ain and then turned to watch the torpedo. The
executive officer, Lieutenant Norman Scott, 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 1,000 yards away,
approaching from one point, or slightly less, abaft the beam and making
exceedingly high speed.

[Sidenote: Lieutenant Kalk acts promptly.]

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. Lieutenant (Junior Grade) S. F. Kalk
was officer of the deck at the time, and I consider that he took correct
and especially prompt measures in maneuvering to avoid the torpedo.
Lieutenant Kalk was a very able officer, calm and collected in
emergency. He had been attached to the ship for about two months and had
shown especial aptitude. His action in this emergency entirely justified
my confidence in him. I deeply regret to state that he was lost as a
result of the torpedoing of the ship, dying of exposure on one of the
rafts.

[Sidenote: Torpedo strikes fuel-oil tank below water line.]

The torpedo broached and jumped clear of the water at a short distance
from the ship, submerged about 50 or 60 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 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, D. R. Carter, oiler, 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.

[Sidenote: Effects of the explosion.]

The deck over the forward part of the after crew space and over the
fuel-oil tank just forward of it was blown clear for a space
athwartships of about 20 feet from starboard to port, and the auxiliary
room 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 them on safe as they were
under water. Immediately the ship was torpedoed, Lieutenant J. K.
Ri