HMS ARABIS. What really happened

[Sgt Stripes]

I am researching K9784 SPO A Rowe taken prisoner by the Germans when HMS ARABIS was sunk. Some accounts state that she along with Three other ships were not told of a German sortie by the German high seas fleet. Another account stated that while the three other ships headed for home ARABIS was detailed to stay by her marker buoy. Another account states the after seeing the German Destroyers the four ships made for port but ARABIS was court. Just want to clarify what actually happened .  

[Allan1892]

From Wiki

On 9 February 1916, the four sloops of the flotilla (Buttercup (leader of the flotilla), Arabis, Alyssum and Poppy), set out from Bridlington Bay to continue sweeping a channel in the North Sea.[11] On 10 February a force of 25 German torpedo boats of the 2nd, 6th and 9th Torpedo-boat flotillas set out on a sortie into the North Sea.[12][13] While the British Admiralty had been warned of the German operation by the codebreakers of Room 40, they did not recall the 10th Sloop Flotilla in order not to warn the Germans that the British could break the German Navy's codes.[14][b] The Admiralty stated that "Vessels at a distance from their ports must take their chance".[15] At dusk on 10 February, the four sloops stopped their sweeping, dropping a dan buoy to mark the progress of the sweep. Arabis was ordered to remain underway in the vicinity of the buoy, while the other three ships steamed south-east and north-west. At about 22:50 hr, Buttercup was leading was leading Poppy and Alyssum back towards the buoy, when what appeared to be the flashes of torpedoes being launched were spotted by Buttercup's officer of the watch, who turned the sloop away at full speed with Poppy and Alyssum following. Arabis, meanwhile, remained near the buoy and was attacked by several torpedo boats, with two torpedoes missing Arabis and an exchange of gunfire occurring, with Arabis's steering gear and radio equipment damaged before the German ships broke off the engagement. After about 45 minutes, a second group of German torpedo boats approached. Arabis opened fire on the German ships, although her aft 4.7-inch gun jammed after the second round, before two torpedoes hit Arabis, sinking the sloop.[16] The Germans picked up 14 survivors, with 76 men killed.[17] Arabis's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Commander Hallowell-Carew, was in 1919 awarded the Distinguished Service Order for this action.[17][18]