AUSTRIAN DREADNOUGHT IS VICTIM OF MOTOR BOAT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14688, 21 August 1918, Page 9

AUSTRIAN DREADNOUGHT IS VICTIM OF MOTOR BOAT.

COMMANDER TELLS HOW }IE kE^T Gjp#fef iOTLESHIP :^^'isXft^Mi I *V al*t .'vo«l^., ::55j4.- v-*." ' ' :V.V •■ 1 ' '. ' 1 X.-X xS'Xx X- 13. :- -.(ifoiAMai'ider.' ; Ri_ji_6, whose; remarkabh • exploitvii^smMng v^an;-Austrian battle sbij. -in-..tbe.^_^iij^iot has 'thrilled' italy. tell., a graphic stoi*y of the encountei in which h^ took plart, and during whicl .anqther" Austriaifi" baittleship w^s eithei badly damaged ;br\-de_itroy'edAby: ahothei "niotor' boat in ' charge of Cominaiidei Jt 1 is possible: that .'2OOO sailors were lost during "the encounter. ■'I ani notify' for-' the";sailors who., lost theii* lives'," 'hp said,'in beginning his 'story, "but I am glad-that weAgpt the 'di*e?atlrioughts. Why- "they.,had ventured but *pf .ppla harbor no one kno^s,» but it -'was certainly fi oolish f Pi. • them tq ,'db so! At'was r bri jpat.i'ol scout duty- a_? Visual off coastne'ar ivPasa SelVe, between the islands of Asipello and : tlaA''l l^ad Jtist finished .my pa^trol, and 7 had tui*ned for my base when, ajiopt 'teh ;miles away, I:'saw ,a v great enyelppiiig cloud of .?n?9ke,* It "appeared :11ke',; a':V'bl6t';:^W6u'gli N'|tlie, parl^ light. I thought fit 'first' it whs some 'boat which had "discovered me and:.M*as giving cbase. ■■''•'■'-, ,-r .'I determined ,t|;e ,*-'lj.es,t Pf ■ aj;,)aad^ fis^ 'Ajte^ ; £asi,, -I\shid ■w> .my' two ci*ews of ten men to each boat :—. '. ■■>: : > : ';■ ,:■ „V. ? 'Pellp>y_*, .the; Itfilian. s<?ojit boats have: been* waiting'-for two' years,; and the,whole^ltalian.iru-vy has been trying .to .destroy Aflatriaji..'. ships.,lor 'years.v' AvPvJpu ■ willing ;£p 'Hsk fill on /a. -^hanjie ,'qf,* qbtajping glory.;j^id(; the *cq'uri£^',s:g^atitudie?, ) „ ':''•'!'•-To-:a maii' they ; angered :; 'Yes.' .'" "VVe ;w^re back with: our motors/"mtiiTled'.wlifen to my amaaemeiit, J..discqvei*ed two, battleships sun'ounded J^y.va: humber or destroyers' which, later X- cpfthted as -teiii. ,TA assigned, the second .battleship hoat .while.l took the;first."A" . 'j '.' -Xxyy .'"" "I slipped inside' tlie Jino of. destroyr ers, between the third ahd fourth of these f craft..;" I was 9ot npticed,. in;, the light fog/ ' Tlie watei*!' was smoot}' iand my to^'pqdpes^ gbt.off^iiiqely. My first, with a chargeV striiek the first dreadbougbt between the two funnels, while the second struck her jnst aft the second funne|i As "the .tor-pedoes-exploded I saw the mighty .ship tremblp/j.'twp gr£a^ vfquptains of *\y^ter rbse high''iii the ■ air,' q.nd black sinoke welled up from tbe rents .in her side. Thebv/I^rfip ;fqr:, it, escaping betyeen th v e secpujil a,i)H third ,dqstroyei*s in. the line. I was .discovered' by the fourth destroyer*. ■ wblcli' gave /"(.chase at a ;distance'of : lso,yiufds aiijd fired on nie. I was too close, however, to be hit. Then Sty ; d^pth;.;' cliarge bqmb ; suoh '.Xjks is,, generally iified auainst submarines. T'ortunately for us, it exploded .under the destrPyer. T, saw bor leap, into the ajr, turn Sharply a.nd then stop, giving up' the phase une} permitting "us "Jo' escape. The other destroyers were busy tryhigv^q i save, the lives of the sailors on tlio • dreadnought.''