The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-05-03
Made a Hit Before the German
Could Get Into Action.
FIRST ACT OF WAR APRIL 19
Gun Sighted BY Lieutenant Bruce
Wsre-captaIn Rice Tells OF
Encounter - U-Boat
Was Close.

how the Mongolia had nred the nrst
gun Of the war for the United States
and sunk German submarine.
The submarine, Captain Rice said,
was about to attack the great liner in
British waters on April 10. He de-
clared there was absolutely no doubt
that the U-boat was hit and that there
was every reason to believe 1t was
destroyed.
The naval gunners on board the
Mongolia made clean hit at 1000
yards. The periscope was seen to be
shattered.
The gunners are under command o
Lieut.. Bruce Ware, U. s. NJ, who
sighted the gun from which the shot
was fred
Even more pertinent fact, as re-
CARDS the ultimate fate Of the sub
marine, was that the shell disappeared
immediately after the hit was made.
The captain stated that shell always
ricochets on the waters and can be
seen again unless II finds the mark.
Oil also was seen on the water after
the submarine disappeared.
The Mongolia was going at full
speed and was long distance away
when the spray and foam subsided,
but from the bridge the officers OBJ
served the spot through their glasses,
and they are confident the submarine
was sunk.
The perlscope was sighted dead
ahead on the last afternoon of the
voyage. The captain gave the order
for full speed ahead with the inten-
ton of -ramming the submarine. The
periscope disappeared and a few
moments later reappeared on the
ships broadside. The gunners fired,
hitting the periscope squarely and
throwing mountain of water.
Captain Rice outlined the incident
with modesty, but could not quite
conceal the pride he felt in the
achievement Of his ship He paid
high tribute to the gunners and
especially to the manner in which
they were handled by the officer who
directed the firing of the telling shot.
"For five days and nights" said
Captain Rice, 81 hadn't had my clothes
off, and we kept big force of look
outs on duty all the time. 1t was
$40 o'clock in the afternoon of the
10Th that we sighted the submarine.
The officer commanding the gunners
was with me on the brldge-where, in
fact, we had been the most of the
time throughout the voyage.
There was haze over the sea at
the time. We had just taken a sound.
ing, for we were getting near shall
low water and we were looking at
the lead when the first mate cried:
There's a submarine off the port bow
U-Boat Close At Hand.
"The submarine was close to us
too close, in fact, for her purposes
and she was submerging again in Or
der to maneuver in better position
for torpedoing us when we sighted
her.
I'VE saw the periscope go down and
the swirl OF the water. ! quickly or
dered man at the wheel to put 1t
to starboard and we swung the nose
of the ship toward the spot where the
submarine had been seen.
I'VE were going at full speed ahead
and two minutes after we first sighted
the U-boat it emerged again about
1000 yards off, Its intention probably
had been to catch us broadside on,
but when it appeared we had the
stern gun trained full on it.
Big Guns Boom.
"The lieutenant gave the command
and the big guns doomed. We saw
tho periscope shattered and the shell
and the submarine disappeared.
II can't speak too highly of the cool
manner in which the lieutenant
handled his crew of gunners. 1t was
fine exhibition Of the efficiency Of
American naval men. The lieutenant
knew before the shell struck the sub
mar ludt ilo aim was dtCuidlt'
There is no guess.work about it, but
a case Of pure mathematics.
All over In Two Minutes.
Taking the speed at which the
Mongolia was travelling at the time
and the speed which the submarine
undoubtedly would make, and COM
putting these figures with the distances
we were from the submarine when it
was first sighted and when it appeared
the second time, 1t can be shown that
the lieutenant had his gun sighted to
the inch. And 1t must be remembered
that the whole affair took only two
minutes.
IL assure you we didn't stop to
reconnoiter after the incident, but
steamed away at full speed, for 1t was
not improbable that there was another
submarine about. The one | got un-
doubtedly had been lying on the bot
tom at this spot waiting for the ship
and came up when it heard our pro-
pellers. Immediately sent wireless
message stating that submarine had
been seen."