The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-02

'tery tn aiarm in addition to SIX blasts
from siren. Passed through two
wakes: one being that from the U. s. s.
C, In turning to northwArd, the other
believed to have been from thu passing
submarine. A second torpedo wake
was reported at about 1925 from at
ter Iookouts. After steaming in vari-
our courses at full speed. resumed
course SO degrees r. c. S., at 11;1o for
rendezvous at 1900 set course IS de-
grees +. s. c.
/ g. The torpedo fred at the ID
Ipassed from starboard to port. about
40 yards ahead OF the ship leaving a
distinct wake which was visible for
about four or Ave hundred yards Col
onel z, L. S. A. was on the starboard
wing OF the bridge OF the d at the
time and states:
IT first. saw a white streak in the
water Just off the starboard bow which
moved rapidly across the bow very
close aboard. When / first saw IL, II
looked like one very wide wake ana
similar to the wake OF ship, but
after crossing the bow and when in line
with It there appeared two distinct
and separate wakes with strip OF
blue water between. In my opinion
they were the wakes of two torpedoes.
| Z. The submarine which was sighted
by the flagship was seen by the b and
passed under that ship. The b went
to quarters when the alarm was sound
ed in the B. Lieutenant w was aroused
.out of his sleep and went to his sta
! ton and found unmistakeable evidence
( Of the presence of submarine. He
had been there only few seconds
when the radio operator reported;
"Su BIN arnes very close to us
| AS the submarine paesed the and
the hagship's bow and disappeared
close aboard on our port bow. between
the columns II was followed by the B,
which ran down between the columns.
and when the latter resumed her sta
ton she reported that there were
strong indications OF the presence OF
two submarines which were growing
fainter The r was then sent to guard
the rear OF the convoy.
g. When l was in Paris. I was shown
by the United states naval attache.
confidential official bulletin of notif-
cation issued by the general stan dated
July s. which contained the following
"Punta Delgada Azores was bonn
'barded at 300 A. NJ. July 4. This Is
undoubtedly the submarine which at
tackled the on June Is. 4oo miles
north or the Azores ana SANK lnN
and C on the eoth Of June. 100 miles
from Tercelra tAzores). This suhma-
rine was ordered to watch in the vicin-
ity Of the Azores. at such a distance
,as Il was supposed the enemy Ameri-
'can convoy would pass from the
Azores"
q 1t appears from the French re-
port Just quoted above. and from the
location Of the attack that enemy sub
marines had been notified of our ap-
proach and were probably scouting
across our route It is possible that
they NAV have trailed US all dav on
June 90 as our speed was we'll within
! their limits Of surface speed and they
could have easily trailed our smoke
under the weather conditions without
being seen: their failure to score hits
was probably due TO the attack being
precirAtated by the forfuttous cir
Icunstanccs Of the flagship helm jam
ming and the sounding Of her whistle
leading enemy to suppose he had been
discovered.
I 10. The " leading the second group.
encountered two submarines. the FIRST
about 1850 A. NJ. June 2s. 1917. In
latitude - \. longitude - w. about
hundred miles off the coast Of France
and the second two hours later.
The only unusual incident OF the
trim worth mentioning was on the 2sth
! scored q Killing.
The investigated the wake OF the
frst without further discovery. The
J sighted the bow wave of tho second
at distance Of. fifteen hundred yards
and headed for II at speed of Is knots,
The gun siehters at the forward gun
saw the periscope several times for
hut Hisannnarfd
each time before they could get on.
due to the zigzagging If the ship. The
~ passed about Is yards ahead OF
mass of bubbles which wess coming
up from the wake and let 60 depth
charge just ahead,
Several pieces Of timber. quantities
lof OIL, bubbles and debris cane Go
surface. Nothing more was seen of
the submarine. The attacks on the
second group occurred about 500 miles
to the eastward of where the attack5
had been made on the first. group.
! II. The voyage Of third group was
uneYentful
! ~. In the forenoon of June IS. when
in latitude -, longitude w, the K
opened fire on an object about tInos
hundred yards distant which he thought
was a submarine. The commander OF
the group however. did not concur In
this opinion. but the reports subse-
quently received from the commanding
officer of the K and Lieutenant V. are
too circumstantial to permit the Incl
dent from being ignored. The COM
handing officer states:
"(R) The only unusual incident of
the trip worth mentioning was on the
2sth day of June, about 1905 A. NJ. the
lookouts reported something right
ahead OF the K q had the bridge at
the timed. When looked I saw what
appeared to be a very small object on
the wateSs surface. about foot or
two high which left a small wake; on
looking closer and with the aid OF bin
oculars. l could make out a shape un
der the water about ESQ to 800 yards
ahead and which was too large to be a
black fsh lying In a position about is
degrees diagonally across the KS
course.
| "lBD / ordered the port bow gun
4 to open Are on the spot In the water
and sounded warning siren for convoy,
when judging that ship had arrived