BEWITCHED U-BOAT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 206, 20 May 1918, Page 6

BEWITCHED U-BOAT

FOKCED TO SURRENDER BY MYSTERY LIGHTSHIP.

Mr. H. Warner Allen, writing from Italy, tells a aubmarino story for which no sailor can vouch, but which, he says, seoins to have some foundation in fuc.t, and is certainly very good. One day a U-boat torpedoed a merchantman. Sighting a British destroyer coming up at full speed, sho made off as fast as nhe could below tho surface, taking her bearings from a lightship before submerging. Depth charges dropped by the destroyer exploded in unpleasant proximity, but the Germans woro lucky, and after a time they seemed to have reached safety. Tho captnin, however, held on submerged pn the same course for some time. Then he came jip again, hoping to find himself without a sail in sight. To his horror, he found tho some lightship and tho same destroyer as near him as wcr. Again taking his bearings from tho lightship, ho submerged with all speed, and eet out once more on the same course. Again the destroyer made herself unpleasant, and again the U-boat was lucky. Once more the German came up to see where ho was, and again he found the lightship in the eolf-same position, while tne same destroyer was after him again. How long this tragi-comedy continued history does not relate, but when at last, after trying his utmost, t7ie German commander found that he could not get away from the lightship and had exhausted his accumulators, he surrendered, convinced that thero was magic, in it. Only then did he learn the truth. The lightship was being towed from her station for overhaul and refit under escort of a destroyer.