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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Lieutenant Arthur S. Carpender, Commander, Fanning,  to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters

 

10-3-17

U.S.S. FANNING

July 15, 1917.

From:   Commanding Officer, (Lieut.A.S.Carpender, U.S.N.),

To:     Commander U.S.Naval Forces Operating in European Waters.

Subject:  Survivors – S.S.Charilaos Tricoupis.

        1. At 10:25 and 10:40 a.m., 13 July, 1917, in latitude 52.30 <N.,> longitude <13º03’> W., picked up from two boats, 23 survivors of Greek1 steamer Charilaos Tricoupis, L.Gonlandris, Master; from Dakar, 27 June, 1917, for Sligo, Ireland; cargo, maize.

        2. Two torpedoes fired at vessel, first at 8:15 a.m., and second at 8:40 a.m.; first struck starboard quarter, between rudder and propeller, doing no damage; second starboard side amidships blowing up ship, which sank at 8:45 a.m. Ship abandoned after first shot. Submarine not seen, until after second shot, when she came to surface, showing no colors, and nobody coming on deck. She then submerged and disappeared. From discription of master and survivors submarine was of the U-52-62 class.2

        3. Landed survivors at Bantry, Ireland, and after fueling at Berehaven, returned to station.

A.S.Carpender.

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 1: Greece was initially neutral, although its prime minister, Eleutherios Venizelos, strongly favored the Allies while King Constantine I, brother-in-law of Kaiser Wilhelm II, sympathized with the Central Powers. In June 1917 the Allies forced Constantine to abdicate, and Greece declared war on the Central Powers on 2 July. WWI Encyclopedia, Vol., III: 517-518.

Footnote 2: Charilaos Tricoupis was sunk by U-58 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Karl Scherb. U-boat.net, accessed on 6 July 2017, http://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/1215.html.

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