The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-04-26
American Steamship Mongo-
liza Gets First Score in
the War.
FINE NAVAL EFFICIENCY
U-Boat Did Not Have 6
Chance After She Was
Sighted.

LONDON, April 26.-Captain Rice
OF the American steamer Mongolia,
which has arrived at British port
reported that the Mongolia had fired
the first gun of the war for the United
States and had sunk German sub,
marine.
The submarine, Captain Rice said,
was about to attack the great liner,
In British waters on April 10.
The naval gunners on board the
Mongolia made a clean hit at 1000
yards. The periscope was seen to be
shattered.
Even more pertinent fact as re,
CARDS the ultimate fate of the subma.
rine, was that the shell disappeared
Immediately after the hit was made
The captain said that shell, unless
1t makes direct hit always ricochets
and can be seen again. 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 subsidized
but from the bridge the officers OBJ
served the spot through their glasses
and they are confident the subma
rine was sunk.
The naval gunners on board the
Mongolia are under command of a
/ lieutenant of the United States Navy
The periscope of the U.boat was
sighted dead ahead on the last after
noon of the voyage. The captain gave
the order for full speed ahead with
the intention of ramming the sub
marine.
The periscope disappeared and a
few minutes later reappeared on the
ships broadside. The gunner fired
hitting the periscope squarely and
throwing up mountain of water.
Captain Rice outlined the inciden,
with modesty, but could not quite
conceal the pride he felt in the achieve
ment of his ship. He paid high
tribute to the gunners and especially
to the manner in which they were
handled by the officers who directed
| the firing of the telling shot.
For five days and nights" Rice
said, 81 hadn't had my clothes of
and we kept big force OF lokouts
on duty all the time. 1t was $3.50
o'clock in the afternoon of the nine
teenth that we sighted the submarine
The officer commanding 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 sea
We had Just taken sounding 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
1.-The submarine was close to us
too close in fact for her purposes, and
she was submerging again in order
to maneuver to better position fol-
torpedoing US.
I'VE saw the periscope go down and
we saw the swirl of the water.
quickly ordered the man at the wheel
to put it 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
900 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.
THE lieutenant gave the command
and the big guns doomed. We saw
the periscope shattered and the shell
and the submarine disappeared
81 cannot 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
marine that its aim was accurate
There is no guess work about it, but
case of pure mathematics. Taking
the speed at which the Mongolia was
travelling at the time and computing
these figures with the distance we
were from the submarine when it was
first sighted and when 1t appeared the
second time, it can be shown that the
lieutenant had his guns sighted to
the inch. And it must be re.
membered that the whole affair took
only two minutes.
81 assure you we did not stop to
reconnoiter after the incident but
steamed away at full speed, for it
was not probable that there was an
other submarine about, The one ]