Exciting Incident

Levin Daily Chronicle, 20 February 1917, Page 4

Exciting Incident

IN THE DANGER ZONE.

An incident of the German submarine campaign and the reply of the British Navy is related by an officer of the 16th New Zealand . Reinforcements. "The New Zealand transports were nearing Old England," writes the officer, "and had entered the danger zone. In the morning nothing was in sight, but at 7.30 a.m. a destroyer joined us. She had passed us during the night and picked up our other ship, and so had to turn round and catch us up. We still went full speed but on a zig-zag course, and everything went well until about 10 a.m. when we came abreast of a large cargo stenner that had , stopped for some reason or other. We watched her with curiosity, and could not make out what the low-lying craft just astern of her was. We were two miles away from this ship, and even as we watched we were astonished to see a great spout of water arise from the stokehold. Then the mysterious craft was explained. It was a German submarine. Our destroyer swerved off and made for "the scene. When about three-quarters of a mile from the us she opened fire on the submarine astern of the ship, and on the second that appeared on the bow. She only fired about six shots and then sped on. ' When she arrived at the stricken vessel she circled, and then went off in the direction of a small sailing' boat which proved to contain the crew of the ship. After talung the men on hoard "?he rejoined us and her commander signalled : 'I believe I have sunk both of the German submarines,' and when the Navy 'believes' it has sinik a vessel it is a poor lookout for the crew of that vessel.'