It was three years earlier and in a far distant sea that the Caria was sunk, while proceeding in ballast from Alexandria to Naples in charge of Captain J. A. Wolfe. In this case she was not torpedoed; the ‘U’ boat after signalling to the Caria to stop and abandon ship, fired some 10 shots at her, several of which struck her about the bows and the bridge. The Caria was unarmed, and Captain Wolfe and his crew had accordingly no alternative than to abandon ship, having first destroyed all confidential papers. This was fortunate, since the submarine, hailing Captain Wolfe’s boat, ordered him alongside, and demanded the ship’s papers, which were given him. After 12 hours the crew of the Caria were picked up by the S.S. Frankenfels, ironically enough a German prize vessel in the employ of the India Office, and landed at Malta. There were happily no casualties among the Caria’s crew.
In this respect the Carpathia, which was sunk on July 17th, 1918, was not so fortunate. Travelling in convoy, and at the time of the attack, some 120 miles west of the Fastnet, the escort had left some 3½ hours previously. Two torpedoes struck the Carpathia within 30 seconds, one on the port side between No. 4 hold, and the stoke-hold, and the second, half a minute later, in the engine-room. After satisfying himself that there was no possibility of saving the ship, her commander, Captain W. Prothero, ordered everyone to the boats, and saw them safely embarked, a third torpedo striking the ship just after this was accomplished. Three trimmers and two firemen were unfortunately killed by the explosion, but the remaining 218 members of the crew, together with 57 passengers, were picked up by H.M.S. Snowdrop, and safely brought to Liverpool. A letter was afterwards received from the Admiralty in which the Lords Commissioners stated that in their opinion the discipline and organisation on board the Carpathia had been of a very high order, and that Captain Prothero was to be publicly commended in the London Gazette in recognition of his conduct in the crisis.
The “Ivernia” survivors arriving in port
Troops landing from the “Mauretania”; two days later they were at Suvla Bay
It was on May 5th, 1917, at 7.30 p.m., while en route to Avonmouth from New York, that the Feltria was torpedoed without warning about eight miles south-east of Mine Head off the Irish coast. A very heavy sea was running at the time. No 1 boat was capsized during launching, and No. 4 boat blown to pieces by the explosion of the torpedo. Boats Nos. 2, 3, 5, and 6 were successful in clearing the ship’s side. Most of the crew were in boats Nos. 3 and 5, the captain and chief steward being alone in No. 2 boat, which had also been damaged by the explosion. The last boat away, No. 6, contained the Chief Officer, Second Officer, Purser, and three sailors, and it was this boat that the submarine, coming to the surface, ordered alongside. Having obtained particulars as to the Feltria and her cargo, she then left but stopped to pick up Mr. Stott, one of the Feltria’s engineers, and returned towards the lifeboat. From her deck, he was then assisted into the water. The Feltria’s Quartermaster, Mr. Burt, with great courage, jumped into the water to meet him, and helped him to the boat’s side, where he was taken on board in a very exhausted condition, while huge breakers were washing over the little boat itself. Of the boat containing the Captain, Captain W. G. Price, and Chief Steward, nothing more was seen, their lives being lost, and by midnight, three other members of the Feltria’s crew in No. 6 boat had died from exposure and exhaustion, one of the victims being Mr. Stott himself. The remaining five in this boat were picked up early on Sunday morning by the S.S. Ridley and landed at Barrow; twenty other survivors were landed at Queenstown; but out of a crew of 69 no less than 44 lost their lives, 17 dying from exposure in the lifeboats.
The Flavia was the more fortunate in that the whole of her crew was saved, when early on the morning of August 24th, 1918, she was sunk off the Irish coast while on a voyage from Montreal to Bristol. Her commander, Captain E. T. C. Fear, had been below resting at the time, but the Officer in charge had kept the situation well in hand, and H.M.S. Convolvulus, standing by, picked up the survivors from the boats, landing them safely in Ardrossan.
The “Dwinsk” settling down after being torpedoed