SUBMARINE RAID IN GERMAN PORT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 249, 20 November 1914, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUBMARINE RAID IN GERMAN PORT.

BRITISH KIND OUT WHAT THEY WANTED TO KNOW.

Vivid descriptions of the work which has been done by oar seamen in the Grand Fleet and a tale of * submarine dash into a German larheur are given In the following extracts from letters which have been sent to the "Dailv_ Express":

Stoker , R.M.S. . By gums, it was a sight to see! War Is horrible, but a grand sight. I can now tell you what it leels like. It is like a game 01 nap when you go to the bundle, and you coino to tbo last card, which is a small rag. bo uow you can pretty well tell how i lelt.

This submarine work is grand fun Last week we went right in«j .

came to the top; baa a gool iool. round; found out what we wanted to find; got chased by a couple 01 Herman cruisers; let go a rib-ticklei at them once, and came back to , \Uut it doesn't matter where; informed the Meet, and then they went oat to smash the Germs up. Wo want with them, and 1 have seen the finest sight of my life.

("Kib-tlckler" is a naval colloquial term lor torpedo. )

-Jack - ' ■ . H.M.S. Southampton, had tho honour of firing the first shot of the Grand Fleet. It was a cruiser action. Not one ship In oui squadron was hit, aud our gunneo was a sight for the gods and Sir Percy Scott. I expect we registered tfu per cent, of hits, and It took us twenty minutes to siuk one ship. 1 wish I'ncle Jim could have seen It One of our gunlayers drilled a line of shot holes along her waterlinc from bow to stern, and then went oack and did It all oyer again. How our beggars cheered! Tbe loader numbers from the starboard battery, which, was not engaged loi most of the Umo, \wie double-man-ning the port ei:lb. and shouting ana cheering, and the paint on the gunß was cracking a.id blistering becai3e of the rapidity of our fire. When she stru'k and was sinking we passed close to her bows on <\t «ay to attack t, ar mate, she wab Jeep by the ,ead. all her top-'iam-r*l wrecked a;i u cu Are, only r>• foremast aul .r, e funuel standing' t ßd ■ hattere d at that. She was a horrible sight. All her crew who survived were in the water. Th»se were picked up—a matter of 90 out of at least 500.

So I've been shot over, but not Wooded, and I rather liked the expenence.