BRITISH SUBMARINES IN THE BALTIC

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 115, 20 May 1918, Page 5

BRITISH SUBMARINES IN THE BALTIC

THREE YEARS' BRILLIANT ■■„:■-■ SERVICE.

NONE LOST OR CAPTURED

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter.)

LONDON, May 18. , The Admiralty, lifting the veil from the operations of the British submarines in, the Baltic, relates stirring deeds how they were continually attacking and de-stroying-enemy war craft, and .kept, a watchful eye on the movements of the German fleet. Their work was so effective that finally the German jships kept m their harbours ae soon ae a British submarine was reported. Unlike the U-boats, not a single case can be alleged of a British _ submarine sinking a merchantman on sight. Merchantmen were invariably boarded in the orthodox manner, and the crews given plenty of time in which to abandon their vessels. They were directed.to the nearest port or escorted to a neutral Official documents dealing with the submarines' doing leave, a profound impression of the perseverance and skill with which the crews, carried on., The massage into the Baltic was most difficult owing- to the closest watch being kept. The submarines resorted to numerous ruses,.or waited; until they could follow surface craft and run the gauntlet. Submarine Commander Goodhart espied an enemy battleship escorted by destroyers. He fired, and observed the flash of the explosion along the waterline. When the submarine rose again, the ship had gone, the destruction being instantaneous.. It was the battle-' ship Prinz Albert. .... Another submarine sighted a light cruiser of the Ancowa class,, and fired a torpedo, hitting the cruiser- forward. The cruiser was apparently put out of control/ and swung ,• round in a large circle, * and then stopped, fire bursting from her decks.

An escorting destroyer attacked; the submarine, but the latter evaded her and fired a second torpedo, getting the cruiser amidships, the magazine blowing up, and. a large mass of-iron and

wreckage falling around the submarine which before submerging observed the cruiser's crew assembling on the poop. They wore later rescued by a large German ferry boat. ■.. ■ As regards the operations against merchant vessels, the following ia typical: A submarine sighted and chased a steamer from Hamburg laden with wood. She was signalled to stop, and was boarded. The crew were ed to leave, and subsequently the seacocks were opened and charges exploded, and the snip sunk. Meanwhile a Hamburg-Amerika liner was sighted proceeding without lights. A boarding party overhauled her, and found that she was laden with iron ore for Stettin. So quickly did the crew abandon the shio that the interrogations oould not be continued. The ship was sunk in a similar manner to the first one, after which within a few hours two more were similarly despatched. On the following day the commander reported that all German traffic had entirely ceased.

(Reuter's Telegrams.)

LONDON, May 17.

The Morning Post's Petrograd correspondent states that there were never more than nine British submarines in the Baltic, and there were still seven when the end came. Despite the great amount of close fighting done by the submarines in the course of three years' incessant work, the Germans captured none and destroyed) none. There is not a German harbour in the Baltic which our submarines have not entered and charted, creeping under minefields through the shallowest channels. One submarine destroyed nine German transports in a single day. It was a British, submarine that preserved Petrograd last summer.

BRITISH DESTROYER TORPEDOED

TWO MEN KILLED.

(Australian and N.Z. Association.) and Reuter.)

LOiNDON', May 18. The Admiralty report that a British destroyer was torpedoed! and sunk on May 14th. Two men were killed as the result of the explosion.

BRITISH WOOL SUPPLIES.

SHORTAGE OF'MERINO.

(Australian and N-Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, May .17.

Mr Arthur Goldfinch, Director of JRaw Materials, predicted that for many' months the shipping programme would not be complied with. It' was estimated on the maximum arrivals of wool that there would be no difficulty regarding clothing wool coming in. Tlie British clip would keep supplies, :of crossbred combing wool within a- safe limit with small 'New Zealand assistance ' but stocks of merino combing wool did i not give the requisite margin, of safety. 1 This was still less satisfactory because France was badly off for combing wools, and was pressing for British assistance.

GERMAN RULE IN, BELGIUM.

OFFICIAL' LANGUAGE TO BE GERMAN.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

(ißec. May a.m.)

AMSTEfI&DIAM, May 18. German authorities in Belgium have wderod that shall be the only official language after to-day. ■ Ihis means that all the officials must be leplaced by .Germans or pro-German Flemings. ■.'■' , ..