"SHOCK-HEADED PETER."

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 231, 1 December 1916, Page 8 (Supplement)

"SHOCK-HEADED PETER."

A SUBMARINE STORY. p Tile original "Shock-headed Peter' Struwwelpeter) vias made in Gerjnany. So also was the one whic'i iigures in this story. Only between them lies the difference that the first was a boy, th second a U-boat. It is with tlio latter that we are concerned. She (please remember that the faminine is applied to all ships, even those -beating masculine names) first came jnto notice when the Northern Lights were making glorious tracery in the might skv behind tier. On her iippcpart was a tangle of fittings and ngures which stood out like huge poicu.pine quills against the glowing background of the aurora. Probably, after the manner of her kind, she had com'-* to the surface for a " breath," night being their favourite time for this, and, in fact, the only period during which they can do it with any degree ot •eafetv. From the bridge of an English ship "a sharp-eyed officer caught sight of her. "Look! Shock-headed Peter, by gad!" lie exclaimed, and the nanus •stuck, as names flung at random often do. " Shock-headed-Peter" she beoamo throughout quite a fleet *<f vessels •■which longed with great longing for a meeting with her. It so happened uiat the craft wliicn ■first saw her had a mission to U-boats and was very keen <>n fulfilling it Noisily she called her from llie moutn of a gun, but "Peter" dipped h»r ■"shock-head" b'eiilatff the waves as quickly as she oould, preferring solitude to that kind of company any -time. But as she liad made the fatal -error of allowing herself to be seen, her life thenceforward became that of a fugitive. Wherever she went antagonistic vessels of one sort or another promptly showed up. No chance of "doing business" was permitted her. Worst of all, they took good care that -no matter ho wtired she might feel, she could not go home. For quite a big spell " Peter" kept them very busy. One day she wouid Be reported in " position " Driven thence, she would turn up again at another place perhaps a hundred miles away, only to find how true is the saying that wherever the carcase is there will the vultures be gathered together. Maav •were the vultures anxious to have a peck at "Peter's" bones. An untiring, hungry lot they were too. Nowhere could she lift her periscope without finding some of them waiting to ponce upon her. * * * Sculling about in this fashion, making long dives hither and thither in 'her efforts to escape these persistent ■enemies, at last began to wear down "Peter's" energy. After a while sh<* got rid of her " shock-hend." This altered her appearance so much that the vultures at first thought V second Üboat had entered the field..over which • they were hovering. So much the better from their point cf view; thero would be two carcases to strip instead of one. And when they learned that it was only "Peter" with her "head"' trimfhed, they felt so much disappointed that they became more than evet determined to get her. In the end tlie> succeeded. . There came a day when the incessantly harried "Peter" was driven reluctantly shoreward by the» "vultures which closed in around hei, until she found herself in shoal water and cut off from any chance of gelting out of it. Trying to dive she got -quite a nasty bump on the bottom, for there was hardly depth enough of water to cover hor periscope. Now a submarine in the shallows a rather helpless kind of creature, especially when, as in this case, the way back to the deep sea. is blocked against her and one or two 12-pounders, speaking from different quarters, have told it was so. But she knew the ugly truth well enough not to require it to be impresed upon her by these raucous, nerve-rasping voices.\ Nevertheless, oefore she admitted it to them she wished to do a certain thing, for " Peter" still had it in mind to foil the greedy ones who had tracked her down with such devilish pertinacity and were now gathered around waiting for the end with a grim certainty of what that end would be, which made the nerves of "Peter's" crew feel all of a jangle, like badly tuned fiddle strings. Closer inshore " Peter" moved, then blew out her tanks and "went up." • • • Just before she did this a grim litt'e drama was enacted inside her. All her •crew gathered round their commanding •officer and drew lots to decide who should live and iwho should die. The ■ matter was not put to them in this dramatic way, though all knew it meant that. The man who drew a certain oaird had to stay below with a bomb while the remainder of the crew went on deck, where life, if not freedom, awaited them. As soon as they were clear of the boat the man left ■below iwas to explode the bomb, thus destroying her and himself as well Such, at least, was the arrangement When the lucky members of the crew climbed out of the conning tower thov found that one of the hunting craft had cautiously moved to within earshot of them. "Any of you speak English?" megaphoned somebody from its bridge. "Yes," was the reply. "Do you surrender?" "Yes." "All right. Stay on your deck and I'll send a boat." Down' dropped a boat from the vessel's side, and as it 'approached "Peter's"' hull with a number of rifles poking threateningly over its bowa those on deck threw up their hands. As the boat hove alongside, a keeneyed officer rose in the stern and with a quick glance numbered the Germans. "All there?" he asked. 'Yes," replied the Germans, as they •started to scramble hastily into the boat. "Hold on a bit; I want the lot you," ordered the officer. "We are all here." *'Oh, are you; what about the Johnny down below ? Stay where you ar<> while T have a. look for him," and with that the officer, who knew the Germans' little ways, sprang into the submarine, Webley pistol m hand, where soma of his men followed him. The submarine commander made a •move towards the conning tower when <i sharp, "No. you don't," enforced by the muzzle of a pistol stopped him. "Keep 'em hack and shove 'em into the boat," directed the officer, and as his men obeyed the command he dropped quickly down the conning toiwer. Very soon afterwards a fright-ened-looking German emerged therefrom with the muzzle of a pistol, held in a lean, brown baud, pressing e!o c " against his back. Up lvehind him clambered thn officer, saying, as with a sigh of relief he pitched a bomb into the sea: "Go back to the ship with the prisoners; T'll stay here and take charge until vti return."

Though his venture below was a risky undertaking, the result of it was that "Shock-headed Peter" fell almost intact into the hands of those who had chased her long and dilligently. The only parts missing ware the external decorations which had earned for her this sobriquet, nnd they mattered little, for their purpose had bcwn accurately surmised long before she shed them. J. J.