HUN BRUTALITY AT SEA

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 143, 17 June 1916, Page 13

HUN BRUTALITY AT SEA

SHELLED AFTER SURRENDER,

SINKING OF A DUTCH SHIP.

(FROM OBR OWN CORRESPOXDKiT.)

LONDON, 4th May. A German submarine brutally shelled the crew of the s.s. Clan MacLeod after sinking the ship in the Mediterranean on Ist December. It was ;i,t 7.43 in the morning -when the chief officer reported to Co.pt. H. S. Southward that there was a strange exalt following. A few minutes '.later shots fell near them, and in the desire to escape Capt. Southward ordered full steam ahead. But it was too late. By 10 o'clock the submarine ■was only x a quarter of a. mile distant, and :the Clan MacLeod was being hit every time.

'' I realised that I could not save the steamer, hoisted international signal of surrender, stopped the engines, and rounded to, bringing the submarine on the starboard, side," says Capt. Southward. "The crew ware sent to boat stations, but to my surprise the snbniru'ine started to shell the bridge, doing considerable damage. I was struck by the first shell. He then started to shell the boats and boat crews, killing nine men, wounding six (three fatally), and smashing the starboard boats. Daring this shelling the crew had all been sent to the port boats, which were manned ood lowered without any further casualty. After tho boats were lowered, tho chief officer and myself had a look round the du'rs, but could cot see any one alive, so we then left the steamer. After the boats left the steamer the gun of the submarine was pointed towards the lifeboat, and the commander shouted for me. As the second officer told him I was in. the other boat, he turned the gun away and told him he need not be afraid. The submarine was flying the German naval flag. 'When the other boat appeared in view of the submarine, I was ordered to go on hoard. I did so, and found the commander and lieutenant in a furious rage with me because I had not stopped sooner.. The commander rushed down from the conning; tower, shook his fistin my face, and said, ' Why did you not stop?' I replied that I wanted to save my ship. His next remark was, 'I can shoot you as franc-tireur.' I said, ' I don't think so.' He said, ' You are assisting the enemy,' and I replied, ' I am your enemy.' "

The Clan MacLeod was then sunk, the submarine went away, and the remainder of the crew made for Malta.

NORTH SEA INCIDENT.

Early on Easter Monday the Dutch steamboat Berkelstroom was sunk in the North Sea by German submarines. It ■was 4 o'clock in the morning when the Dutchmen who were on deck noticed a submarine boat, the UB 18, some distance away on the port side. The submarine fired a shot across the bow of the Berkelstrcom, -which stopped immediately and then turned about. The UB 13 Went under water and then reappeared to starboard. The crew of tho Dutch steamship then observed to port the periscope of- a second submarine, which on coming to the surface, was seen to be unmarked. In compliance with a deniand from tho UB 18 the first officer of the Berkektroom and four seamen put off in a boat, taking with them the ship's papers for inspection. The commanders of the two submarines conferred in regard to the documents, and then the unmarked boat drew nearer to the Berkelstroom, and her commander shouted to those in. the vessel a command to leave the ship within 15 minutes, adding the threat that if they did not obey they i would be sent "to the bottom with" her.

Captain Eerelshoek and his men took to the boats, and tho captain begged the German commander not to sink the vessel, but to allow her-to go to Holland or Zeebrugge. . The reply of the commander of the UB 18 was : "We have not any friends now. You take everything to England !" He offered, however, 'to tow the three boats in which the Dutchmen were to the North Hinder, and a rope was fastened to the submarine in order that this promise might be ful.filled.

A seaplane was then observed in the sky and the submarine at once cut the rope and dived. When the seaplane came nearer two or three shots were fired from it at the UB 18. TheDu'fcchmen were unable to see whether tha siif>"-: marine was hit. Both submarines having disappeared the. seaplane descended. It was manned by two English airmen, who gave the Dutchmen certain instructions and promised to obtain help for them. No sooner had the seaplane ascended and got out of sight than tho unmarked submarine boat came again to the surface ami fired five or six moreshells at the Berkelstromn, from which smoke, was seen to arise. The second submarine then disappeared. Th» Dutchmen saw no more of the UB 18 after she had so nearly drawn them under water, and they suggest that her failure to reappear may be due to having been struck by shots from the seaplune or to the eight or ten yards of rope left hanging from her stern becoming entangled in the sci'ew or rudder. The Dutchmen were picked up by a British patrol boat.