Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare: Containing a Complete and Concise Account of the Rise and Progress of Submarine WarfareSleeman, Charles William
History
Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare: Containing a Complete and Concise Account of the Rise and Progress of Submarine Warfare
Sleeman, Charles William
Torpedoes
A boat from the _Duba Saife_, rowing guard some 500 yards in advance of
the squadron, observed the approach of the Russian boats, but allowed
them to pass on their voyage of destruction without attempting to
stop them, or alarm the vessels. On reaching within 150 yards of the
_Duba Saife_, Dubasoff in the _Czarowitch_ was challenged, and failing
to give the correct answer was immediately fired at; but, nothing
daunted by the hail of shot and bullets, he dashed on, and succeeded
in exploding one of his spar torpedoes on the port side of the _Duba
Saife_, just under her quarter, a column of water and _débris_ being
thrown up to a height of 120 feet, which partly filled his boat, but
notwithstanding managed to get safely away. The monitor not sinking as
soon as expected, Chestakoff in the _Xénie_ dashed in, and completed
the work of destruction, the unfortunate ship sinking in a very few
minutes after this last explosion. The _Djiquite_ was struck in the
stern, and had to be run ashore for repairs, but eventually all four
boats reached Brailoff in safety. The Russians allowed to neither
killed nor wounded, which, when the time they were exposed to the fire
of the three Turkish ships (about twenty minutes), the number of men
(forty-six) engaged, and their very close quarters, seems miraculous.
The _Duba Saife_, thus lost to the Turks, carried two 12 cm. Krupp
guns, and a crew of some sixty officers and men, few of whom were
saved. Lieutenants Dubasoff and Chestakoff were decorated with the
4th Class of the Cross of Saint George, and three seamen received the
insignia of the Order of Military Merit.
This attack was conducted in a most gallant manner, and far more
systematically than the Batoum affair. If instead of holding one of the
boats in reserve, which was part of Dubasoff's plan, and the remaining
three attacking one vessel, the force had divided itself into two
parties, and had made a simultaneous attack on both the monitors, the
probability is that the _Fettu Islam_ would have shared the fate of her
consort.
The officer of the Turkish guard boat was tried by court-martial,
but what his ultimate fate was is not generally known. He certainly
deserved nothing less than death.
3RD AFFAIR.
_The Soulina Attack._--The third attempt took place on the 9th-10th
of June, 1877, on a Turkish squadron lying at anchor off Soulina.[T]
This squadron consisted of the three ironclads _Feteh Bulend_,
_Moocardemikhair_, and _Idglalieh_, and a tug, _Kartal_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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