Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-09-06
A Matter of Luck.

As I said before, the catching Of a
submarine and its destruction is great
~ matter of luck. Sometimes the
NJ. LIS cruise Ground for days without
seeing one, and then perhaps u boat
will pop to the surface within couple
of hundred yards. The most impor-
tant adjunct to luck is an all seeing
eye. One never knows where the peri.
scope Is going to stick out above the
surface, and you must be ready at any
second to make 1t out at any point of
the compass.
Just how many submarines were
got while l was in England l am
not at liberty to say, but I can 60 on
accord as stating that they are not
Sasy to get, and the captives are few
q than generally supposed. A vast
number Of units are necessary to com
bat them with any degree of success
Besides being invisible almost ut Will,
the submarines are manned by men of
nerve.
The idea prevalent among some peo-
pie that submarine crews are more or
less only sneaks, who strike III the
dark or when there Is no danger for
themselves, should be dispelled The
submarines are operated by men who
fear death not at all and who some
times take staggering chances II the
British develop one trick that bags n
single submarine they consider it II
success News of English ruses
spreads rapidly in the under water Cos
sip.
U boats have run in n few scant
miles from shore and sunk all sorts of
craft, and they have even tackled de-
stroyers. The British had some very
sad experiences in sending destroyers
on rescue work, after which they used
the M. LIS for this purpose. These
make smaller torpedo targets The
Germans are supposed not to risk q
boats unduly; but, believe me, they do.
talked with the chief engineer and
one of the crew Of British sugar ship
from the West Indies who had been
rescued after being torpedoed.
1--WE were just making Iavre," said
the engineer land we were mighty
bly, clear, and the water was oily
smooth. We were so close to land we
didn't think there was chance of
anything attacking us when just at /
o'clock i'll the afternoon submarine
appeared OF our port bow and signaled
us to stop.
1--WE were armed with AZ gun on
our stern and had navy gnnncrs on
board, so instead of obeying we turned
Sharply to stnrboard to present as
small target as possible for torpedo
and opened fire.
1.-The first two shots fell short, and
the third went over the U boat. The
way some people talk you would have
expected the submarine to run away
| She didn't do anything of the kind.
She opened up Oh us with gun that
must have been at least three inch
| piece, and the second shot hit one of
our gun mounts.
zone man disappeared actually dis
appeared. Either he was knocked into
the sea and sank, or he must have
been literally blown to pieces Anoth-
| er poor FELLOW was killed-just about
! torn in two-nnl two other men were
put out cold. The captain had to stop
then, because there was nothing left
to fight with.
I'VE were SO near port that the firing
must have been heard, and it was al
most certain something would come
out to investigate, but the U boat went
about finishing the job very method
ically.
"The German commander ordered us
Into our boats. While we were lower
ing away he signaled the captain and
the chief engineer, myself; to come
alongside the U boat. The first thing
he did was to have our wounded
] brought aboard, and his surgeon at
tended to them. Then he used o,u