New-York tribune., 1914-10-11
German Submarine Com
mander Describes At
tack on British Ships.
HAD PLENTY OF TIME .
TO PICK OUT TARGET
Lieutenant Weddigens BRIDE
Dry Eyed at Parting, Wei
comes Him with Tears.

THE World" publishes this morning
81 Herlip disra,sh from it's correspond
eut. Herber, Il. Swope. dated Sep'en'-
her so. but DELAYED until yesterday ny
The British censor, describing IN me
words Of the commander OF the uci-
man submarine U-9. the destruction ol
the three British cruisers. the Aooa"'''
the Cressy and the Hogue. the ar''cie
: copyrighted. 1914. by Tn, Press Fuo-
fishing Company.
The dispatch is a. loilo"S'
Through the kindness OF the Ger
man Admiralty am able 10 tell eT-
clusvely the story o. Captain Lieuteh-
ant Otto Weddi gen commander ot inc
now world famous submarine w.
whose feat in destroying three English
cruisers has lifted the German navy u
lofty place in sea history.
There is an involable rule IN the
German army and navy prohibiting offi-
GERS from talking Of their EXPLOITS put
because of the special nature OF "ed-
dipen's exploit an exception was made'
and through the good Offices Of Count
Won Oppersdorf THE World was grant
ed the right OF hrst teIIihe
rema bile story.
"It must be borne in mind that Lieu
tenant Weddigen's account has been
Officially announced and verlned Dy
German Navy Headquarters. That VIII
avnlain why certain details must be
omitted. since they are OF Importance
if further submarine excursions are
undertaken against the British meet
Following is Weddigen's tale. supple
mented by the Admiralty Intelligence
Department.:
BY Cspt.-Lieut. Otto Weddigen.
commander OF the German Submarine u
am thirtv-two years old and have
been in the navy for years. For the
last five years | have been attached 10
the submarine fotilla, and have Deen
most interested in that branch OF the
navy. At the outbreak OF the war our
under-sea boats were rendezvoused AT
certain harbors in the North Sea, the
names Of which ! am restrained from
divulging.
Each Of us felt and hoped that the
Fatherland might be benefited by such
individual efforts of ours as were pos
sible at a time when our bigger sisters
of the fleet were prohibited from ac-
tivity. So we awaited commands from
the Admiralty, ready for any under
taking that promised to do for the I'M
perial navy what our brothers OF the
army were so glorious'y accomplish
ing.
II has already been told how | was
married at the home of my brother In
Wilhelmshaven TO my boyhOod sweet
heart. Miss Prete, Of Hamburg, on Au-
gust l6.
Before that | had been steadily on
duty with my boat, and had TO leave
again the next day after my marriage
But both my bride and | wanted the
ceremony to take place at the appoint
ed tune, and il did, although within
twenty-four hours thereafter | had to
go away on a venture that gave a good
chance of making my new wife
widow But she was as firm as ! was
that my first duty was to answer 'he
call of our country, and she waved me
away from the dock with good luck
wishes that | sure had In my part IN
wishes that | am sure had a part IN
| set out from a North Sea port on
one Of the arms of the kiel Canal and
set my course in a southwesterly direc-
ton. The name of the port | cannot
state officially, but il has been guessed
at; nor am ! permitted to say def
nitely Just when we started, but 1t was
not many days before the morning OF
September % when | fell in with my
quarry.
Cnn,;na In With tho Enemy
When | started from home the fac.
was kept quiet and heavy sea helped
to keep the secret, but when the action
began the sun was bright and the water
smooth-not the most favorable con-
dtions for submarine work.
| had sighted several ships during
my passage, but they were not what l
was seeking. English torpedo boats
came within my reach, but | felt there
was bigger game further on, so on
went. / travelled on tie surface except
when we sighted vessels, and then !
submerged, not even showing my peri
/ scope. except when ii was necessary to
/ take bearings. Ii was ten minutes after
| on the morning of last Tuesday when
/ | caught sight of one of the big
/ cruisers of the enemy.
/ | was then eighteen sea miles north
westerly of the Hook of Holland. ! had
/ then travelled considerably more than
/ 200 miles from my base. My boat was
one Of an old type, but she had been
/ built on honor and she was behaving
! beautifully. | had been going ahead
/ partly submerged, with about hve feet
I of nv periscope showing. Almost i'm
mediately 1 caught sight OF the first
cruiser and two others. | submerged
completely and laid my course so as to
bring up in centre of the trio, which
/ held sor; of triangular formation:
could see their gray black sides riding
high over the water.
When | first sighted them they were
near enough for torpedo work. but
wanted to make my aim sure, so | went
down and IN on them. had taken the
rosition of the three ships before sub
merging and / succeeded in getting
another fash through my periscope be
tore ! began action. soon reached
what / regarded as n good shooting
point.
The officer is not permitted 10 give
this distance, but II is understood TO
have been considerably less than mile,
although the German torpedoes have
AN effective range OF four miles.
First Shot Went Straight.
Then ! loosed one Of my torpedoes
AT the middle ship. | was then about
twelve feet under water and got the
shot off in good shape, my men
handling the boat as if she had been
"a skif. 1 climbed to the surface to
get sight through my tube of the
effect. and discovered that the shot
Lad gone straight and true, striking the
ship. which | later learned was the
Aboukir, under one OF her magazines.
which in exploding helped the torpedo's
work of destruction.