ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 May 1918, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

BALTIC OPERATIONS. BY BRITISH SUBMARINES. THE VEIL LIFTED. STIRRING DEEDS UNFOLDED. GERMAN TRAFFIC COMPLETELY STOPPED. . Received April 19, 5.5 p.m. London, April 18. The Admiralty, lifting the veil from the operations of British submarines in the Baltic, relate stirring deeds as to how they were continually attacking and destroying enemy warcraft and kept a watchful eye on tiic movements of the German fleet. Their work was so effective that finally the German ships were kept in harbors as soon as a British submarine was reported. Unlike the U-boats, not a single case can be alleged of a British submarine sinking merchantmen on sight. Merchantmen were invariably boarded in the orthodox manner, and the crews were given plenty of time in which to abandon the vessels. They were directed to the nearest port or escorted to a iteutral vessel. Official documents of the submarines' doings leave a profound impression of the perseverance and skill with which the crews carried on. The passage into the Baltic was most difficult, owing to the closest watch being kept, and the submarines resorted to numerous ruses, or waited until they could follow surface craft and so run the gauntlet.

SUCCESSFUL WORK. Submarine Commander Goodhart espied an enemy battleship, escorted by destroyers. He fired and observed the flash of the explosion along the waterline. When the submarine rose again the ship had gone, its destruction being instantaneous. It was the battleship Prinz Albert. Another submarine sighted a light cruiser of the Ancora class and fired, the torpedo hitting the cruiser forward. The cruiser was apparently put out of control and swung round in a large circle, then stopped, with fire bursting from her decks. An escorting destroyer attacked the submarine. The latter evaded the attack and fired a second torpedo, getting the cruiser amidships, the magazine blowing up and large masses of iron and wreckage falling around the submarine, which, before submerging, observed the cruiser's crew assembling on the poop. They were later rescued by a large German ferry boat. DEALING WITH MERCHANTMEN.

As regards operations against merchant vessels, the following is typical. A submarine sighted and chased a steamer from Hamburg, laden with wood. She was signalled to stop and was boarded. The crew was ordered to leave and subsequently the sea cocks were opened, charges were exploded and the ship sunk. Meanwhile a Hamburg-America liner was sighted, proceeding without lights. A boarding party overhauled her and found that she was laden -with iron ore for Stettin. So quickly did the crew abandon the ship that interrogations could not be continued. The ship was sunk in a similar manner to the first one, after which, within a few hours, two more were similarly despatched. The following day the commander reported that all German traffic had ceased. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.

THE POLA HARBOR EXPLOIT. FURTHER DETAILS. NO NEWS AS TO THE HEROES. Received May 19, 5.5 p.m. London, May 18. The Daily Telegraph's Milan correspondent states that the motor boat carrying Pellegrini and three others entered Pola harbor stealthily at night. Its light draught enabled the boat to pass over submarine mines, but steel nets and many surface mines made the channel dangerous. The boat rapidly approached the dreadnought and fired two torpedoes, and seaplanes saw both of them hitting. No news lia9 been received of Pelligrini or his companions, and there is little doubt as to their fate. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.

STRANGLING THE SUBMARINES. A CONVINCING STATEMENT. IMMUNITY OF AMERICAN WARSHIPS. Received May 19, 5.5 p.m. (Paris, May 17. Admiral Wilson, commanding the American naval forces in French waters, states that as a result of tho FrancoAemrican anti-submarine warfare there were no torpedoings during February and April in waters in which American warships were operating, as compared with 34 in October of 1917. —Press Association.

A DESTROYER TORPEDOED. TWO LIVES LOST. Received May 19, 11.50 p.m. London, May IS. The Admiralty report that a British destroyer was torpedoed and sunk on the 14th. Two men were killed as the result of an explosion.—Aus.-X.Z. Ca'ble Assoc. and Eeuter.