MASS ATTACK BY SUBMARINES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14446, 5 November 1917, Page 3

MASS ATTACK BY SUBMARINES.

i.-.-.* „-..-;•■ A» Atlantic ■'Port','. Sepf '.*g2 '*""* 7 .'.Wingers 7who arrived^f rob -Eft-gland to-day on an American steamship brought -circumstantial reports • that five ,?"kslv steamships, ;and' two* destrdyei-s---•out of* a7 convoy fleet of six which left JLough Swilly, Ireland, September 3, hvere sunk by a German submarine with}in a few hours cf : tWptfrt of departure.* ** The story we^tSfd',' «mbng< others, by .shipwrecked seamen who were survivors of other submarine, vessels and by an officer of thejperchant ship who had ibeen in' Lough- Swilly.'- - ; •-:-■ -*7 •■ y -. --i ."' ,The fi,ye vessels, it w^s said, convoyed)by ■ the destroyers; ■ jput,* to'sea after.mid;nighf and they Were attacked"* by* massed.submarines ■ the following morning at daylight. News of the dkaster was Mearned ! when - the .destroyers, which 1 escaped, put .back, to port bringing s^urjvivors, of the torpedoed - njenjhantmen, *and war vessels. ! .;•• -^ 7' ••<;•-;- --f. "The closest- secrecy was immediately thrown about the incident,"., the merichant •ship's officer said.' "The sm*-,! Mvors.were; given-positive instructions^ I-vto say nothing abo*utit,aftd it? details 'as* !to the naiines of the ships or the extent r of loss of life could be ielarne'd: It was Veported that one and possibly two. Of the U-boats were -sunk 7by the --destroy--. < ers *" ; •-.' -.' - 7 : !-. .7 The incident referred to above was' •probably., the one m which the Devonian 'was lost along with thxtjevor 'four.' other iyessels off the coast of Ireland and which tbas already been reported. "The locations are the same, .the time corresponds .and' the nutnber of Tvessels lost, tare alike, the only7additib_* being that: 'two destroyers were lost: ; In previous reiports all the losses Weijb classed' simply, ;as "vessels." -y'-y: