AN UNDERSEA-EPIC.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4900, 20 June 1918, Page 5

AN UNDERSEA-EPIC.

GLORIOUS END OF A FRENCH SUBMARINE.

The French Minister of Marine recently mentioned in an order the submarine “Monge,” which at the end of December, 1915, seriously damaged during a night attack, "succumbed | heroically.’’ The details of the loss of the “Mongo” have only become known as aresult of the repartriation ' of. Lieutenant Appell, second 1 officer, ; whose narrative makes it possible to ' appreciate at its full value the fine conduct of the crew: — I ‘.‘At the very moment when she torpedoed an Austrian destroyer on the night of December 28-29, 1915 the Monge was rammed by the Austrian cruiser Heligoland. The hole made caused her to submerge to at least 220 feet, at such an angle that water was shipped- and damaged the accumulators, so that the electric current failed'. Believing . themselves lost, the crew saluted their commander with a. cry of ‘Vive la France!’ Then, with the aid of the emergency lighting system, the crew with perfect calm qardtied out the orders of their Commander, Roland Morillot", who wished., to make an attempt to. come to the surface. -. He succeeded, but hardly had the conning-tower come into view before the enemy’s guns made a target of it.. In spite of the extreme danger which the. manoeuvre involved, owing to the failure of the current, the commander decided to submerge again, and .it. was with the same sangfroid and discipline that the crew went to their stations for submerging. But the Monge could not submerge quickly enough, and a shell, striking her hull, damaged her mortally. The men, nevertheless, remained! at their posts. The commander had .to' order them to leave tho vessel, and each man, without baste and' in silence, went to the forward hatchway, the only one that could be used. The commander went down with his vessel and two of tho crow.”