THE SUBMARINE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 December 1925, Page 4

THE SUBMARINE

A “SAFETY” ADVOCATE. THRILLING ADVENTURES HRCALLED. AUCKLAND, Dec. 11. “Submarines nro the only things that arc really safe at sea in my opinion,” declared Captain John Howell-Price, of tho New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Tekoa, when discussing the j recent tragedy of the 3.1 1 to-day. j “Why, they are as nearly as possible perfectly safe. I was lour years in them, and I would sooner go to sea. in a. submarine than in any othei cm.- 1 of vessel.” Captain Howell-Price is a. member ol an Australian family which achieved remarkable distinction in the war. Sons of the Rev. J. Howell-Price, ol Waterloo, Sydney, seven brothers rallied to the Hag when the trumpet called throughout the Empire. Of these, four survived, and each ol the foiti gained decorations, Captain Howellj’rice, who served in the Navy, being awarded the D.S.O. and D.C.M., and the other three tlie D.S.C. and JU. The remaining three gave their lives, but not before they too, had won honours. One of these was LieuenantColonel Owen I lowell-Priee, D. 5.0., M.C.. who. at the age ol twenty-three, was the youngest colonel with the JJfitish forces. Another was .Major 15.l 5 . 1... Howell-Price, D. 5.0.. M.C.. and the last Major F. P. Howell-Price. In regard to the lost submarine, as far as could be seen she had been rammed, said Captain Howell-Price. “Hut it submarine, 1 tell you, is the safest tiling in or on the seas,” he added. Ho declared: “It. is very hard to rata, too, and very hard to sink even if rammed. I have been in a submarine which was hit with six-inch shells, and we got back all right. An II class submarine, under the lainous Canadian, Captain .Johnstone, was struck by a Herman mine forty feet down, and had her nose blown off. but she returned to her base. “{submarines are well divided into watertight compartments. If they do not go down lower Ilian thirty leet they can see all around with their periscopes. Some ol the later models can go deeper and still observe the surface. “Of course,” he continued, “il a submarine sinks over a cerium depth she cannot again ascend, but the limits aie well known, and there is no reason to exceed them. The submarines they sent out to Australia, were only constructed to dive 10(X feet, but I have gone down and slept at 22t> feet. Sometimes we used to go to the bottom and sleep on the Door of the sea all night. Captain Howell-Price was awarded the D.S.O. for heroic work in the raid on Zebrugge, when 1 he was second in < onnnaud of the famous (“J. Lieutenant IL D. Samll'ord was in command, and I lie olliccrs had four men with them in this desperate and forlorn expedition. It was a volunteer job. of course, and the gallant company of the (;) were hid an affecting good-bye by Admiral Keyes, "for, of course, you know you will never get buck, boys, said tlie Admiral. The C 3 rammed tile shore end of the mote at midnight of St. Heorgo’s Day. April 23. 1018. When her commander was satisfied she was jammed fast, an eight-mi mite fuse was lighted to lire the explosives on hoard, blow up the. mole and destroy the communication, and the crew then launched the dinghy and pulled seaward under a terrific fusillade from the shore. Captain Howell-Price was awarded the TbS.C.. when. as lieutenant of the Alcantara. he took part in the famous duel with the (.'reman raider Hreif in the North Sea. The Grief was a

heavily armoured merchant man, a sister ship to the notorious Moewe. She fell foul of the Alcantara on February 20. I Dili, and after forty minutes’ lighting both ships were sunk. “It was a great sera]).” said Captain Howell-Price reminiscently. “There was not time to launch any of the boast, which were possibly left, unsmnsbed, when tho Alcantara was sinking. and D’iO survivors were left for two hours floating in the water before thev were picked tip by the cruiser Munster. iSixtv of the crow of 870 were either killed or drowned, and the Hermans lost, many of their crew of .103, the survivors of which were also rescued by the Munster. A good haul of prisoners, at any rate. “No, I have not fear of submarines,” said the captain again. ”f have boon ail over the. world in them—-in every part of the North Sea. around Archangel. in the Cattegat, at Christiania, and Gothenburg, all under water. 1 have been even sneaking under their wharves. I also returned to Australia in a submarine, but I lelt the Australian Navv. which I had joined, liecause later there was not a suitable ' submarine job tor me. and F would not serve in another class of vessel. I have served under the famous Roy If. Y.C.. who was in command of the j Australian submarines, and was the commander who went up the Daniaj nodes in the war; and under another I commander almost as famous. Max j Horton D. 5.0.. who did such womler- , ful work in the Baltic. If there is ever another war it will only be m another I submarine I will serve. iSafel The mibmarine is as sale as a house. 'I here s , been a lot of fuss about this loss ol a I submarine recently, but wbat ol the ’ships that were not submarines that have been lost, and around this coast, too ;•*”