and sank within two minutes In the Devonport Basin on August 9, 1926. The vessel was drawing alongside its moorings.

Six men, four of them civilians, were carried down with the vessel and drowned, the others either leaping to the wall of the basin and diving into the jyater, In addition to the crew of 22 officers and men the 1120 had on board a number of dockyard workers. The commander noticed something amiss as tho submarine went alongside the wall of the basin and he shouted to the lieutenant to close the watertight doors. The second officer, Lieut. If. E. Wcvell, dashed below to close the doors, but apparently was too late, and the water, pouring into the submarine, forced them through the conning tower to the surface, where lie was rescued unconscious. He revived with artificial respiration. At the inquiry two officers stated that an order had been given to take in water to trim the vessel. The chief stoker misinterpreted this order and flooded tho tanks. The jury found that the men died of suffocation due to the foundering of the ship, which was the (result of a misconception of an order. Tho coroner said it was impossible to 4)lame anyone for. the mistake.