THE NAVAL WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17862, 7 August 1918, Page 7

THE NAVAL WAR.

the collier’s crew was taken off the vessel was ablaze and her ammunition was exploding. Sir Erie Geddes said that by such means as theso the trade and trooping routes of tho Allies wero kept open.

HOSPITAL SHIP SUNK

MANY LIVES LOST,

A. and 1 Z. Cablo Association and Reuter,

(Roceived August 7, 12.5 a.m.)

LONDON, August

Tho Admiralty reports:—Thp homeward bound ambulance transport Warilda was torpedoed and sunk on. August 3. Ono hundred and twenty-three are missing, including seven of the crew. (Tho AVarilda was a steamer of 7713 tons, built in 1912 by AA r , Beardmore and Co., Glasgow. Sho was owned by tlie Adelaide Steam Shipping Company, Limited.)

SUNK IN MID-CHANNEL. (Received August 6, 7.45 p.m.) LONbON, August 6,

Details show that the sinking of tho AVarilda ranks amongst tho worst of the German outrages. A large proportion of tho six hundred aboard were cot cases. Sho was attacked in mid-chan-nel early on Saturday morning in black darkness. By tho greatest of good luck the AVarilda kept afloat long enough to allow the great majority of the cases to bo transferred to lifeboats and later to destroyers, which wero promptly on the scene. The torpedo wiped out one ward.

Latest reports state that between ninety and ono hundred were drowned in tho eye ward owing to the inrush of water and the ship listing seriously. The rescue work was smartly carried out.

A member of tho crew states that nearly all were asleep below. Tho force of the explosion stupefied for a moment the crow on deck. Nevertheless all were quickly at stations. Tho worst feature at the outset, was that no ono knew whether the ship would sink immediately. Everyone did what was possible for the helpless soldiers. Tho vessel floated for about two hours. Survivors are not sure whether the AVarilda was twice torpedoed. Three of the engineroom staff, including third engineer Milne and four stewards aro missing.

SUBMARINE WARFARE. IN AMERICAN WATERS. NEW YORK, August 5. The commander of a U-boat told the captain of one of his victims that he had sunk several additional American fishing schooners, but gave no names or details. A German submarine sank an American tanker off Virginia Capes. Thirty survivors landed. HALIFAX, August 5. Three American fishing schooners were sunk by U-boats. The crows have landed. OTTAWA, August 5. A ship arriving at a Canadian Atlantic port states that a U-boat chased an auxiliary fishing craft. A largo steamer appearing on the horizon, the U-boat changed her course and followed the steamer, allowing the fishermen to escape. The burned hulk of a lumber schooner, set on fire by the U-boat, was towed into port LOSS OF SAN DIEGO. i _ j STRUCK A MINE. WASHINGTON, August 5. An investigation shows that tho cruiser San Diego struck a mine. WARSHIPS MINED. TWO TORPEDO-BOATS .SUNK. A. and N.Z. Cablo Association and Reuter. (Received August 7, 12.5 a.m.) LONDON, August 5. The Admiralty reports : Two British destroyers were mined and sunk on August 2. Ninety-seven lives were lost-

THE DECOY SHIP. TRAPPING A U-BOAT. (Received August (5, 7.45 p.m.) LONDON, August 5. Sir Eric Gcddes. in a speech in London, told a thrilling talc of a light between a British decoy ship ana a submarine. Ho explained that the decoy ships were one of the oldest ruses of the war. The service called them Q ships. Q 50 had the appearance of a dingy old collier and had a crew like a merchantman’s. She sailed under sealed orders and sighted a submarine. Immediately she turned, pretending to escape. Tho submarine chased and shelled her. The collier feebly replied with a little gun. The collier was badly knocked about and wounded and dead lay about tho decks. In order to deceive tho submarine tho collier signalled “ abandoning ship,” and a speciallytrained panic crew went over the side with every sign of fear and haste. Shells went through tho collier’s poop and then the enemy ceased fire and closed in, thinking she had an easy prey. As she approached tho collier’s magazine exploded nnd blew tip the stem gun and the gun crew. The captain wirelessed to a warship which answered the sham signal for help, which really told her to keep away as the action was not yet ended. The'submarine resinned her merciless shelling, but the collier bad a sting in her tail and fired two torpedoes. She kept up tho fight till the submarine was badly damaged and the collier was sinking. Warships waiting below the horizon hurried to the scene and joined in the fight, when the submarine was sunk. The fight lasted five hours and when