STIRRING TALE FROM THE SEA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 5

STIRRING TALE FROM THE SEA

HOW A BRITISH DECOY SHIP FOUGHT A SUBMARINE

(Reo. Aiignst G, 7.45 p.m.) London, August 5.. Sir Eric Gcddes (First Lord of tho Admiralty), in a speech in London, told a thrilling talo of a fight between a British decoy ship mid n German submarine. He explained that theso ships wero quo of tho oldest i uses of war. The Service called them Q ships. Qofl had tho appearanco of. a dingy old collier, nun a crew liko a merchantmen's. She sailed under sealed orders. Sho sighted a submarine, mid immediately turned, pretending lo escape. The submarine, chased iimi shelled her, and tho collier feebly rpplied with a little gun. Tho collier was badly knocked about, and the wounded and dead lay about tho docks. In order lo deceive- Iho subinarino tho collier eignolled "Abandoning ship!" A specially-trained panic crew went over the side with every sign of fear and haste. The U-boat's shells went through the collier's poop; then tho onnmy censed fire, and closed in, thinking her an easy prey. As she approached Iho collier's magazine, exploded, and blew up the stern gun, and tho guncrew. The captain wirelessed a warship, which answered. It was a shnm signal for help, but really telling her to keep away, as Iho action had not yet ended. The submarine then resumed the shellinj; mercilessly, but the collier had sting in its tail, and fired two torpedoes; She kept up the fight till tho submarine was badly damaged and the collier was sinking. Warships in waiting below tho horizon then hurried (o the scene, and joined in the fight, when the submarine was sunk. The light lasted five hours. When the collier's crew was taken olf tho vessel was ablaze, and her ammunition was. exploding. Sir Eric Geddes said: "By such means as theso the trade and trooping routes of the Allies aro kept open."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

A WAR AGAINST JEWRY

GERMAN EASTERN FRONTIER CLOSED TO JEWS, (■flee. August 7, 1.15 a.m.) Amsterdam, August 5. Germany has closed her Eastern frontier against the Jews. The "Jmliseiip Rand'olmu" says that this is tantamount to ;i declaration of war against Jewry.— "Tho Times."

AIR RAID ON LONDON

(Itcc. August 7, 1.15 a.m.) v Vancouver, August 5. A message from London reports an unsuccessful air raid.—Renter.