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Description
Date: 31 March 1915
Transcript:
THE SECOND OUTRAGE.
HOW THE AGUILA WAS SUNK.
The tale of tragedy was completed when the Ottillie, a Grimsby trawler, arrived at Fishguard on Monday morning with twenty members of the crew of the Aguila, a Liverpool steamer of 1,200 tons, which was torpedoed and sank by the German Submarine, U 28, fifty miles off the Smalls, the day previous to the sinking of the Falaba.
A member of the crew, in an interview, said the submarine was sighted about five o'clock on Saturday. The skipper of the Aguila, Captain Barnerman [sic], forced the vessel ahead full speed, and the submarine gave chase at eighteen knots, firing at the Aguila, which was being rapidly overtaken. When Captain Bannerman saw that further flight was hopeless he stopped and prepared to lower the boats. The submarine continued firing as the boats were being launched, and two men were killed and several others wounded. There were two lady passengers on board. One was killed, and the other was in the missing boat. The submarine continued firing for nearly two hours, and then sank the Aguila by a torpedo.
KILLING THE CREW.
Seaman Crawley, of the Aguila, said the crew bad a terrible experience whilst launching the boats, shrapnel flew in all directions, and several members of the crew were hit. Boatswain Anderson was killed whilst assisting to launch a boat, and Seaman McKirkan fell overboard after being shot, and was lost. The submarine gave the crew no chance to leave the vessel, but continued firing, and in the excitement one boat was capsized, and a lady passenger, who had received a shot wound, was crushed against the side of the vessel and killed.
The submarine was about 100 yards behind us. She failed to sink our ship by firing at her, and had to torpedo her. Our boats bad got some distance away, when the sea seemed to open up and swallow the Aguila. We were in the boats for about two or three hours before we were picked up by the trawler Ottillie. We lost one boat, and don't know what has become of its occupants."
Several of the men wore bandages, and Seaman Lawson had his clothing ripped and leg wounded by shrapnel. Third-officer King had a nasty wound on the right side, and showed a piece of shrapnel embedded in the rim of his cap. Another seaman had a remarkable escape, a piece of shrapnel striking him below the eye, causing a deep wound. The men lost all their possessions.
Source:
'The Second Outrage.' Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph. 31 Mar. 1915. 2.
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