BRITISH IN THE BALTIC.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14609, 20 May 1918, Page 3

BRITISH IN THE BALTIC.

EXPLOITS OF THE > SUBMARINES. ADMIRALTY LIFTS THE VEIL OVER THE OPERATION. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Rpiiter's Telegram.) LONDON, May 18. The Admiralty, lifting the veil over the operations of the British submarines in the Baltic, relates some stirring deeds, showing how they -were continually attacking and destroying enemy war craft. They; kept a watchful eye on the movements of the German fleet, and their ivork was so effective that finally the German ships were, kept in the harbors as .soon as . a British submarine was reported . Unlike the U-boat, not a single ease win be alleged, of, a British submarine .sinking a merchantman on sight. Merchantmen were invariably . boaia.ee! m the orthodox manner, and the r , crews given plenty or time in which to abandon the. vessels. They were directed to the nearest port or escorted to a neutral \-essel. Official documents of the submarines' \loings leave a profound impression of 'the perseverance and skill with Vhich the crews carried on. The passage into the Baltic was most difficult, owing to the closest watch being kept. The 7submarines were escorted, - with ' numerous crews, or waited until they could follow a surface craft and run the gauntlet. ■■.■••■■ ~ : Submarine Commander Goodhart espied an enemy -battleship escorted by destroyers. He fired and observed the flash of the explosion along the jwaterline, and- when the submarine arose again the ship was gone, its destruction being instantaneous. ' It was the battleship Prinz Albert. Another submarine sighted a light cruiser of the Aiinanoow class and fired a torpedo, kitting the- cruiser forward. ' The -cruiser.' was apparently , put out of ■ control and swung round . in . a . wide circle and -thei! stopped, fire: bursting out '- of her decks. Her . escorting destroyers attacked the submarine, but. the latter!: evaded them a tffk 'fired a second 'torpedo, : getting '.: the- oruiser amidships. Her magazine blew up and large T masses ol jron and wreckage fell around the sub- , marine, which, before: submerging, observed the cruiser's crew assembling on th'e poop. They were later -rescued- by a ; large German ferry boat. As. regards operations against mer- ' chant vessels, the. following is typical. ■-■ A. .. •submarine sighted and chased a• . steamer from Hamburg laden with '■: jWpol. -i. She .Avas signalled ; to stop, and ' was boarded. .The crew was orderea |to leavej.;and s,u.bse«iuejf'itl} r the seacocks were, opened )andJ charges exploded, and i.the ship, vsunk. : j Meanwhile, a HamburgAmerika liner, ijMas sighted, proceedinp .without^. lights; A -bonrdtag paI < ty''Over>llal^e&...her, and found ' she was laden with iron ore for-. Stettin. v So. quickly '•' didi the crew 'abandon the ship, that interrogations could not be continued. , The ship was . sunk in a similar way to the first one, after which, within a few hours, two more were similarly despatched. The "following day the commander reported that ' all Germany's ■■ traffic had ceased.