BIG PIRATE SUBMARINE AT WORK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2410, 16 March 1915, Page 5

BIG PIRATE SUBMARINE AT WORK

RAIDS OFF LAND'S END DEFENCELESS STEAMERS ATTAGipSD (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) ■ • m London, March 14. The German submarine U29 (18 knots) has sunk the French steamer Atjgpte Conseil (2952 tons built in 1913) at Start' Point, on' the " south-east coast of Devonshire. Thq crew were paved. ' ' Further details of the attacks pn merchant vessels off the Scilly Isles show that the attack by JJ29 on the Indian City was "witnessed""from the shore. 'J?ne submarine then chased the Headlands and sooii overtook her She wap torpedoed lifter the orew had quitted her. The submarine afterwards pursued tjie Andalusian until they went out of sight from the land.(Rec. March 15, 10.15 p.m.) ' m „ , , w ... • London, March 15. .The TJ29 gave the Auguste ConseH's crew ten minutes to quit. The enginger refused the;steamer, pd the Germans placed three bombs 'on bpfird. These were ineffective, and tfcrea others were used. These broke the vessel in twam. The crew were taken pti board the {submarine and given cigars, and the submarine towed their .boats and handed them over to a neutral'steamer." Tlia Adonjen's prew (the Adenjen was sunk in the Channel) 'were treated similarly. _ ' . The Floragan lras sijhk in th® Bristol Channel, without warning. The explosion killed a fireman. " " FRUITLESS EFFORTS TO ESCAPE. (Rec. March 15, 11.25 p.in.) . , , -rr ' London, March 15. . The captain of the Hartdale (sunk in tlie Irish Channel) states that he disregarded thj order to .stop, and zigzagged for an hqur until overtaken. Tjien he skilfully manoeuvred, preventing .the subpiarino from aiming, until the latter was so close that escape was impossible. Tho steamer was torpedoed at close range. The captain and three others were picked pp in the water, in an exhausted condition. EIGHTEEN-KNOT RAIDER DESCRIBED. The Scilly Isles are a group of 140 islets and rocks some '30 miles .west-south-west of Lands End, Cornwall. There are two Start Points, one in the Orkney Islands and the other in Devon, but the fact that TJ29 was raiding • off the Scilly Isles would seem to fix definitely the locality of tlie sinking of tho Auguste Conseil. The submarine U29, which appears in the arena of these piratical undertakings for the first time, belongs tq the Cjass TJ2S-30 in tho 1913-14 programme of Gorman naval construction. These six vessels, says Mr. C. W. Domville-Fife in his book, "Submarines, Mine§, and' Torpedoes" ("Daily Mail" War Book Series), are the latest addition to the German submarine flotilla. "Thoy are of 900 tons submerged displacement, with heavy oil engines of 2000 h.p., and electric motors of 900 li.p. Their surface and submerged speed is 18 knots and 10 knots respectively, and their surface cruising range is 4000 miles. Their armament consists of two bow and two stern torpedo tubes, with eight large-size torpodoes,' and, in addition, two 14-poumler quick-firers and two 1-pounder hjgh-anglo guns. They have wireless telegraphic apparatus on board, and are specially constructed with long super-structures and higli coliier-like bows to enable them to keep at sea in almost any weather. They are fitted with two or three periscopes, and also possess a small look-out cap on the top of the lofty conning-tower to facilitate 'awash' attack in tho half-lights of dawn atod dusk, when the periscope is almost useless. The-coii-ning-towers and decks are armoured. Their complement is from 30 to 35 officers ana men. FRENCH STEAMER'S NARROW ESCAPE. parjs, M>rch 14. Tlje French steamer Campinas (3098 tons) jußt ascoptd being torpedoed at Cherbourg (tho French ss-val base on tho Channel coast) 1# taking re?U«* i neutral skip, Tovonrfo-hoat destfsferj, chased tlw wbku escaped

OUTRAGES ON NEUTRAL SHIPPING

PIRATICAL ATTACK ON SWEDISH STEAMER. London; March 13. The nationality of the steamer which was reported yesterday to havo been rained and sunk off Scarborough has been established. It was' the Swedish steamer Hanna (1573 tons). Sis out of a crcw of twenty were killed, .apparently by the explosion. An officer states that he saw. a- torpedo, though the submarine was not visible. The vessel's name and nationality was painted from the rail to the water-lino. GERMANY DENIES THE SINKING OE THE BELRIDGE. London,-March 14. Germanjr has replied to Norway denying that Germans torpedoed the steamer Belridge. , The oil tank steamer Belridge (Norwegian) was reported to havo been stink in the Channel by a torpedo from a German submarine. The sinking of the vessel exasperated Norway, and she stated that -unless Germany declared it was a mistako and gave compensation Norway would claim damages from the German shipping in her harbours. A message from Christiania last week stated tliat , the Norwegian Naval Commission was satisfied that the steamer Belridge was sunk by Germans. ■ . AMERICAN ADMIRATION FOR THE PRINz EITEL FRIEDRICH London, March 14. . American iiava.l circles express frank admiration at the German armed liner Prince Eitel Friedrich's career, which from a technical standpoint puts the Emden's exploits in the shade; —"Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services. PRINZ EITEL'S COMMANDER IN BAD ODOUR IN BERLIN. , (Rec. March 15, 6 p.m.) ■ , London, March 15. A report from Amsterdam declares that the sinking of the American sailing sliip William Frye by the Prinz Eitel Frederick caused a most painful impression in German official quarters, where the act is ascribed to the unfortunate zeal of an excitable captain. The Press is not allowed to mention the incident.—"Times" and Sydney "Sim" Services.

DRAWING THE BLOCKADE NET TIGHTER

FORECAST OF ALLIES' NEW DEOEEE. London, March 14. The Exchange 'Agency telegraphs from Paris that a decree tightening the blockade oil Germany will be issued next week. It has been drafted By the British Admiralty and the.French Ministry of Marine conjointly. AH slnps going towards Germany will be seized, irrespective of their flag, taken to a, French port, and examined. The question whether a German ship shall be taken as a prize or sunk is to be left to the discretion of the 1 captors. Provision is to be made for payment for merchandise seized. CONTRABAND SMUGGLING: TWO TRUCKS OF "BEER" Rome, March 13. The Customs officers at Venice seized two truck loads of "beer" from Berlin, consigned to Tripoli. Ninety-two of the barrels contained French rifles and ammunition, intended for the' Arabs, who, apparently, were intended to cause the Italians trouble in Tripoli.