LAST CRUISE OF "E 14."

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 166, 8 April 1919, Page 10

LAST CRUISE OF "E 14."

DARING 'EXPLOITS TN SEARCH OF THE GOfiHEN. As thrilling a story as, any which British submarine exploits have provided is to 'bo found in tlio official narrative of the sinking of-Hio EH:— Sho left JUudros at 0,80 p.m. on Jnniir nry 2" last to proceed up {lie Dardanelles to search for the Goebou. At 3 a.m. on January 28 the first anti-submarine net was reached. 'J'ho boat seemed to bo hung ii]i. The helm wns put hard a , starboard, then full .speed astern whs ordered. The submarine dived to Kit) feet, mid the nets were cleared without any damage to the boat, liy 5 a.m. tshe was oft' Chiinak, where _slie ran' into more; nete, which showed not clear undei' water. She was therefore brought to the surface, and the captain climbed out on to the bows and cleared her of the nets, lie also discovered the "gate" in the defences. The boat was submerged and parsed under the ,nets at a depth of between 170 and 100 feet. The search for the Goeben was unsuccessful. because .she had been removed by the enemy six hours earlier. When the captain found she had gone he turned back. One torpedo was liredat a ship which continued the Goeben's ammunition. Eleven seconds after the torpedo left the tube a heavy explosion took place, putting out all the boat's lights and springing -Hie fore hatch. Leaking badly, (ho submarine was blown to fifteen feet, and a heavy iiro was at. once directed at her from tho forts, bub without hitting her. Everyone on board kept his head; she was taken down to l!) 0 feel, and continued on her course. Several vessels were heard to pass overhead, but no bombs were dropped. Running the Gauntlet, The submarine now became unsteady, and kept diving. She was brought up to 21 feet for observations, being afterwards submerged to 150 feet. Then she got out of control, heeled heavily to'starboard, and dived by the nose. The cox-swain-managed to check her at 165 feet. The captain now decided lo go up, as she could no longer be relied upon under water and only three bottles of air were left; she was therefore brought to 21 feet and then to the surface. A heavy lire was immediately opened from both sides. One shell hit her hull just ovor tho wardroom, A survivor has described what followed. He says: "The captain was the first no up on deck, then the navigator; I lollowed to connect up the upper steering gear, but wo found the spindle to be shot in half. Orders wero given to steer from below, and wo ran the gauntlet for half an how, only a few shots hitting us. . . . The captain, seeing it was hopeless, ran towards the shore. His last words were: 'We are in the hands of God,' and only a few seconds later I looked for him and saw his body, mangled by shell fire, roll into the water and go under. 'Die last shell hit the starboard saddle tank." By this- time the submarine was close to the shore Soon afterwards she sank, some survivors being .picked up by tho Turks. Tho experiences of these men while in Turkish hands were unpleasant in the extreme. The clothes given them in exchange for their own wore verminous and filthy, as also was their prison, which was flooded, with filthy water. They suffered from dysentery and typhoid, but found the hospital almost as dirty as their prison.