THE LATEST "V'S."

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1915, Page 12

THE LATEST "V'S."

.-,... DISOHARGiE TORPEDOES , . FROM DEPTH. ! THEIR REMARKABLE GUN. la spite of all that has been written and published with regard to the submarines with which Germany is seeking to paralyse the commerce of the Allied Powers, the general public still know comparatively little of the essential features of the enemy's newest underwater craft, and nothing of importance is likely to be disclosed until the end of the war. In the meantime, it is by no means impossible that one of these vessels will be towed into a British port and her secrets, if she possesses any, revealed. With regard to some facts of very great interest in connection with the submarine '•blockade," an officer in the merchant service has been permitted to lift the veil in recording his experiences in an article which appears in the June number of the Nautical Magazine, under the heading ''Submarined." The author was on duty -on the bridge of a steamer that was torpedoed at the mouth of the Bristol Channel on the afternoon of a lovely clear day, when "the horizon was plain all round, the sea being quite calm." In spite of a vigilant look-out no submarine had been sighted, and no indication of the presence of an enemy craft observed until there was suddenly seen what was first taken to be a fish coming to the surface from a depth of i three or four fathoms. "Then, like a flash," says the writer, "I noticed that the disturbance of the water increased, and I could see the shimmering body of a torpedo coming, as it seemed, from the depths of the sea, at an angle of some 45deg. A terrific explosion rent the air, and the force of it swept up the water like a huge cataract and sent above the height of the funnel a shower which deBcended upon me, drench'ing me to the skin." It was not until the crew of the steamer had entered their boats and were pulling away from the ship that periscope of the enemy was sighted. The submarine, which shortly afterwards uppeared, is described as "a huge vessel, and carried a heavily-mounted gun," and it is an interesting fact, in view of all that has been written on the subject, that "this gun was in no way covered up, for before the periscope of the submarine came to the surface it showed itself in position." As the result of his experience the writer of the article mentions as a curious feature the absence of the submarine's periscope, and remarks: "I should imagine that the submarine was fitted with some kind of plate-glass look-out in the conning tower, where she could see the objeot of her prey through the water." "There was no panic," we are told. "Every man proceeded to his proper station. The boats were lowered, and the forward part of the ship sank deeper whilst the stern rose proportionately. In seven minutes every man was clear of the ship, and as the boats pulled away the periscope (but only the periscope) of the submarine was seen for the first time. The Germans were watching to see if the vessel would go under. The crow stood by in the boats, hoping tint possibly, after all, they might .be able to save the ship and bring her back to port. Then the periscope disappeared. Did it mean that the incident'was over? The boats began to creep back to the injured ship, but had not made much progress when the submarine rose to the surface between ourselves and the vessel. Her conning tower quickly opened, and an officer shouted in Knglish to us 'Clear out.'" Four or five seconds later another torpedo was fired, hitting the merchantman in the stern, and completely shattering her after part. The ship was doomed, and the submarine then made off without a thought for the safety of the crew.