Three-Hour Fight With U-Boat.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 18 December 1917, Page 3

Three-Hour Fight With UBoat.

FRENCHMEN'S HEKOIC STAND. The little French sailing ship Klebcr Ims been mentioned in Army orders and the crew huvc been docorutc-d in lccognition of a great fight with and escape from a German submarine after as heroic a struggle as was ever fought at

The Klcber, a three-master of 277 tons, employed on coasting work, recently left England for La Rochelle, and was ofT Morbihan on September 7 wlieu a largo submarine .suddenly opened lire. The skipper an old salt named La Fauvc, promptly tried to get the protection of the shore, while the submarine, like von Spec in the Pacific, sou "lit the advantage of the setting sun? But the French gunners returned the fire, and. the submarine was forced to dive. Twenty minutes later the U-boat reappeared and firing began again. The Klcber was struck several times and the skipper killed, and the chief gunner, a youth of .19 named Jain, knocked over by the concussion of a passing shell. The mate, l'lessix, dccided to keep on board only the men necessary for tlie o-un, and he ordered six others to' take to two little boats which had been launched. Before they could- do so lie was mortally wounded. The boatswain, Mouiiier. now took command, and tlic two boats with four in one and two in the other, left the ship. Seeing this, the submarine made towards tlic first boat and took the four Frenchmen on to its deck. The U-boat then steered for the Klcber, probably expecting to find on board only dead and wounded. As a matter of fact Mourner - was tlie only unwounded man, but Bazillo, a gunner, although injured, was still at tlic gun, and was soon rejoined by Jain, who hud retired to bandage his wound. They saw the submarine approach; they saw their comrades on its deck as hostages. GRIM CHOICE. \

It was a tragic choice, but tliey did not hesitate. 'Hie U-boat fired as it came near. When about 300 yards awav the Ivleber's gun again began to baric. But the gunner had received another wound,and it was Mourner who fired the last of tlie l') 0 to 200 shots exchanged during a fight of three hours. The shot caused the submarine to dive so suddenly that a German and the four Frenchmen were thrown into tlic sea, eventually reaching a small boat which was adrift. The Ivleber meanwhile disappeared in the growing darkness and made sail towards Groix, arriving at one in the morning. Six hpurs later her two boat% arrived. They'had been again caught by the submarines, which had risen to search for the missing German. The "U----boat commander, probably appreciating the heroic spirit which had inspired the sailors' conduct, contented himself on this occasion with ordering the boats to get out of the way.