SUBMARINED AND CAPTURED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19800, 18 November 1919, Page 8

SUBMARINED AND CAPTURED.

+ ■ EXPERIENCES WITH THE GERMANS. EX-LYTTELTON RESIDENT’S NARRATIVE. Some startling oxppiiencns were related to a ‘'Star'’ leprcseiitative by Mr Lionel M’Conviilc, who is at present visiting his parents at Lyttelton, and who tor twelve months was a prisoner ot war in Germany. Mr M’Convillo was at the tune of his eapturc an engineer on board the Atlantic Transport Company, Ltd.’s, liner Minnetonka, a vessel ol 13,528 tons. tiOOft in Icupifch, carrying a crow of 120 all told. The, Minnetonka, on January 30. 1918. was returning from Mesopotamia, where slio had landed 5000 troops, to Marseilles. When about fifty miles oil the Maltese coast, two U-boats were sighted, at 4.30 in the afternoon. Soon alter being sighted the submarines submerged, and when they wore again spotted the Minnetonka was just in between the two- Tt was not long before one of the raiders let go a torpedo which hit the liner aft of the engine-room on the port side. The explosion put, all the lights out, and ripped a big gap in the ves-el a side. Soon after the vessel received another torpedo a little further aft on the starboard side. The Minnetonka commenced to sink stem first, and a little later a big explosion, which must have boon her boilers, took place- Standing upright on her stem, the ship sank gradually. As a result of the explosion seven of the crew were killed or injured, and were drawn down by the ship. Mr M’Conville had just come off bis watch, and was about to have, a bath when the attack occurred, and was but scantily dressed. Mr M’Conville was the last to throw himself overboard, and managed to reach one of the boats, which contained the captain and four-, teen officers and men. As them were too many in the boat by which Mr M'Conville had been picked np. it was decided that some of them should transfer to another boat which they picked up. Mr M’Cmwlle boarded the empty boat wih a number of seamen and firemen. Instructions were then given by the eaptaiu that the boats should spread out in different directions in order to escape capture if possible. This was done, but it so happened that when the submarines were satisfied that they had carried out their work successfully one of them came around to' Air M’Convillo’s boat and ordered nil tlie officers to come cn board. Tho Uhont. then visited some of the other boats, and took off in all two deck officers, a wireless operator, six engineroom officers and the chief gunner. The officers who were taken on board the TJ-boat, numbering ten, were lined up on the dock of the submarine, and the rest were allowed to go on their way. Later thn captured officers were, ordered down below, where they were questioned regarding their ship and about the conditions that existed in England. Then they wore quartered in the after torpedo-room, where two armed guards kept watch over them. They wore informed by the commander that they must consider themselves prisoners of war, and that as long as they did not interfere -with the workings of the submarine be would treat them as well as lie could. He further told them that there was not much food aboard, .as they had been cnit at sea for six weeks. J hey claimed to have sunk twenty-two steamers and sailers, and said that they would immediately leave for Pole (Austria). The trip to I’ola occupied six nnd a half days, days after being captured they sighted two Italian destroyers. The boat submerged us deeply as possible, and remained there motionless for about three-quar-ters of an hour. Then she rose again, and after seeing that the coast was clear set her engines in motion, and proceeded to her destination. A dav before arriving at Pola tho food supply ran short, but the submarine ran into a shoal oi porpoises, one of which was hat pooued. I ho prisoners wore then supplied with a meal which they thoroughly enjoyed. On arrival at the entrance of tho harbour at Pola tho submarine again submerged to enable it to got under a minefield protecting tho entrance, and on reaching tho inner harbour the craft was tied up alongside other submarines. J.lie prisoners were escorted on board an Austrian battleship, where they were again questioned as to tho state of affairs in England. They remained on hoard that night, and the next day they were sent by rail to Munich. From the latter town they went to Karlsruhe, a journey which occupied ten days’by rail. It was on this journey that their most severe sufferings l were experienced. They were being conveyed in poor railway carriages, and some of them were but, scantily dressed, just as they left the ship in a hurry. The weather was extremely cold, and during the whole journey of ton days the prisoners received only two bowls of soup, made from dogs’ flesh. They suffered from the cold and hunger so much that they were driven aluionj, to desperation. Tho, reason for not getting any food supplies appeared to be that the Germans did not have food for themselves. ' Hie ■ Germans were badly off indeed in this respect, but tho Austrians were still worse off, and it was pitiful to see the women and their children half starving. On arrival at Karlsruhe the prisoners were billeted in one of the largest hotela in the town, which had been turned into a detention prison for officers in transit to prison camps. They were fairly accommodated in a room of about 28 feet square, which contained seven beds. Other prisoner- told them that tho hotel was being n-c 1 in hope that tho Allies aeropkin. • ..mild not bomb the building or D ;i as they knew there wore prisoners in the hotoi. Aircraft, however, were constantly visiting the town and doing considerable damage both night and day. After a stay of several days at this hotel the prisoners woic again entrained, and after a two days’ journey reached Brandenburg, where they were billeted in very ‘insanitary barracks, with no light or fire, although there was heavy snow lying on tho ground. There was no provision made for food -supply. At 7 a.m. they were marched oil’ to headquarters, where personal identification, etc., was demanded by the German staff, after which they were escorted to the English prison camp and shown a tumble-down hutment, in which they were to live. The prisoners at this camp were mainly merchant seamen and a few military. They were being kept by food parcels sent by the British lied Cross Society. Immediately the next batch arrived they made a fire for them, and ■ provided them with a hot meal, including tea. No Gorman food was available' except a supply of potato bread. During his stay of six months at tliir. camp, it looked very jnuclt as if the Germans did not supply food because they did not have it to spare, oven for their own people. flic German bread was generally given away to tho Russian prisoners. Brandenburg camp was a non-com-missioned dfficers’ camp. During their stay at the camp typhus fever broke out in the Russian quarters, ami Home 1500 died in about four months. “Six weeks after our arrival m Brandenburg parcels ol fond from the lied Cross Society and friends in England began to arrive. Up fill that time we bad been living on parcels for other prisoners. Influenza- also visited the camp, and from eight to ten wore buried per day while it lasted. We only had one doctor, and the only medicine available was from a medicine chest sent by tin* Red Cross Society lor various diseases we wore inoculated, and we were vaccinated on two occasions. The treatment, received

from the Germans, if we did not salute them as quickly as they desired, was very harsh, and they bullied us about as much as possible. On the arrival of our certificates • from England wo were allowed to proceed to a proper officers’ camp In Scbweidnitz, near the Polish border. At this camp there were a large number of members of tbo BritishlAir Force, also military officers and merchantmen. The -accommodation was better, but no food was supplied by the Huns. Parole was al-lowed-—two hours per day—on three days a week. TTlieii Bulgarin asked ; for nu armistice there was an immediate difference in the treatment received. and lroiu fSen on the prisoners became very much happier at tho prospect of being able to regain their liberty On December 24 a batch of prisoners were entrained for AVarrltvuule, in the Baltic, whence they were ferried to Denmark. wli*re they received a great reception and many kind gifts from the Danes.” Mr M’Conville is at present- on the Kia Ora as third engineer. He is making the trip to New Zealand to visit his relations in Lyttelton. Ho is still feeling tho effects of his experiences.