CHASED BY SUBMARINE

Southland Times, Issue 17469, 25 March 1915, Page 2

CHASED BY SUBMARINE

fscai’K of tub lafutfs. TOUPF.nO BASSLS AbTFILN. Int cios tin g accounts are given of the attack in 11 1 <■ .North Sea Ijv a. tinman sulimariiip on Uie steamer Laertes, of Liverpool. anil of llo’ ilrilish ships clever escape. It is suggested that this raiding submarine is one reported to have hern sunk by a mine. When lust soon by the hurries, says the horuion Daily Telegraph's Amsterdam correspondent. slip was clouded in steam ami apparently in difficulties. v The following is Hie official version of the attack on the Laertes ; "The captain of the Knglish steamer Laertes, coming from .lava, r> ported that lie was bombarded by a (lerman submarine on February 10, between Maas Lightship and the .Sclionwen hank. The shots penetrated through the, funnel, the compass, the ship's hnats, and into the Ship. The submarine attempted to torpedo the steamer, but the Laertes escaped by quick manoeuvring and t ho development of its greatest speed. Het'ore coinin'ncing the attack tho submarine signalled that the steamer was to slop, which signal the Laertes tlid not follow." The Laertes, says tho Telegraph correspondent. was chased for three-quar-ters of an hour, and was not only attacked by a torpedo, but fired at from a light gnn on the enemy's craft. Tim former missed its aim, hut the shots from the latter hit tho vessel. U was at lour o'clock in the afternoon when the Laertes sighted the (lerman submarine L'2 40 miles south-south-west of the Maas Lightship. between (lie latter and the Sclionwen I’.ank. Tiie enemy immediately hoisted a signal for the Laertes to slop, but it was not in the mind of her commander, ('tiptain Proper), a typical British mariner, to do anything of the soil. Instead hj" gate the order "Full speed" to the en-gine-room, ami proceeded lo direct his vessel on a zigzag course, so as to make a, moic difficult large I for the submarine if site fired torpedoes. At 11 10 same time he hoisp'd the notch colours. 'l'he ship was not. flying any flag at the moment when (he submarine was sighted, and 1 1 or commander decided to make use of the Netherlands blue, white, and red, because his ship's crew included men belonging to neutral nations, mostly Chinese and .Norwegians. Travelling on the surface, so as to move at her maximum speed, tho U2 made every effort to draw abeam of the steamship, and so find a favourable opportunity for launching a torpedo at her. Hut it was in vain. By this lime the Laertes had worked up lo a speed of 111 knots. flradu.'illy lm( steadily she was increasing the distance from her pursuer. Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke from the submarine, ami then a small shell passed through one of the Laerle’s air shafts. A second shot pierced tho funnel, and another hit one of the ship's boats. The submarine continued firing from her light gun, and as. the Laertes was making one of her swift changes of direction tho submarine Hied a loriiedo. This passed across tho stern of Itv vessel, plainly visible to those on her decks. Soon -afterwards (lie submarine realFcd that the Laertes had the greater turn of speed, Site tired a parting shot, and ilicn disappeared beneath the grey waters.' • ■ -