ng.

[Sidenote: Rafts and boats float.]

Immediate efforts were made to get all survivors on the rafts and then
get rafts and boats together. Three rafts were launched before the ship
sank and one floated off when she sank. The motor dory, hull undamaged
but engine out of commission, also floated off, and the punt and wherry
also floated clear. The punt was wrecked beyond usefulness, and the
wherry was damaged and leaking badly, but was of considerable use in
getting men to the rafts. The whaleboat was launched but capsized soon
afterwards, having been damaged by the explosion of the depth charges.
The motor sailor did not float clear, but went down with the ship.

[Sidenote: Submarine appears and picks up one man.]

About 15 or 20 minutes after the ship sank the submarine appeared on the
surface about two or three miles to the westward of the rafts, and
gradually approached until about 800 to 1,000 yards from the ship, where
it stopped and was seen to pick up one unidentified man from the water.
The submarine then submerged and was not seen again.

[Sidenote: The captain's boat steers for the Scillys.]

I was picked up by the motor dory and at once began to make arrangements
to try to reach the Scillys in that boat in order to get assistance to
those on the rafts. All the survivors then in sight were collected and I
gave orders to Lieutenant Richards to keep them together. Lieutenant
Scott, the navigating officer, had fixed the ship's position a few
minutes before the explosion and both he and I knew accurately the
course to be steered. I kept Lieutenant Scott to assist me and four men
who were in good condition in the boat to man the oars, the engine being
out of commission. With the exception of some emergency rations and half
a bucket of water, all provisions, including medical kit, were taken
from the dory and left on the rafts. There was no apparatus of any kind
which could be used for night signaling.

[Sidenote: Survivors are picked up.]

After a very trying trip during which it was necessary to steer by stars
and by the direction of the wind, the dory was picked up about 1 p. m.,
December 7, by a small patrol vessel about 6 miles south of St. Marys.
Commander Randal, R. N. R., Senior Naval Officer, Scilly Isles, informed
me that the other survivors had been rescued.

One small raft (which had been separated from the others from the
first) was picked up by the S. S. _Catalina_ at 8 p. m., December 6.
A