On the Sea

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 12, 14 May 1915, Page 5

On the Sea

TUG UNDER FIRE.

GERMAN SUBMARINE IN THE - ENGLISH CHANNEL.

Times and Sydney Sun Service. Loudon, May 12. The Admiralty announce that tiie tug Homer was towing the French barque General Desonis up the Channel on Saturday, when a German submarine approached off the Isle of Wight. The submarine bailed and signalled to the Homer to surrender, but Captain Gibson did not heed the signals. He waited an opportunity, and slipped the tow-rope, and steered straight at the submarine under a shower of bullets from the submarine’s machine-gun. The Homer mised the submarine’s stern by three feet, and then steered towards the Owei's light-ship. The submarine went in pursuit and fired a torpedo, which passed close to the tug. jThe submarine gave up the -chase in half an hour, and disappeared. The !Homer steamed into Beubride with /thirty bullet holes in the hull, and |the barque arrived at Dunge Ness (headland in Kent), under sail. AN UNCONFIRMED REPORT. Received 11.5 a.in.) Melbourne, May 11. In the Senate Mr. Pearce stated he bad received a cable from the Admiralty to the effect that the Turkish report of the sinking of the Australian submarine AF2 had not been confirmed

MISCELLANEOUS. United Press Association. I Loudon, May 13. | The Admiralty, in a detailed report of t!ie action reported on May 2, states that two German torpedoers attacked four auxiliary craft, including the Barhadoes in Columbia. After a quarter of an hour they broke off the action. The British destroyers were notified Of the direction of the retreat, and they followed and destroyed the torpedders. The Columbia, however, sank, and sixteen lives were lost. Lieutenant Sir James Domville, after the skipper of the Barbadoes was wounded, . worked at the helm under heavy fire to avoid being torpedoed. 1 Mr Macnamara, in reply to a quesj tion, stated that the Admiralty was ' conferring with the fishing industry with respect to-the further protection of fishing 1 Shipping men declare that since the sinking of the Lusitania they must seek self-protection. It is unofficially declared that merchantmen are to be armed as fast as guns can be mounted.