SUBMARINE FIGHTS SUBMARINE
IT-VLIAN COMMANDER WHO TOOK THE CHANCE. I
(By air. G. Ward Price.) •V calm summer evening was closing in, and the blue and opal of the beautiful southern seascape was fading into grey shadow when an Italian submarine, submerged, saw a dark shape ahead., lhe Italian officer .commanding the submarine watched it gradually grow larger in the field of his periscope, and in a few moments could recognise it. for the, rarest nud most ticklish enemy a submarine has ever to tackles-one of lier own kind, an enemy U-boat. . ~ It was indeed an Austrian submarine preparing probably for a submerged patrol. ' . If the Italian commander was to make sure of his shot lie would have to rise to the surface. But to do this would place him under one serious disadvantage, for while lie was coining up and getting ready to loose .off-a matter of three minutes-the enemy craft, winch was stationary, niiglit see him and get in a shot first. • , , , The Italian commander chose, to take the chance and make sure of Ins prey. The 'enemy submarine was now all closed in and. ready to dive. Only through her periscopes conld she keep fragmentary watch on the surface around. Slowly, silently,, the Italian craft broke through,the quiet water witli her coiining-towerymd heaved her steel sides clear. The 'enemy boat had her two Polyphemus eyes turned at first the other way, but at the last moment one of them revolved in the direction of.the Italian craft, and sighted her-now within close range and ready to fare. One can imagine the cry of surprise and dismay that must have burst from the lips of the man whose eyes were at that periscope. But he acted also, though too late. She was still almost broadside on when the torpedo struck her An explosion and a thunder of falling water rang out through, the quiet "'Then the Italian commander opened his coniug-tower and looked about on the broken surface for trnws of his victim. Only ■quickly growing patches of oil oozed about the sea, smoothing the frothing water, for on the' deck of a closed submarine there is nothing to wash loose when she sinks. But those iridescent streaks, glowing faintly in the gathering darkness, witnessed to the destruction in this chance encounter of an Austrian submarine, men, machinery, and all.
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 50, 23 November 1918, Page 6
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391SUBMARINE FIGHTS SUBMARINE Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 50, 23 November 1918, Page 6
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