SUBMARINE E 13.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15669, 6 June 1916, Page 9

SUBMARINE E 13.

STORY OP HER LOSS. COMMANDER'S DARING ESCAPE I'll OAL INTERNMENT. Sonic verv interesting and hitherto unpublished details of the loss of the British submarine E 13 on the Danish Island of Saltholm last September, and tlie (sensational escape of the commander from internment arc contained in a lottor received in New Zealand. -"Wo iinve buen permitted to make the fol- | logins extracts from the letter: — At the time of the disaster, E 13 and another submarine were passing through tlic .Sound to get to the Baltic. Lieu-tenant-Commander Layton had come up thrice to take observations, but just at the most ticklish part he. could not do so, and jnst at that time the gyroscopic eomnass went wrong, and the boat grounded on a Danish island, and they could not get off. As tho day broke a German destroyer saw them, and, after peering at them, wen£ away, but soon cstme back with another, and opened fire, and exploded a torpedo under tno hoat. Sho was soon on firo, and •LieuTcnant-Conimandcr Layton gave orders for all to swim ashore, and save themselves. The German vessels had some quick-firing guns, and shot at the tailors a* they were in tho water, but a Danish war vessel, which had arrived, went between the ' boat and tho enemy, and stopped the firing. They all-made their -way to the slioro together, but several sank one by one. One swimming just by the commander, said: "T am done. Good-bye, sir!" and sank.. His favourite sailor was swimming bv his side, and they had almost reached the shore, when lie said, too: "I am dead beat." Lieutenant-Com-mander Lnyton urged him to struggle on, saying: "[ am nearly done myself, but wo are almost there,'' but in vain. "The only reply was, "I cannot,and he, too, jank. In about a minute after the gallant officer felt his feet on land, and immediately a Danish boat took him on board, and he was being iuken to proper quarters for food and restoratives, but ho refused, and insisted on going back to the place where the sailor /had sunk, found the body,, which -was brought ashore in tho boat, and aftor two hours' artificial respira-

ti-on, brought round, and the sailer was next day as well as ever. A long discussion between the two (loi'crnrncnls ensued. Danish and ling- j iish, the latter declaring that as the Germans had broken international law,, and fired on the submarine mi neutral ground and destroyed it, the Engiioli wore prevented from repairing it, and getting off in 2-1 hours, and therefore i ought not to be interned. The Danes, who., of course, are very much afraid of the Germans, had to be most careful, and the discussion seemed t-jr bo interminable, so that, tho officers and men, sick of tho whole thing, withdrew their parole, and gave notice that they would i escape if they could. They were all; at once, interned iu barrack's alongside the Copenhagen docks, with guards and sentries all around. It was decided that the commander should be the first to attempt an escape. He got a Danish sailor's suit, >and had it hid in a room next to his, <md fixed the night when he should make the attempt, the intention being that his junior should let him down by a rope and pull it up again, so that his manner of escape should not be known. On the night fixed Lieuten-ant-Commander Lay tail, to avoid suspicion, -went to the Commandant, and said he wanted to visit tho submarine (which had been salved) in the morning, and asked for an escort- to guard him. Tnis -was willingly allowed, and when he said "Good night!" the commanding officer said: "liiis is your last night here, for to-morrow you are going to be removed to a more secure place, and I am quite glad you arc going, for | you havo been a great anxiety to me." Tho English officer suitably veI plied, and then went back to his quarters, telling his guard he was going to bed early. He then made up a dummy in the bed, tho head being represented by his big bath sponge, and took all his clothes off except his vest and pants, and when the sentry was out of tho way. (he had boon sent off for some paper), slipped into the mcai room and started at onco to put on the (sailor's clothes. Fortunately, he did this behind the door, which opened, inward, for almost immediately the door .was pushed open by tho sentry, -who told the sub-lieutenant that ho was wanted on the telephone. LieutenantCommander Layton told him to go, and whilo he wa H awny finished dressing and let himself down by the rope from the window. This brought liini into a yard, the only outlet from which was through a pantry. This opened into a long gallery, np and down which two sentries marched, but the officer slipped through whilo the sentries' attention was diverted.

He was still within the barracks, but caino across a party of Danish sailors passing out, so ho mixed with them, and slipped past the sentries at the cjate. He was now outside the barracks, but still within the dockyard, which was surrounded by a canal, over which there was a. bridge. Ho did not dare to cross tho bridge, for fear he should bo seen, so set about swimming across, but while doing so under tho bridge he went splash'into a mud-bank, anil made an awful row. A minute afterwards he heard someone running across the bridge, and made up his mind lie was discovered. He waited a long time, standing in the ice-cold water, and, hearing nothing further, completed his swim to the bank, clambered out,, wrung out his clothes, and then went ahead. He was now out of the dockyard. He walked on till ho saw a man who was to meet him, and followed him without addressing him till they came to a deserted hut. Hero tho clothes of a Finn were waiting for him, and a friend. It was, however, necessary that the.v should discover it his esc-.ipe was known; for if it was, he would bavo to hide in the town somewhere till the pursuit slackened. So, according to a previous arrangement, tho friend telephoned to ono of the lieutenants left behind, inviting him to dinner that evening. If he accepted, it meant- that the escape was unknown; if he refused, or there was no reply, it meant that his escape' was know a Fortunately, tho invitation was accepted, and it was clear sailing. Tho friend took him across tho ferry as a Finn, but as ho could speak a word (ft that language, his mouth was bound up, and if anybody addressed him he simply used tho Finn word for "toothache," which ho kept on repeating. He thus made his way to Sweden, whore he received further assistance, tho nature of which we prefer not to divulge. Here ho had the greatest difficulty to get a passport to carry him o»._ He determined to cross to Newcastle as an American, George Perkins, travelling for an American company—this in case tho vessel was stopped by a German man-of-war. On the way across to Newcastle he was chaffing an elderly retired sea captain that, as soon as he got to England ho would be compelled to serve, and was met bv the retort that "A young man liko you is much more likely to be called up. As you came on board I said to myself, 'There is an. English sailor going back to England.'" Lieu-tenant-Commander Layton tried to convinco him of his American nationality, but with very doubtful results. When he got to Newcastle, he was practically in rags, and had no money. Ihe railway company refused to give him a ticket, and referred him to the transport officer, who also refused birn, though he said he was carrying despatches to the Government. He, liow- , ever, recognised his uniform as that of iho and as the colonel was his cousin ho at last got over the scruples of the transport officer, and obtained a ticket. He ultimately arrived at —— in a most woe-begone condition, and a. relative of his remarked that he would not have been seen dead with the hat he had got on." At first the Admiralty threatened to send linn back, but on Lieutenant-Commander Layton explaining that he was strictly guarded and that they knew of his intention to escape, they relented, and gave him the I a very much perfected submarine. I forgot to say at its proper place that just before his escape a deputation for the surviving members of the crew camo to him to ask that, if ne succeeded in his escape, and they voo got away, he would get them placed under his command agam. Also, that the Naval Attache at Copenhagen wrote to the Admiralty saying what a brilliant and well-conducted escape it was, and that both officer and men had m every way upheld the best tradition of the English Navy.