HUNTED

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1918, Page 3

HUNTED

BRITISH SUBMARINE’S EXPERIENCE. Her© is a brief story of the unsuccessful hunting of a British submarine in the North Sea by enemy boats. It is culled from dry official sources, but it shows very plainly what nerves of steel our under-sea men must possess. The submarine had come to the surface in the course of her cruise when she sighted a number of fast hostile craft, including several destroyers, near her. So close were the hunters that the submarine had to dive at the greatest speed. When endeavouring to Straighten out, the Commander found that his helm had jammed. Barely had this discovery been made than a violent explosion, apparently caused by a dept! charge from one of the surface craft, shook the. vessel. The concussion wa? so great that several men in the stern chambers were lifted off their feet Still deeper went the submarine until she reached the sea-bottom. A hurried examination revealed that the hull ]r withstood the test of the first sliockin itself a tribute to her designer and the men who built, the vessel, for had it been a jerry-built craft', or had the vessel contained a piece of hastily done work, loss of valuable lives in the first few moments of the attack on this boat might have occurred. Three minutes after the first explosion the crew heard a further loud report. There was nothing to bo done except to lie absolutely quiet, and, if possible, to give no indication of the submarine’s whereabouts to the hunting craft. All motors were stopped, .and even the ventilating apparatus was hut off. During the twenty long minutes which followed the submarine was again carefully examined, and again it was reported that there were no signs of leakage. Then was heard what was calculated to shako even the stoutest of hearts — a doud scraping noise along the whole length of the craft. It was a trawler’s sweep endeavouring to locate, any obstacle oil the sea-bottom. Would the sweep, catch one of the rudders, or would it become entangled in the con-ning-tower and give away the submarine’s hiding-pltaeo ? Slowly the noise progressed along the ship and then ceased, and the sweep left the vessel free. Hardly had this menace disap pen red when a' third and even more violent explosion occurred. The boat shook continually and all lights went jut, the shock being so severe that the uvitces were thrown from “On” tc ■‘Off.” Other and more delicate meeh uiisin was also put .out of goar. Still flic submarine’s crew carried on reliov>d to find tilt no serious damage had seen done. The reversing of the iwitches were thrown from “On” to were taken to put her in trim once more, notwithstanding the fact that at iny time the attack might bo continu'd. However, the faith of the hunters n their depth charges seems to have Hien such that they left their quarry or dead. ‘ After staying on the bottom for iomo eight hours the submarine came 1 leaver to the surface, and in tho ovenng proceeded to her base. Throughout lie whole of the harassing time on the >ottoin there was not the slightest vea--ige of a panic on the part of the men. riiev faced the possibilities of death with characteristic British spirit.— ‘Morning Post.”