THE SKIPPER AND THE COAL SHOVEL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 193, 4 May 1918, Page 9

THE SKIPPER AND THE COAL SHOVEL

AN EPISODE OP THE U-BOAT WAE.

When one's vessel i? in danger from onomy submarines any tiling will do as a weapon of defence, as Is shown by tho story of a captain of a British trawler who used a coal thovol with good effect against a German TJ-boat. Tho trawler, according to the dory told by_ ono of tho crew, was in tho North Sea in a 6titi breeze when tho fikipper saw a periscope crawl through the breaking surface of the sea about a hundred yards off. There was no gun aboard, and the trawlers best speed was less than eight knots. "For awhile the fight was fierce. Then for half an hour no shots were ured, while the submarine manoeuvred for position. Our ship isas vibrating with the speed. Our -aptain paced the bridge, keenly observant. When tho U-bout finally got the position he wanted and renewed tho shell-fire, our gun crew decided to let them have it as hot as our gun would stand. After a few minutes we landed a shell squarely on the Gorman's back. It apparently disturbed him a good deal, for he stopped firing at once, then slackened speed, altered course, and submerged." "It was a situation to dismay most men," said the railor. "Our skipper, however, has a fighting spirit. A touch of the 'wheel sent tho trawlers blunt Ix>w3 pointing at tho submarine's whaleback, and wo wallowed menacingly toward tho pirate. "The U-boat swung round to avoid the impact, and the fides of the trawler scrnped along tho sides of tho submarine. The periscope v;as still well out of the wator, lnit was beginning to slip flown as the eiibmarino dived. "The skipper bawled for a hammer, a crowbar, anything that would hurt. One of the crew thrust a coal shovel into Ms band, and ho sciaubled on the bulwarks and leaned over, two of the crow hani;iiiET oiv to his coat fo that ho wouldn't full overboard. Backwards and forwards ho swung the heavy scoop sit the fragile periscope, and tho third blow reduced it to fragments. "The Bubmarino commander, hearing Ihc iiniso find wondering wliot new and horrible* di'vicn Ilio enemy had invented, crept to liis neriscopp to havn a look, but all urns blnek. Ho was blind, and tlin triiwler got awny in safely."