§ The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. J. P. L. Thomas)I regret to inform the House that at 8.25 this morning there was an explosion in a torpedo in H.M.S. "Sidon" at Portland as she was lying alongside her parent ship H.M.S. "Maidstone." She had embarked torpedoes and was about to go to sea for firing practices.
There was a sudden uprush of air and smoke through the conning tower hatch and survivors started to escape. The captain and other officers and men who were on the bridge of the submarine, as well as officers from H.M.S. "Maidstone," entered the submarine to assist in rescue operations. At 8.45, while these were in progress, the submarine sank very quickly by the bow.
I regret to say that 3 officers and 10 ratings are definitely known to be missing and must be presumed dead. In addition, 1 officer and 7 ratings were injured and are in hospital. Action has been taken to inform the next-of-kin.
The submarine is now lying on the bottom, in 36 feet of water. Salvage operations are in progress under the personal direction of the Flag Officer, Submarines. A full inquiry will, of course, be held.
761 The House will wish me to express the deepest sympathy for those bereaved and injured in this accident.
§ Mr. CallaghanThe First Lord carries all of us on this side of the House with him in his expression of sympathy to the next-of-kin of those who have been bereaved, and to the injured. It is the suddenness with which death comes on occasions like this that makes the burden of all those concerned in the operation so difficult to bear. We shall await the report of the court of inquiry, but may I ask this of the right hon. Gentleman about those who have lost their lives: did the loss of life occur in the explosion, or was it because they were unable to abandon ship quickly?
§ Mr. ThomasSo far as my information goes at present, I think that the loss of life is likely to be entirely due to the explosion.