Loss and rescue
On the afternoon of 27 March 1915 Falaba left Liverpool for West Africa carrying 151 passengers and 95 crew. They included 30 British Army officers on their way to prepare for the Kamerun campaign, and 70 Colonial Service officers.[4] Her cargo included 13 tons of cartridges and gunpowder.[5][6]
Falaba left the Mersey estuary just after the White Star Liner SS Cymric, and at 19:00 hrs the two ships dropped their pilots to the same cutter off Holyhead. The ships parted in the Irish Sea, as Cymric headed for Fastnet and Falaba made for Las Palmas.[7][8]
The next day Falaba sighted a submarine in St George's Channel 38 nmi west of the Smalls Lighthouse. The submarine was flying the White Ensign, but as it closed on her, it replaced it with the ensign of the Imperial German Navy, and signalled "Stop and abandon ship". The submarine was SMU U-28 (Germany). Falaba's Master, Captain Frederick J Davis, ordered "full ahead", which increased her speed to 15 kn. Falaba also fired distress rockets. U-28 gave chase at 16 kn for a quarter of an hour, and ordered "Stop or I will fire". Falaba hove to, and U-28 told her "You have ten[9] minutes".[4]
Falaba's Chief Officer ordered the Marconi wireless operator to transmit a distress signal.[10] It said "Submarine alongside. Am putting off passengers in boats." Cymric was one of the ships that received the signal, and was no more than 15 nmi away, but Admiralty standing orders forbade her to put herself at risk by going to assist.[8] A few minutes later, Cymrics Marconi operator heard Royal Navy warships answering Falabas signal.[7]
Falaba began abandoning ship. After about 10 minutes (the amount of time is disputed, with the British inquiry claiming 5 minutes,[11] German government sources claiming 23 minutes, and many witnesses claiming 10 minutes[12]) and before she had launched all her lifeboats, smoke was sighted on the horizon. U-28 fired one torpedo from a range of only 100 yards,[13] hitting Falaba's engine room,[14] and causing her to sink within ten minutes at position 51.5°N, -6.6°W. The explosion also capsized the first two lifeboats that had been launched, throwing many people into the water.[13]
One survivor said that about 50 people were standing on Falaba's poop when the torpedo struck, and he believed that all of them were killed. He said that he was with about 40 people in a lifeboat, but it was leaking badly, and within about 20 minutes it filled with water and capsized. Falaba's wireless operator described being in a lifeboat "but almost as soon as it touched the water it began to sink, a part of the side having burst through". A passenger with a piece of rope held the crack together as well as he could, but water poured in and soon we were up to our waists in water." He added that a member of the crew was washed away from the swamped lifeboat.[10]
111 people were killed, including Captain Davis. Some survivors, including the Second Engineer, alleged that about a dozen of U-28's crew were on deck, laughing at the victims, and making no effort to rescue anyone.[15] The German government rejected such accusations as "shameless lies".[16]
One British passenger took photographs aboard Falaba while the passengers and crew were abandoning ship. The film in his camera survived, although he was in the water for an hour before being rescued. The Daily Mirror published his photographs.[17]
Two drifters, Eileen Emma and Wenlock, rescued survivors, and towed the lifeboats to safety. Eight people, including Captain Davis, died of hypothermia after being rescued.[14] Survivors were landed in Milford Haven, Wales.[10][18]
