Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-27
MOngOIia'S Men Make Clean
Hit at 1000 Yards When
UndefSea Craft Attacks
Liner in British Waters

Liner IN British Waters
LONDON. April 25.-captain Rice. Of
the American steamship Mongolia, which
has arrived at a British port, told the
Associated Press today that the Mon
golia had fred the first gun OF the war
for the United States and sunk Ger
man submarine
The submarine. Captain Rice said, was
about 10 attack the great liner in Brit
ish waters on April Is. He declared
there vas absolutely no doubt that the
U-boat was hit and that there was
every reason to believe IL was destroyed
The naval gunners on board made
clean hit at 1000 yards The periscOpe
was seen 10 be shattered.
Even more pertinent a fact, as re-
CARDS the ultimate fate OF the subma-
Tine was that the shell disappeared i'm
Inediately after the hit was made. The
captain stated that a shell always ric-
ochsts in the waters and can be seen
again unless il finds the mark. oil
also was seen on the water after the
submarine disappeared.
The Mongolia was going At full speed
and was a long distance away when
the spray and foam subsidized. but from
spot through their glasses and they are
Confident the submarine was sunk
The pertscope was sighted dead ahead
on the last afternoon OF the voyage The
captain gave the order for full speed
ahead with the intention OF ramming
the submarine.
The periscope disappeared and a few
minutes later Eeappeared on the ships
boadside. The gunners fired. hitting the
NJ q
mountain Of water.
Captain Rice outlined the incident
with modesty but could not quite conceal
the pride he felt in the achievement Z
his ship He paid a high tribute to the
guuners 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 Cap
tain Rice, Il hadn't had my clothes off
and we kept a big force OF loOkouts on
duty all the THE. II was 500 o'clock in
the afternoon Of heI9th 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 OF the time throughout the voy-
4. ge- There was a haze over the sea at
the time. We had Just taken a sounding
or we were getting near shallow water
and we were looking at the lead when
the first note cried, There's a submarine
off the port bow
The submarine was close to US too
close IN fact for her purposes and she
was submerging again 20 maneuver IN
q better position for tOrpedoing US"
We saw the perisCope go down and
the swirl Of the water. 1 quickly order
ed a man az the wheel to put IL to
slarboard, and we swung the nose of
the ship toward the spot where the
submarine had been seen.
We were going at full speed ahead
and two minutes after we first sight
ed the U-bOat ii emerged again about
1000 yards off It's intention probably
had been 10 catch us broadside on, but
when ii appeared We had the stern gun
trained full on IT.
The liteuantn gave the command
and the big guns doomed We saw the
periscope shattered and the shell and
the submarine disappear.
Il can't speak too highly OF the cool
manner in which the lieutenant han
died his crew OF gunners. II was a fine
exhibition OF ths efficiency OF Amcri-
ca avail men The lieutenant knew
tef1rs tie shell struck the submarine
that its aim was accurate There IS
NJ guesswo ) about IL. but q case OF
pure mathematics. Taking the speed
at which the Mongolia was travelling
a. the time and the speed which the
submarine undoubtedly would make and
computing these figures with the dis
tances We were from the submarine
when Il was first sighted and when II
appeared the second time, 10 can be
snown that the lieutenant had his gun
sighted 70 the inch. And IL must BE-
remembered that the whole affair took
only two minutes
Il assure you we did not stop TO
rsconnoiter after the incident but steam
ed away az full speed. for IL was not
improbably that there was another sub
marine about The one I got undoubt-
edly had been lying on the bottom at
this spot waiting for the ship AnA
came UP when II heard our propsllsxS.
I Immediately sent a wireless message
stating that a submarine had been seen
That's about all the story. except
ing this: The sunnsrs had named the
guns on board the Mongolia and the
one which got the submarine was call
ed Theodore Roosevelt: so Teddy fired
the first gun OF the war after all"
Mongolia left America
Eor En0Iond m AnriI 7