THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 15

THE SUBMARINE MENACE.

The Admiralty supplies the following figures of shipping -for the week as relating to submarines, which compare with the previous week as follows: Jan. 27. Feb. 3. Arrivals for week 2852 2329 Departures for week ....... 2309 2373 Vessels over 1600 tons sunk 9 10 Vessels under 1600 tons sunk 6 6 Unsuccessfully attacked 8 13 French shipping returns: —Arrivals for week, 968; sailings, 897. Sinkings: Two vessels above and one below 1600 tons. Unsuccessfully attacked, two. Italian official shipping returns: —Arrivals for week, 444; sailings, 413. Sinkings: One steamer over 1500 tons, £nd six sailing vessels over and nine under 100 tons. Four small sailing vessels were damaged. Two steamers evaded attack. " Twelve Norwegian vessels were sunk in January, eight sailors being killed. The Germans torpedoed and sank the Swedish relief ship Fn'dland r which was carrying a cargo of grain for Rotterdam. They, fired on the boats, and six of the crew were drowned, and another wounded. Two boatloads of survivors landed at Terschelling. The T T n'ited Press London correspondent learns from an authoritative source that the Allien are using _ unique American devices against submarines. Germany is pursuing the submarine campaign in the Pacific. Captain Persius. in an articls in the Prussian Year Book, says that England cannot be starved, and even the German official utterances confirm this view. But he holds that it may be possible so to reduce the enemy as to enable Germany to achieve complete victory. This, he admits, is still a heavy task, owing to the increased efficiency of the anti-submarine measures and the increased output of Allied and neutral shipyards. Vice-admiral Galster, writing to Die Post. says the submarino campaign is not yielding the .result that was anticipated. The theory of frightening neutral shipping and the assumption of the speedy overthrow of Great Britain have been proved to be extravagant. On the occasion of the anniversary of the inauguration of the submarine ruthlessless campaign. the Kaiser created a special decoration for submarine crews, and awarded

the highest class of " Pour la Merite ' to Admiral von Scheer. The Note from the Spanish Government to Germany in connection with the sinking of tho Giralda has been despatched. It demands an immediate answer. It is understood that, in addition to reparation, Spain insists on immunity being granted to Spanish vessels trading between (Spanish ports. Tho Spanish newspapers regards the tor : pedoing of tho Itajian steamer Duca di Gcnova in Spanish waters as creating a grave situation. The Minister of Marine is investigating the circumstances. It announced that the Spanish steamer Sebastian, with a cargo of salt, was torpedoed off the Canary Islands. The submarine commander declared that salt was contraband. TWO AMERICAN STEAMERS SUNK. Tho American steamer Tuscania, with troops on board, was torpedoed off the Irish coasfc The American soldiers were small detachments of engineers, aviators, and military police. The Tuscania was in charge of British officers, and was convoyed by British warships. She carried 4in guns. She was an Anchor liner, and was loaned by Britain to carry troops. Tho Tuscania floated two hours. A destroyer sank the submarine. The nation was saddened by the early reports concerning the Tuscania, but later news, stating that tho casualties were comparatively email, caused many to viewthe sinking as merely an unfortunate war incident, which must bo expected. The unanimous opinion is that the sinking will tend to speed up America's Avar efforts. Mr Baker commented upon it: "The United States has been challenged by an adversary who ha 3 made use of 'the deadliest and most savage methods in warfare. We must and will .win." The Tuscania was attached to a convoy. She had no warning or sight of the submarine. It was just dusk. The torpedo struck her full amidships, and immediately afterwards another passed astern. The Tuscania took a big list immediately, and the men were called to their stations, but the list made it impossible for the lifeboats to be properly lowered. Some of the men jumped into the water. The lowering of 'the upper lifeboats was responsible for a good, many accidents. The survivors landed quickly, and were fitted out with clothes and lodged in hotels. The Tuscania remained afloat for four hours before sinking. The rest of the convoy are safe. Many of the survivors had never seen the' ocean or been aboard a ship until they embarked in America. Some of them wer-j in the water from 6 p.m. till 1 a.m., clambering aboard rafts and waiting in the inky darkness for rescue at dawn. When the torpedo struck the vessel the life-saving crew immediately ran to their stations: but the dynamo had been blown up and the flights failed. Almost immediately an auxiliarv lighting plant was put into operation, while flares lit up every deck In the first darkness succeeding the explosion there was some difficulty # in lowering the lifeboats, the chains being broken and the tackle tangled. The soldiers lined up in the darkness waiting to get into the boats. Their discipline jmd courage were superb. Men held on to" 1 the nearly perpendicular ' deck, lowering boat after'boat with bwiftness and precision. The rapid canting of the liner, however, put many of tho boats out of use. Rafts of all kinds were tossed overboard in order that those flung into the sea might have a chance for life. Before some of those aboard realised what had happened, British destroyers were alongside, and took off the men in perfect order. One destroyer got 500 aboard, and was drawing off from the Tuscania when the submarine fired another torpedo, which missed < the destroyer. A sister destroyer immediately dashed off on a depth-bomb-dropping _ enterprise. It claimed that 'tho submarine was hit. The Admiralty reports that 2235 \ were saved from the "Tuscania, 166 are missing, and 126 bodies have been recovered. The American steamer Almanace was torpedoed in the war zone on Wednesday. Sir of the crew are missing. Berne reports that the Germans have planned a new method of attacking American convoys by sending groups of powerful submarines in column formation 'to various points of the mid-Atlantic, where the rescue of survivors is difficult, CUNARD DINER SUNK. The Cunard line officials, have announced that the Aurania was torpedoed en route for the United States, but was'"'not sunk. MURDERERS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Mr Bonar Law states that the U boat murders of women and children total. 14,000. Lord Jellicoe,- speaking at Hull, said we were in for a bad time during the next three months; but he believed that if we could hold out the submarine menace would be killed by August. AN UNSINKABLE SHIP. Mr Saunders (chairman of the Naval Consulting Board), in the course of a speech, said that the United States had converted tho Austrian liner Lucia into a transport, and had equipped her with 12,000 airtight cells, fitted to tho .hull, by which device it is believed she has been made practically unsinkable. Washington officials, however, state that the Lucia'cannot yet be regarded as a complete success. THE SHIPPING SHORTAGE. The Liverpool Steamship Owners' Association's report criticises Government > control of shipping, which, it alleges, has involved disastrous delays and a substantial fall in imports. The report suggests that_ the loss of carrying power is considerably in excess of the actual shipping losses. The army is releasing 20,000 skilled men for shipbuilding. In the House of Commons Dr Macnamara, Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, replying to Mr Houston, said that 69 ships over 1600 tons, of an aggregate tonnage of 245,000, had been lost by marine risks in 1917. Officials of i-he Teamen's Union state that the British merchant service, from officers to cabin boys, is pledged not to sail under the German flag after the war. The United States Emergency Fleet Corporation announces that within two months 30-3 Government shipyards will be completed, and they will require 60,000 extra workers. The Government is endeavouring to engage 250.000 ifc»JJed shipworkers. BRITISH SUBMARINE SUNK. Tho Admiralty reports that submarine El 4 proceeded to the Dardanelles on January 27 in order to complete the destruction of the Ooeben.

