On the Sea

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 71, 28 June 1916, Page 5

On the Sea

ITALIAN SHIPS TORPEDOED.

("Gnuiu* **«*•» Aw"""

Paris, June '2O

The Italian auxiliary cruiser Litta do Mesina was torpedoed in the Straits of Taranto. The cruiser: Pouivhe, which was escorting her, attacked the submarine, which disappeared. The Pourche was later herself torpedoed and sunk. Nearly all tho crow were saved.

SUBMARINE'S EXPLOITS IN TH§

SEA OF MARMORA.

; London, June 27. ! Mr Rudyard Kipling's third article continues the adventures of the submarine in the Sea of Marmora, and includes a detailed description of E'l2's exploits and Commander Bruce's cut-ting-out affair. Her main motors gave trouble and sho was a cripple for most of the trip. She sighted two small steamers, one towing two and the 'other towing three sailers. She stop!ped the first steamer, and noticed that ' she. carried stores, while the crew were all on deck with lifebelts. Not seeing any guns, El2 ran alongside aiid told: the first lieutenant to board the mer. Thou the men on board the steamer threw a bomb at El2, which struck unexploded, and opened fire on the boarding party with rifles and a concealed one-incher. The El2 answered with six-pounders, also rifles. Tho two sailers in tow tried to foul the El2's propellers and also fired rifles. The first lieutenant in charge of the boarding party was engaged on the steamer. Meantime tho six-pounders were methodically perforating the steamer from bow to stern, whilst the steamer's one-incher and the rifles on the sailing ships were raking everything and everybody else. The El2's coxswain on the conning tower passed the ammunition to the vessels. One workable motor was developing slight defects at the moment when power for a manoeuvre was of vital importance. The story is almost as difficult to disentangle as the actual mess must have been. At any rate, a six-pounder, caused an explosion of the steamer's ammunition, whereby|she sankjin: a quarter xft s an hour, but giving time for the El2 to get clear' and sink the two sailers. steamer Mad slipped) her fchretj ■t6W ; hud" The El2 knocked her about a good deal with giiii r fire, and'saw her drive-for the beach, well alight. ..... ,„.,.;, , The El2 carried externally a mounts ed gun, and while diving in the Darj danelles got entangled in the hawsers of a net which caught the conning tower gun. The submarine! backed, got up speed; forged ahead and shored through the hawsers, but the submarine was wet, strained and leaky. For the rest of the cruise she did her *K>sk, though worried by torpedoers . and hunted by aeroplane#ut~ throughout the chief pre^ecupatioif r ihe strained gun che gun was got had to "keep Of, liand., P^ m £'io' • * Coming concludes, the never willingly i&tessyp3-# uon ; combatants. These they'"transferred to boats-.:which were poiisonally com ducted safely to the be^eh......

THE COMMONWEALTH'S SHIPS.

PRESS APPRECIATION OF DE-

OISfON. (Received 8.45 a.m.) London, June 27. The Pall Mall Gazette states that the Commonwealth has solved the shipping problem in a bold and original manner. The progress of the new line will be .watched with unusual interest. DELIVERY OF SOME SHIPS TAKEN. FIRST LOAKHNCS IN AUGUST.

(Received 12.30 p.m.) London, June 27

The Commonwealth has taken delivery of the ships Strathendriek, St'rathairly, Strathford, Strathdee, and Strathgarry, and it is expected will take over some others early in July. The sWps are at present scattered in many waters, some being on such duties that their whereabouts cannot bo disclosed, but it is announced that, the first loadings will bo made 111 August. . Official Australian views in London seem to be that there is no reason to fear rivalry from the shipping companies, as the purchase is purely a war measure. The urgency of shifting the wheat crop is paramount, and, m addition, the fifteen ships added to the existing traders will help Australian and British firms to keep hold of the world's markets, which are threatened by a shortage of tonnage. : "Official quarters do not anticipate material alterations in outward freight rates went that the purchase w.U' prevent them rising to an extortionate level.