On 20 July 1918, Justicia, managed by White Star and manned by many of the crew that had been on Britannic II when she sank, was sunk by a German submarine attack. The following articles appeared within the next week.
The Times (London), 25 July 1918
WHITE STAR LINER SUNK
---
JUSTICIA’S LONG FIGHT WITH U-BOATS
---
TEN LIVES LOST
---
The Justicia, one of the newest and largest steamers of the White Star
Line, was torpedoed and sunk off the north coast of Ireland last
Saturday morning, after a long fight, in which destroyers took part,
with German submarines. There were no passengers on board, and of the
steamer’s crew of between 600 and 700 only 10 are reported to be dead.
A survivor states that, of the torpedoes fired, four were exploded by
gunfire from the Justicia.
---
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)
BELFAST, JULY 24
The Justicia, formerly the Statindam, [sic] a vessel of 32,000 tons,
built by Messrs. Harland & Wolff at Belfast for the Holland-Amerika
Line, and taken over by the White Star Line, was torpedoed and sunk some
miles off the Irish coast on Saturday afternoon after a fight with
submarines which lasted for 22 hours.
The vessel was outward bound, and had on board a crew of about 600, but
carried no passengers. All went well until on Friday afternoon the
coast of Ireland was fading into the distance, when without warning the
vessel was struck by a torpedo, which entered the engine-room, killing
nine firemen and mortally wounding the third engineer, who succumbed to
his injuries next day. Though entirely disabled it was at once seen
that the ship was not likely to sink, and assistance was quickly at
hand. Hawsers were attached to a tug and endeavours made to tow the
crippled liner to port. Meanwhile the crew took up their stations and
gunners kept a sharp look-out for the enemy. By magnificent
marksmanship two torpedoes, the wake of which was seen in the water,
were deflected from their course and passed harmlessly by.
DESTROYERS IN THE FIGHT
Torpedo-boat destroyers and other craft took up the challenge, and depth
charges were dropped where it was believed submarines were lurking,
while the work of towing went slowly on. By these means the U-oats were
kept at a respectable distance during the remainder of the afternoon and
night. It is uncertain how many German submarines were present.
Rescued members of the crew declare that there were at least eight. At
any rate, with the return of daylight it was seen that the U-boats had
not been entirely shaken off, as the attack on the liner was resumed
with vigour. Eventually two more torpedoes struck her, the last making
her destruction sure. She sank slowly, and the whole of the crew were
taken off and transferred to the accompanying vessel without further
loss of life. They were landed at an Irish port on Saturday evening,
where they were hospitably entertained by the British and Foreign
Sailors’ Society until Monday, when they were sent to their homes.
SURVIVORS’ ACCOUNTS
The Belfast Telegraph says that, according to members of the crew, the
liner was first attacked shortly after 2 o’clock on Friday afternoon,
when a terrific explosion shook the vessel from end to end. At the time
the sea was calm. Not the slightest panic ensued, and the crew speedily
mustered on the decks to await instructions. It was found that the
torpedo had penetrated the engine-room, but the damage was so trivial
that the liner would remain afloat long enough to allow her to be towed
to the nearest port. Preparations were accordingly made, and some time
later, when a tug had pulled in alongside, and the crew were about to
throw over a hawser, two torpedoes were fired by the submarine, which
was never sighted. The torpedoes missed their objective, passing
between the liner and the tug. Further attempts were made by the
submarine before nightfall and during the night to complete the
destruction of the ship, but these met with no more success, and it was
not until Saturday morning that the submarine, after expending numerous
torpedoes, was able to sink the vessel.
The final attempt was made about 8 o’clock in the morning when the liner
was in tow. One torpedo struck the engine-room, causing a violent
explosion, and a second almost simultaneously penetrated the fore hatch.
Directions were then issued to the crew to abandon the ship. The liner
remained afloat until 2 o’clock in the afternoon. At nightfall the
survivors were landed.
One of the men asserts that in all the submarine fired 10 torpedoes, of
which four were exploded by the gun crews. “It was the finest piece of
work I ever saw,” he added, “and it cost the Germans something to sink
us.” Of the members of the crew who were killed, one or two were
firemen, four were greasers, and another a lad of 16, who was working in
the engine-room when the last torpedo struck the vessel, and was on his
first voyage.
Another account of the attack on the Justicia is given in the Liverpool
Echo. Seaman W. Bibby, a Liverpool youth, states that at 2.30 p.m. on
July 19 a torpedo struck the ship right in the engine-room and put some
of the gear out of order. With others, he volunteered to stay on board
all night. During that time, he said, several torpedoes were fired at
them, and they kept up a continuous fight with submarines which they
could not see. When daylight came the fight was still proceeding, and
one of the Justicia’s gunners, by remarkable marksmanship, exploded two
of the submarine’s torpedoes before they could reach the ship. At 9.30,
however, two torpedoes struck, and the ship’s boats were lowered. While
he was trying to get into one of them a ladder broke, and he fell into
the water among a pile of lines and other débris. He was washed against
the stern of the vessel and knocked unconscious. He remembered nothing
more until he found himself on board a trawler.
