Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-04-26
AMERICAS FIRST shot
Atlantic Transport Cos. Steamer
Mongolia Sends German Submarine
to the Bottom of North Sea.

/ London, April ga brilliant pot
shot from an American gun manned
by American gunners on an Amerl-
can merchantmen on Thursday last
sent to the bottom Of the North Sea
a German submarine, just as the u
boat, 1000 yards away, was abont
to hurl torpedo into the merchant
mans vitals.
The ship which thus boasts of be-
ing the first of Uncle Sans mara
/ time traders to sink u-boat is the
steamship Mongolia, Captain Rice, or
the Atlantic Transport Company's
fleet, which sailed from an American
port on April 4, with crew of LAG
men and an American naval gun crew
of eighteen men. Sixty-seven Ameri-
cans are in her regular crew.
The Star Spangled Banner ilutter-
ing proudly from her mast, the liner
complacentiy nosed her way into
British port yesterday.
The day of the Mongolia's feat was
April 10, anniversary of the battle ot
Lexington, when the first shot was
fired in the American revolution. The
gun that sent the fatal shot in the u
boat bears the name Teddy" having
been thus baptized" by it's crew
when the vessel left America.
1t was in the last lap on the Mon
golia's voyage that she encountered
the grey sea monster. The liner was
going full speed when the submar-
inc was sighted dead ahead. The
whole one sided fight took just about
two minutes. 1t was a case OF out
U-boating the U-boat." TO Lieut..
Bruce r. Ware, U. S. n, In COM
mand of the gunners, Capt. Rice at
tributes the chief credit Of the splend-
id achievement.
Modesty as to his own part but
with unconcealed pride in his snip,
Cant. Rice told the story Of the en-
counter.
at was 500 o'clock on the alter
noon of the 18TH" he said, "when
| the first mate cried:
There's submarine OF the port
bow.
"I lent. Ware was with me on the
bridge, We had been there most OF
the time throughout the trip. hadn't
had my clothes off for five days and
nights. There was haze over the
sea and we had just taken a sounding,
since we were approaching shallo"
water. We were looking at the lead
when the first mates cry stirred ns
into ouick action. We caught a
glimpse of the U-boat as it submerg-
ed at close distance. The periscope
was just disappearing in a swirl OF
water.
Starboard Wheel l shouted,
and in the next moment we were
swinging the nose of the ship toward
the spot where the submarine haa
dived. | intended to ram it. Two
minutes later it emerged again about
ono wards off. Evidently It proposed
| :;
to catch us broadside on.
"But Lieut.. Ware was on the JOB.
He had his stern-gun trained full on
the U-boat. He had sighted it to the
inch The next thing we heard was
his command to fire and then we saw
the periscope being shattered INTO
Isplinters. :.
"The submarine was gone: And
there isn't shadow of doubt that
it's gone for good.' It's at the bottom
and will never come up again. wish
Icould express in words my admlra-
tion for the cool manner in which the
lieutenant handled his crew Of gun
ners. But is. surpasses verbal deescrlp-
ton. Uncle Sam can indeed be proud
of such marvelously trained men. Ana
in such hands any American ship Will
be safe" -;
AS proofs that the submarine was
actually sunk. Capt. Rice cited these
main facts:
First-The periscope was seen to
be shattered.
Second The shell, instead OF RI
E cocheting in the water as is the case
when the mark has not been founa'
e disappeared Immediately after the hit
3 Third-1A large wave of Oil appear
: ed on the spot where the submarine
had disappeared.
t The naval gunners and their com
: mander share the captains absolute
e conviction that the U-boat was sunk
D.