Suhmariue v. Zeppelin

Levin Daily Chronicle, 20 February 1917, Page 1

Suhmariue v. Zeppelin

"FLIRTIiNG WiITH PEATS."

"Periscope" contributed to the November London Magazine a fascinating article -an "Flirting with Death!' : in the course of which he tells some stirring stories of the submarine. Wo are glad, but not surprised, to learn that between our men and the enemy lines this difference— when a "U" boat gets into a tight place she rarely gets out if it, whilst a British submarine invariably wins free. An instance is given of how one of our submarines tackled a Zeppelin:—

It was over the sea that EOo met her Zeppelin and beat it. The Zeppelin was flying low down, presumably on the look-out for submarines, when EOo caught sight of her and, leaping to the surface, started pumping explosive shells into her from quickjfirci. Finding herself thus determinedly attacked by such an unexpected foe. the airship tried to rise out of range. In this she was too late. EOo's shells had ripped her envelope before she realized whence they were [coming, Hastily the Zeppelin crew began to rain bombs, but these splashed harmlessly into the water. Eventually the airship found herself getting so much the worst of the duel that she gave it up and tried to run away.

But it is not every daj-i that a submarine has a chance of destroying an airship. Previous to this no such filling had been done, and EOS meant to have the honor of being the first- of her kind to accomplish the feat if such a thing were possible. Therefore she peppered away at the Zeppelin until its "bag" commenced to sag wearilydown and finally fell a helpless, drifting half-deflated mass of wreckage upon the surface of the sea. Finding there was nothing else for it unless they wished to drown, the Zeppelin crew Wok to the water. Thence they were dragged by EOo who tucked them into her welcoming bosom and disappeared beneath the waves just as a German light cruiser came bustling up to see what was the matter, and found only a battered, abandoned huddle of fabric and machinery to give her in-, formation.