ADVENTURE WITH A SUBMARINE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 124, 19 February 1919, Page 8

ADVENTURE WITH A SUBMARINE

HOW THE ARGYLLSHIRE WAS SAVED

THIRTY MILES WITHOUT A STERN Amongst the most narrow escapes from disaster experienced during the war period by Australian transports is (hat of the Federal S.N. line steamer Argyllshire, which has reached Melbourne from England via the Suez Canal, states the "Age." The steamer, with her stern and steering gear blown away and in a sinking condition, was navigated in to port, a distance of 30 miles from tho spot where she was torpedoed. On reaching dry dock she settled down on the blocks. For his .work in assisting (he master in getting the boat to port the chief engineer, Mr. T. Blacklock, was awarded the Order of the British Empire. Commanded by Captain W. .T. Page, a well-known Federal-Shire line skipper, who at the outbreak of war had charge of the Ayrshire, the Argyllshire was proceeding without escort from 'London to Devonport for the purpose' of taking aboard wounded Australian soldiers. When but a short distance off Start Point the steamer was struck by a, torpedo, which exploded aft, completely wrecking the stern post, rudder and other steering gear. A fortunate and very curious feature, of the explosion was that while practically the whole of the steamer's stern was blown away, the two screws remained in place on the starboard and port side of the wrecked stern, to which the rudder post and rudder had been attached. The ship commenced to fill rapidly, and for somo moments it appeared that the crew would have to take to the boats. The mnin watertight bulkheads held, and when the electrical pumps wore operated at full pressure it was decided that, al-' though the water was gaining on the pumps, there was a chance of getting the vessel to Plymouth, about ,'!fl miles dis : tnnt. • The euginrroom bulkheads severely strained, and the engineers were obliged tc-attend to their duties with the sea water swirlini? around them.

With all the steering gear; destroyed and the steamer well down at tho stern, navigation by the port and starboard crews, based on telegraphed orders from the bridge, was a hazardous undertaking, the successful performance of which depended largely on the skipper on the bridge and the chief engineer, in -the enginerccm. - When examination had shewn that the engines were not damaged, a zig-za.g course was set comparatively close in 'to the coast. Wir,elpss messages were dispatched requesting tugboat assistance. On two or three occasions, ns the stricken, steamer limped towards port it appeared that the vessel would have to be beached without furthe.r delay, but each time the chief en- v---gineer. after consultation with the. skipper, decided to "give her another five minutes." When about ten miles off Plymouth tugboats came • in ' sight, but as the steamer wa<; steaming _ faster than the tugs the eitiitoin decided to decline immediate assistance and continue the steering with tho propellers. Plymouth Sound was reached with the after portion of the Argyllshire drawin? no less than 37 feet. She anchored at Plymouth and reported v to the King's harbonrnaster there. Then' surrounded by five tugs, she started up channel for the Government emergency dry dock. Only a short distance had been covered when the port tail shaft carried away. Had this occurred at sea tho vessel would never have reached port. She could no longer steer, and the tugs brought her up the narrow channel to.the dry dock. As she reached the dock the after portion of the hull was down to' a draught of 40 feet, and when safely in the dock, with the electrical , pumps 6topped, the Argyllshire immediately "sank" on the dock blocks beneath her keel.

Examination showed that the propellers were badly twisted, the stern open, the rudder post nnd 'brackets missing, the starboard plates turned outwards, all steering gear smashed, and only the bulkheads were protecting 'the ship'from' fill-' me entirely with water. The submarine,after torpedoing the vessel, had apparently become alarmed at the wireless messages, for ifdid not fire a second torpedo or further molest the Argyllshire. Early in the war the Argyllshire had a narrow escape from au enemy submarine when nearing England from-Australia.