U-BOAT'S END.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1918, Page 3

U-BOAT'S END.

AT BOTTOM OF SEA. STRUGGLE TO ESCAPE. (AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION/

(Received This Day at P. 15 a.m.) LONDON, June 1". A grim story is told of the destruction of one of Germany’s most, recent Üboats, which was one of the last to leave Zeebruggo before tlie port was bottled up. Out of a crew of forty, only two survived, after a terrible struggle with death for ninety minutes, 20 fathoms below the’ surface, where the vessel ) foundered after striking a mine. Many j i of the crew suicided, believing there was !no chance of leaving the submarine ! alive. The commander was one of the ‘ most expert in the German submarine service. The. explosion threw the delicate machinery out of gear, and portion of the vessel was plunged into darkness. The engineer succeeded in putting the submarine in an horizontal position, ana prevented her turning turtle. Mater poured in aft. An attempt to blow out

the tanks proved unsuccessful. The vessel would not rise to the surface. The inrush of water increased and the only change of escaping was to force open the conning tower and forward j hatches, and trust to tlie compressed ; air driving each man, torpedo-like, to the surface. The effort to open one of the torpedo hatches was futile, as the outside pressure was too great, water mounted higher and higher, creeping to the men’s legs. The seawater, mixing with the chemicals in the accumulators created a poisonous gas. The crew were faced with suffocation. Conditions became so terrible that some to lose their reason and threw themselves headlong into the water to die. One. Hied to / shoot himself, but it missed fire, and he jumped into water at the bottom of the vessel.

TWO ESCAPE. (Received This'Dnv nt 11.25. a.m.) LONDON, June I > • After superhuman efforts, the forwain hatch of the conning tower was forced open, and those still alive escaped through the hatch. As they reached the surface, the compressed air in their lungs burst their lungs, and t-wentv 'sank with blood-curdling yells. A British trawler picked tip two survivors.