GREAT NAVAL EXPLOIT.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 January 1919, Page 6

GREAT NAVAL EXPLOIT.

COMMANDER SANDERS, „V.C.

DEED WHICH WON THE CROSS

FIGHT WITH A SUBMARINE?

The official account of the exploit which earned for the late Lieutenant-'' Commander W. E. Sanders, R.N.R.y of Auckland, the supreme naval and military decoration, the Victoria Cross,-has now been released for publication and appeared in the London Gazette on November 20 last. The official record is as follows: — • - - ♦

“Action of H.M.S. Prize, on Apirl 30, 1917.

“His Majesty’s ship Prize, a topsail schooner of 200 tons, under command of Lieut. - William Edward Sanders, R.N.R., sighted an enemy submarine on April 30, 1917. The enemy opened fire at three miles’ range and approached slowly astern. The ‘panic party,’ in charge of Skipper Wm. Henry Brewer, R.N.R. (Trawler Section), immediately abandoned ship. Ship’s head was put into the wind, and the guns’ crew concealed themselves by lying face downwards on the deck. The enemy continued deliberately shelling the schooner. inflicting severe damage and wounding a number of men. For twenty minutes she continued to approach, firing as she came, but at length, apparently satisfied that no one remained on board, she drew out on the schooner’s quarter seventy yards away. The White Ensign was immediately hoisted, the screens dropped, and all guns opened fire. A shell struck the foremost gun of the submarine, blowing it to atoms and annihilating the crew. SANK IN FOUR MINUTES.

‘“Another shot demolished the conning tower, and at the same time a Lewis gun raked the survivors off the submarine’s deck. She sank four minutes after the commencement of the action in clouds of smoke, the glare of an internal fire being visible through the rents in her hull. The captain of the submarine, a warrant officer, and one man were picked up and brought on board the- Prize, which was then herself sinking fast. Captors and prisoners, howmver, succeeded in plugging the shot holes and keeping the water under with the "pumps. The Prize then set sail for the land, 120 miles distant. They were finally picked up two days later by a motor-launch and towed the remaining five miles into harbour.”

For this exploit Lieutenant-Com-mander Sanders was, on June 22, 1917, awarded the Victoria Cross “in recognition of his conspicuous gallantry, consummate coolness a’nd skill in command of one of H.M. ships in action./’ His second-in-command was awarded the Distinguished Service Order; two skippers, R.N.R. (Trawler Section), the Distinguished Service Cross; and the remainder of the little ship’s company the Distinguished Service Medal. LOSS TO NAVY AND NATION. The Admiralty record proceeds; “A few months later His Majesty’s ship Prize, under the command of Lieut.Commander Sanders, was lost with all hands off the north-west coast of Ireland, after a brilliant engagement with the enemy submarines. The night was dark and stormy, and no subsequent trace could be found of the Prize or its crew. The death of this most gallant officer and his efficient and highly-trained crew was a disaster the navy and the nation could ill afford.’’

Lieut.-Coramander Sanders was aiso awarded the Distinguished Service Order in recognition of his services in action with an enemy submarine in June, 1917 Lieut.-Commandcr Sanders belonged to Takapuna, where his father now resides. Prior to engaging in war work (for which he volunteered) he was an officer in the Union S.S. Co.’s service. ! His naval exploits have been compared with those of Nelson, Drake, and Riou, and Admiral Jellicoe referred to him as “one of the greatest heroes of the war.” THE PROPOSED MEMORIAL. It is proposed to establish a Dominion memorial to Lieutenant-Commander Sander, in the form of a mercantile marine scholarship, and the proylsion

and equipment of a training vessel. A

substantial sum of money has already been contributed by the public of New Zealand, and the assistance of the Government in the matter is practically assured. It is interesting to note that only eight of what arc commonly known as “Mystery V.C.’s” were awarded in the British Navy during the whole war, the second to win the decoration being Lieut.-Commander Sanders. The V.C.’s were all won in the amazing doings of the mysterious Q-boats, those in-nocent-looking tramp ships, which laid themselves open to attack by the German submarines. The Q-boats sent out frantic messages 'for aid when assailed, put off ‘'panic parties!” in boats, and then, at the chosen momqnt, disclosed their masked guns and smashed the submarine pirate.