(continued)

    About three minutes after the offside blast, a mine exploded directly under the ship. Men on the DE's bridge were thrown to the deck. A 50-foot section of the ship's stern was torn off and set adrift. Survivors clung to this floating wreckage and swam desperately in the debris strewn water.

    At the break where the fantail had been amputated, wounded men crawled in a thicket of broken scrap and uprooted gear. A series of emergency reports reached the bridge; several torpedoes were making hot runs in their tubes; the main deck had sagged, vicinity of #2 engine-room; compartments forward of the engineering spaces had suffered only minor damage.

    Before this information could be assessed, the disabled DE was blasted by a third mine. The explosion occurred about two minutes after the second blast. In his Action Report, Lieutenant Commander Michel mentioned that the final explosion hurled him from the bridge. He recalled a sensation of flying through the air, then blackout unconsciousness.

The following text is from Lt. Commander Michel's account:

    "Upon regaining consciousness, I found myself on the deck some ten or fifteen feet from my usual station on the flying bridge, and got to my feet with some difficulty to survey the damage. The flying bridge was  completely demolished, with the mast lying across the debris: all  personnel appeared dead or unconscious except myself and Ensign W. D. Cunningham, Assistant Gunnery Officer, but upon going to the side, a few more could  be seen moving on the decks below. The force of the explosion and its effect on material and personnel were terrific.

    "It is believed that the mine exploded approximately under the ice machine room. The ship began to settle slowly by the bow. The forward fire room was severely damaged and had to be abandoned; the after fire room lost pressure and was forced to secure. 

    "Personnel casualties were heavy, the force of the explosion having thrown men as much as fifty feet or more, and it is believed that not more than two or three men who were forward of the mast survived without more or less severe head, back or leg injuries. Considering the damaged condition of the ship, the immediate and urgent task appeared to be to remove the injured to small craft before the ship should sink. Life rafts were cast loose. 

    "Attempt was made to hail alongside all PT, British ML, and Coast Guard patrol craft in the vicinity, and these vessels sent men  and blankets aboard to move the injured off. All these worked unstintingly  to remove the wounded to the small craft that came alongside. and left only when the ship started its final plunge."

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