FIGHTING U-BOATS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9546, 11 March 1919, Page 5

FIGHTING U-BOATS

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES.

AUCKLAND, March 10,

Amongst the officers and crew of the steamer War Opal, "which arrived yesterday from New York, are many who have seen continuous war service and have had unique experiences while engaged in transport work in and around the English Channel. Captain Steel, the master of the War Opal, has been mined and torpedoed four times. On one occasion he was blown out of v the water by ,a mine.-

The third engineer and Mr Quirk,..the chief engineer, have also been attacked by enemy submarines. Both were on the steamer Largo Loff, engaged in carrying horses_and shells to France. At the time wherftTiey were attacked they had 108 horses and 2000 tons of steel helmets for shells. The first intimation that a submarine was in the vicinity was an explosion of shells which fell round the vessel. The marksmanship of gunners on the submarine was bad, and all the shells either fell short or whistled harmlessly over the vessel. Altogether the submnrine fired 34 shots, but a wireless call-, for .help, was sent out, and the Government station answered that a destroyer was leaving. ■' The submarine immediately moved off from the vessel, and the Larsro Loff laid down a zig-zag course and got away.

The wireless operator on the. "War ODal (Mr A. DawsonVwas also attacked by a submarine while serving with the transport Rafenshoe, but in this case the submarine "'found its mark and the vessel had to be towed to port in a leaking condition, with- the third engineer killed.

G. Mangles, another member of the crew of the War Opal, was engaged in mine-sweeping for a considerable time, hut was invalided out of the service last year practically blind. He stepped out on deck when a mine exploded, with the result that he suffered serious injury to His eyes.