one point abaft
the starboard beam headed for a point about amidships, making a
perfectly straight surface run (alternately broaching and submerging to
approximately four or five feet), at an estimated speed of at least
forty knots. No periscope was sighted. When I reached the bridge, I
found that the officer of the deck had already put the rudder hard left
and rung up the emergency speed on the engine room telegraph. The ship
had already begun to swing to the left. I personally rang up the
emergency speed again and then turned to watch the torpedo. The
executive officer left the chart house just ahead of me, saw the torpedo
immediately on getting outside the door, and estimates that the torpedo
when he sighted it was one thousand yards away, approaching from one
point, or slightly less, abaft the beam and making exceedingly high
speed.

"After seeing the torpedo and realizing the straight run, line of
approach, and high speed it was making, I was convinced that it was
impossible to maneuver to avoid it. The officer of the deck took prompt
measures in maneuvering to avoid the torpedo. The torpedo broached and
jumped clear of the water at a short distance from the ship, submerged
about fifty or sixty feet from the ship and struck approximately three
feet below the water-line in the fuel oil tank between the auxiliary
room and the after crew space.

THE SLOWLY SINKING SHIP.

"The ship settled aft immediately after being torpedoed to a point at
which the deck just forward of the after deck house was awash, and then,
more gradually, until the deck abreast the engine room hatch was awash.
A man on watch in the engine room attempted to close the water-tight
door between the auxiliary room and the engine room, but was unable to
do so against the pressure of water from the auxiliary room. The deck
over the forward part of the after crew space and over the fuel oil
tanks just forward of it was blown clear for a space athwartships of
about twenty feet from starboard to port, and the auxiliary room was
wrecked. The starboard after torpedo tube was blown into the air. No
fuel oil ignited and apparently no ammunition exploded.

"The depth charges in the chutes aft were set on ready and exploded
after the stern sank. It was impossible to get to them to set on safe as
they were under the water.

"As soon as the torpedo struck, it was attempted to send out an S.O.S.
message by radio, but the mainmast was carried away and anten