The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-07-21
U-BOAT DASH EASY,
DECLARES CAPTAIN
DARING VOYAGE OF SUBMARINE
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC DE-
ScRlBED RT COMMANDER.
00DGED FOE BY SUBMERGING
undersea Craft Cropped to Bottom of
Ocean at Times to Avoid Possible
Dangers--Threaded Maze Of Hostile
Warships.

Baltimore, Md.----"And we sat down
upon the floor of the British channel
because the roof was crowded with
nosey destroyers, and we drank good
French champagne while we sang
We've rings on our fingers and bells
on our toes and presently the destroy
ers gave us room on the roof and we
came up and went ON to America. 1t
was all just as simple as that, 1 tell
you"
Thus simply did Capt. Paul Koenig,
commander of the German submarine
Deutschland, describe the daring voy-
age of his undersea craft through the
North sea, which was dotted with enc
my vessels, and across the Atlantic
ocean to the port of Baltimore.
what is there about my voyage to
cause all this commotion?" asked the
captain of group of reporters who
We're eagerly questioning him regard
ing the great game of hide and seek
which he played with the British navy
on his 4,000-mile dash across the wa
tiers. II have done nothing remarkable.
Anybody who has sense enough to
navigate boat and who builds a boat
like the Deutschland can do equally
well-better believe"
Captain Koenig will have it no other
way than that the British grip on Ger
man commerce is shortly to be broken.
1--WE have proved it," he said, his
eyes afire with enthusiasm. eve are
building a 2,000-ton submarine that
will be able to voyage $4,000 miles
without replenishing oil tanks. And
the British can't catch us. We laugh
at them-look now at that flag"
He pointed to the house flag of the
Deutsche Ocean Rhederei. the cor
poration of Bremen which devised the
undersea trading plan.
The Deutschland went from Bremen
haven out to sea in the light of day on
June A. went in the early morning as
matter of factly as a scow of bricks
or lumber from any New York pier
slips out into the harbor and down to
the lower bay. Neither Bremen up the
river, nor Bremerhaven. gate to the
North sea, sent bands to blare farewell
or crowds to cheer.
Koenig laid a course straight tC
Germany's north sea Gibraltar, Helgo
land.
"Why did you do that?" he was
asked.
Knew Foe Was Near.
1--WE knew that British warships
we're somewhere about" he said. "AnG
we wanted to lay up ct HelgolanC
FOR some days to fool them. There il
always chance that spies may revea
the comings and goings of our ships
and it was wise to mark time for {
little while. In this case only ont
alien, so far as knew, had our secret
He was the American consul at Bre
men, VIM. Thomas Fee, whose duty i
was to approve our manifect. He was
to be trusted, naturally, but we coulC
take no chances.
"We loafed pleasantly off Helgolant
under the shade of the big guns unit
the morning of June %. The time wa
passed usefuDY n improving the train
Ing of the H.en.
"Good Fellows, My Boys"
about these men, now-say wore
for them if you must hold us up to tn
worlds eyes. They are good fellows
my boys, strong fellows. Most of then
are quite young though most are mar
ried and are rad.ng rosy checked bS
bies to grow up for Germany's glory
| They are all fine mechanics and full
of-what do you say-pep, that is il
son the morning of June % w
turned westward in the North sea ant
headed straight for the British chan
mel. Somebody has said that we wen
all the way around Scotland. Non
sense, why should We? It was cas-
enough to fool the British and goin
through the Channel was child's play.
"What were your best aids to navi
CATION, captain? How did you ffgur
out your safe progress under sea?"
Microphone Aided Cruise.
"The microphone and our device 70
taking soundings while submerged di
the trick. Everybody understand
these days what the microphone is
an undersea telephone, so delicate tina
it catches and records the vibration
of any bulk moving upon or under tn
waves.
1--WE have two microphones on tn
Deutschland, one on the port, one o
the starboard side. One of US, an OFF
Ger if possible, kept an ear always t
the transmitter. When we heard di:
turbing murmurs through our littl
eavesdropper we stopped dead still
maybe, or went ahead slowly. Some
times we dropped to the sea floor an
kept as still as mouse until we coul
figure out what the menace was. Some
times we merely dropped fifty feet G
so beneath the surface and anchore
| in that position. suspended betwee
the surface and the bottom. The micro
| phones warned us of cruisers and d.
| stroyers and sometimes of buoye