“LARGE STEEL NETS”
COPENHAGEN, July 23---The official statement issued by the German Naval
Staff to the effect that the steamer Justicia had been torpedoed caused
the greatest sensation in Germany, and particularly in Hamburg. The
entire German Press expresses satisfaction that the United States has
lost such a valuable and useful steamer.
According to German submarine commanders, the boat was provided with
large steel nets to prevent torpedoes from reaching the sides of the
ship, and that it was, therefore, difficult to destroy her. She had,
they said, often been attacked by submarines.---Exchange Telegraph
Company.
*************************
The Times (London), 26 July 1918
THE JUSTICIA’S FIGHT
---
SEVEN TORPEDOES FIRED
---
H.M.S. MARNE’S SUCCESS
---
The Secretary of the Admiralty issued last evening the following account
of the torpedoing of the Justicia, reported yesterday:
The Justicia was attacked by torpedo at 2.30 p.m. on July 19, when the
vessel, with other ships, was being escorted by torpedo-boat destroyers
and other craft.
The torpedo exploded in the engine-room, which immediately filled, while
the compartment abaft was also flooded. Although the watertight
compartments were undamaged, the ship’s boats were provisioned and
lowered to the rails, and tugs stood by as a precautionary measure. At
4.30 p.m. two torpedoes were fired, one of which was diverted by gunfire
from the ship, while the other missed. The Justicia was then taken in
tow at 8 p.m. and a fourth torpedo was also diverted by gunfire. A
number of the crew were then taken off the Justicia, towing being
proceeded with.
At 4.30 a.m. on July 20 a fifth torpedo was seen to pass just ahead of
the vessel. At 9.15 a.m. two torpedoes were seen approaching from the
port quarter, one striking No. 3 hold, while the second struck No. 5
hold. The ship began to settle rapidly and sank, stern first, at 12.40
p.m. The third engineer of the Justicia died of his injuries and 15 men
are missing from the engine-room staff as the result of the first
explosion. The whole of the officers and crew were saved.
The submarine which was reported as having been sunk by H.M.S. Marne was
one of those endeavouring to get into position to attack the Justicia.
-30-
The Times (London), 25 July 1918
WHITE STAR LINER SUNK
---
JUSTICIA’S LONG FIGHT WITH U-BOATS
---
TEN LIVES LOST
---
The Justicia, one of the newest and largest steamers of the White Star
Line, was torpedoed and sunk off the north coast of Ireland last
Saturday morning, after a long fight, in which destroyers took part,
with German submarines. There were no passengers on board, and of the
steamer’s crew of between 600 and 700 only 10 are reported to be dead.
A survivor states that, of the torpedoes fired, four were exploded by
gunfire from the Justicia.
---
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)
BELFAST, JULY 24
The Justicia, formerly the Statindam, [sic] a vessel of 32,000 tons,
built by Messrs. Harland & Wolff at Belfast for the Holland-Amerika
Line, and taken over by the White Star Line, was torpedoed and sunk some
miles off the Irish coast on Saturday afternoon after a fight with
submarines which lasted for 22 hours.
The vessel was outward bound, and had on board a crew of about 600, but
carried no passengers. All went well until on Friday afternoon the
coast of Ireland was fading into the distance, when without warning the
vessel was struck by a torpedo, which entered the engine-room, killing
nine firemen and mortally wounding the third engineer, who succumbed to
his injuries next day. Though entirely disabled it was at once seen
that the ship was not likely to sink, and assistance was quickly at
hand. Hawsers were attached to a tug and endeavours made to tow the
crippled liner to port. Meanwhile the crew took up their stations and
gunners kept a sharp look-out for the enemy. By magnificent
marksmanship two torpedoes, the wake of which was seen in the water,
were deflected from their course and passed harmlessly by.
DESTROYERS IN THE FIGHT
Torpedo-boat destroyers and other craft took up the challenge, and depth
charges were dropped where it was believed submarines were lurking,
while the work of towing went slowly on. By these means the U-oats were
kept at a respectable distance during the remainder of the afternoon and
night. It is uncertain how many German submarines were present.
Rescued members of the crew declare that there were at least eight. At
any rate, with the return of daylight it was seen that the U-boats had
not been entirely shaken off, as the attack on the liner was resumed
with vigour. Eventually two more torpedoes struck her, the last making
her destruction sure. She sank slowly, and the whole of the crew were
taken off and transferred to the accompanying vessel without further
loss of life. They were landed at an Irish port on Saturday evening,
where they were hospitably entertained by the British and Foreign
Sailors’ Society until Monday, when they were sent to their homes.
