THROUGH A MINEFIELD

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2431, 9 April 1915, Page 5

THROUGH A MINEFIELD

♦ ' STORY OF A SUBMARINE ATTACK. The following graphic account of tlie submarine attack rnado by the British under-watcr boat 8.11, in tlie Davdanelles, on the Turkish battleship ilussudieh, will perhaps convey to the reader as good an idea of the w ay 'in which the submarine makes its dart at its prey, as any .technical description wliich could be given. The story was written by one of the seamen on 8.11, named Victor , Westall, and is well told: — On the morning of December 13, at • '"3 o'clock, the of the Dardanelles. Having fully charged her battery—that is, with electricity, which gives the submarines propelling power whilst under the surface—the captain gives the order, "Down bridge rails, prepare to dive." The crew go below, the captain last; he closes the conning-tower lid. He then sings out, "Diving stations" The men get to their posts. Two are at the torpedotubes, one at each main ballast-tank kingston, one at the hydroplane wheel, another at the submerged steering position; another at the motor switches; i the engineer is there at tho group of ' vents which aliows- the- air to escape as i tho water floods the tanks. The next order comes from tho captain, "Flood main ballast." Each'kmgston' is opened, the water rushes in;: and the boat begins to silik. The tauks are full, the gauge is showing 7ft., not - quito deep enough,.so. the auxiliary" ballast tanks • are opened, the tanks- slowly fill, and the gauge now show* 10ft. "Close everything" is next heard from tho voico in tho conning-toiver—these boats are ■ never under tho surface unlftss underway, as there is a tank known as the buoyancy tank, which is nover flooded, and always, sufficient .buoyancy for tha boat to como to the surface when, tha motors are stopped. The boat is now what we callcd trimmed. Then we get the order to dive, say, 16ft., so that the periscope is just on tho surface. Tho hydroplanes aro put to dive and tho motors startod to 1 the ahead position. It 'does, not take . long to get down, for I have dived that boat 8.1 lto 65ft. in ljmin. She is now j feeling the effects of the strong cur- . Tent which runs down from the Black Sea. The captain is satisfied with things so far, so gives the order, "Take hor down to 60ft." At 11.45 a.m. the boat is brought to tho surface to see where they are. To the captain's surprise ■there is a ship not far awaj —ana a Turk, too. "Down again to 40ft.; charge tiring-tank; flood torpedo tube; stand by to fire." All this ill one breath. "Up again to fifteen feet, (she is within range), fire." Tho torpedo has gone, af you say, to blow the Turks and Germans to heaven. The shot was a good one, for an explosion is heard. Now to get back to safety. Guns from the short, i are doing their best to hit the submar- . ine, but sho soon gets out of the danger i Of the guns, and is at 40ft. again. 5 We will just have a look at tlie target ) to satisfy curiosity. She is sinking bj i the stem, so all is well. Down to 60ft. t "What was that?" At 30ft. the submarine has struck. For ton minutes she grates the bottom—shingle no doubt. There is no panic in the boat, for the captain, Lieutenant Holbrook, is very trustworthy. She is off the bottom, and in tho deep channel again, so at 60ft, tTi'o boat gets as far as Belles Pont. Next comes the order, "Surface." Tlie surt'aco is reached. "Blow (ill main ballast." ' The water is forced from tho > tanks by a. pressure of air, tho tanks ■ aro empty, tho gas _ongi.no is started, I and out she comes victorious, to report a sale return and a c.liif> hit, after being 0} hours submerged. No wotidcr all England gives pnii'o to such a. grand i feat, and no one will realieo more what '. dangers ba,ve been dared tliau wo who know th^KcriißELef