WAR OH U-BOATS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1917, Page 3

WAR OH U-BOATS

STRIKING INCfDENTS. LONDON. Oct. 1. ,S„mo further incidents, taken front ' records of the Admiralty, are now a. uilablc in collection with the war rcniit-c enemy submarines. Tnc~e in st-ifiees serve to -illustrate the diversity of the methods employed to deal V,- .ill this scourge of the o;as : j ] torpedo gunboat sighted the pci iscime of a submarine on the starboard bow about 600 yards away. The cuntnin swung the ship round until tho object was on the port how, travelling slowly in the opposite direction; when about fifty yards from the ship the periscope disappeared, and the gunboat, whose speed was then seventeen knots altered course, so that- she passed directly over the submarine. The impact of a collision was felt forward and when the captain judged that she was passing under the after-part of the shin an explosive charge was dropped. The ship was immediately turned and a second charge dropped when the first had exploded. A seaplane which was sent up circled round for an hour, and reported large patches of oil on tlio surface.- A group of mineswocpo.iv sweeping tlio bottom later reported an obstruction in this place. 2 —|,V torpedo boat on patrol in tlio Atlantic observed a steamer torpedoed by a submarine. She proceeded to her assistance, and shortly afterwards the steamer sank. Having picked up the survivors, the torpedo boat circled round soaching for the submarine, and shortly afterwards a white patch (ill the water was sighted right ahead. The tornodo-hoat made straight for lie spot actualy grazing over the submarine. An explosive, charge was dropped n s she passed over the stern, and turning round with all speed a second and then a third charge was also detonated in the place where the oil and airlmbbles were coming to the surface and the air was heavy with the smell of gasoline. Subsequent investigation bv sweepers confirmed the presence of a heavy obstruction on the bottom. .‘5. possibilty or shew of doubt of tlio fate of a German submarine recently torpedoed by one of our submarines is fortunately possible. A certain British submarine on patrol sighted an enemy submarine. Both boats were on the surface, and a heavy sea was running at the time. The British boat dived, and a quarter of an hour later succeeded in picking up the enemy in her periscope. She fired at an estimated range of 800 yards, and after a pause of aminute heard the concussion of a violent explosion. She >-ose to the surface and sighted a

patch of oil, with survivors swimming tin it. who were taken prisoner. Thcs<* stated tjiat the torpedo had struck them just before the conning tower. The submarine rolled over and sank the survivors being blown up through the conning tower.

HEROIC MINESWEEPERS. LONDON, Oct. 1. The spirit- in which the officers and men employed on minesweeping perform their unending and obscure task is admirably demonstrated by a report from Western waters of the English Channel. N A flotilla oi' minesweepers was employ ed in sweeping between two given points, when two mines exploded in the -sweep towed by the second pair oi minesweeping trawlers in the flotilla. Ihe wire parted, and one of the two trailers proceeded to heave in the “}ate,” or depth-keeping contrivance, employed to keep .the sweep at the required depth. When hove short up to the rollers it tv as discovered that a mine va s foul of the wire, and had been hauled up against the ship’s side. I urtherliioro, just beneath the surface the circular oulino of a second mine could be detected, entangled in tho wire and swirling round in the. current beneath the trawler’s counter. In the circumstances, when any roll of the ship might suffice to strike one of -ne> horns of either mine and detonator the annihilating charge, the officer in charge oi the trawler ordered the trawler to be abandoned. The senior officer of the division ,of minesweepers thereupon called for a volunteer, and accompanied by the engineman, boarded the abandoned minesweeping trawler, and with heroic disregard of the imminent probability of an explosion, caused by the contact of the ship and the mine,coolly cut the sweep-wire and kite-wire. Ihe mines fell clear without detonating, and by means of a rope, passed to another trawler, they were towed gingerly clear of the spot'. Now the morale of all this is a lit' obscure. There was no question of saving life, since the ship had been abandoned. The ship was but a trawler, whose face value was hardly equal to the cost of a cruiser broadside. The action of these two was not required of them by and higher authority, . because, humanly speaking, it meant almost certain death. They were merely volunteers, and only one unfamiliar with the deathless traditions of the minesweeping might wonder why they volunteered.

MERCHANT VESSELS’ GUNS. LONDON, Oct 1. Cases are multiplying daily of successful escapes by merchant vessels from enemy submarines which show that the training of mercantile marine officers in gunnery and the tactics which ex perionce has taught the Navy are the best to bo adopted, are beginning to bear good fruit. A British merchant vessel on Admiralty charter was attacked by gunfire from a submarine at a range of three to four miles. The ship was zig-zagged at the time and all shots went wide. She immediately replied to the fire with her defensive armament, and at the sixth or seventh rounds smoke and flames burst from the fore part of the submarine, which promptly abandoned the chaseAnother ship sighted the perisobpe of a submarine on the starboard beam at a disanco of twenty feet. Helm was put hard-a-port. and while the ship was swinging round the track of a torpedo passed just astern, missing by only a few yards. The master’s prompt and courageous decision thereby saved the ship from the torpedo. A. minute later the periscope was sighted on the starboard quarter. A shot was fired at it, when it dipped, to reappear on the port quarter forty yarils away. Another shot was fired, apparently striking the sub-

marine, which vanished and tho surface of the water where she disappeared became covered with a yellowish oily matter. The ship resumed her voyage and reached port without further incident.

The determination of these officers and men of the mercantile marine is typified by tlio following instance. A British armed merchantman was proceeding to Liverpool with an unarmed consort belonging to the same company under her escort. A subtaarine was sighted on the port bow of the defen-sively-armed vessel, a'nd at the same time a torpedo struck tho ship disabling the engines. The master ordered the siiip to be abandoned, but he himself with two gunners^remained on board. The unarmed ship took to her heels, pursued by the submarine, whereupon tlio master of the ship opened fire on the .submarine, forcing her to abandon tin- pursuit. The submarine turned and torpedoed the crippled ship twice more .after which she took her gallant master and two gunners prisoners. Their action undoubtedly saved tlieir consort, which reached port safely.