OUR NAVAL SUPERMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1919, Page 11

OUR NAVAL SUPERMEN.

y.C. FOUR YEARS AFTERWARDS. FATHER AND SON WHO WON GLORY IN U BOAT DRAMA. One of the most thrilling episodes of the war at sea is recalled by the official announcement that the V.C. has at last been conferred on Lieutenant Frederick Parslow, R.N.R., "for most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" when in command of the horse transport Anglo-Californian on July i, 1915. At 8 am. that day the Anglo-Californian sighted a. submarine a mile away. She was unarmed, and Lieutenant Parslow manoeuvred to bring the U boat astern, meanwhile sending out a wireless S.O.S. The submarine opened fire at 9 o'clock, and for an hour and a-half ' shelled the Anglo-Califoinian. Theu came the order from the Huns to "abandon the ship as fast as possible." Lieutenant Parslow, in order to save life, decided to obey the order,.but when a destroyer wirelessly ufgeit-iim to hold ojft-}ie Aritfd *to get away. ThjUJUKMrriato'theii opemed a and. bAsts with guns * iisy rifle's, wrecking *'Wc Upper bridge, Jsjpjng Lieutenant Parslow, and carrying aw'fty one of the port davits, causing the boat to drop into the sea. About 11 a.m. two destroyers arrived on the scene, and the submarine dived. "Throughout the attack Lieutenant Parslow remained on the bridge, entirely without protection, and by his magnificent heroism succeeded, at tho cost of his own life, in saying a valuable ship and cargo for the country"

The official statement, of which the above is an extract, omits the most dramatic feature of the incident. Serving under Lieutenant Parslow was his son, Sub-lieutenant Frederick Parslow, who, after his father's death, took over the command, and brought the Anglo-Cali-fornian safely into port, while his father's body lay beside him amid the wreckage of the bridge. Sub-lieutenant Parslow was given the D.S.O. for his share in the episode, but it took the Admiralty nearly four years to do justice to the memory, of his gallant father. Another great exploit brought the posthumous awar4 of the V.C. to Lieu-tenant-commander '(ieoftmy S. White, R.N., who sacrificed his life, in the JBI4, of which he was in command, on January 2ji, 1918 .El 4 was ordered to force the Dardanelles and attack the Goeben, then reported aground off Kgara Point, as the result of damage in her disastrous sortie from the Dardanelles. Failing to find the Goeben, El 4 turned back ;r<l encountered an enemy vessel, which she tried to torpedo. Eleven seconds after the torpedo left the tube a heavy explosion took place, caused the lights to go out, and sprang the fore hatch. Leaking badly, the boat was blown to 15ft, and at once a heavy fire came' from the forts, but the hull was not nit. El 4 then dived, and proceeded .on her way out. Soon afterwards the boat became out of control, and, as the air supply was nearly exhausted, Licutenantcommander White decided to run the risk of proceeding on the surface. Heavy fire was immediately opened on both sides, and after running the gauntlet for half an hour, being steered from below, El 4 was so badly damaged that Lieutenant-commander White turned towards the shore in order to give the crew a chance of saving their.lives. He remained on deck the whole time himself until he was killed by a shell." ''A duel as gallant as naval history can relate," was the enemy tribute to an exploit which caused the V.C. to be conferred on Lieutenant Archibald Bisset Smith, R.N.R. He was in command of the s.s. Otaki when, on the afternoon of March 10, 1017, she encountered the disguised German raider Moewe. The Otaki had but one gun, of 4.7 calibre, while the Moewe had four 5.9 in, one 4.lin, two 22-pounders, and two torpedo tubes; but when called on to stop, after his ship had been under observation for some time, he refused to obey, and a duel, which lasted for about 20 minutes, ensued at ranges of from 1900 to 2000 yards. "During this action the Otnki scored several hits on the Moewe, causing considerable damage, and starting a fire which lasted for three days. She also sustained severe casualties, and received much damage herself, and was heavily on fire. Lieutenant Smith therefore gave orders for the boats to be lowered to allow the crew to be rescued. He remained on the ship himself, and went down with her when she sank, with the British colors still flying."