HC Deb 11 May 1916 vol 82 cc925-7W
Commander BELLAIRS

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the maximum known distance from the land at which a German submarine has sunk an unarmed merchant vessel without rendering any assistance to the survivors in the ship's boats when there was no rescue ship within sight?

Dr. MACNAMARA

The furthest distance from land at which a German submarine has sunk an unarmed merchant vessel without rendering any assistance was the case of the steamship "Silverash," which was sunk on 6th October, 1915, 180 miles from the nearest land.

Mr. EVELYN CECIL

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, seeing that the German Government is reported as stating in its recent Note to the United States Government that the German naval forces receive orders that merchant vessels, both within and without the area declared as a naval war zone, shall not be sunk without warning and without saving human lives unless the ship attempts to escape or offer resistance, His Majesty's Government has any objection to publishing a list of British and neutral ships torpedoed without warning and without their attempting to escape or offer resistance between 7th May, 1915, when the "Lusitania" was sunk, and the present time; and whether such particulars have been communicated to the British Embassy at Washington?

Dr. MACNAMARA

The following is a list of unarmed British merchant vessels which have been torpedoed without warning between the 7th May, 1915, and the 10th May, 1916:

1915.
7th May … "Lusitania."
18th May … "Drumchree,"
19th May … "Dumfries."
1st June … "Saidieh."
4th June … "Inkum."
6th June … "Strathcarron."
12th June … "Leuctra."
15th June … "Strathuairn."
28th June … "Dumfrieshire."
18th July … "Batoum."
28th July … "Mangara."
1st August … "Fulgens."
10th August … "Rosalie."
16th August … "Serbino."
19th August … "Arabic."
12th September … "Ashmore."
19th November … "Hallamshire."
20th December … "Huntly."
20th December … "Belford."
28th December … "Huronian."
1916.
1st February … "Belle of France."
7th March … "Harmatris."
18th March … "Lowlands."
19th March … "Port Dalhousie."
22nd, March … "Kelvinbank."
24th March … "Salybia."
27th March … "Manchester Engineer."
1st April … "Perth."
5th April … "Zent."
6th April … "Yonne."
6th April … "Vennacher."
7th April … "Braunton."
10th April … "Silksworth Hall."
10th April … "Robert Adamson."
21st April … "Felicinna."
22nd April … "Tregantle."
8th May … "Cymric."

The following is a list of neutral merchant vessels which have been torpedoed without warning between the 7th May, 1915, and the 10th May, 1916 (according to evidence available):

1915.
7th May "Ellen" Swedish.
25th May "Nebraskan" American.
26th May "Betty" "Danish.
9th June "Svein Jarl Norwegian.
14th July "Rym" Norwegian.
18th Aug. "Magda" Norwegian.
27th Aug. "Uranus" Swedish.
1916.
9th March "Silius" S.V. Norwegian.
15th March "Tubantia" Dutch.
18th March "Palembang" Dutch.
20th March "Skodsborg" Danish.

1916.
20th March "Langeli" Norwegian.
23rd March "Kannik" Norwegian.
27th March "Harriet" Danish.
31st March "Hollandia" Swedish.
1st April "Peter Hamre" Norwegian.
5th April "Baus" Norwegian.
7th April "Eemdijk" Dutch.
7th April "Rijndijk" Dutch.
8th April "Santenderino" Spanish.
9th April "Sjclyst" Norwegian.
30th April "Vinifreda" Spanish.