A SUBMARINE ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 237, 16 March 1915, Page 2

A SUBMARINE ATTACK.

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. A vivid account of the great daring and skill displayed by Commander Hoi- ' brok and the crew of the submarine 11511, which sank the Turkish battleship Messudiyeh in the Dardanelles, is sup- ' plied by Victor Westall, serving in His Majesty's ship TTindukoost with a submarine. flotilla. He says:— On the morning of 13th December, at 3 a'.m. the 81l left for the eiltrance of the Dardanelles. Having fully charged her battery—that is, with electricity, which gives the submarine propelling power whilst under the surface—the captain give the order, "Down bridge rails, prepare, to dive." The crew go below, tlic captain last; liec loses the conningtower lid. Tie then sings out divingstations. The men get to their ports. Two are at the torpedo tubes, one at each main ballast-tank kingston, one at tin l hydroplane wheel. another at tlie [ submerged steering position, another at the motor switches; the engineer is there I at a group of vents which allow the I air to 'escape as the water floods the tanks. The next order comes from the captain, "Flood main ballast." Each kingston is opened, the water rushes in, and the boat begins to sink. The tanks are full, the gauge is showing 7ft, not I quitfi deep enough, so the auxiliary ballast tanks are opened, the tanks slowly fill, and the gauge now shows 10ft. "Close everything" is the next order heard from the conning tower —these i boats are never under the surface unless under way, as there is a tank known as the buoyancy tank, which is never flooded, and always sulTieient buoyancy for the boat to come to the surface when the motors are stopped. 'I'll! 1 boat is now what we call trimmed. Then Ave get the order to dive, say lCft, so that the periscope is just on the surface. The hyproplancs are put to dive, and the motor's are set to ahead position. It does not take, long to get down, for T have dived that boat 81l ito fisft in one minute and a-half. She is j.now feeling the elfeets of the strong current which runs down from the. Black Sea. The captain is satisfied with things so far. so gives the order, "Take her down to 00ft." At 11.45 a.m. the [ boat is brought to the. surface to see | where we are. To the captain's surj prise there is a ship not far away, and a Turk, too. "Down again to 40ffc; charge firing tank; flood'torpedo tube; stand by to fire." All this in one breath. "Up again to 15ft (she is within range) fire!" The torpedo has gone, as you say, to blow the Germans and Turks to Heaven. The shot was a good one, for an explosion was heard. ' Now to get back to safety. Guns from the shore are doing their best to hit the submar- | ine, for she soon gets out of danger of j the guns, and is at 40ft again. \\ e will just have a look at tlie target to satisfy curiosity. She is sinking by the stern, so all is well. At 30ft the submarine lias struck. For ten minutes she grates the. bottom—shingle no doubt. There is m> panic in the boat, for the captain. Lieutenant ITolbrook! is verv trustworthy. She is oIT the channel and in deep water again, so at OOl'l tlie boat gets as far as llrlles Point. Nest comes tlie order, "Surface." Tile surface is reached. "Illow all main ballast." Die. water is forced from the tanks by a pressure of air, the tanks are empty, the gas' engine is started, and out she conies vietorious, to report a safe return and a ship hit, after being nine hours and a-half submerged. No wonder all England gives praise for such a grand feat, and no one will realise more what dangers have been dared than we who know the working of the boats. Next day HO ventured up, but as soon as her periscope came into view of the Turks, jio fewer than eight mines blew up around lier. Yet she came out unhurt. This was more of a God-send than (hat of the oilier boat, for though she •lived 85 feet., she struck a sandbank, and c.uue uj> uni.il four fee?, was showing on L 'i gauge. She was ashore right- enough but no shut from a gun hit her, and after an anxious time, she escaped.