Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-11
regarding the gun crews messing with
the officers Is blocked out.
Drill Books Issued.

the officers Is blocked out.
Drill Books Issued.
| Appendix No. contains an addenda to
| the preceding instructions.
Appendix No. contains on its title
page the following:
Drill book for twelve-pounder quick
firing guns. Issued to defensively armed
merchant ships Admiralty gunnery
! branch. May, 1915"
The contents of this book are only of
military interest.
Appendix No is headed: "Confiden-
tial: In no circumstances is this paper
| to be allowed to fall into the hands OF
the enemy" 1t gives instructions re-
garding submarines. and is applicable to
vessels carrying armament specified In
the article of February 25. 1915. 1t
was evidently superseded by instructions
similarly headed and issued in April
1915, which are photographically repro
duced in appendix 10. as follows:
Il. Defensively armed vessels should
follow generally the instructions OF or
binary merchant ships.
80. In submarine waters guns should
be kept in readiness for instant use.
Ship Should Open Fire.
"3. If submarine is obviously pur-
suing ship by day and it is evident
to the master that she has hostile In
tentions the ship. pursued should open
fire in self-defense, notwithstanding
the submarine may not have commit
ted definite hostile act, such as FIR
ing a gun or a torpedo.
~. In view of the great difficulty in
distinguishing friend or enemy at night
fire should not be opened after dark
unless it is absolutely certain that the
vessel fired at is hostile.
20. Before opening fire hoist British
colors under neutral colors.
&c. II a defensively armed vessel is
pursued by a submarine the master has
two alternatives: (a) To open fire at
tain that the submarine really is In
pursuit. or (b) To restrain fire until
submarine has come into range. say
500 yards. at which the fire is likely
difficulty of distinguishing between a
friendly submarine at long range Gone
British submarine already has been
fired at by merchant vessel which
enormously supposed herself pursued
by submarine) it is strongly recon-
mended that course OBJ should be
adopted by all defensiveIy armed ships.
U-Boat's Flag No Guide.
az. A submarines flag is no guide to
her nationality. as German submarines
frequently fly the British colors.
IS. Vessels carrying defensive arma-
ment and proceeding to neutral ports
must not be painted with neutral colors
or fly a neutral flag.
"9. 1t is recommended that in neutral
ports. particularly those of Spain. ar
maments should be concealed, as far
as possible. A canvas cover is recon-
mended Nor this purpose"
Masters are instructed to keep the
above paper where it can be destroyed
at moments notice.
The eleventh appendix gives a memo
randum for masters of transports car
rying troops on the use of rife and
machine gun fire against enemy SUBJ
marines or torpedo craft. The Anal ap-
pendix reproduces typewriter instruc-
tons to British merchantmen in the
Mediterranean. 1t was issued at Malta
in June, 1915. and orders the merchant
men among other things ito carry out
the procedure recommended by the
admiralty in the printed instructions
II hostile submarine is sighted