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[Page 14]
very serious, as it meant that we could not dive. Our only chance was to come to the surface and go back full speed on our engines as day was breaking and we were liable to be seen and fired on from shore. However our luck was in. We arrived at Tenedos 8 a.m. 24th April 1915.
We immediately had another coupling fitted after which we had a trial dive to see that all was well after which we anchored and waited patiently for the night. At 1.30 a.m. 25th April, we got under way to attempt the Dardanelles again. We passed the patrol destroyers at the entrance and proceeded about 5 to 6 miles inside the entrance but we were fired on from the European shore, a shell passing just over. The searchlights were very active both from the forts of Chanak and Dardanus, so we dived immediately. All went well this time, and nothing was heard till we came to the first mine fields. Here we were alarmed to hear the moorings of the mines scraping along the outside of the boat. This was very unpleasant but still we knew we must be quite safe at a depth of 90 feet. Shortly after we passed the minefield we came to the surface and showed our periscope to take observations before entering the narrows. This was about 5.15 a.m. and the water was like a sheet of glass. We found we were about 150 yards off the European shore and under the main forts of Kilidbar they soon noticed the wash from our periscope and commenced to fire on us. We soon got down to 90 feet again and, on a slightly different course, we soon passed through the second minefield just below Chanak. All went well and when we came to the surface at 6 a.m. we were right in the Bay opposite Chanak. Here there was a battleship laying at anchor and a gunboat under way, we we immediately prepared to attack but owing to the forts lower down having reported a submarine approaching there were a number of small craft torpedo boats launches, etc., dashing about to try and ram our periscope whenever we showed it and it being very calm made attack very difficult, not being able to show the periscope for any length of time.
However the foremost torpedo was brought to the ready and all preparations were made to have a shot at the battleship, but at the critical moment the gunboat was crossing in front of the battleship as there could be no time lost we had to fire at the gunboat. We immediately went down to 60 feet. All was silence for a few seconds and then a heavy report concussion shook the submarine and we knew that we had secured a hit. At this moment we were alarmed to hear a grating noise forward and we soon knew that we were aground. We went ahead and were soon off. This happened on the Asiatic Shore. We then proceeded slowly, thinking all was well but not so. We had only been off 10 minutes when we grounded heavily forward. The depth gauge showed that we were rising fast. When we were nearly off, the boat stuck fast aft. The boat was lying at an angle, down by the bows and there was only 8 feet of water showing