Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-27
CAPTURED HUNS
SINK SUBMARINE
RUN DOWN BY u. S.
American DeStrOyerS Achieve
One of Neatest and Most
CIear-Cut Victories of War.
Details Given Out

WASHINGTON. Nov. IA German
submarine captured recently by two
American destroyer was sent 20 the bot
tom by members of her crew opening
cocks below while their shipmates stood
on deck with hands raised in signal of
surrender. All Of the crew were taken
prisoners.
One OF the Germans was drowned
while being transferred to a destroyer
and another died. The latter was buried
with military honors.
\ Secretary Daniels announced the cap
ture and sinking Of the submarine to-
day in a formal statement which made
no mention of prisoners nor of the reason
/ for the boat sinking. The details leaked
out at the department later, but the sec
rotary would neither confirm nor deny
them, saying he had issued the state
! ment in agreement with the British adj
miralty and could not add to it.
There was a report in naval circles
that approximately forty men, includ-
ing five officers, were taken off the
submarine. If this were true, it was
pointed out, the vessel undoubtedly
was one OF the largest of the cruiser
/ type known automatically to be operated
by the Germans.
! The submarine was disabled by
depth charge, rose to the surface three
F! minutes after the charge was fired,
hung hesitatingly at the surface for a
moment and then sank to the final
place Of lodgment at the bottom of the
/ sea.
! The pressure Of water at the 200 feet
or so depth at which she sank soon
completed the work OF destruction on
the strained plates of the submarines
hull. For a long time bubbles and oil
continued to rise in great gulps from
the grave where she lay, and then the
Americans made assurance complete in
] a manner of which il is unnecessary to
go into detail
I 1t was daylight with good visibility,
when the periscope was sighted by the
lookout Of a destroyer which, with
sister craft, was engaged in it's custom
ary duties. The submarine commander
was just preparing to fire torpedo.
either at one of the destroyers or at a
merchantmen near by.
"Periscope two points off the star
I board bow" sang out a lookout in
voice which could be heard from end to
end of the craft. Instantly an alarm to
| general quarters was sounded and the
helm thrown hard over
Signal flags were swung out notifying
the sister ship Of the exact location of
I the enemy. At the same time the hello
I graph began its staccato flashing of or
I ders for a combined attack.
/
had shown above the surface of the sea
400 yards distant for a few instants
and then vanished. In less time than
/ il takes to tell the destroyer. under the
/ impetus of suddenly opened throttles,
had fairly leaped into the track where
; the periscOpe had disappeared.
/ Charge Is Released
At the proper moment the commander
} on the bridge released a depth charge
! from its fixed place. The powerful ex-
I plosive 900 pounds in weight, in its steel
: case sank with a little splash into the
/ destroyer's wake and at the regulated
/ depth responded to the bidding of its
! valves and burst into terrific eXplo-
j sion vast extent of water was up
| heaved and rose in a colum to a great
j height That the charge had found its
mark was shown by a mass of oil and
I bubbles which marked the spot as the
! water found it's level.
Meanwhile a second destroyer passed
! through the boiling, oily waters and
| dropped a second depth charge, and then
! followed the tactics OF the first de-
| stroyer in circling the spot. The two
/ destroyers' did not have to wait. In less
| than three minutes there was a rush
/ of water and the U-boat. whale-like came
| to the surface not more than 900 yards
I from the first destroyer.
| The Americans were taking no chances
I on a German trick. The gun crew stood
! with their guns, machine guns and tor
pedo tubes trained on the stricken en-
/ envy, ready to let loose a shower of steel
| in case the submarine showed fight.
! But the U-boat was badly stricken, the
/ explosive charge had done its work thor
/ oughly., Although the upper part OF the
/ boat appeared to have been untouched,
/ IL was evident from her actions that the
! submarine was unmana geable. She was
badly listed. owing to the damage to her
/ ballast tanks, and it was apparent that
! her steering gear and probably also her
/ engines were damned.
The three minutes which elapsed be-
/ tween the time the depth charges wer'
/ fired and the time she emerged, as #
/ catapulted. provide food for interesttnC
J speculation 1t is probable she va
, driven to the bottom by the force a.
: the explosion, but retained enough buo"-
Z ancy to rise to the surface But J..
( the time she reached the or
( air the strain had done it's work ar
! she hung on the surface of the wat'
| only for a moment and then began :
/ settle again. at first hesitatingly, go
I with evidence of complete collapse.
During the brief period several Amer
4 can sailors jumped into the sea, in
I effort TO get the prize buyoed up wit
hawsers so she could be towed to poTt
/ One line was fastened TO the suDnldIi
! successfully, but before ii could be r.
/ inforced she gave a final lurch a.
} sank like a plummet, breaking the lin
/ The action occurred In the war zon
several days ago, and the submarir
/ went down while one destroyer was a.
tempting to tow her to port. Althou"f
/ the British policy is to publish nothir'
/ in such cases. an agreement was reacl
ed between the navy department n"
the British admiralty TO give out 90.
tain facts which Secretary Daniels Z