Basilisk’s Captain, Commander M.Richmond produced a report dated 14th November. This gives a similar account of events, albeit from Basilisk’s perspective. The following extracts describe the mining of Adventure and Blanche:-
3. At 0518 an explosion was seen alongside H.M.S. ADVENTURE on the port side. It was a bright red flash, the main body of which came to the upper deck with smaller sparks and flames to the height of the bridge. H.M.Ships BASILISK and BLANCHE reversed engines and took the way off their ships. Boats were lowered and sent towards H.M.S.ADVENTURE. Asdic watch was set and destroyers swept round clear of ADVENTURE for possible submarine but no contacts were obtained.
4. At 0603 H.M.S. ADVENTURE ordered me to close and I proceeded alongside and embarked 62 wounded men [--] together with a Surgeon Commander and two Sick Berth Ratings. I went onboard H.M.S. ADVENTURE and spoke to her Captain who gave me the following verbal instructions. H.M.S. BASILISK to lead H.M.S. ADVENTURE back to the SOUTH EDINBURGH Channel South and West of the position where she was struck,while H.M.S. BLANCHE acted as an Anti-Submarine screen. While I was onboard H.M.S. ADVENTURE another explosion was heard in the direction of MARGATE.
6. At 0820 H.M.S. BLANCHE was struck. The explosion was observed to take place just abaft the mainmast and it appeared like a large white puff round the stern of the ship with spray reaching as high as the mainmast head. No flash or discolouration was seen. The ship appeared to droop aft but did not seem to be in any immediate danger of sinking. A lifeboat was in attendance on H.M.S. ADVENTURE and I requested the latter to send it to H.M.S. BLANCHE. The lifeboat, however, made off towards MARGATE and H.M.S. ADVENTURE suggested that I should go after it. I did so but failed to locate it. On the way I spoke to the tug FABIA and sent her to H.M.S. BLANCHE. I also ordered a small fishing boat GOLDEN SPRAY, R.59, of RAMSGATE to go to the assistance of H.M.S. BLANCHE.
Basilisk’s captain also drew a track chart which gives a good picture of most of the movements of the three ships on the day. This is not reproduced here for copyright reasons.