NAVAL V.C.'S DEATH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17504, 21 December 1918, Page 8

NAVAL V.C.'S DEATH

LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER SANDERS

SHIP SUNK AT NIGHT. Publication of full details regarding the action ■ in which Lieutenant-commander •W. E. Sanders, V.C., D.5.0., met his death, on August 14-, 1917, has now been made possible for the first time by the lifting of the naval censorship. The information given by Mr E. H. C. Sanders, father of Lieutenant-commander Sanders, is'contained in a letter from the Admiralty written on December 14- of last year, and serit with the request that the contents be regarded as confidential. No official information has as yet been received by Mr Sanders as to the particular deed of gallantry for which his son was'awarded the V.C. The letter is as follows:— •

"Account of the sinking of H.M.S. Prize, Lieutenant-commander W. E. Sanders' R.N.R., by an enemy submarine on August 14, 1917, at. 1.30 a~m. A man-of-war was in company with tho Prize decoy sailing ship on August 13, when at 3.50 p.m. the Prize hoisted a signal indicating 'enemy to port,' "and hove to. Fire was opened on the Prize, and shots could be seen falling near her, although the submarine with which she was.engaged was hot seen. Tho Prize had hoisted the white ensign, her guns were seen manned, and she was readv to attack, but it was difficult for the ship in company to make out anything, as there was a considerable mist. That night, however, at 9 o'clock, when the two ships had an opportunity to talk, the Prize gave her some details of the action in the afternoon. Tho submarine had been sighted in (latitude and longitude given) the Atlantic, north-west of Ireland, about two miles gff. three points before the port beam. She dived after firing a few shots, and appeared again on the starboard side. Tho Prize opened fire at 200 yards', and Lieu-tenant-commander Sanders thought he had got five shots home; the enemy submarine appeared to sink, or, at any rate, disappeared.

"After this communication the ship in company drew off, and took station astern of fee Prize The night was dark and squally. Tike Pnzo was ahead, her outline just visible. About L3O a.m. a heavy explosion was heard, and tho Prize was seen to heel over to port, and disappeared in a few seconds. Nothing could bo soon of her with glasses or with the naked eye. A torpedo had struck her, and she must have sunk almost immediately. . The accoi&pany. ing ship passed close to the position w2njro the Prize had disappeared, and remained there some time, but nothing could be seen or heard in the dark and storm. As soon as day broke, 5.15 am., careful search- of the position was made, but nothing further was seen.

The Prize had fought gallant actions with submarines on April 30 and Juno 13 1917. She was sunk on August 14 in tho Atlantic on a, dark and stormv night, and her gallant commander, Lieutenant-com-mander W. E. Sanders, who in a. short five months had been awarded the Y.C. and D.5.0., in command of her, went down wrth her beneath the Atlantic -waves, leaving his name to be impurishably inscribed on tho same roll of naval history whero stand tho names of Blake, Nelson, and Rion."