SURVIVORS’ ACCOUNTS
The Belfast Telegraph says that, according to members of the crew, the
liner was first attacked shortly after 2 o’clock on Friday afternoon,
when a terrific explosion shook the vessel from end to end. At the time
the sea was calm. Not the slightest panic ensued, and the crew speedily
mustered on the decks to await instructions. It was found that the
torpedo had penetrated the engine-room, but the damage was so trivial
that the liner would remain afloat long enough to allow her to be towed
to the nearest port. Preparations were accordingly made, and some time
later, when a tug had pulled in alongside, and the crew were about to
throw over a hawser, two torpedoes were fired by the submarine, which
was never sighted. The torpedoes missed their objective, passing
between the liner and the tug. Further attempts were made by the
submarine before nightfall and during the night to complete the
destruction of the ship, but these met with no more success, and it was
not until Saturday morning that the submarine, after expending numerous
torpedoes, was able to sink the vessel.
The final attempt was made about 8 o’clock in the morning when the liner
was in tow. One torpedo struck the engine-room, causing a violent
explosion, and a second almost simultaneously penetrated the fore hatch.
Directions were then issued to the crew to abandon the ship. The liner
remained afloat until 2 o’clock in the afternoon. At nightfall the
survivors were landed.
One of the men asserts that in all the submarine fired 10 torpedoes, of
which four were exploded by the gun crews. “It was the finest piece of
work I ever saw,” he added, “and it cost the Germans something to sink
us.” Of the members of the crew who were killed, one or two were
firemen, four were greasers, and another a lad of 16, who was working in
the engine-room when the last torpedo struck the vessel, and was on his
first voyage.
Another account of the attack on the Justicia is given in the Liverpool
Echo. Seaman W. Bibby, a Liverpool youth, states that at 2.30 p.m. on
July 19 a torpedo struck the ship right in the engine-room and put some
of the gear out of order. With others, he volunteered to stay on board
all night. During that time, he said, several torpedoes were fired at
them, and they kept up a continuous fight with submarines which they
could not see. When daylight came the fight was still proceeding, and
one of the Justicia’s gunners, by remarkable marksmanship, exploded two
of the submarine’s torpedoes before they could reach the ship. At 9.30,
however, two torpedoes struck, and the ship’s boats were lowered. While
he was trying to get into one of them a ladder broke, and he fell into
the water among a pile of lines and other débris. He was washed against
the stern of the vessel and knocked unconscious. He remembered nothing
more until he found himself on board a trawler.
“LARGE STEEL NETS”
COPENHAGEN, July 23---The official statement issued by the German Naval
Staff to the effect that the steamer Justicia had been torpedoed caused
the greatest sensation in Germany, and particularly in Hamburg. The
entire German Press expresses satisfaction that the United States has
lost such a valuable and useful steamer.
According to German submarine commanders, the boat was provided with
large steel nets to prevent torpedoes from reaching the sides of the
ship, and that it was, therefore, difficult to destroy her. She had,
they said, often been attacked by submarines.---Exchange Telegraph
Company.
*************************
The Times (London), 26 July 1918
THE JUSTICIA’S FIGHT
---
SEVEN TORPEDOES FIRED
---
H.M.S. MARNE’S SUCCESS
---
The Secretary of the Admiralty issued last evening the following account
of the torpedoing of the Justicia, reported yesterday:
The Justicia was attacked by torpedo at 2.30 p.m. on July 19, when the
vessel, with other ships, was being escorted by torpedo-boat destroyers
and other craft.
The torpedo exploded in the engine-room, which immediately filled, while
the compartment abaft was also flooded. Although the watertight
compartments were undamaged, the ship’s boats were provisioned and
lowered to the rails, and tugs stood by as a precautionary measure. At
4.30 p.m. two torpedoes were fired, one of which was diverted by gunfire
from the ship, while the other missed. The Justicia was then taken in
tow at 8 p.m. and a fourth torpedo was also diverted by gunfire. A
number of the crew were then taken off the Justicia, towing being
proceeded with.
At 4.30 a.m. on July 20 a fifth torpedo was seen to pass just ahead of
the vessel. At 9.15 a.m. two torpedoes were seen approaching from the
port quarter, one striking No. 3 hold, while the second struck No. 5
hold. The ship began to settle rapidly and sank, stern first, at 12.40
p.m. The third engineer of the Justicia died of his injuries and 15 men
are missing from the engine-room staff as the result of the first
explosion. The whole of the officers and crew were saved.
The submarine which was reported as having been sunk by H.M.S. Marne was
one of those endeavouring to get into position to attack the Justicia.
-30-
