THE FIRST SWEEPERS 



ing officer of the Speedy stated that the Linsdell 

 struck a mine that morning 30 miles off the East 

 coast and sank. A quarter of an hour later the 

 Speedy also struck a mine and sank. The Speedy' s 

 casualties were slight. In the case of the drifter, 

 Skipper Woodgate and four members of the crew 

 were missing, the rest of the crew having been 

 picked up by the Speedy before she struck the 

 second mine. 



Two days later the light cruiser H.M.S. Path- 

 finder struck a mine about twenty miles off the East 

 coast and foundered very rapidly, with heavy loss 

 of life. Several steam drifters which were in the 

 neighbourhood hurried to the scene of the disaster 

 and helped greatly in saving the survivors. 



These were amongst the first of the losses which 

 the British Navy sustained through mines, other 

 losses including the battleships Irresistible and 

 Ocean in the Dardanelles, on March 18, 1915 ; the 

 battleships King Edward VII. and Russell, in the 

 .Mediterranean; the Arethusa, off the East coast, 

 H.M.S. Lynx, North Sea, and Coquette, East 

 coast ; all these losses being due to mines. 



The allegation was made that it was Great Britain 

 which first laid a minefield in the middle of the 

 North Sea. This statement was industriously cir- 

 culated and emphasised by Germany, and it ob- 

 tained wide credence, especially in neutral coun- 

 tries. Attention was called to the matter in the 

 House of Commons at the beginning of 191 7, and 

 Dr. Macnamara issued a statement with regard to 



55 



