Sanders Cup Broadcasts from 3YA

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 29, 27 January 1933, Page 9

Sanders Cup Broadcasts from 3YA

A Gallant Seaman

ROM 11 a.m. on February 1 to 4, inclusive, 83YA will be relaying running descriptions of the Sanders Cup yacht races, to be held this year on Lyttelton Harbour. It was with the object of perpetuating the name of one of the Dominion’s bravest sons that the Sanders Memorial Cugx contest was inaugurated, but it is whether many know anything x the man whose memory they commemorate, It is now over fourteen years since Lieutenant-Commander W. E. Sanders, Y.C., D.S.0., R.N.R., went down with his ship in the Atlantic on a dark and stormy night in August, 1917, and "left his name to be inscribed imperishably on the same roll of naval history where stand the names of Blake and Nelson." In 1915 Sanders volunteered his services to the Royal Navy, but received no acknowledgement of his offer. He then worked his passage to England, and applied to the Admiralty for a job to serve his country. He was given the rank of sub-lieutenant and sent to Falmouth to learn gunnery, He was an apt pupil, and eight months after receiving his first commission was promoted to the rank of lieu-tenant-commander, a very remarkable achievement due to outstanding ability. He was appointed second in command of H.M.S. Sabina, and shortly afterward was’ given command of H.M.S, Prize, with headquarters at the naval base at Milford Haven. The Prize was a decoy schooner, with auxiliary power, and her principal work was

to sail, disguised as a merchant vessel, into. that part of the Atlantic where it was known that German submarines were ‘carrying on their deadly work. The object was to decoy the submarines into attacking the schooner, allowing them to approach to point-blank range, then, uncovering masked guns, to sink them with a salvo. ‘ On April 80, 1917, the Prize sighted a submarine about two miles off the port beam at about 8.20 p.m. The submarine, under the command of yon Spiegler, opened fire on the Prize, which put her motor out of action, wrecked the wireless room, and caused much external damage, besides letting a great deal of water into the ship. Throughout this terrible punishment Sanders and his men remained under cover at their concealed guns. Then, when the submarine stopped firing, Sanders put some of the men overboard, and appeared to have abandoned his ship in an attempt to decoy the German submarine alongside. With one or two of his officers, Sanders hid himself behind the guns, When the U-boat came’ within a distance c£ 80 yards, Sanders unmasked the guns, and, with the first shot of the for’ard gun, blew the conning tower of the submarine overboard. This was not before the submarine had fired both her guns and wounded several more of the crew of the Prize. Sanders then sank the submarine, and rowed out in a canvas boat, taking the German commander prisoner along with the engineer. The commander of the submarine was So impressed with the conduct of the Prize’s crew that when éxamined afterward, he said he did not consider it any disgrace to be beaten by the Prize, and that he could not have believed it possible for a ship’s company to be imbued with such splendid discipline to stand the shelling with which he subjected the schooner without making any sign that would give away her true character. Lieutenant-Commander Sanders’s gallantry on this occasion earned him the Victoria Cross, and many decorations were awarded to the officers and crew. By his fellow naval officers at Milford Haven he was presented with a jewelled sword, and due recognition was also made by the civie authorities. How Sanders Died. During the afternoon of August 14, 1917, the Prize was again action with an enemy submarine, but on this occasion she was not able to put the ‘U-boat out of effective action. Practically submerged, the submarine followed the Prize until nightfall, and then torpedoed her. All hands went down with the gallant little ship, It is fitting that Sanders’s memory should be kept green among the yachtsmen of New Zealand, and the owner of the winning yacht each year may well be satisfied to see the name of his craft engraved upon the beautiful memento of one. of New Zecland’s nalonal heroes,