THE MERCANTILE MARINE

Otago Witness, Issue 3315, 26 September 1917, Page 37

THE MERCANTILE MARINE

ADMIRAL JELLICOE'S ANECDOTES, THE OTAKI AND CLAN M'TAVISH. (From Oub Own •Correspondent ) LONDON, July 10. Speaking at the King George's iFund for Sailors, Admiral Sir John v. Jellicoe, First Sea Lord, paid a great tribute to the work of the mercantile marine. The ships* of the, mercantile marine, he said, as they came near our ehoreß, were targets for an unseen enemy. The sailor never knew * tnomenl when the ship might be sunk under him, and he very seldom saw the enimy which sank him. At the best he took to the boats, very often after a very gallant fight, and he often found himself in an open boat 100 or 200 miles from the shore. He, very often underwent terrible experiences, beoause the enemy shelled the boats frequently after the men had goi into them. Why did the enemy do that? It was «n attempt to upset the morale of the Britishsailor, but the enemy little knew his man. —(Cheers.) The British sailor had faced death too often, even in peace time, and; it the enemy thought that he could oount. upon shaking the nerves of the British sailor, whether of the Navy or the mercan-. tile marine, he never made a greater mis-. take in his life.—(Cheers.) TWO NEW ZEALAND SHIPS.

The Anglo-Oalifornian was attacked by a submarine on July 4, 1915, and shelled for two hours and a-half. - After the attaok bad lasted for an hour and a-half, and the ship had been frequently hit, the master decided that any attempt to 6ave his vessel was hopeless. As ehe was being abandoned he intercepted a wireless message from a destroyer ordering him to hold on as long as possible. The master and ship's company promptly went back to their vessel.— (Cheers.) The submarine continued to shell the ship, the master and eight bands were killed, and seven of the crew were wounded ; ship returned to port. Tho Olan M'Tavish was engaged by the German raider IVfoewe, and the captain waa called upon to surrender, but' he replied that he bad been ordered i to take hia ship. to England,' and that he intended to do it. He opened fire with his six-pounder gun. and continued to engage the enemy until; be- was sunk. Fifteen of tho crew Were killed and fivo wounded, and then the cap-. tain of the Moewe shook him by the hand when he went on board, and congratulated him on his fight.—(Cbeers.j The screw steamer Otaki, in March, 1917, engaged tbe raider Moewe, set her on fire, ana killed six of the crew before surrendering. The steamer Palm Branch on one occasion waa attacked by a submarine and hit in several places, and two members of the crew weje injured. A young apprentice, who was wounded, remained at the wheel throughout the attaok, and declined to leave ills post; and the vessel was brought in in safety. On that, occasion she was unarmed, but a bountiful Providence—or the Admiralty—(laughter)—gave her a gun, And on May 4, 1917, she was again- attacked by two submarines, one of whicb she ftank,— (Cheers.) In the Adriatic recently an 'Austrian cruiser came up to one of the drifters (the Gowanlee), and summoned her to surrender. The captain, armed with one. sixpounder gun, called for three obeers and opened fire. He engaged the cruiser, and brought his ship away in enfety.—(Cheers.) An indication of the spirit on board that drifter was shown in ths case of one of the deck hands, 'who had his leg shattered, but oontinued at his gtm and fired it throughout tho action. This was tho spirit whioh would never allow us to bo defeated. — (Cheers.) This was the spirit that would win the war, and, lie hoped, win It quickly.