A postcard of some of the last moments of the French battleship Léon-Gambetta, sunk by the Austro-Hungarian submarine U-5 under the command of Captain Georg von Trapp around midnight the night of April 26-27, 1915. The ship sunk in just nine minutes, taking 684 of its 821 men to their death. Captain von Trapp was later famous as head of the von Trapp Family Singers, immortalized on stage and screen in The Sound of Music.

Le 'Léon-Gambetta' coulé le 26 Avril 1915

Croiseur cuirasse lancé en 1901 - Déplacement 12,512 tonnes - Puissance totale 28,715 chevaux - Vitesse 23 nœuds



The 'Léon Gambetta' sunk April 26, 1915

Armored cruiser launched in 1901 - displacement: 12,512 tons - Total horsepower 28,715 - speed 23 knots



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A message from a colonial soldier at the barracks in Toulon writing to his sister.

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Georg von Trapp, Austro-Hungarian navel officer and successful submariner. He taken command of the submarine U5 and was patrolling the Adriatic Sea the night of April 26-27, 1915. The French fleet also patrolled the Adriatic both to supply their ally Montenegro, and to keep the Austro-Hungarian fleet from breaking out into the Mediterranean. After sighting then losing a French armored cruiser on the preceding days, Von Trapp correctly determined its likely location, and found the ship by moonlight. Closing on it, he fired two torpedoes, both of which struck the Léon Gambetta which went down in nine minutes with 684 of its crew. Von Trapp was Austria-Hungary's most successful submariner. He was later famous as the father of the Von Trapp Family Singers, portrayed on stage and screen in The Sound of Music.

National Affiliation: Austria-Hungary