ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1918, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

HOSPITAL SHIP SUNK. LARGE LOSS OP LIVES. London, August u. A hospital ship has been torpedoed, and 150 patients killed. The hospital Bhip Warilda ha 9 been torpedoed and 123 Hve9 lost. [The Warilda (7,713) was owned by the Adelaide Steamship Company.] ONE OF THE WORST OUTRAGES. ONE OF THE WORST OUTRAGES. ONE WARD WIPED OUT BY TORPEDOES. GREAT MAJORITY TRANSFERRED IN TIME. Received August 0, 7.45 p.m. London, August 5. The transport was carrying 800, many being cot cases, and was going to England. She was torpedoed at midnight. It is feared over 100 were drowned. Details of the sinking of the Warilda ranks among the worst German outrages. A large proportion of the 600 aboard were cot cases. She was attacked in mid-Channel early on Saturday morning in black darkness. By the greatest good luck, the Warilda kept afloat long enough to allow the great majority to be transferred to lifeboats, and, later, to destroyers, which were promptly on the scene. The torpedo wiped out one ward. Owing to the rush of water, the ship listed seriously, but rescue work was smartly carried out. A member of the crew spates that pearly all were asleep below. The force of the explosion stupified for a moment the crew on deck. Nevertheless, all were quickly at their stations. The feature was that at the outset there was none who knew whether the ship would sink immediately. Everyone did what he could for the helpless soldiers. The vessel floated for about two hours. The survivors are not sure whether the Warilda was twice torpedoed. Three of the engine-room staff, including the third engineer, Milne, and four stewards, are missing.—Press Assoc. A THRILLING STORY. FIGHT BETWEEN DECOY SKIP AND SUBMARINE. THE GERMANS SUNK. Received August C, 7.45 p.m. London, August 6. Sir Eric Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty, in a speech in London, told a thrilling tale of a fight between a British decoy ship and a submarine. He explained that these were one of the oldest ruses of the war. The service called them Q ships. QSO had the appearance of a dingy old collier, and the crew were like a merchantman's. She sailed under sealed orders. She lighted a submarine, and immediately turned, pretending to escape. The submarine chased and shelled her. The collier feebly replied with a little gun. The collier was badly knocked about Wounded and dead lay about the decks. In order to deceive the submarine, the collier signalled: "Abandoning ship." A specially-trained panio crew went over the side, there being every sign of fear and haste. Shells went through the collier's poop. Then the enemy ceased fire and closed in, thinking her an easy prey. As she approached, the collier's magizine exploded, and blew up the stern gun nnd gun crew. The captain wirelessed a warship, which answered the sham signal for help, but really telling her to keep away, as the action was not yet ended. The submarine resumed shelling mercilessly, but the collier had a sling tail and fired two torpedoes. She kept up the fight till the submarine was badly damaged and the collier was sinking. The warßhips, waiting below the horizon, hurried to the scene and joined in the fight, when the submarine was sunk. The fight lasted five hours. When the collier's crew were taken off, the vessel was ablaze and the ammunition exploding. ° Sir Eric Geddes siad that by such means as these the trade isnd trooping routes of the Alies were kept open. Received August 6, midnight. London, August 5. The Admiralty reports that homeward bound ambulance', transport Warilda was torpedoed and sunk on the 3rd. One hundred and twenty-three are missing, .including seven of the crew. TORPEDO BOATS MINED. i New Souk, August 5. Enemy mines sunk two British torpedo boats. (Five officers and ninety two men were lost. U-BOATS OKF AMERICA New York, August 5. The commander of one U-boat told the captain of one of Ma victims ■that' he had sunk several additional American fishing schooners. He gave no. names or details. A German submarine sank an American tanker off Virginia. Thirty survivors have kiiied.—Ausc-. N.2. Oafble Assn. Halifax, Auguafe.s. Three American fishing aehoanera haw Ibeen sunk by the Üboata. The crews have .been Cable Assn'. Ott&aca, August 5. A! 6hip- arriving at a Canadian AtJantio port states that a, IMwsJt chased an ojriKry fiskmg craft Ibntf when a large steamer appeared on the horizton ♦he U-boat changed her course- And followed the steamer, sHowing €he fishermen to escape. The burned alk' of a lunrfcer schooner', Best on fire liy. a U-iboait, lias Been4owed to port.—AimyßZ. CMMe A«n. AMERICAN CRUISER MINED. Washington, August. 6. Inve&tJgbitKm shone that cruiser JBarf3&nrfi.M» T nwlfrffr<rcfr |t ■