Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-06-23
SUB HAD MANY
NARROW ESCAPE
CAPTAIN TELLS OF TRIP FROM WILL
hELMSnAvEN TO STRAITS OF
THE DARDANELLES.

- q HUN
the st. Louis Westliche Post of the
printed report Of Captain Herring,
commander of the German submarine
81. which cruised from Wilhelmshaven
10 the Dardanellas and sank the
Triumph and Majestic:
"On April % We left Willhelmshaven
Only the chief engeer and the first
officer besides me knew that our des-
tination was Constantinople. After
having taken on board of everything
as seemed necessary we held our
course for the North Sea. We stayed
as close 10 the water surface as we
could to save the maximum amount of
air and gas and submerged only in
time of danger. For the first time we
had TO dive close TO the English coast,
where a torpedo boat destroyer fired
at us. But We submerged in time. He
missed us, as did the English torpedo
boat which tried To send us to the bot
tom Of the sea about 100 miles off
Gibraltar.
Through the straits of Gibraltar
we went one clear morning. Our
hearts were beating. We were full of
doubt, hope and uncertainty. Should
we reach the Mediterranean Sea or
should We find our grave between
these rocks Now We are there. Being
i'm the middle Of many hostile we sure
ly had to keep close watch. Near a
small island we received again fire
from the enemy. but we submerged in
to the safe depth of the sea. Off Malta
a French destroyer tried To get us.
Through the Aegean Sea we went
toward the Dardancllcs, which place
we reached on the evening before May
%. So the trip took us one month ia
the day.''At dawn the next morning
We saw the Triumph and the Majestic
close to the coast. A destroyer disco
vered us and tried To ram us. But
while we submerged he cut through
the waves right above us. so that his
turbines made our boat shake. I'm n
periscope at the enemy, and hurry we
rose aiming through the dept Of
the sea again. Now our boat shook as
from a big explosion. We knew the
shot had hit the right spot. The Tri-
umph was gone.
: Two and a half days we kept hid
den between the rocky places of the
Dardanelles in order to get another
shot at the enemy. We aimed Ia send
the Majestic to the bottom. Ii was
steadily surrounded by destroyers to
save il from the fate Of the Triumph
but we found the Achilles heel. and
again our torpedo hit and down went
the Majestic. We submerged quickly.
The ceasing of cannon thunder showed
us that the fleet must have left which
we found to be the truth when we after
several hours. rose carefully to the sur
face.
"On June > we came to Constan-
tinoplc after having been for forty
two days on duty without cessation.
We nearly had lost the ability to walk
breathe and see under normal condi-
tions, and il passed a certain length
Of time till We got ourselves used To
the daylight and the natural air again.
Our shoes were nodded, u clothes
wringing wet. But all was forgotten
when the word was received from the
kaiser / had the pour le m%erite.'
notwithstanding the very hard
condition under which we made the
trip the great work and purpose was
what kept MS mp. a gramophone
shortened the long hours. Bacon and
beans one day and beans and bacon
the next were eaten with with good APP
petite. although the strange way of
life under water produces somre bodily
i~neovcnienccs and strains. But after
we felt firm soil under our feet. this
- c--l..- l.u.a.al ..a. ~ !