FIGHTS WITH SUBMARINES.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 August 1919, Page 7

FIGHTS WITH SUBMARINES.

’ STEAMER’S WONDERFUL EXPLOITS. The steamer Baron Elcho, which arrived at Freemantrle on July 11, reported that the vessel, which was noticeably battered and patched up, was once torlpedoed, once mined, and five times attacked and shelled by U-boats, and had amazing experiences. On one oceasion the master had to rull her ashore on one of the -Shetland islands to escape capture by the enemy. This was when bound to Archangel with a cargo of explosives, -and -o.n’t‘l7iletliel' occasion [she fought a submarine for six hours toe Gibraltar. Her s.o.s. signals brought .a torpedo boat to the rescue, which is supposed to have sunk the sub-mar-ine_ ‘Captain J, M. Thomson, master of the Baron Eleho, related an incident that 'o.ceu.rred when he was on 3 the Baron Fairlie, bound from 'Eng*land i to Salonika. Steaming through the Bay of Biscay, E submarine was sighted early in the morning. Nothing further tyanspired ,'unltiil nighit. It was moonlight, and the captain was leaning over the rail at the end. of the bridge. He happened to look -down, and was astonished to see the black shape of a submarine. parallel with them under the water. .Hc hastened to the wll'e.el and jammed it hard ever, set the engine:< at full speed, and got away.