Daily Event for July 6


July 6, 1905: The French navy had their first serious submarine accident when the Farfadet sank on Lake Bizerta, French North Africa (Tunisia). The accident was blamed on an inexperienced crew when a hatch was left unsecured during a dive exercise. The commander and two crewmen on the bridge were blown clear of the boat by a rush of air escaping the submarine but, the fourteen men in the boat went to the bottom.

Fortunately the Lake is shallow and a rescue attempt was made immediately. Divers located the Farfadet and heard tapping from the crew trapped inside.  A floating crane was moved into position and lines were attached to the sunken sub, raising the hopes of everyone. Sadly it was not their day for when the stern broke the surface the crane, under enormous strain, collapsed, sending the Farfadet back to the bottom and the crew to their death. It is not known how many of the 14 were still alive when she was raised but none of them survived because no other crane capable of raising the boat was available. The boat was salvaged later.

© 2006 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com