An attack on merchant shipping, 1917, summarised version of the report
(NRS reference: NP1/175)

Transcript: 

William Leask, Master of the SS St Margaret of Aberdeen stated that he sailed from Leith at 8am on 9 September 1917, with a general cargo of 450 tons, bound for Iceland via Lerwick. He left Lerwick at 4pm on 11 September heading for the Faroes on his way to Iceland. 

The following day at 1.30pm, he saw a black object in the distance from the starboard bow of the St Margaret. At 3.45pm, his ship was struck amidships by a torpedo on the starboard side and started to sink at once. Just as the torpedo was fired, the periscope of a submarine was spotted about 150 yards away. 

The Master ordered the port boat to be put out and got 4 men in it but the starboard boat became waterlogged and no one could get in. The ship sank in 3½ minutes. Five of the crew were drowned. The rest kept themselves afloat until they were picked up by the port boat. The submarine came to the surface, examined the boat and then left. 

At this time, the Master and his crew were 30 miles from the Faroes in a gale in heavy seas. They spent 3 days and 3 nights in the open boat before reaching Hillswick [on the coast of Shetland] at 6.30 p.m. on 18 September having lost all their personal effects.