DESPERATE FIGHT WITH PIRATE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 81, 29 December 1917, Page 12

DESPERATE FIGHT WITH PIRATE

FOUR HOURS' BATTLE

DESTROYER TO THE RESCUE

Escaping from a German 'submarine after a bitter fight lasting nearly four hours and with seven of her crew wounded, two of them seriously, an Amorican steamer recently arrived at a French seaport. The timely intervention of an American destroyer alone saved the ship from being sent to tho bottom. A few hours after the vessel liad entered tho danger zone a look-out sighted a submarine on the port bow, but before he had time to report its presence the submarine fired a shot which missed the stern of the ship by but a few yards. Tho captain immediately sent out a wireless call for assistance as tho position of the submarine was such that escape wes nearly impossible. The gun crews of the submarine and the steamer then began to exchange shots. The chief gunner of the steamer opened fire at a range of 9000 yards, but all the shots fell short. The submarine kept manoeuvring to keep out of range- of the' steamer's guns, at the samn. time nifiintnimmr a.'running; fire in an effort to disable them. The merchant ship after altering her course started at full speed in an attempt to escape. The stubhornness of the battln is indicated by the fact that the submarine fired 234 shots at the steamer, which responded with more than 260 shots.

Engines Put Out of Aotlon. After the fight had continued for about two hours, and several shots had strlick the ship, wounding four men, one shell hit the vessel and exploded in the- , engine-room, putting the engines out of commission and rendering the ship.helpless. The German commander then approached nearer, and the submarine continued to rain shells upon the disabled craft. The sea was running high at thn time, and there seemed little hope of saving the ship, when a low strealc of black smoke was sighted on tho horizon. It later proved to be an American torpedo-boat destroyer coming at full speed, runnin? right into the sea, and at times nearly disappearing from view. The destroyer had heard the calls for aid sent out by the steamer, and travelled at a speed of as high as thirty knots to come to her assistance. The destroyer immediately made for the submarine, which dived and disappeared beneath the surface. The American warship circled about the --.pot, dropping a few depth charges, but no more signs of the U-boat were seen. While coming to the steamer's assistance the destroyer kept sending assuring messages, such, as "Hold on!" "Stick, we are coming I" The stßnmer's wireless apparatus, however, had been disabled soon after the fight began, and the messages never were received, so that the arrival of the American destroyer was quite unexpected, «flie submarine apparently was aware of the destroyer's ■presence, because she submerged before the destroyer oould get withm ran^e. A doctor and two assistants boarded the merchantman and attended to the wounded. The engineers had great difficulty ,in repairing the steamer's engine, and during the night the destroyer and the merchantman lost each other, but finally the steamer mado l>ort in safety.