WAR AGAINST PIRATES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9631, 11 April 1917, Page 6

WAR AGAINST PIRATES

SCOTTISH SAILORS’ WORK SUBMARINE HUNTING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. AVriling on the anti-piracy campaign in the Mediterranean, the "Daily Telegraph’s” Milan correspondent says: Scottish sailors have begun to cull laurels, side by side with Italian seamen, by sinking German submarine pirates in the Mediterranean. Details of the splendid work they are doing are given in the "Corricye. della Sera, by Fraka, one of the writers whom the Italian Government authorised some mouths ago to follow the operations of the fleet. Writing from one of the ports in Italian waters, he says: On a beautiful luminous morning the sentry boats announce a drifter coming into port. It wobbles like a duck, dipping and lurching on tho slightly agitated sea. The signal posts flash out the news; a British ship*, a dniter. The sea is searched with marine glasses. The lookout man shouts with .joy. What is up? The drifter has hoisted the pirate’s flag. There is agitation and surprise at the lookout post, Tho news is great. When a drifter hoists a pirate’s flag it means that the men have sunk a submarine.

THE SKULL AND CROSSBONES. Tho glasses are handed about, the lookout meu ask for them again and again with impatience. The telescopes are fixed with scrutinising gaze on tho boat as it approaches buffeted by tho waves. It is a fact: the pirate's flag is up! but the crew on board is more numerous than usual. Perhaps they have taken prisoners? It is rather confusing. for ail the men are.dressed the same. Tho news spreads like wildfire. A launch is sent to meet the boat, draws tip alongside it, and then returns with the happy news. It is true, they have really sunk an enemy's submarine. The prisoners are on board. The whole port is in a state of excitement. Flags are run up on the shon masts of the torpedo boats anchored Inside to salute the little victorious steamer. The crows on the fleet of the other drifters anchored inside the port are all at the railing in exultation. They lean over the side of the boats, and shout tor joy in a Scotch dialect whicn it is just as good for tis not to understand. They about fantastic things towards the victors. In the midst 'of their joyful yells we hear them cheer; “Hip, hip, hurrah!” and the classic Scottish cry; “Ahoy!” The sirens grind out a delirious noise in the midst of an orgy of sounds, whilst the banners flutter, the caps wave, and noisy acclamations greet the little drifter as it moves pompously into the port. The British flag flies on the masthead, and the pirate's standard, with its ghastly deathhead, floats from the prow. It is a black standard with a white skull and two erossbones like what is on a druggist’s bottle to mark poison. The boat is quickly surrounded by a swarm of small craft dancing on the waves. All the shipping in tho port in its rude war paint is exulting with joy. The men on board the drifter yell out the good news, and point to the prisoners: they are seventeen sailors and three officers, the whole complement of the sunken submarine. The prisoners, dazed, stare in silence. Tho crew tells how they were captured amid a disorderly medley of voices and sounds. SUBMARINE CAUGHT.

Wa were on the watch for four day* on the high seas. It was a nasty sea tho fii-st two days, impossible even to smoke. Then fairly decent weather We were able to eat, and we caught them in the trap. Stop, you are spoiling the story. This Is how it happened. We were on the watch with the nets down. There was nothing. Not even the ch.uru of a screw, not oven a streak ot smoke, not a light. It was a dark night, but still enough light to see. Wo-havecata eves, yes, we have! AU of asudden the chief gives me a punch in the ribs and whispers into my ear Look there, mother of God! there is a Rskt on tho waters! One of the light signals of our nets was burning. Then itwasa submarine that had got caught! All right' On for it! Wait, you beast, don’t hurrv! We hesitate for a moment. We might be mistaken. The phosphorescent light on the waves plays us had jokes. But the blue flame kept on burning and ran There is no longer any doubt, itis reaay a submarine that has got tangledl in our nets. It was going along under water without knowing that it was sowing ne tlie direction it followed by that bright signal which trailed behind it. The ret was cut. We sent up rockets to notify the two other drifters near us. which, perhaps had also seen the Lght They came along immediately, and all three of us set off in chase tof the submarine, to bombard it or sink it with our guns. Wo are right upon it. The little name of light jumps about. It is a sign that the submarine was in trouble. Look out' One of the two screws has got entangled an the nets, and it cannot more. . , ~ ~ . ' "Wo watch, and then there is a gurgling oc water near the blue light, and the beast appears. We stand at our guns and aim right at it a hundred yards away. Tho beast gives a jerk and then there is another gurgle. The men jump out from an opening and plunge into the water, swimming and yelling. The com-' mander had made them open the valves. He saw that all was lost. He had sunt his boat to the ‘bottom, and all the men could do was to swim. AVe lower our little boats into the water, and go to fish up the shipwrecked. It was difficult to work at night, but we saved them all Three officers and seventeen sailors. They were soaked like sponges. AVe bad to give them other clothes. AVe dressed them fairly well with suits almost entirely new. There they are! Look at them! Well done! How many of you are there? We are nine of us. Splendid of .you nine! You will get 25,000 francs premium from the Italian Govern, ment to divide between you. Yes, and the pirate’s flag. We will drink to it tonight. Hip ! hip! hurrah ! Ahoy !’’ This is how the Scotch sailors, says Fraka have come into the Mediterranean to help the Italian sailors sink tte German pirates. He continues to give a picturesque description of their habits for the benefit of Italian readers which is us flattering as it is amusing. Ho Bays:—

These extraordinary Scotch sailors are sailors by tradition. Their families have given men to the sea for centuries back They live and thrive on their driftersa kind of boat with the most spasmodic movement on the sea Rolling and bumping, the terror of sufferers from seasickness, are only trivial initial movements of a drifter. The Scotch fisherman. resists it with an appearance of amazing tranquility. They are stout, sturdy fellows, with a briny, burnt skiu. tanned by the salt »ea and the air, with bushy hair and big bony hands. Some are clean shaven, many have stiff -whiskers like bristles, under which they 1 are a short pipe stuck between their teeth. A little savage from their appearance, but in their fair, transparent eyes there is a 'beam of great gentleness, and they look like children disguised as pirates. As navigators they are incomparable.