U-BOAT STORIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 288, 24 August 1918, Page 8

U-BOAT STORIES

GERMAN METHODS OF SEA WARFARE

RECORDS FROM LOG-BOOKS Tlio idiniralty has afforded representatives of the Press an opportunity of reading the logs of a number of vessels which have been" sunk or attacked by enemy submarines, and the. information derived from these records will enable tho public to judge more practically than has .vet been tne caso of the splendid services which have been uncomplainingly rendered to tho nation by the mercantile marine. These official records of seafaring' captains who have been the victims of submarine attacks show that uur sailors have been shot at, jeered at, and left to the mercy of the waves, and that their sltips have been "looted" before being sunk. The following are some of the incidents recorded:r-

In the cnSe of one ship, on which thero were i'i hands, the boatswain was standing abreast of the mam mast when ho caw tlie wake of a torpedo as it approached, and he had no time to report before the. Vessel was struck. "After tne explosion all hands were sent on deck. The ship sank stern first. There wns no time to lower tho boats, and practically tho wholo crew had lifebelts on when thrown into the water. When the subniarino came to the surface a line was thrown to a raft which the crew had managed to launch, and it was hauled alongside tho enemy vessel. A coloured man was ordered on board, and as soon as ho stepped oil the submarine both his wrists were seized and he was firmly held while being interrogated. The enemy took a photograph of him and also of a man on the raft! When the interrogation was completed the coloured sailor dived from .tho submarine and swum to ftie raft. As tho ship was sinking tho master dived off the bridge; ho was not 6een later. A number of men wcro rescued after being in the water for four hours. liobbery wns reported in connection with another attack. After the vessel had been shelled many times the master and crew abandoned the ship, lowered tho 'lifeboat, and rowed towards the submarine. Eight shots were fired tat the lifeboat, followed by four revolver shots. It was duly then that tho crew saw the submarine, which was about 500 yarils away. The captain and his men were taken on board, and the commander of the submarine boarded the vessel, removed th"e clothes, provisions, and papers, and left bombs on board which afterwards blew her up. The master was searched, and .£22 55., with' his watch and chain, taken from him.. The commander of the enemy vessel said that there was no food left in the submarine, which had been six weeks out, and he also mentioned that food in Germany was very short, During the night the crew were picked up by a destroyer. ■ "Torpedoed and on her beam ends, but not actually seen to sink," is tho description given' by a captain of an attack on his vessel. She was struck between the stokehold and No. 2 hold, both of which were blown in. The crew had time to take to the boats. The German captain, 6peaking in perfect English, asked for the name of the fillip and her tonnage, and verified the particulars giveii to him by reference to Lloyd's Register. The master's boat, with 23 men, reached shore the following day, and the mate's boat, with the remainder of the crew, was picked up. It was reported by the master that the officers and men of tlm submarine "were "quite friendly and polite." Jsoring at Men in tho Water. One night a vessel was struck by a torpedo. The engines were stopped and all hantls went to the boat stations, The port boat was lowered safely, but within 'three minutes the ship sank and tho davit caught it and capsized it all hands being thrown into the water. The. second officer went down with . the ship, but seized hold of tho capsized boat and climbed on top of it. The boatswain | also was taken down, and he, too, as well as a seaman, got on tho boat. After they had been on the upturned beat fur j some minutes a submarine appeared and ■ bailed them to come on board. They chained that it whs impossible. The subniarino went ahead, and about a quarter of an hour later returned, and the men were again asked, in a rough voice, to come on board. The same answer was given, whereupon the submarine again went ahead, putting her helm over, and the whole of the men were Oirovn into the water. Those on tho submarine must \have known that there was a man under the boat, as they could easily have heard him knocking. His comrades, however, pulled out the plug and gavo him- air, and eventually the boat was righted and he wnaj'tficoed. One of a group of other ships was torpedoed and the crew took to the boats, one of which capsized, and seven of the men managed to reach the lifeboat. The submarine came close, * flashing her searchlight on the boat and on the men in the. water, and after jeering at them made oil'. Tlio survivors were picked up by a l'Yench torpedo-boat next morning. , Attacked by a U-boat, which fired two shots, the master got out tho boats, left the ship, and pulled towards the enemy vessel. The commander took four or live of lfls own men in the ship's boat and put some bombs on board. As these failed to explode lie went back for more explosives, taking with him everything out of the ship Jliat could be carried—lood, clothing, compass, and all the metal that the enemy could lav hands on. . The vessel was then blown up, the crew 111 the meantime being on the deck of the submarine. They were treated very badly, their clothoa being thrown out of the boat into the sea. Only one oar was left them, five having been flung overboard. Tlio master begged for another, but ho could not get any more. "Looting" for Drink. Two submarines were sighted- at a distance of about 6ix miles attacking a barque. The master of the observing vessel nltered his course and lit a snioko cowl to screon his ship, but it was not very effective. Shortly afterwards he was attacked by one, of the submarines. Being armed the vessel opened lire, but tho U-boat was not within range, and a shot from the submarine struck the ship. Orders were given to haul doivn tlio ensign, and step. l ) weie taken to abandon her. Tho boats were lowered and the ship was abandoned, the enemy still firing. The ship was hit l'J times before the crew were properly clear. When the submarine came up the vessel war "generally looted," everything the enemy\could lay their hands 011 being taken, including Iho spirits in tho bonded room. Some of tho Germans were seen drinking on the bridge. The enemy were' alongside for about an hour, and "treated our men qnito fairly, even returning' some uf their personal genr which they had looted." The enemy crew were very particular in getting all tho leather they possSiTy could, even going so far as to take old boots which were, long piist usage. Soap was also in. great request, and u tin of lard was considered a prize. In another instance, a vessel struck 011 the port sido in tho engine-room went down rtt once, the crew having only tiino to launch the boats. About ten minutes before the ship ■ was torpedoed n floating object was sighted, which appeared like a small vessel bottom upwards. This was reported by flag c-odu to another vessel closo by, but no reply was received before tne ship was hit, 'Iho master was of opinion that this object must havo been placed thero as a ilccoy by the submarine 'to draw the attention of the "look-outs away liom, ber.self. , When a motor schooner was struck thu ship's boat was rowed to tho submarine, and tho master and ono man were -taken aobariV. The submarine then towed the boat to a disabled sliip, and sent two men 011 her with An ofheer asked the master, "What the cargo? Where from? Whero bound? Why did the ship not come with convoy? .tho officer spoke in very good English, being prompted in German by the captain 01 Ihe U-boat. The master and crew wcro much struck by the pallid appearance of Iho officers and crow of the submarine and by (heir nervous and excited iiiii;'ner. The commander was continually urging haste, and the officer win. wa3 placing the bombs'on beard could hardly liokl them owing to his nervous tension. Ono of .the crew of 'the subniarino who had lived long in England, speaking lo the ship's crew, oursed the wa", and said that lie wished it was over, exclaiming that it was not (heir fault, but that they had to do their duty, "l'ou won't believe it in England," he added, "but it's true.' Tho submarine appeared to bo of an old type and 'to havo been a long time at sea.