COWARDLY PRUSSIANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1917, Page 5

COWARDLY PRUSSIANS.

TERROR IN TORPEDOED SHIP. RUSH FOR BOATS ON THE LANPRANC.

The story of the torpedded hospital ship Lanfranc, says the Central News, will take rank with the undying histories of the Birkenhead and the Tyndareus. Stricken British solders stood to attention while the vessel slowly sank bßneath them, their splendid serenity being in marked contrast with the cowardice displayed foy men of the Prussian Guaifl, who, in the moment of danger, rushed to the lifeboats for salvation. The following particulars of the outrage were re; lated by a British officer:— <; The Lanfranc was attacked by a submarine about 7.30 on Tuesday evening, just as we had finished dinner. A few of us were strolling to and fro on the deck whe.n there was a crash which shook the liner violently. This was followed by an explosion, and glass and splinters of wood flaw in all directions. I had a narrow escape from being pitched overboard, and only regained my feat with difficulty. In a few minutes* the engines had stopped, and the Lanffanc appeared' to be sinking Tapidly, but to our surprise she steadied herself, and after awhile remained perfectly motionless. "We had on board nearly two hundred prisoners belonging to the Prussian Guard and about twice as many British wounded, among the latter being some very bad cases. The moment the torpedo struck the Lanfranc the Prussians made a mad rnsh for the lifeboats. RAVING MAO. "One of their officers came up to a boat clo«e to -which I was standing. I shouted to him to go back, whereupon he stood and scowled. 'You must save us,' ho begged. I told him to wait his turn. Other Prussians showed their cowardice bv dropping on their knees and imploring pity. Some of them cried 'Kamerad,' as they do on the battlefield. I allowed none of them to pass me. Meanwhile the crew and Rtaff had gone to their posts. The stretcher cases were brought on deck ns quickly as possible, and the first boats were lowered without delay. Help ha 4 been summoned, and many vessels were hurrying to our assistance. In these moments, while wounded Tommies—many of them as helpless as little children —lay in their cots unaided, the Prussian moral dropped to ?ero. Out? ■cowardly prisoners made snother crazy effort to get into a lifeboat. They man-, aged to crowd into one, but no sooner, had it been lowered than it toppled over., ;rho Prussians were thrown into the; water, and then fought with each other in order to roach another boat containing: a number of gravely wounded British soldiers. ' '■ l i "I shall never forget the behaviour of; our own. lads. Crippled as many of; tfiem were, thpy tried to stand at tion while the more serious cases were being looked after. And those who- could; lend a hand scurried.below to help in; ■saving friend or enemy. I have nevero seen so many individual illustrations bf= gonuine chivalry and comradeship, One! :nan I saw had had a leg severed andj his head was heavily bandaged. He 'W«*J lifting himself up a staircase by the hands, and was just as keen on summoning help for 'Fritz as on saving himself. He whistled to a mate to come, •and aid a Prussian who was unable to move owing to internal injuries. Another Tommy painfully along with a Prussian officer on his arm and helped the latter to a boat. "The same spirit manifested itself as we moved away from tho seehc of the outrage. I mw a sergeani take his tunic aS and make a pillow of it for a wounded German."