A wireless Turkish official report states that El 4 was sunk off Kumiake, seven men being saved. This report adds that . the shore batteries fthot off the periscope of EB2, which was certainly regarded, atf destroyed. The British Admiralty statei that all the submarines except El 4 returned to their bases. SUBMARINE AND BATTLE-CRUISER - NO MORE. Mr Gerald. Fieimess, writing in the Observer, recounts that a British submarine followed an armed German trawler into a netdefended enemy port, where the iormer's crew saw a new German battle-cruiser hying at a quay. The submaine did not return, but the festivities arranged for the battlecruiser's trials were never held. The Observer connects tho above story with tho fact that a battle-cruiser, tho Graf * Von Spec, was launched some months ago„ but nothing has been heard of her sincey though rumours of her destruction hav£. spread in Gei-many and in England. THE HELIGOLAND BIGHT BRUSH* Details are now availablo of tho thrust into Heligoland Bight by British light forces on November 17. '.Lho objective waa to penetrate the minefield, bag all the available enemy light craft, and entice tc» sea the bigger German ships. At 7.30 in the morning a procession of enemy mine-sweepers, light cruisers, and, destroyers were sighted ahead. The British forces made for them at full speed, and) opened lire, while the enemy, hidden in >a cloud of smoke, fled. Our destroyers over* hauled and sank an enemy mine-swceper 2 and then chased an enemy light cruiser, which was heavily afire; but our forces fell back upon encountering the concentrated fire of two supporting enemy cruisers. The - British destroyers were handled in tho narrow mined waters with conspicuous skill, and effected ft withdrawal without being • hit or suffering casualties. Meanwhile the British light cruisers, amidst a rain of shells and torpedoes, made a desperate attempt to cut off the enemy. A running fight continued for two hours over a course extending 30 miles into the minefields, and till Heligoland was only 28 miles to the south-eastward. Then an. enemy battle squadron came up at full speed, whereupon our splinter-riddled little attacking force began a perilous retreat' under a hail of big-calibre shells. The Ger- ] man battle fleet, however, did not proceed very far. Tho British casualties were light. v PRIZE* MONEY. Tho Government will shortly distribute the navy prize fund of £12,500,000, derived from the sale of captured enemy ships and stores. This amount will be sufficient te give £3O to every seaman in the- navy. Tho fund is quite distinct * from tho prize bounties awarded for sinking hostile vessels. A REPORT DENIED. . ,; Tho British Admiralty denies the Ger- ■•:. man wireless report that a largo warship, accompanied by a torpedo boat chaser, was mined and sunk in tho Eirth .; of Fovrh. There was no incident oh-which the statement could bo based. . "\, •..-,*