Evening star., 1914-11-26
HOW WASUBMAR|NE
GOES INTO ACTION
Thrilling Narrative by Member
of Crew of a German
Vessel.
LEAVES BASE AT NIGHT
TO SEARCH FOR ENEMY
Men Who Fire Torpedoes Have No
Way to Tell Whether Shot
Has Gone Home.
correspondence of the Associated Press

eotres,.ondence Of the Associated Press
TIE HAGUE, November IA letter
telling of an attack by the German
submarine U-26 upon an unmentioned
British warship is published by the
Zeit 1t begins with preparations for
the expedition two hours before mid
night" in order to make strike at
dawn. The letter, said to have been
written by a member of the crew of the
attacking boat, follows:
Around the heavy granite rocks OF
the long pier. monstrously black IN
the dark night, the storm sweeps up
the. water of the North sea In angry
waves Inside the pier the water lifts
up our submarine in the regular mo-
lion of heavy waves. Everything is
pitch dark. The fact that many people
.irv hurrying about on deck ls only
shown by the somber figures who now
:,ud then pass IN front OF the sthSle
lantern. From out of the engine rooiI,'
already under water. there arises the
sound of heavy pounding and the welru
cracking of the engines, which are De-
ing tried out. -
. sNt 1890 there is a shrill whistle from
zfhc little bridge, which stands hlgh
aboye the submarine and which is COW
cred with heavy canvas. The omcer IN
command dressed in his oilskins, gives
the sign of departure
Headed for the Enemy.
The cables are loosened A short
sharp signal to the engine room, the
sudden whrr as the motor catches, ana
the U-26 is under way. The sharp bow
plows through the water. On botn sides
oi the ship long waves are formed
shimmering with light foam in the
L.. no
westerly direction. We are gong to-
ward the enemy.
Tine heavens are covered with clouds
Not :; star is visible. \ few feet away
from the boat nothing is noticeable at
All. Tue commander, with his experl-
cnced eye. tries In VAIN to penetrate
through this wall of solid plackness.
I NJ wind Is FROM aside and the pridse
Is entirely ttoooed with water. NO nolse
is heard but the heavy droning sound
OF the motor ana the swish or the wa
ter passing along our sides.
The earliest signs of dawn appear,
when suddenly IN the near distance
there is the sight of a heavy bulk,
swinging nigh above us upon the wa
We pass through the long tau
of foam winch a hostile torpedo de-
slroyer has Just left behind, speeding
toward the east We have managed
~ Tind our way through the first line or
,Ic enemys advance guard From
Low on we must be very careful.
Boat Prepares for Action.
a signal is heard and men appear
upon deck The boat is prepared for
action. The iagpole is taken down.
l'art of the bridge is folded together
and well fastened. The periscope is
rcought UP to the proper height. Then
The entrance through the combined
p.ldge and coming tower is hermeti-
c;llly closed. The tanks are opened
and the inrushing water tells us that
the boat is about to submerge. The
i,asoline motors stop their endless
song. Electricity will drive US from
low until we shall reappear upon the
ater. =
a young lieutenant is posted at NE
periscope and looks for the enemy. The
sailors take their position near the
torpedoes. The interior of the boat is
lighted with two small electric bulbs.
Tney make the darkness visible. but
give no light. Everywhere there is
stale smell of Oil. 1t is impossible to
speak to each other with the noise of
the engine and of the water. The heat
Iii the small room is oppressive.
Prom time to time the officer in
command of the three torpedoes looks
at his watch or at the compass. both of
which he carries around his wrist In
tently the men all watch the signboard
on the wall in front of them. The
storm which is raging upon the surface
makes itself felt in the depth. Every
motion of the water causes the boat
lo rock up and down, up and down and
up and down.
I'VE think of the advantage of the
man on board of a warship. If his
time comes he can go down with last
look at the happy sun and the blue
sky. We see nothing, hear nothing.
Ii the boat is to go down we shall all
sufocate in the darkness under water.
Red Letters Signal Fire"
Suddenly We all jump up and forget
heat and bad air and discomfort In
small lighted letters the signboard says
Attention The officer in command holds
the lever which will release the first tor
pedo The sailors make ready to launch
The second one soon as the first shall
have gone. a few seconds pass. We
must be very near the enemy. Suddenly
rle first sign disappears. Half second
later the red glowing letters say fire.
With single jerk the lever released the
torpedo. A short metallic click, the noise
of the water rushing into the empty tube
and all is over. Tue second torpedo is at
once pushed into the tube. A few seconds
Later the interior of the submarine looks
as before the attack began.
But what of the first torpedo? Did
She reach her goal? Instinctively we all
Lave kept count-one hundred meters,
Two hundred meters, three hundred-four
hundred. Under water sound pene-
tr3ttes. We only hear the noise of our
engines. We wait. Nothing happens
Tten, suddenly we are all thrown to-
GetEer by the jerky movement of the
boat. Twice. or three times more we
feel that we have changed our course
very abruptly.
Then the boat rolls as before The
regular purrfng Of the engines is heard.
our submarine is rapidly moving east
ward.
We are on our way home. The at
tack has been successful.
Eyarnioac OF thu Erionda Cahnal