Many Were Held By the Sea: The Tragic Sinking of the HMS Otranto

During WWI, German U-boats struck fear into the hearts of sailors aboard Allied vessels traversing the Atlantic Ocean. Yet the HMS Otranto, a British troop transport ship carrying more than 1000 men, was sunk by one of its own, the HMS Kashmir, after the two vessels collided during a storm in October of 1918. Here, the late Scott, formerly a professor and librarian at Middle Tennessee State University, offers a gripping account of this calamity and the events surrounding it. After picking up Europe-bound American soldiers in New York, a series of mishaps plagued the boat, leading some to believe the Otranto was "jinxed:" days after setting sail, the ship rammed a French fishing boat, and shortly afterwards many of the men fell violently ill with Spanish influenza. Relying on contemporary accounts, Scott provides graphic details of these and the final tragic accidents off the coast of Scotland, as well as the chilling three-hour aftermath, during which time a British destroyer braved the waves and saved nearly 600 men before the Ontrato was finally shattered against the reefs. How the tragedy affected the nearby islanders (some of whom helped to rescue those who made it to shore alive) and the American families awaiting news of their loved ones provides a grim denouement to this beautifully written and heartrending story. Photos. (Aug.)