RESCUE OF DESTROYERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1918, Page 6

RESCUE OF DESTROYERS.

COURAGE AND SKILL. I SUBMARINE DRIVEN OFF.' London, Fob. 10. The Associated Press correspondent, telegraphing from a port in Ireland, says that American officers eulogise the dar- i in;' and seamanship displayed by British ' destroyers at the time the Tuscania was ■. sunk. Many soldiers jumped into the sea when the Tuscania listed. More j were preparing to follow, when a des- ; troyer dashed up to the starboard side ' and took oil' hundreds of men. As she -was departing another destroyer emerg- ; cd from the darkness on the port side, ! .which was now high out of the water. When the soldiers recovered from the surprise of this unexpected skilful manoeuvre they scrambled to reach the I elevated port side. Many slid down tlio | 'null, some -slipped down by means of ! rones, others on their hands and knees, j Al! this was done in the coolest possible manner. Those not taken off by the | plucky destroyers, which risked sharing j •tin l Tuscania's fate, were later picked I up by trawlers, wheh swarmed to the scene. The Americans said that the most im- ' piessive thing of the whole experience ' was the promptitude ami precision with which the British naval men handled their craft. They had just begun rescue work when the most exciting moment of the night occurred—a submarine iu a few minutes discharging three tor- ; pm'oes at the destroyers. The watchfulness of the lookouts and the splendid seamanship foiled the attack, and all the destroyers immediately counter-attack-ed with guns and bombs so effectively that if the submarine was not sunkj it was afraid to reappear. j