UNDERWATER WARFARE.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 June 1918, Page 6

UNDERWATER WARFARE.

U-BOAT BLOWN UP BY ITS OWN MINES. I In a small sea coast village cemetery, within a day’s travel of London, there are 17 graves side by side where British sailors some time ago buried 17 German sailors —all but one of a crew of a U-boat sunk by one of its own mines just outside the village. Publication of the story, without mention of place, names, and some other details, is now permitted. The people of the village ~,were awakened at 10 o’clock one night by a terrific explosion on the water front, followed a few moments later by a second explosion. The villagers ran I down to the beach, but the lifeboat could not be used because there was no one at band who could run the engine. Two old oared oats were dragged from storage in a nearby shed and manned by boys and old men. No ship was in sight, nor was there any further sound to guide the rescue party. Nevertheless, the boats were put out into the black night, and presently one of them returned with one rescued man almost completely exhausted. The man was carried to the nearest bouse, dazed, shivering, and nearly paralysed with fright at the sight of the uniforms worn by' the police and the coast guards. He expected instant death. The villagers reassured him, and gradually his terror vanished. Answering questions, the man sarc he was the captain of a German minelaying submarine. He had been ordered to lay ten mines along 'the coast, and nine of them had been unloaded f - : -r- -F successfully when the U-boat struck j one of them. ' ■?' j All the lights were extinguished by j the explosion. Almost -.immediately j one of the mines left in the boat-let

go. The captain, still uninjured, managed to get through the hatch and into the water. The submarine was blown in two. The prisoner was visibly anxious about the loss of his boots, which were eventually recovered from the sea, and a numer of confidential papers of great importance were discovered stitched inside the lining. The submarine was raised and towed into port. The hull contained 17 dead Germans and several live mines, one of which was placed on exhibition at the village pier as a trophy.