IN QUEST OF U BOATS

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 24

IN QUEST OF U BOATS

PIRATES THAT NEVER RETURN. THRILLING STORIES OF BRITISH PATROLS. It is possible to learn, in the constant but veiled light of the returns of our tonnage destroyed, what the enemy's submarines are doing- But what is told us ef the secret destruction of the mysterious destroyers themselves amounts to no more than the favour of a few unauthentic whispers—information of blithe interest and good cheer, but with no more substantial framework, when examined, than Jack s beanstalk (writes the London Daily News). The only certainty about it is that cunning seamen arc., at work on the job in large numbers, with unmentionable gear and liicke, with craft that most landsmen could name and recognise, and with other craft which would leave an uninitiated seaman wondering whether this was real or a dream. And submarines are sunk and captured with some regularity and despatch; and the total of their losses, if published in Berlin, would look worse than the reduction of the bread ration; that also is certain, though not offered as evidence. Evidence about this delicate matter is difficult to submit, because its. submission might quickly result in there being no evidence to offer j for all the enemy requires is evidence. But as a guarantee of good faith, the Admiralty has submitted certain casual records to a representative of the Daily News. Patrols go out 'to sea, and they merely return to port. The secret of what they learn at sea and do there is so well kept that (I can vouch for this) naval officers themselves demand of privileged visitors to the Grand Fleet what is being done to those German submarines. Well, here are some varieties of the things that happen on the quiet at sea. These whispers, at least, are absolutely authentic. LOOKING FOR TROUBLE. A vessel of our auxiliary navy forces was at sea on j'ts particular business looking for trouble. The first eign of trouble nowadays is often the enemy s torpedo Hearing its object, which is you. The H.M.'s auxiliary spotted the enemy in lust that way. The torpedo. 100 yards off the starboard beam, Reaped from a wave. The,trouble for which hoy wore looking had discovered thernin\tead. The waterline was struck amidships, md the/ engine-room and other compartnents flooded. Some of the starboard hfe>oat, on its way down from the clouds, ; anded in the wireless aerial and stopped 'here. This was the moment when a periscope was sighted on the port beam. The periscope made for the ship, but dodged md vanished. . It seems to have seen all it required, for it shortly reappeared, with a conning tower, 'and opened fire. So did fl.M.'s auxiliary, which hit the base »f that conning tower and removed two oeriscopes. Our ship punched the submarine about rapidly, having little 'time 'her engine room being flooded) till breathing space came with the submarine listing Bo port and men scrambling in a hurry, from a hatch abaft the conning tower. The iubmarine, knocked out, walloped about in a, groggy way, oil spurting from her side, md her stern gradually sinking. The crew jame on deck with fervent signs of "Kamerad." •So H.M.'s auxiliary ceased ire. . Thereupon the submarine put on a fair speed for a bank of fog. Rapid fire followed her, an explosion for'ard, and a greater list to port. What H.M.'s auxiliary next saw was the enemy's bow, poinding Bkywards, but slowly going under. ''Two survivors," says' the report, "were picked up. Our ship reached harbour."

EXPLOSIVE CHARGE DROPPED. ' Again, "a sn/all craft" sighted an enemy submarine at 10,000 yards. She held. on. ■fha enemy stopped, and then turned towards her. He then submerged, and his periscope, when next seen, ■was on the starboard bow. But it at once disappeared. "Helm was ported, and wheu over the position where the periscope had been Been an explosive charge was dropped. The ship circled, round, and dropped another charge when in position. The explosion of this was followed after two or threa seconds by another and muoh more violent explosion, which shook the -vessel from Btem to stern. The water becamo black 'over a very area, and a considerable quantity of thick oil and flotsam came to the surface.

Tho noxt is submarine versus submarine. One of ours sighted an enemy craft on the itarboard bow. But "our" periscope k«t almost at once. - So "we came up." Fritz had gone. He was seen, through guesswork proving luckily right, three hours Pater, about two miles away. "We dived.'' But Fritz feinted with an altered course. There was more rapid \guessing, and presently Fritz was seen on the port bow, "steering as had been surmised." There was manoeuvring, and "we fired a torpedo. &. few seconds after Fritz was seen, with ais stern out of the water, smoke hanging round it, and the conning tower half submerged. A minute or two later he disappeared " THE STALKER STALKED.

A seaplane saw a submarine stalking a merchant ship, and preparing to efcnke. The submarine saw the b.awk, dived, but jvas helped downstairs by three bombs. "A few minutes later a largo tipheaval was" noticed . . . distinctly visiblo for a minute or two. There was no further sign of the submarine." A patrol vessel saw a mysterious wake moving parallel with her own, crossed it, and dropped a sort of mine for luck. Arid did it again, not trusting bo mere luck. Oil and bubbles coming up, "a further Vnarge was exploded." After 12 hour 9, 'the oil of a heavy, brown nature, was still rising." There wero other reports submitted, all of a nature more or less alike, but one would like very much to hear more of fruit "defensively armed"' merchant ship which was surprised bv a submarine attacking at close range. Atl we are told is, "Opened fire, hitting the submarine twico : and causing her to disappear vertically, the sea appearing to boil for a considerable tune lifter."