A SUBMARINE'S ADVENTURES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 168, 15 July 1916, Page 15

A SUBMARINE'S ADVENTURES.

CAUGHT IN NET, BUT ESCAriiS. GERMAN CAPTAIN'S NARRATIVE. A sensational episode of submarine warfare is told by Captain Commandant Krelberr Spiegel in the "Diary of U-202." wlilr-n has just been published oy August Schorl, in Berlin. It gives some idea of the dangers encountered and tells hoiv the V-'Mi was. cauglit In a net out managed to extricate herself by clever manoeuvring. "It was three minutes after six o'clock, nnd In hnir an hour it would be suurisp," writes Captain Spiegel. "Sky and sea were enveloped in a iljirk grey mist and no horizon was visible. Suddenly my came like a ghost out of the mist. Gradually the shadow took more definite form - I saw a dark hull, a mast, and then one. two, three and four funnels. It was a torpedo boat destroyer. "I gave the alarm anil shouted the order, •Submerge at once.' Quickly the water began nlohing into the tanks, nnd then It seemed nn almost iuliii'iiiinalile Interval until the tanks were riled anil the Mibruarine began to sink. Never In my life did the seconds pa.»s so slowly. Tbe destroyer, of course, had sighted us nnd came speeding on with nil the power of her -lO.OO , .) began firing at us. "Great God! I hope they do not hit us. One single shot and we are lost. Our tower was now almost submerged, but I could still see the dar.i shadow drawing nearer. The shells were falling all arounil us, and as they dropped In the water they made a noise like a hammer coming down with full force on a steel plate. "One shot came so near that It lifted our boat half way above the surface of the water. Another shot and he will surely strike us. "Slowly we sank, and then the submarine responded to tbe movement of the deep sea rudder and no dived quickly. "The red-globed plertrlc licMs s Uowe<i that our manometer registered eight metres, then nine metres, nnd quickly mounted to fourteen metres. We were safe. What a feeling of relli'f »o know that an Impenetrable wall of water protected us now from the destroyer. <>tir hearts, that had almost slopped beating. began to send the warm blood again through our veins. Our bout sank deeper and deeper, responding to every movement of the rudder as a faithful horse does to the rein. We were now thirty inures under the surface.

"We could still hear the crash of the shells overhead. I looked at the man nt the wheel and poiuted upward with my thumb, smiling all the while. lie smiled back at mc. CAUGHT IX NET. "Suddenly we were thrown headlong in all directions. The sobmarine trembled like a wounded animal. For a few seconds we were unconscious and our heads nnd shoulders and all our uones ached. What had happened? It was pitch dark, for all the lights had gone out. Were we really alive? "I shouted to the men to find their stations. The lights went up again. All this happened more quickly than I can tell it. "What had happened? Is it all over wlt'i us? iJid we hit tl mine? "Then the men reported that everything was in excellent yliapc. No leaks were found. "The submarine, however, was at almost right angles. " 'Captain, thore'§ somcthlug wrong,' cried the lieutenant. 'We are caught in a net, and attached to the upper part of the net are mines. This is enough lo drive a man crazy.' " 'Don't lose your nerve,' I shouted. 'We'll get out of this. Keep the submarine submerged. Back up and then with all the power of our engines go ahead. But don't rise an inch. Remember the mince above us.' 'The engines worked perfectly. The submarine, when she moved forward, bored right iuto tue net and tore it into bits, and as our splendid little craft responded again to the helm we gave n shout of joy. for we knew that we bad extricated ourselves. " 'Go deeper," I cried. 'Go down to thirty metres. , "I sat down and held my aching head in my hands. My brain seemed to be whirling like a windmill. Needles seemed to be sticking in my forehead, and there was a roaring in my ears which I tried to stop by placing my hands over them. " 'Luck has been with us,' I said to myself, "or we would never have got out of this hell.' "It was some time before I was able to think clearly, and tben I recognised the fact tbat we had gone deep enough just in time. The enemy had no doubt figured tbat we would alight right into the net, which, would explode the mines and annihilate us. As it was we passert directly under the net, so that the mines exploded Iα tbe direction of least - resist-

ance, doing no more damage than to knock us unconscious momentarily. "No doubt the destroyer, when the mines exploded, cheered our apparent destruction, nnd informed tbe world that another German euhinnrtnc had been caught in a net aud blown up by the mines. Well, I am willing to let the enemy think he got us, but I pray that we will never have another such experience. Once was enough. It was n nerve-racking ordeal, which we never can forget." ATTEMPT TO HAM. Another thrilling incident which Captain Spiegel relates iv his diary was the attempt made by the British freight steamship Ormea to ram the I'-IXC. When the «uhmarinc was within a short distance of the j Onnea that ship turned with surprising speed .-.ml made fur the submarine with all Hie power of her mncntncry. " 'That fellow must be crazy.' I shouted.', says Captain Spiegel. He wants to mm us. I'ut on full npeeil and steer lo star- , l.o.ird.' However, we sceuteU d.inscr too lute. The Orme,n was faster than we "ere. nnd came rushing upon us like n [bulldog. There were only fifty metres bet ween us. out jour guns and piptols and let him have it,' I cried.

"The order wns quickly obeyed, and we opened up a hellish lire on the Ormea. I could see the blue eyes of her captain and his sardonic, grinning countenance. He had reason to be hnppy: he was going tn get us. Nearer be came, despite our tire and our hearts beat like trip hammers. "There It was that Groning saved us— droning, the calm and cool officer who never lost his bead. lie knelt bp-side mc sending shot after shot at the oncoming Ormea. " 'We must pet the man at the wheel." he said. "Ix>t all of us make him our target.' "In his little glass-covered house we could see the man with stern face looking for a vulnerable spot In which to give us iour death-blow.

"(Ironing's happy suggestion was nctert upon at once, and we concentrated all our lire ou the wheel hr«nse. After the tlrst volley we plainly heard a cry of agony, and the Englishman fell forward on the wheel. Hie hands, still grnsplnc the wheel, turueil It almost completely around as he fell to the floor. It was all like a miracle when I tliink of it now, Tlio Oririca ivns swunjj '(.nt of her course when but three metres away. She turned so quickly tbat her rudder rose lilvli out of the water, and the whec! had been so wrenched by the fall of the dying man that the steering gear was put out of commission. So what a moment before eeetned to be the end of the I'-2U2 turned out a worthy victory for our li;eky craft."