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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Capt. Cecil H. Fox
Royal Navy HMS Amphion
Captain Cecil H Fox of HMS Amphion
The official press bureau on Wednesday afternoon issued the following:-3.30pm - at 9am on August 5th, HMS Amphion with the 3rd flotilla proceeded to carry out a certain pre-arranged plan of search and about an hour later a trawler informed them that she had seen a suspicious ship 'throwing things overboard' in an indicated position. Shortly afterwards the mine layer Konigen Luise was sighted steering east. Four destroyers gave chase and in about an hour's time she was rounded up and sunk. After picking up survivors the search continued without incident till 3.30am when the Amphion was on the return course.
At 6.30 am Amphion struck a mine. A sheet of flame instantly enveloped the bridge which rendered the Captain insensible and he fell on the fore and aft bridge. As soon as he recovered consciouness he ran to the engine room to stop the engines, which were still going at revolutions for 20 knots. As all the forepart was on fire, it proved impossible to reach the bridge or to flood the fore magazine. The ship's back appeared to be broken and she was already settling by the bows.
All efforts were therefore directed to placing the wounded in a place of safety in case of explosion and towards getting her a tow by the stern. By the time destroyers closed in it was clearly time to abandon ship. The men fell in with composure and 20 minutes after the mine struck, the men, officers and captain left their ship.
Three minutes later it exploded. Debris falling from a great height struck the rescue boats, destroyers and one of the Amphion's shells burst on the deck of one of the latter killing two of the men and a German prisoner rescured from the cruiser. After 15 minutes the Amphion had disappeared.
Captain Fox speaks in the highest terms of the behaviour of the men throughout.
from the Ballymena Observer 21st August 1914
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