New Britain herald., 1917-08-23
U.B0AT PRISONERS
 THOUGHT DROWNED
Cruiser May Have Sunk Their
 Submarine Prison

ldISI WAcu IH0 was Sullh by converted French cruiser. in the belief of one of their companions.
 The surviving companion was J. H. Bruce. third mate of the Campana, a Standard Oil tanker which fought the U-boat. He and 45 others of the crew, including nine naval gunners, arrived yesterday at an Atlantic port aboard a French passenger steamship. M. Kolroferis, second engineer of the tanker, confirmed Bruce's story
 The men taken prisoner were Cap tain Albert Oliver of the Campana, of No. 225 East One Hundred and Twenty-third street. New York city. and the following men: Chief Gun ner's Mate James l.. Delaney, Third Class Gunner's Mate Charles L. Kline, Second Glass Boatswains Mate Ray Roop, Ordinary Seaman Wilhelm Mill Ter and Ordinary Seaman Frederick $. Jacobs.
 When news of the Campana's de- struction by a U-boat reached America newspapers were cautioned by Wash- ingtor against speculation concerning the fate of the six prisoners. It was thought possible that the six men had been shot to death by mem bers . of the submarine crew.
 According to Bruce, who lives in Providence, he was taken to the sub- marine with Captain Oliver and the 3 naval gunners on the Campana. Lack of room and stores made it neces- sary for the submarine commander to reduce the numbe of captives to six He sent the others back to their life- boats.
 Bruce told reporters the following story:
 We left an American port on July A n uneventful trip, at La Pallice, France. We were confident of our ability to hold off submarines. The tanker could do 12 knots in pinch and we had three-inch guns fore and aft. There were 13 naval gunners aboard.
 U-Boat Outgencraled.
 we started on August from La Palice for Spain. We had no cargo. About 5:10 o'clock the morning of August shell burst over us Chief Gunner Delaney directed his crew to man the guns. Captain Oliver put on top speed and shot the vessel along a zig-zae course. Far astern and firing rapidly from four-inch gun forward, was big German submarine. It had another gun aft.
 "The U-boat's speed was superior. 1 but our seamanship was better and l we managed to keep out of the danger range for a long time. Every once in while the German would dash in close and attempt to get us with a shower of shells. But we managed to draw away each time and gave the | Germans our compliments from the 1 three-inch gun.
 NO help was in sight, so we knew 1 we had to fight like blazes and run like fury. We poured shot after shot at the Germans. When the engagement started they were 5000 yards away. Most of the battle was at about 1900 yards. Both sides were poor marks men. Only once did the submarine hit us and that shot hit the superstruc- ture We landed three shots on the submarine, their commander told me later. and I think one of our shells damaged the coming tower.
 At o'clock we went to breakfast. That idea must have flashed into the submarine, for the U-boats stopped >shelling us at the same time. Fifteen minutes later we resumed fire.
 "The U-boat fired one torpedo. It missed By g o'clock our ammunition was so low we were desperate. Capt. Oliver was game to the core, but he didn't have enough shells. We had fired 300, shells and the Germans had fired more than 175. We were up against it and there wasn't a friendly ; ship in sight.
 Took to Iifeboats.
 Finally, four and a half hours af- ter the battle started, Capt. Oliver ran up the international code signal that the ship was to be abandoned We were then about 1S0 miles off the French coast. We took to four life boats. Perhaps they didn't intend to hit us, but the Germans fired three more shots at the Campana after the signal was run up.
 ''The submarine dashed up close and took aboard a quantity of food from the Campana. Then the tanker was torpedoed at close range. They took aboard the submarine Capt. Oliver. the 13 gunners and me. For three hours we were aboard, until one of the Germans announced they had picked up a wireless message in which one French warship notified the other to be on the lookout for U-boat.
 linen our visit had to be cut short. We had spent pleasant three hours. The U-boat commander, speaking good English. chatted with us and swApped jokes. He said he regretted that his orders made 1t necessary to hold prisoner all American ship cap tains and naval gunners."
 Bruce said that the submarine commander found there were too many prisoners for the inadequate room and food on the U-boat He : called for volunteers to go to Ger many as prisoners, releasing the others to return home free. All vol- unteered Finally the German picked five, including Oliver. and called for sixth. A gunner stepped forward.
 Whats your name?" asked the German commander.
 Miller" replied the American
 Whats Your first name -