The weapon that sank Janus remains disputed in this account, with Fritz X, Hs 293 and a conventional torpedo all considered. A very heavy warhead is judged the most plausible explanation for the damage. The torpedo theory is treated as unlikely because there was no apparent torpedo-bomber run, nearby submarine attack or exchange of torpedoes between ships. Even a well-built destroyer could break apart if enough explosive struck the wrong place. Janus sank in about twenty minutes, and only eighty crew members survived, most rescued by HMS Laforey.
Notable Point · 41:18-42:37
The disputed weapon that sank HMS Janus
Fritz X, Hs 293 and a conventional torpedo appear in competing accounts of Janus's loss.