Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-04-27
American Gun Crew Hits U-Boat
at | 900 Yards.
DIVER READY TO ATTACK
Captain of Steamer Mongolia Tells Of
Destruction of Enemy Craft and
Praises Workmanship of
Yankee Sailors and Their
Commander.

Mich has arrived at n British mort
said that the Mongolia had fired the
first gun of the war for the United
States and sunk German submarine
april 10, the day on (which the Mon
golia fired the first shot of the war Is
the anniversary of the Battle of Lex
ington, when the first shot was fired
in the American revolution)
Ready to Attack Liner.
The submarine, Captain Rice said
was about to attack the great liner IN
British waters on April 10 He de
clared there was no doubt that the
U-boat was hit and that there was
every reason TO believe it was de-
stroyed.
The naval gunners on board made a
clean hit at 1000 yards. The periscope
was seen to be shattered
Captain Rice Proud of Feat.
Captain Rice outlined the incident
with modesty but could not quite con
ceal the pride he felt in The achieve
ment of his ship. He paid high trb-
ute 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 Can
tain Rice, II hadn't had my clothes oft
and we kept big force of lookouts on
duty all the time. 1t was 30 O'Clock
in the afternoon of the 18th that we
sighted the submarine The officer com
handing the gunners was with me on
the bridge, where in fact, we had been
the most of the time throughout the
voyage.
= There was a haze over the seat at
the time. We had just taken sound
ing, for we were getting near shallow
water, and we were looking at the lead
when the first mate cried. There's
submarine off the port bow
Submarine Came Close.
1.-THE submarine was close to us, too
close. in fact, for her purposes, and
she was submerging again in order to
maneuver in better position for tor
pedoing us when we sighted her. We
saw the periscope so down and the
man at the wheel to pull it to star
board, and we swung the nose of The
ship toward the spot where the sub
marine had been seen. We were 90
ing at full speed ahead, and two min
utes after we first sighted the U-boat
il 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 1t.
And the Big Guns Doomed"
1.-The lieutenant gave the command
and the big guns doomed. We saw the
periscope shattered and the shell and
the submarine disappeared.
81 can't speak too highly of the cool
manner in which the lieutenant han
died his crew of gunners. 1t was a
fine exhibition of" the efficiency Of
American naval men. The lieutenant
knew before the shell struck the sub
marine that its aim was accurate.
There is no guesswork about it, but
case of pure mathematics"
Taking the speed at which the
Mongolia was travelling at the time
and the speed which the submarine
would undoubtedly make and comput-
ing the figures with the distances we
were from the submarine when 1t was
first sighted and when it appeared the
second time, it can be shown that the
lieutenant had his gun sighted to the
inch and it must be remembered that
the whole affair took only two min
utes," continued the captain,
Steamed Away in a Hurry.
II assure you we did not stop to re-
connoiter after the incident but
steamed away at full speed, for it was
not improbable that there was another
submarine about. The one i got M
doubtedly had been lying on the bot
tom at this spot waiting for the ship
and came up when 1t heard our pro-
pellers. ] Immediately sent wireless
stating that a submarine had been
seen.
That's about all the story, except
ing this. The gunners had named the
guns on board the Mongolia, and the
one which got the submarine was
called Theodore Roosevelt: so Teddy
fired the first gun of the war, after
ALL"
Captain Rice recalled that he came
from AIlston, Mass, and that the en-
counter with the submarine occurred
on the date when the Bay state was
celebrating the anniversary of the bar
tie of Lexington.
Mongolia Left U. S. April 7,
New York, April 26.-The American
steamship Mongolia n vessel of l5o''
tons, owned by the international Mei'
cantile-M Marine company, left an Amer.
lean port for London April : on he'
second VOYAGE since Germauy'S SUI