THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST SUBMARINE PIRATES.
SOME RECENT FIGHTS.
U-BOATS DESTROYED.
We have received from the Admiralty the following highly interesting details concerning recent engagements fought between British vessels (and in one case a seaplane) and enemy submarines. It will be seen that in several of these instances the pirates paid for their crimes by destruction. From one of our auxiliary naval forces a torpedo was seen approaching the starboard beam. It jumped out of the water when 100 yards off, and struck the engine-room near the water-line, making a large rent and flooding several compartments. The starboard lifeboat was blown into the air, pieces of it landing on the wireless aerial. Soon afterwards a periscope was observed just before the port beam. It turned and made for the ship, but quickly disappeared as the enemy further submerged. Again it appeared to be followed this time by a conning tower. Fire was opened, and the first shot hit the base of the conning tower and removed the two periscopes. Many hits were obtained, and the submarine quickly assumed a list to port, and several men came out of the hatch abaft the conning tower. The enemy wallowed along for a space, with his stern almost submerged and with oil squirting from his side, and the crew came on deck and waved their hands. At this sign of surrender “Cease fire” was ordered, whereat the U-boat started to make off at a fair speed, evidently hoping to disappear in the misty weather. Fire was again opened. A loud explosion took place forward, and, falling over on his side, the enemy sank, the last thing seen being the sharp bow, end up, slowly disappearing beneath the water. Two survivors were picked up. Our ship arrived safely in harbour.
A SUBMARINE’S FIGHT.
A British submarine sighted an enemy submarine 11/9 points on the starboard bow, so dived but after seeing him through the periscope for a few minutes lost sight of him. Our boat came to the surface again, and about three hours later saw the enemy on the starboard beam from two to three miles away. Our boat dived to attack, but the enemy altered course, and was again lost to view. His apparent objective being conjectured, course was altered in the hope of cutting him off, and eventually he was again detected on the port bow, steering as had been surmised. Course was altered as necessary, and when as favourable a position as was thought possible was obtained, a torpedo was fired. A splash was observed in line with and close to his stern, and a few seconds after the enemy was seen with his stern out of water, smoke hanging round it, and the conning tower half-submerged. A minute or two later he disappeared. One of our small craft sighted an enemy submarine at a distance of 10,000 yards. She maintained her course, and five minutes later the enemy stopped and then proceeded towards her. Suddenly he submerged, and shortly afterwards his periscope appeared close by on the starboard bow for a few seconds, and then disappeared. Helm was ported, and when over the position where the periscope had been seen, an explosive charge was dropped. The ship then circled round, and when in position once more dropped another charge. The explosion of this was followed after two or three seconds by another and much more violent explosion, which shook the vessel from stem to stern. The water became black over a very large area, and a considerable quantity of thick oil and flotsam came to the surface. A seaplane proceeded to attack an enemy submarine which she had observed manoeuvring, apparently, into position to fire a torpedo at a passing merchant ship. Before the seaplane arrived over the submarine the latter submerged, but three bombs were dropped on the position where he had disappeared from sight. In five minutes’ time a large upheaval was noticed where the bombs had been dropped. This could best be compared to a huge bubble, rising some distance above the level of the sea and distinctly visible for a minute or more. There was no further sign of the submarine.
EXPLOSIONS UNDER SEA.
A patrol vessel noticed a wake with a considerable amount of foam travelling almost parallel to her course on the bow a short distance away. She crossed this wake and dropped an explosive over it. Almost immediately a second charge was dropped, and after it had exploded another explosion took place. Oil and bubbles were coming to the surface, and on this spot a further charge was exploded. Two more patrol craft arrived on the scene and discharged their charges. The oil, which was still rising after an interval of twelve hours, was of a heavy brown nature with a smell like petrol. One of our naval forces, hearing gunfire, steered for the position and soon sighted an enemy submarine on the bow. Fire was opened, and a hit obtained. A large explosion resulted but the effects quickly dispersed to reveal no sign of the enemy, whose hull and conning tower were distinctly visible before. Two submarines attacked a defensively armed merchant vessel. The first submarine fired a torpedo at close range, which missed, and the ship sank her by gunfire. The second submarine then attacked the ship by gunfire, but was damaged and driven off. A defensively armed merchant vessel encountered a submarine, which endeavoured to attack at close range. The ship opened fire, hitting the submarine twice, and causing her to disappear vertically, the sea appearing to boil for a considerable time after.