WAR HAPPENINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1932, Page 8

WAR HAPPENINGS

ATTACKED BY SUBMARINES. CAPTAIN LOSES 'TWO- SHIPS. Wartimes adventures, including the destroying by enemy submarines within a few months of two Norwegian steamers he ooinmanded were revat 1 ,d by Captain B. Haugland of the tanker Thelma, which arrived at Auckland from Balik Papen ree..intly. Early in 1916 Captain, Haugland was given command of the Norwegian istoamer 'Risho-lin, a. new Vessel. The steamer was cn route to Bordeaux to bun Iter for a voyage to America. When Outside «®rest a German submarine suddenly rose to the surface and fired a shot across the bows of the R-is-holm, signalling the vessel to lie..veto. TlVe boats were lowered, and af-

ter the captain had..been questioned by tlte commander of the., submarine, members of the raider’s erew boarded the Risholm and placed three bombs on each side of the vessel amidsh.ps.

Long fuses, extending to the ra.l, were affixed and lighted, and the Germans hurritedly backed away as the fuses commenced to burn. All six bombs exploded, -but failed to pierce the hull, so the submarine captain, rather than waste a costly torpedo, commenced to riddle the Rishojm with gunfire.

Before the Norwegian vessel sank, however, a French patrol-boat arrived, and engaged the -submarine, which promptly took refuge behind the hull of the sinking ship and commenced to submerge. The German c-rafe disappeared within a few minutes and escaped 1 , in spite of a number of depthcharges- dropped by the patrol. The prew of the Risholm was picked up by a fishing-smaclte and’taken to Brest. On his return journey to Norway. Captain Haugland wag given command of anotheri vessel and made several successful- trips. While e» route, disaster -again overtook: him. : He had been advised to take’ a • certain course as being- -the least dangerous, and was congratulating himself on being nearly out' of the recognised danger zone when- a submarine' emerged in th’e wake-of his new comm nd, the Gro-sholm.

, A heavy fog that had been hanging low overrthe water had dispersed, and, the vessel was an easy prey. A- shell -jvhistled lover the ln*idge of the steamer,.! and although the vessel was immediately liove-to, tlie submarine continuecteto fire,., The boats were lowered hut it was found that one .man was missing. The captain returned on board, and a hasty search revealed the steward calmly ; packing-a, bag of food. He explained that he had beer torpedoed* previously,, and had suffered extreme hunger before being picked up/rand - ao.il was mined, not. ~tc. st-rve x second -Jime;’/.''i' " The boats from the.. Grosbolm pullpd dbout-a quarter cf , a mile from ’the steamer, .and meanwhile the subpiairn had disappeared. Crptain Haugland' decided -to: wait'‘to uee'-'jth'e: 1 end of his ship, butj. after 20 minutes’ waling decided that- possibly the submarine had been scared off bv r.n aperorching vess'l which the Norwegian crew bad- not noticed;- Shortly afterard there wa>; a terrific explosion, and the Grosholm, struck by ,a tornado fired b.v the submerged submarine, s a nk within a few minutes.

The Norwegian cyew rnd Captain Haugland’s dog which had been taken oh board one of the lifeboats, were ’•escued ! hy a 14 ,000-ton liner, about 209 mites west of Ireland;