SUBMARINE ADVENTURES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 146, 23 June 1916, Page 5

SUBMARINE ADVENTURES.

BXTRAORDiNARV EXPLOITS OF EH. 'UNDER-WATER HEROES. LONDON, June 23. Rudyard Kipling publishes a breezy narrative of the adventures of El 4 in the Sea of .Marmora m minting grounds strewn with perils, in waters fill of eyes that gave no rest. Commander Courteney Boyle, with El 4. proceeded to the Dardanelles under a

gas engine which was as noisy as a full brass band in .a railway cutting. The forts quickly picked up the submarine, but the guns missed. She dived under the mine-field, and rose a* dawn where the channel was only

ly 2 miles across. All the forts again fired. The water was thick with pat-

rols. vigorously sweeping for the submarine astern and ahead, but El 4 managed to torpedo a gunboat. The leg says the submarine tiid quickly as men on a small steamboat wer f leaning over trying to catch the top

of the periscope. Having settled the gunboat, El 4 burrowed, bumped and scratched through six hours of blind death and reached the Sea of Ma;mora, where she picked up three destroyers convoying a coupHe o‘‘ troop ■ships. It was glassy calm. The submarine fired a long range torpedo at | one of the transports, and ducked before she could judge results. As the periscope was damaged by a casual shot it was impossible to risk the remaining periscope. The however, heard a thud, and on rising again saw a destroyer convoying a burning transport to the nearest beach. When transports were difficult to find, El 4 sank a mine-layer. ; Fl4. however, was not unpopular. She let off a string of empty dhows to .the surprise of the occupants, and also a couple of steamers full of refugees. instead of ‘‘Lusitaniaing’ them, as expected, but transports wen fair game. Despite the necessity of not risking her eye. El 4 got a transport on a ’windy night, and made another beach itself. When he had. used up his torpedoes Commander Boyle prepared to return. He was chased by a mixed pack composed of gunboats. torpedoers > and tugs, evidently antticipating that the submarine would be caught in the nets at Gallipoli. El 4 walked delicately for eight hours'’doWn the straits Tixiiiiing 'down 'strottg tides' and 'ducking 'when tIW. ‘fhre’ of : tne forts shot over her. Fint ally she saw, our,Navy ht the entrance and rose abeanua French battleship, who gave her. a,rousing cheer. She had been away three weeks. * • ' •; v ■ ■ ‘ i-

y V r. Ell MAKES 'HISTORY

.LONDON, June 22. Commander Nasmith’s Ell made a shnilar voyage up the straits. Uu- | fortunately the wireless gave trouble and left her deaf and dumb in the middle of the Sea of .Marmora. Finally she went to Constantinople , and sank, a Turkish gunboat, but a sixpounder smashed the periscope, so Vshe had to retire to fit a new top. Go : mg to Rodosto, she stopped a small vessel and ordered the crew to abandon their vessel. They tumbled into the boats in such haste that they capsized two out of three in the confusion. An American named Silas Q. Swings of the “Chicago Sun”’ appeared on the upper deck and assured Commander Nasmith that the steamer was not carrying stores. A lieutenant in charge of a demolition party, however, found any quantity of stores, including a six-inch gun lashed across the top of the fore hatch, which Silas Q. Swing evidently overlooked. After torpedoing a heavily laden store-ship at Rodosto pier, the submarine returned to Constantinople. The log records: Having dived unobserved into Constantinople, she saw, etc. Kipling continues: Owing to the difficulties of mud currents the sub- I marine’s adventures now resembled a j lady of the harem tied in a sack and j thrown into the Bosphorus, but before she returned to the base she didscov- I ered a y method of using torpedoes twice over, which surprised the enemy. There was a thrilling adventure at the end of the trip. Off Killia Eahr the submarine seemed to go mad. The log continues. “We heard a noise similar to grounding. Knowing this was impossible we rose’ to 20ft. to investigate, wlien we observed a large mine preceding the peris- j cepe, which apparently hung by its j moorings to a port hydroplane.” Kipling continues: A mine weighs anything from a hundredweight to half a ton. Sometimes it explodes if you merely think about it. Other times : t submits meekly if battered like an empty sardine tin, but at no time is it meant to wear upon a hydroplane. 1* was impossible to unhitch it owing to the fire of the batteries ashore, sc Commander Nasmith pushed the mine until he got outside Kum Kale. Teen he went astern and emptied the aftci tanks; bringing the bows down. Thus he rose to the surface, when the rush of water from the screws allowed the mine to fall clear of the vessel. |