TNA ADM 199 792

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22)
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dark, butphosphorescence was very pronounced.
28/5
12. Twelve knots was maintained while in the narrow channels
and every time the sound of aircraft engines was heard speed was
reduced to slow to reduce wake.
13. I felt that it was very probable that some form of attack
would be made near the Kwinte Whistle Buoy and five miles before
reaching it speed was increased to 20 knots and a zig-zag of 40 degrees
every four minutes was started. All guns crews and bridge personnel
were lookout. warned and were keyed up and were keeping a specially good
14. At 0045 (Wednesday, 29th May) when the ship was two cables
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rest of the Kwinte Whistle Buoy, two parallel torpedo tracks about
30 yards apart one slightly ahead of the other were seen approaching
150 yards away on the starboard bow. They appeared to be running
practically on the surface and the tracks were very bright with
phosphorescence. No survivor can say what fired them, but it is
evident from subsequent events that they were fired by a motor
torpedo boat which was probably lying stopped close to the buoy.
15. The wheel was put hard a port and the ship swung sufficiently
to cause one to miss ahead. The other hit in the forward boiler room.
The ship broke in half and the two portions sank within about 15
seconds, each remaining standing with its midship end on the bottom
and the bow and stern standing about 60 feet above the water.
16. All Signal Publications were in the W/T Office and must
have gone down with the ship. The following secret documents were
on the chart table and may possibly have floated to the surface:-
Chart in use on which Dover Strait minefields were lightly
marked,
Current table of lettered positions.
ficer remained on the stern portion. All the troops were asleep
17. Most of the guns' crows floated clear and thirty men and an
Delow and went down with the ship except one, and all H.M.S. "wakeful's"
engine room department except one or two were lost. I floated clear
fhe bridge.
"Comfort" came on the scene and started to pick up those still swimming.
18. After about half an hour the motor drifters "Nautilus" and
Nautilus" picked up six and "Comfort" 16 including myself.
bout fifteen.
M.S. "Gossamer" arrived soon after and lowered boats which picked up
re
way with the tide after cruising around for about half an hour
19. The swimmers and rescue ships had drifted some distance
the houting clinging "Comfort" to go back to the wreck to take off
the stern while "Nautilus" carried on to Dunkirk.
n we got there the stern had fallen over and many men were shouting
hit
reck and I went alongside the former's starboard quarter to warn her
the water. H.M. Ships "Grafton" and "Lydd" were close to the
ore
at she was in danger of being torpedoed. At that moment (0250) a
an
orpedomentarily swamped and as she bobbed to the surface again I was
in the wardroom and the "Comfort" was lifted in the air,
que
al
the full speed ahoad with no-one on deck I soon had to
I was able to grab a rope's end, but as the
O
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th H.M.S. "Lydd" and H.M.S. "Grafton" opened a heavy fire on her with
20. The "Comfort" then came round to a wide circle and suddenly