ON A GERMAN SUBMARINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16282, 15 July 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

ON A GERMAN SUBMARINE.

NORWEGIANS' ADVENTURES.

WELL TREATED UNTIL RELEASED. The crew of the Norwegian barque Lindfield fared better at the hands of a German submarine than many whose ships have been sunk, as they were taken on board and well treated during the five days which elapsed before they were transferred to another Norwegian barque. An account of the adventures of the captured crew is given by Captain Norberg, ot the Lindfield. His vessel, a fourmasted barque of 2276 tons, had been 128 days at sea when on March 24, she was sunk by four shots from the U boat. She was then about 80 miles south-west of the Fastnet Rock.

The crew were allowed time in which to get away in their boats, which the submarine captain promised to tow as far as he dared towards the west coast of Ireland. He commenced to do so, but the sea wa 8 rough, and eventually the Norwegians were taken on board the submarine.

This was marked U7O and was an excellent sea boat, 220 ft in length, with a crew of Si, including the commander, two lieutenants, and a, war pilot. The captain of the Lindfield was allowed to go wherever he liked on board. He was told that on the surface the submarine could attain, a speed of 25 knots, but that was so-called emergency speed. Below the surface the maximum speed was 15 knots The submarine was probably built in 1914* because the motors had that date stamped' on them. 1

There were two guns on deck and a supply of 600 shells was carried. There were two torpedo tubes, one forward and one aft, and the vessel could carry ten torpedoes. When the Lindfield's "'crew came on board there were nine torpedoes, as one had been used the dav before in 1 torpedoing a steamer. Captain Norberg was' told that the submarine could remain away from her base for 30 to 40 days. It was then a week since she liad left Germany, probably Bremen, because there was a Bremen paper on board dated a week before > and he was told that was the latest news thev had On the surface there were fonr'watclie* —four hours on duty with eight hours offbut when the boats were submerged all the crew had to be on duty. The Lindfield's crew, "including two British seamen, who were treated tractlv as the others were - lodged in the torpedo chamber. The prisoners got the « food a$ the submarine crew