Soon after 6-pin, the Victor sig-nelled that she could only make a speed of 16 knots, and both destroyers at this time were finding it dificult to keep up with Hampshire, The Hampshire, on receiving the message, decided to proceed with Unity alone, and ordered Victor to return, While these messages were passing Unity signalled that she twas unable to make more than 12 knots. The Hampshire reduced her speed to 15 knots, but the Unity by this time was' making only 10 knots against the increasing gal JAt 6.20 pam, the Hampshire signal to both destroyers ordering them {to return to their base.
The report proceeds:—There is thus no foundation whatever for the impression convey. Jed by the official biographer of Lord Kitchener, doubtless unintentionally, that at this point the escort on their own responsibility left the Hampshire. The probability that they might be unable to keep their station had, indeed, been foreseen, as the original signal giving them their orders as escort, which was made at 3 pin. (at a time when ithe gale was less severe and was fact slightly moderating), stated [that unless the weather moderated they would probably be sent back from Noup Head, where shelter from 'a north-east wind would have ended.
Tt was the backing of the gale towards the north-west which prevented the destroyers at a much earlier point from keeping station, jand therefore made it necessary for the Hampshire to choose between the alternatives of reducing her own speed or sending back the destroyers, As td the advisability of the Hampshire's decision to send back the escort and proceed by herself, the Commanding Officer no doubt. felt satisfied that the storm then raging practically precluded the possibility of successful submarine attack, which, as has been seen, as at that date the more probable danger to be apprehended.
The Hampshire went on alone, and Jat 7.40 or 7.45 p.m. was in a position Jabout 14 miles from the shore between the Brough of Birsay and Marwick Head, shaping a course N. 20deg. E. This position was some-Lord|what inside the ordinary course using the —more than 30 fathoms—and no navigational risk whatever was involved in coming in thus, no doubt: with the object of trying to get larly shelter afforded by the shore from a wind that was still probably shifting about between N.N.E. and NNW, From the accounts of survivors it appears that the ship had reduced speed to 13% knots, had all but one Jof her hatches battened down and secured with shores, and was taking cavy seas all over her. Everything, however, on board was proceeding normally. The captain was on the bridge. The routine order to "Stand by hammocks" had just been piped, At this moment an explosion occurred.
The Explosion The following is a summary of the evidence of the 12 survivors in regard to the explosion:
1. A rumbling explosion. Not at all a sharp explosion. There was a small cne afterwards not so loud as the first, 2. Only heard one explosion and very little of it. "Tt was all the seme as an electric globe bursting.
3. A loud report.
4. Not a loud explosion.
Only heard it very faintly.
5. Only heard one explosion.
6. It was a loud explosion: only heard the one: a terrific explosion.
7. It seemed pretty loud. It seemed like a double explosion to 8 Heard what sounded like a big sea hit the ship.
9. Heard one explosion.
10. Heard one explosion.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.