THE U-BOAT WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1920, Page 9

THE U-BOAT WAR.

1 OFFICIAL RECORD. EXPERIENCE OF N.Z. SHIPS. London, Oct. 23. At tho instance of Lieutenant-Colonel Burgoyne, M.P., a Parliamentary Paper has been prepared by the Admiralty, setting forth the results of the German submarine campaign against British merchant shipping, between Bth Aug., 1914, and November, 1918. _ From summary tables appended to the lists it appears that from the outbreak of the war to the signing of the armistice a total of 3154 merchant ships and fishing boat?, of an aggregate tonnage of 7,830,855 were sunk, and 1885 .merchant vessels, aggregating 8,007,967 tons, were attacked, but escaped, although in many cases not without damage. The number of lives lost in these attacks throughout the war was 15,313.

The number of merchant ships sunk was 2470, in which 14,287 lives were lost, while the tonnage loss totalled 7,759,090. Altogether 1885 ships, of a tonnage of 8,007,007, were attacked, but saved, but with a total death roll of 592. While the submarine was the main instrument of the German campaign, we also suffered considerable losses from the operations of surface craft and from mines. THE "INTENSIVE" CAMPAIGN. The high-water of destruction was reached in the early part of 1917, after the inrfiguration of the "intensive" submarine campaign in February of the year. In the month of April no fewer than IC9 merchant ships, of a total tonnage of 545,252, were sunk, with a loss of 1125 lives. Happily this record, as regards tonnage, was never approached either before or afterwards, and the number of victims vs comparable only with that of May, 1915, when the Lusitania was torpedoed, and 120S lives were sacrificed. The total numbers and tonnage, of ships sunk in each month of 1917 were: ■ —January, 49, of 153,666 tons; February, 105,313, 480 tons; March, 127, 353,478 tons; April, 169, 545,282 tons; May, 122, 352,289 tons; June, 122, 417,925 tons; July, 99, 304,855' tons; August, 91, 329,810 tons; September, 78, 196,212 tons; October, 86, 276,132 tons; November, 64, 173,560 tons; December, 80, 253,087 tons.

NEW ZEALAND STEAMERS. Those In charge of liners known in 'New Zealand waters, of course, came in for some unnerving experiences in the various zones of danger. Skeleton- details are given, and they will no doubt form interesting reading. The Argyllshire was twice attacked, ffie first time on the 27th of May, 1915,, By a i submarine off Havre, when two torpedoes were fired, but fortunately they- missed llier: The second attack 011 this vessel was made on sth January, X!1I7, when she wa3 three miles southward from Start 'Point. Here, again, it was a torpedn | from a submarine whieh attacked her,, tout luckily the vessel was able to get into. Sport.

; On the 22nd July, 1917,. when the Cor|ih.thie was in the English Channel, she Iwas-attacked by a submarine, which gave ichase, but fortunately tlie speed of the 'vessel was her salvation.

When 13f> milbs south-west front Hiello 'op Rook, on tlie ltlth of August, 1017, the !j)elphic was attacked by a submarine i without warning, and was sunltliy a toeipuilo, with tlie loss of five lives;.

A submarine chased tlio Dunediii wlien: in St. George's Channel, 011 the 28th March, 1915, but her speed enabled her. to get away. Wlien iii the Mediterranean on -23 rd November, 1917, tliis same vessel was mined, but slie was towed, itii. It iv;is al the end" of December, 11115", thai tlie foni:', wlu'ii in the Mediterranr Kin, was aiiaikwl by a torpedo from a .übmariua, which, however, nu&asi its wrgafc.

The capture of the Maiunga by the raider Wolf will be well remembered in New Zealand. At the time of its capture the vessel was 31)0 miles east (true) from Ricbe Island, New Guinea, and she was sunk by bombs. A New Zealand transport, of 4481 tons, whose name is not given, was sunk by a torpedo from a submarine, without warning, eight miles south-east from Serpho Pulo, in the Aegean Sea, on the 14th June, 1917, when three lives were lost. Every one knows what a magnificent fight was put up by the captain of the Otitki when she was captured by the raider Moewe, 420 miles west, threequarters west (true) from Lisbon. She was sunk by torpedoes, and six lives were lost, including that of the captain, and the remainder of those on board were made prisoners. This was on the 10th of March, 1917. On 26th June, 1018, the Raranga was attacked by torpedo in the English Chan nel, but she managed to reach port. No warning was given prior to the submarine attack on the. Rotorua, which went down 24 mile 3 east from Start Point, on the 22nd of March, 1917, with the loss of one life. Another vessel of the New Zealand Shipping Company, the Ruahine, was attacked by submarine torpedo on the 17th of March, 1917, when 167 miles south-west by south, from Fastnet. Fortunately, the torpedo missed the vessel. One of the earliest of the New Zealand boats to be sunk was the Tokomaru, which was torpedoed without warning seven miles north-west from Havre, at the end of January, 1915. When the Moewe captured the Clan Mactavish in January, 1916, 120 miles S. by W. from Funchal, 17 lives were lost and the master and two gunners were made prisoners. The captor disposed of her by gunfire. Another vessel which was captured by a submarine and sunk by gunfire was the Marere, on the 18th of January, 1916, when she was 236 miles east from Malta.

A torpedo fired without warning; from a submarine on 26th of July, 1917, accounted for the disappearance of the Bteamer Somerset when she was 230 miles XV. by S. JS. from Ushant.

The Roscommon wa3 20 miles N.E. from Tory Island on 21st August, 1917, when she was without warning sunk by torpedo.

One of the newest of the New Zealand Shipping Company's boats, the Htirunui, was without warning attacked by submarine on the 18th of May, 191S, 48 miles S. by W. from the Lizard. She eventually sank. Seven lives were Itfet, when, again without warning, a submarine sent a torpedo into the Port Hardy when she was 78 miles W. by N. from Cape Spartel on the 6th of July, 1918.

BIG LOSS OF LIFE. On the 10th of October, 1918, thhe Leinster was seveu miles E.S.E. from Kish L.V. No warning was given, but a submarine fired a torpedo at the vessel, and she went down with the loss of 176 lives, including the captain. The torpedo fired at the Tahiti on 12th September, 1916, when in the Mediterranean fortunately missed its mark. The same vessel was chased by submarine in the English Channel on 20th February, 1917, but her own gunfire saved her. The Suffolk was mined in the English Channel at the end of December, 1916, but luckily she managed ■to put The Westmeath, although attacked by into Portsmouth.

submarine torpedo in the English Channel on the lath of July, 1917, managed to reach port.

Apparently the only warship of special New 3*aland interest that was submarined and sunk was If.M.S. Avenger. She was built in 1915 for the Union Company's service, and was submarined in June, 1917, in the North Atlantic. The T.B.D. Maori was sunk by a mine in the North Sea in the middle of 1915.