SANK THIRTY SHIPS

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 248, 19 October 1915, Page 3

SANK THIRTY SHIPS

E7 IN THE SEA OF MARMORA

TUB STORY OF HER. VOYAGE

The Empire has lung with the story of the submarine K7, which pushed through the Dardanelles and into the Sea of Marmora two or three months rgo, ?nd not only did^ tremendous dan age among enemy shipping, but actually shelled a l airway line, putting it out of use, and running trains. For this great feat the commander, Lieut. Oochrane, was given the V.C.. The following graphic account of the submarine's wonderful exploits was written by a young sailor on the ves&el, and a copy or it v as sent to Mr Harry E, Farmer, of Svdnov: — ""Dear Dad,—We arrived bacK to our base outside the Dardanelles yesterday, after being away nearly . a month in the Sea of Marmora. Our captf.in told us that we can say al-ir-ost anything we like., but must not mention*other ships, and one or two other things, the absence of which you may not notice in this letter. "We got through the Dardanelles on the last; day of June, ai-d very soon sighted something that, from our point of \ic-w, should not.be floating. Our gun, sent her to the bottom in about ten nintites. We then-towed the crew in their boat-near to the shore, and there left them.

SINKING SAILING SHIPS AND

STEAMER^.

"Wher our captain, went on board with a big automatic pistol they screamed and yelled and be.wed and scaped End salaamed. We couldn't help laughing; they seemed awfully scared. 1 hese boats have a very grim md imc-fir.nj appearance, especially to half-heathens, and we rise to the si rface within 100 > yards or mo of them. The next capture was a steamer and four sailing vessels. These tried to ashore to escape us, but we had""the speed of them. The sailing ships s-oon went to the bottom, and a fevv shells soon wrecked the steamer's engine-room. Our second officer md one of the crew got severely burned when they were setting her on fire with petrol, and were laid up all the trip. I must mention that the ships, run stores and all sorts of gear down to the 'Dards.,' but they do rot risk the troops now our 'subs.' are knocking about. Well, we very soon had the destroyers on our tracks, and we ga\e them a dance. Some ships we sr-nk right under their very nopes, and dived just as one or. t»vo of them came dashing) up; then, as we manoeuvred to get a torpedo at them, off they would go like billy-ho. "It appears that they have little or no ccal in Constantinople, and are rsing charcoal made from wood by people all lound the country, and this is run in big dhows,' or sailing ships, for the mo of the destroyers. These mostly got a small charge of guncotton into them, and up they go sky high "When we got • near the shore the people opened fire with rifles, tyidghce of which we have on our casing and terming.'tower casing, which is p'll plastered with dents. We overhauled a great number of Red Cress steamers packed with wounded, which they are distributing all '-long the sea coast of Marmora. At the towns and villages there are thousands f:nd thousands of them, so our 'TcmnuW must have given them a warm time. They are towing up lighters full, also, with tugs, so goodness kr'ows. what it is like in their fighting areas if they have to take small barges* to take them, away in. The geiieml opiro'on here is that the present situation will not last very long. There is no doubt about it. Our boats 'Dave thoroughly disorganised their sea traffic, and given them the utmost difficulty in getting troops and ammunition, They have now* to travel around by land on the Asiatic side, which means hundreds of miles. 'Then thty. cross under the fort of Chc-nak in the Narrows.. The narrow neck of the Gallipoli Peninsula is dominated by i-ur ships in the Gulf of Saros, as you wil! see by looking at tho map. They manage to send a few' transports from Constantinople, down the Gulf of Tsirud, a narrow stretch of water about twenty miles long, and about as wide as the Thames at Gravesend. We dived under the mines at the entrance, and our cspt.iin found that trains of stores and ammunition were running about to their hearts' content, so wo 'set about 'em,' as Uncle Joe puts it.

SHELLING 'MR TRAIN."

I ' We came to the surface, and our captain inspected ths railway line, under rifle fire all the time; then we stopped, and the order 'up guns' and the crew went below. Up jumped the jolty lads, and plenty of willing hands passed up shells all right. After a shot or two at the embankment, tons of stuff blocked the • line. 'Away we went down the toast, and passed a ti am of nice heavy looking waggons. vPresenMy we stepped again, and down went another embankment. 'Mr Train' w-as now in a quandary! ,w we soon got back to him and shelled him till his wagons were sky high. Another day we shelled a train in the same gulf, and blew his two after ■.waggens to blazes, just as he was disappearing iute v. tunnel. It oeing rocky country, there arc plenty ot these. All the time the nfles were blazing away, but mostly we outlanged them.

"Another bright morning we disco veied a big two-funnelled steamer in the bay ; longs; de a railway station on the Asiatic side. She was protected by two sailing ships, and j'.st a small bit of her hull was visible. Our captf in took careful tim and got a torpedo right in between the two sailing vessels, and Hew up the whole lot, sailing rhips as well. He was awfully pleased, as it was really, a beautiful shot. The "water went to a height of about ?00 feet, and was still falling when two other meribers of our r-jew numt-ged to have •<., look, by the captain's permission, thioughthe periscope. Then we went 'up on the surface, and steamed out of the bay, so the lolly lads couM ,spp the dam:tge. The whole town v ;jS in an liprosit*.

/T CONSTANTINOPLE.

"We also got up to Constantinople, and part of the v. ay up the Bosphoms, alongside: the arsenal at 'Constant.' Wo sent a destroyer and some ammunition lighters up. At the time of the explosion we were 60 feet under, finding our Avay out and the noi.'w was terrific, oven to us almost half a milt, away, 'so goodness knows what it wns like on the soot; and I'll gamble t< few windows wont in 'Constant ' After this the destroyers left us severely :..lom\ and the last Jew days there was hr.idly a thin<- <o bo sec-n except a few sailing ships' chancing their luck, which soon wont under.

'•WELL IXtXE, OOOHKAXE

.^together, we^ank about thirty ships, and <r;, vo thorn a jolly shakinp; up. We returned safely, and aj. came through the h\^ fl."ot o)

tattle sHps ("British and French), troopships, cruisers, etc., we \we cheered to the echo mm thousands of throats, with 'Well done. E7.1 The Admiral came cut to moot us on his launch, and tbouted 'Well done, Cochrane.' So wo have cvidmtly shaknn things up for the Turks." v