TORPEDOING OF THE TRIUMPH
The day after the armistice, at fifteen
minutes after noon, I was in my dug-out when one of
the men exclaimed that something was wrong with the
Triumph. I ran out and was in time to see
the fall of the water sent up by the explosive.
It was a beautifully calm day, and the ship was about
a mile and a quarter from us; she had a decided list
towards us, and it was evident that something was
radically wrong. With glasses one could see the
men lined up in two ranks as if on parade, without
the least confusion. Then two destroyers went
over and put their noses on each side of the big ship’s
bows; all hands from the Triumph marched aboard
the destroyers. She was gradually heeling over,
and all movables were slipping into the sea. One
of the destroyers barked three or four shots at something
which we took to be the submarine. In fifteen
minutes the Triumph was keel up, the water
spurting from her different vent pipes as it was expelled
by the imprisoned air. She lay thus for seventeen
minutes, gradually getting lower and lower in the
water, when quietly her stern rose and she slipped
underneath, not a ripple remaining to show where she
had sunk. I have often read of the vortex caused
by a ship sinking, but as far as I could see there
was in this case not the slightest disturbance.
It was pathetic to see this beautiful ship torpedoed
and in thirty-two minutes at the bottom of the sea.
I believe the only lives lost were those of men injured
by the explosion. Meanwhile five destroyers came
up from Helles at a terrific speed, the water curling
from their bows; they and all the other destroyers
circled round and round the bay, but the submarine
lay low and got off. Her commander certainly did
his job well.