25th May 1915
Western Front
Close of the Battle of Festubert.
2nd Battle of Ypres comes to an end with some German gains east of Ypres.
Eastern Front
Austro-Germans take bridgehead of Zagrody on the San.
Southern Front
Italians capture Monte Altinino (Trentino).
Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres
Russians occupy Miandob (Persia).
Naval and Overseas Operations
First U-boat attacks on ships off Gallipoli by U.21 (Lt-Cdr Otto Hersing):
Vengeance, battleship, Canopus-class, zigzagging up from Mudros to meet sister-ship Canopus and relieve her as gunfire support ship off Anzac Cove, submarines were expected in the area and a periscope was spotted at 0730 off the Dardanelles entrance, it was also seen heading north and at one point passed between battleships Swiftsure and Agamemnon, then disappeared, sea calm and visibility good. Due east of Cape Kephalo, Imbros island at 1000, Vengeance spotted a torpedo coming towards her from shorewards, swung clear and continued on to Gaba Tepe. Alarms and sightings continued during the morning.
TRIUMPH, battleship, Swiftsure-class, 11,985t, building as Chilean Libertad, launched 1903, purchased by Admiralty before completion, 4-10in/14-7.5in/14-14pdr/2-18in tt, 20kts, c700 crew, China Station 8/14, later to Mediterranean, Capt Maurice Fitzmaurice, providing gunfire support for Anzac beachhead, under way off Gaba Tepe with nets down, light guns manned and watertight doors closed, destroyer Chelmer patrolling round her at 15kts. Periscope sighted at 1225 on Triumph's starboard beam, Chelmer dashed for it, Triumph started firing but a a minute later a torpedo fired by U.21 (J - U.51) passed through the nets and hit her, almost immediately took on 10° list and continued to heel over. Chelmer came under her stern walk to take off a large number of men, capsized 10min after being hit, floated bottom-up for 30min then sank bow first just NW of Gaba Tepe off Ari Burnu/Anzac Cove. The scene was apparently so dramatic and unexpected, ANZAC and Turkish troops reportedly stopped fighting and stood to watch her end; 3 officers and 52 ratings lost (Rn/Cn/He/ke - 3 officers, 70 men lost, over 500 survivors). With the U-boat threat, continuous battleship support was no longer possible, a severe blow to the Australian and New Zealand troops.
H.M.S. "Triumph" torpedoed off Gallipoli by U-21.
American S.S. "Nebraskan" torpedoed.
Despite the British and Russian blockade against Germany, more than a 100 ships have managed to slip through.
Australian and Indian troop reinforcing Anzac Beach at Gallipoli.
Political, etc.
Prime Minister Asquith forms a new wartime coalition government by bringing in Conservatives.
Formation of Coalition Ministry; Nationalists approve refusal of Mr. John Redmond to take office.
Greece invites German and Austrian doctors into the country after King Constantine falls deathly ill.
Treaty between China and Japan.
Ship Losses:
Hernodia ( Sweden): The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Sea of Åland off Söderarm.
Rijndam ( Netherlands): The ocean liner collided with Joseph J. Cuneo ( Norway) in the Atlantic Ocean 10 nautical miles (19 km) south of the Nantucket Shoals], United States. Two hundred and thirty passengers were rescued by USS Louisiana, USS Michigan, USS South Carolina and USS Texas (all United States Navy). Rijndam was subsequently repaired and returned to service.
HMS Triumph ( Royal Navy): Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign: The Swiftsure-class battleship was torpedoed and sunk in the Dardanelles by
SM U-21 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 78 of her 803 crew. Survivors were rescued by HMS Chelmer ( Royal Navy).
