KILLING U-BOATS

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 98, 23 October 1917, Page 7

KILLING U-BOATS

SEAPLANES AND DESTROYERS

SUCCESSES IN THE NORTH SEA.

Recent cablegrams from London published in Australian papers give the following stories of how. enemy submarines have been accounted"for. Two British seaplanes in the North Sea sighted a submarine .travelling at the rate of 1+ knots, and swooped down on her like a kestrel to 800 feet. The leading machine dropped a bomb wMoh burst on the starboard side of the .submarine between the stern and the conning tower. The submarine heeled slowly, and then the bow rose in the air, and she began to sink. A second seaplane, dropped a bomb which burst in front of the conning tower. Finally, a third aeroplane wheeled round and dropped a third bomb, and the submarine sank without any survivors. Another patrolling seaplane overbeard hostile wireless, and shortly after sighted, a large submarine on the surface a mile ahead. Flying, at the rate of 80 miles an hour she whizzed over the enemy and released a bomb. , The submarine replied with a shell, which burst 50 feet from the seaplane. As the latter turned she dropped another bomb, which tore a great rent in the submarine's hull. Three more hostile submarines were then sighted, with three destroyers and two seaplanes. All fired upon the Britisher, who turned and dropped another bomb. The submarine sapk, leaving much oil and wreckage. As the bombs were exhausted, the seaplane returned, after photographing the sinking submarine. , A division of destroyers patrolling the North Sea sighted a large submarine 1 three miles off, and went full speed in the direction. The submarine promptly dived, but the destroyers were so quick that the leading boat reached the spot before the swirl of the dive left the water. The destroyer dropped an explosive chargßj which blew a large dark abject to the surface, and which promptly sank. A second destroyer then dropped her charges, .which covered the surface with small pieces of wreckage and oil. Another force of destroyers, in company with light cruisers, sighted ft small sail on the horizon at dawn. A destroyer recognised this as a submarine seven miles distant. The destroyer altered her course and the sail vanished. The conning tower was seen as she dived. Five minutes later the submarine raised her perisoope for a look out, and submerged within 10 aeconds. This was enough to betray her whereabouts. The destroyer went full speed to the spot, and the submarine's bows suddenly broke- to the surface, presumably inadvertantly, half-a-mile away. The destroyer opened fire, and the submarine's bow dipped. The stern rose, showing her conning tower and large vertical rudder. Midway between these the destroyer rammed while going at 30 knots. The enemy sank rertically, bubbling like a gigantic empty bottle, in a hundred fathoms.