News from 1915 Californian Torpedoed and Sunk

[Kyle Hauser]

How long did it take for the Californain to sink?

 

[Michael H. Standart]

I've seen no information on that. By this point in time, merchent ship sinkings were so common that this wasn't the sort of thing that would get a lot of special attention unless something about it really stood out.

 

[Inger Sheil]

Hallo Kyle -

I have a copy of the report into her sinking (under Shipping Casualities / Return for Wreck Register).

It states the following:

Ship was struck by a torpedo from an enemy submarine at 7.45 a.m. when steaming at a speed of 12 knots. A French torpedo boat was escorting the ship at the time. A French patrol boat came up and tried to tow the vessel but tow rope broke at 1.20 pm. While trying to connect rope at 2.15 p.m. a second torpedo was fired and vessel began to make water fast. Crew were taken on board patrol boats. Master understands that ship sank later. Crew remained by ship for 7 hours, from first torpedo being fired. Second torpedo destroyed all ship's papers which were in ship's boat. Two firemen were scalded.

So no specific time seems to be known, but more than seven hours.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

It took two hits to send it to the bottom. Very typical.