FOUR HOURS FIGHT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 17, 15 October 1917, Page 6

FOUR HOURS FIGHT

BATTLE OFF IRISH COAST.

Edward Scliafer, third mate of the Standard Oil tank steamship Navajo, recently told o£ three encounters of the Navajo with, a German submarine in the latter part of July, in which tho aotual lighting lasted soma four hours. Thirty sjots wore fired by the U-boat and twenty by the Navajo, 'l'ho battle, or battles, occurred off tho Irish coast. In the opinion of tho Navajo's crew, the submarine was struck just below the pcriscopo by the twentieth shot, and, as thoy expressed it, "that settled her business.'' When the Navajo first met tho sub--1 marine only a few shots were fired, the submarine withdrawing from the fight. Tho next day the crew of the tanker hoard the sounds of firing, and tlien came a call for help. Soon after this the same submarine appeared on the horizon, pursuing a largo sailing ship. The U-boat quickly sank the ship, and turned its attention to the Navajo. Captain M'Dougal swung the 6tern of his ship towards the approaching submarine, and the rear 4-inch gun answered the U- | boat's firßt 6hot. Shot after shot was i fired in. the battlo, until a British se.v I iplane appeared, and the submarine subI merged. A heavy fog then settled over ■ the water, and the seaplane returned to shore. Late in the afternoon tho fog lifted, and the crew of the Navajo sighted the periscopo of the submarine astern tho -vessel. The battlo was renewed, and j the German boat registered the first hit ; when a shot struck the tanker near the 1 stern. Tho fighting kept lip for hours, tho submarine sending shot after shot at the Navajo, and the Navajo returning in kind. Finally the U-boat was struck squarely and sank beneath tho surfneo of the water. Portions of the conning tower were seen to fly upward, and there was a puff of smoke. Ten minutes later a British destroyer arrived on the scene. The warship cruised over the 6pot where tho submarine had disappeared and saw a quantity of debris and oil on tho water. The officers of the warship were entirely satisfied that the U-boat had been destroyed. The Navajo proceeded to a port in France, whero her stern plates were repaired. On the return -trip to America,- one of tho oil fuel pipes on the tanker exploded and set tho ship afire, destroying tho vessel when.she was a day's run off tho coast of Ireland.