TOLD BY A SUBMARINE COMMANDER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2422, 30 March 1915, Page 5

TOLD BY A SUBMARINE COMMANDER

STORY OP A GERMAN ATTACK

HOW THREE BRITISH CRUISERS WERE LOST

Lieutenant Otto Weddigen, formerly commander of the German Submarine TJ9 which' sank tho British cruisers Aboukir, Cressy, and Bogue—and latterly supposed to be in command of Submarine U29, reported sunk a few days ago, has been one of the most successful submarine commanders in the naval operations of the great ivar.. The "New York Times" published some time ago own story of /the sinking of the three cruisers abovementioned, He says: AVhen I started from home the fact was kept quiet and a heavy sea helped to keep the secret. English torpedo boats came within my reach, but I felt there was bigger gfime further on, bo on I went. 1 travelled on the surface except' when we sighted vessels, and then I submerged, not even showing my periscope, except when it was necessary to tako hearings. It was ten minutes after 6 011 tho morning of last Tuesday when I caught sight of one of tho big cruisers of tho enemy.

The Attack. I was then eighteen sea miles'northwesfc of the Hook of Holland. I liad then travelled considerably more than 200 miles from my base'. My boat was one of an. old .type, but-she had. been built on honour,. and. shp.. \vas behaving beautifully. I had been going ahead partly submerged, with about iivo feet of niy periscope showing. . Almost immediately I caught sight.of,the first cruiser and two others. I submerged completely and laid my course so as to brin" up in the centre- of the trio, whicli held a sort of triangular formation. I could see their gray-black, pities riding high over tlie water. '

When I first sighted ttem they were near enough for torpedo work, but I wanted to make my aim sure, so I went down and in on them. I had taken the position of the three ships before submerging, and I succeeded in gettjng another flash through my periscope before I began action. I soon reached what I regarded as a good shooting point. ,

[The officer is • not permitted' to give this distance, but it is understood to have been considerably less than-a mile, although tho German torpedoes have an. effective range of four miles.] Then I loosed one of my torpedoes at the middle ship. ' I was then about |w'elve feet under water, and got the shot off in good shape, my men handling the boat as if she had been a skiff. I climbed to the surface to get a sight through my tube of the effect, and discovered that tho shot had gono straight and true, striking the ship, which I lator learned was the Aboukir, under one of her' magazines, which in exploding helped the torpedo's work of destruction. Torpedoed, There was a fountain of water, a burst of smoke, a flash of fire, and part of the cruiser rose in tho air. Then I heard a roar and felt reverberations sent through the water by the detonation. She had been broken apart, and f a » lc a few minutes. The Aboukir had been stricken in a vital spot and by an unseen force; that made the blow all the greater. ( Her crew were brave, and even with death staring them in the face kept to their posts, ready to handle their useless guns, for 1 submerged at once. But ihad stayed on top long enough to see the other cruisers, which 1 learned were 1 the Cressv and the Hogue, turn, and steam full speed to their dyinf sister whose plight they could not understand, unless it had been due to an accident. As 1 reached my torpedo depth .! sent' a second charge at tho nearest of the oncoming vessels, which was tho Hogue. Che English were playing my game, tor I had scarcely to move out- of my position, which was a groat aid, since it helped to keep me from detection. t> i ? on the Hogue went true.-. But this time I did not have the ad- : vantageous aid of having the torpedo detonate under the magazine, so for twenty minutes the Hogue lay wounded and helpless on the surface before sha heaved, half turned over and sank. The Cressy'3 Fate, But this time, the tliird cruiser knew of course that tho enemy was upon her and she sought as best she could to defend herself. She loosed her torpedo defence batteries on brats, starboard and port,_ and stood her ground as if more anxious to help the many sailors who. were in the water than to save herself. In common with the method of defending herself against a submarine attack, she steamed- in a zigzag course, and this made it necessary for me to hold my torpedoes until I could lay a true course for them, which also made it necessary for me to get nearer to the Cressy. I had come to the surface for a view and saw how wildly; the fire was beiug sent from the 6hip. Small wonder that was when they did not know where to shoot,- although one shot went unpleasantly near lis. When 1 got within suitable range I sent away my third attack. This time I sent a second torpedo after the first to make the strike doubly certain. My crew were aiming like sharpshooters and both went to their bull's-eye. My, luck was with me again, for the enemy was made useless and at once began sinking by her head. Then she greened far over, but all the while her men stayed at the guns looking for their invisible foe. Thoy were brave, and true to Mieir country's sea traditions. Then she eventually suffered a. boiler explosion and completely turned turtle. Witli her keel -uppermost she floated until the air got out from under her, and then she sank with a loud, sound, as if from a creature in pain. The whole affair had taken less than one hour from tho time of shooting off tho first torpedo" until went to the bottom. Not one of tho three had been able to use any of its big guns. I knew the wireless of the three cruisers had been calling for aid. I was still quite able to defend myself, but I knew that news of the disaster would call many English submarines and torpedo boat destroyers, so, having dene my appointed work, I. set my course for home... ...V. £