AMERICA'S FIRST SHOT AT A U-BOAT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 69, 14 December 1917, Page 5

AMERICA'S FIRST SHOT AT A U-BOAT

EXCITING INCIDENT ON AN

ARMED LINER,

Lieutenant Bruce R. Ware, jun., of the United States Navy, who commanded the gun-crew of the steamship Mongolia, recently told a dinner party of the first American shot fired in the war at a German submarine. "At 5.21," ho related, "tho chief officer walked out on the port bridge. The captain and myself were on our heels looking out through the port. I saw the chief officer turn around, and you could have seen the whole ocean written in his face, and his mouth that wide (indicating), and he could not get it out. He finally said: 'My God, look at that submarine I| "The captain gripped my arm and said: 'What is that?' "I said: 'It is a submarine, and he has got us.' _ "I followed the captain out on the bridge and I looked at my gun-crews. They were all asape. The look-out was all agape. I threw in my starboard control and I said: 'Captain, zig-zag.' I did not tell him which way to go., We had that all doped out. The captain starboarded his helm and the ship turned to port and we charged the Üboat and made him go under. I went lip on top of the chart-house with my 'phones on, and I had a long, powerful glass, ten power. Right underneath it I always lashed my transmitter, so that where I was my transmitter wont, and I didn't have to worry or hunt for it. I was always plugged in, and I said: " 'No. 3 gun, alter gun, train on the starboard quarter, and when you see a submarine and periscope or coiiningtower, report.' "The gun-crew reported control. 'We see it —no, no —it has gone. There it is again.' "I picked it up at that moment with my high-powered glass, and I gave them the range —1000 yards. Scale 50. She was about 800 yards away from us. I gave the order: 'No. 3 gun, fire, commence firing.' "I had my glasses on-' then, gentlemen, and I saw that jioriscope come up. 'No. 3 gun, commence firing, fire, fire, fire.' And tliey did, and I picked that shell right up as it camo out of tbe gun —a black, six-inch explosive shell. I saw it go through the air in its (light, and I saw it strike the water eight infhes —a —foot—in front of that periscope. It went into the conningtower. I saw the periscope go end over end, whipping through the water. I saw tlie plates go off his conningtower, and I 6aw smoke all over tho sccene wlicro we had hit him."