ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1918, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

DIARY OF SEA-FIGHT. CHASE DESCRIBED- BY PIBATES. GERMAN TRIBUTE TO PLUCK Oj ! BRITISH SAILORS. " ; A four hours' fight with an miaftniiifr British steamer, a race to the and a German tribute to the pluck <rf h the captain and crew are referred td ) in a diary of a U-boat piiaie whidi ifag | scribes the sinking of the vessel, tt hi j written by Freiherr von Forstner, com* 1 mander of the first German ' j after picturing the departure from Zet£: I brngge and the trip down the Wrmnhi | coasts he proceeds:— ' We were in the midst of strong south-westerly gale, lying Si wait fa£, ; our prey at the entrance to flie Channel, but no ship was to besaenS most of them took the northerly «mw> beyond tjie war zone, around the SheJg -l land Islands, and it was not until 12iS next morning, north of the SrfUy ; in the Bristol Channel, thai we sight behind na of a big steamer, ■ ning before the wind, like enrsdaofr THE &JQ&ALS OF DISTRESS/. f | The wind had somearhai faileDt. 4n@ fl the March sun was nfrfafag bright ■ warm; the steamer was heading SSKi'i Cardiff, and wo judged iiy her oum& f j that she had sailed from some port*sn | South America. Turning about and t breasting the waves we faced &6>ioncoming steamer and signalled ha ps i stop; but hardly had she espied us B@S6i \ she also turned about in the hope W ; escape. She showed no flag to her nationality, so surely wo ed an English vessel Even after «§£ had fired a warning shot, she fig rapid and tortuous corves to Tafam* <m. her former course and endeasroar by to reach hear home port. Meanwhile she sent up rockets gijj signals of distress in quick , to draw the attention of British psfcrw ships that must be hovering In fftti neighbourhood. This obliged us to ftrg a decisive shot, and with a laid repoi» our first shell struck the ship dose tofr ; tiie captain's bridge. Instead of resign ing himself to his fate, the sent up more signals and hoisted fins British flag. This Bhowed us tJwt he * was game, and the fight began in rhmf earnest All honour to the phfc& cfi , these English captains!—but how red&» ; less to expose in this ma.im«r +h* Esaii of their passengers and crew, &4 shall see in the present instances? M TRIED TO It ATW TTROTTO. ! Circling around us he tried to rasr-uS! with his prow, and we naturally v ed him by also turning in the same d&' rectlon. Every time he veered shoot/ he offered us his broadside for a shot?* with well-directed aim we took advan- > tage of this target, our succeeeftffl ' fire gave him full proof of the at >■ our gunners. The latter had & hazS time of it; the high seas poured ovsc the low deck, and they continually stood up to their necks in the cold salt ymtwThey were often dragged off fhe dsS by the great receding waves, but as thqjf y were tied by strong ropes to the esnr i" nous, we were able to pull flmin fljfc: < again, and fortunately no Eves wez£. lost. On seeing our gunners strugglingin the sea, our foe hoped to nrafea gooS - his escape, but with each telling shot our own fighting blood was aroused, ' the wild chase continued. A v shell tore off the TCngHiA flagstaff at , stern, but the Union Jack was qmckty J hoisted again on the foretop. This was also shot down, and a tMrd titno fKf flag flew from a line on the yard of fl» foretop, but the flag had been, raised too» hastily, and it hung reversed, with tM 1 Union Jack apside down, and in manner it continued to fly nntQ it suk - with the brave ship. The fight had lasted four hours ■pißfc | out our being aMo to deliver tie death' . stroke. Several fires had started oil thfif. steamer, hut the crew hod been able W keep them under control; big hoteS gaped open in the ship's side, but theQij and the pumpa stiH sufficed water.