The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-26
Several Men on American Ship
Injured Before Destroyer
Comes to Rescue
ARRIVES In FRANCE
BUT TEUTONS ESCAPE
Hundreds of Shots Exchanged,
One of German Shells Elk.
ploding in Luckenbach Lin
er's Boiler Room

Washington. Oct. 25.--How for
more than four hours an American
freighter fought German submarine
to a standstil. answered her shot for
shot and shell for she'll, and then
crippled and losing her battle, was
saved by an American patrol boat
which. dashtng up put the U-boat
to rout was told in dispatches re44ch-
ing here this afternoon from France.
| The ship was one OF the Lucken-
| bach liners. which one is not known.
| sshe Is identified merely as 'the
Luckenbach" in official dispatches.
| The story OF that fight is told in
fty words by the navy department, but
other dispatches give the details of
| the story which are more than enough
to make a"'Yankee sailor glad he is
what he is
The navy department is inform ed. ("
says the official statement. that the
American steamer Luckenbach was
engaged by an enemy submarine on
| October 10
The engagement lasted from 7:35
A NJ. until f1:40 A, M, and was
broken OFF by the arrival OF an Ameri-
can patrol vessel. The Luckenbach
was hit several times, but no serious
DANA sc was done TO the ship.
| Seven ef the crew ef the hacs,erf-
bach ana two members OF the armed
guard were wounded"
The Luckenbach. her engines dis
abled her superstrueture riddled with
! shell FIRE. struggled into a French
port today.
II was not until she was safe in her
dock that the navy department per-
| mitted to become public even tho
| short statement II gave out.
But, unofficiany. details OF Just what
had occurred In those four hours
on the morning OF October 10 be-
came known.
The story is just one of thoae hun
dreds In which British and American
sailors have proved their right to cali
the seas their highway down the ages.
There have been so many that the
heroisu,. -of an insisyidual ship or. an
Individual crew 5s often lost But
occasionally one becomes public. and
the Luckenbech was such one
They were telling story around
the navy department today about
another American vessel which had
been attacked by German sub
marine, The attack took place off
the Irish coast The steamer fought
of the Uboat. shsttering It's pertscope
and forcing 1t to submerge.
When the ship returned to an
American port the commander OF the
armed gusrd was called to Washing
ton make his report and tell the story
of the incident to officials. that sug-
gestions for use in other cases OF at
tack might be sent to all command
ers OF armed guards
! VI. - a.
stoned man---was talking to Secretary
Daniels He told how German shell
had whistled above the bridge.
Honest. Mr., Secretary" he said.
I'VE could read made in Germany
on that she'll"
And the story OF the hlckenbach.
from all accounts, Is Just such
another. The vessel entered the sub
marine zone during the night. Shortly
after dawn the lookout sighted sub
marine Off the port bow. but before
ne could yell warning a shell from
/ the U-hoat did his work for him.
bach's stern, missing the vessel by a
matter Of feet.
Then the Luckenhach got into ac-
ton. Over the wireless flashed out the
call for aid The armed guard Jumped
to stations The tarpaulins fell from
naval rifles, foi ward and AFT. and two
shells went screaming toward the sub
marine, Fired at a range of 1000
yards they fell short. Both ships
meanwhile were maneuvering, the
submarine to keep out OF range. the
IMckenbach to zig-zag her way to
escape.
But the U-hoat ws~ fast one and
kept the Luokenhach within range.
For more than two hours there was
shot a minute. Some of the Ger
man shells found their mark. Four
Of the Luckenhach's men were shot
down
Then a lucky shot from the u-boa,
pierced the thin hull OF the steamer
and exploded in the engine room,
seriously woundinE several OF the Are
crew and putting the engines entire
ly out OF commission.
rntfting before the wind. a play
thing of the waves. the Luckenbach's
men MAYER gave up. Grimly the gun
crew fought on. although the sub
marine came nearer and nearer. its
shells doing more and more damage
a. the rAnKa grew shorter Power
le4 IN heavy sea, the Luckenbach's
shots fell Wide,
Then there was 4 smudxe OF hla ck
against the horizon ana a wireless
message flashed stick 1t out We're
coming" Tho smudge was black
smoke pouring from the stuhby fun
mel Of an American destroyer. The
patrol boat had heard the call for a i'd
and had come UP full speed. Piung-
ing through giant waves. at times
nearly lost to view In tho walls OF
water and spume. the destroyer came
on. II dashed at tho suhma rin~ and
the submarine submerged. Several
depth charges werc Aropned AYt the
U-hoat disappeared.
During tho hattie 4s& shots werS sx-
changed tho U-boat firing 2sl and the
Luoksnbaeh so