Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-06-16
U-boat Fires 200 Shells at
Tanker Which Is Hit Many
Times and Set on Fire After
Which 1t Goes to Bottom.
FOUR SEAMEN KILLED
IN SHARP ENGAGEMENT
u. S. Naval Guard Sends 150|
Shots in Answer, but Tar
get Is Too Small and Dis
tant.

icy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WiRHi
Washington, June l5.-American
naval gunners have met their first
defeat in open fight with German
submarine. Official dispatches today
announced the destruction of the tank
steamship Moreni, abandoned abla2e
June l2 by her crew and armed guard
after a desperate running fight in
the war zone, which cost the lives OF
! four of her crew.
Half an hour after the tanker had
been sent to the bottom, her forty
three survivors, including all of the
members of the armed guard, were
! picked up with their life boats by a
| passing steamer. The German COM
mander had set them adrift after
congratulating the American skipper
upon his game fight and having the
| wounded men treated by the subma-
rine's surgeon.
German Guns Accurate.
The submarine began the action at
range of 5000 yards. four nautical
miles, while she hardly was visible to
the steamer without glasses. Present.
| ing virtually no target herself, she
sent 200 shells at the big tanker,
| making many hits. while the Ameri-
can gunners wasted $50 shots without
harming the speck from which the
| deadly hail came.
| The action of the submarine COM
| mander in treating his vanquished
| opponents with such unexpected
courtesy was the subject of much
| comment. Germany has proclaimed
| her intention to treat British armed
merchant crews as pirates. In this
case even the naval bluejackets and
their officer, properly prisoners OF
war, were set free, along with the
merchant crew.
| The story of the action was an
nounced in this statement by the
state department:
| Makes Gallant Fight.
| The story is told in this statement
| by the state department:
| THE department of state Is IN
| formed of the sinking of the Ameri-
can tank steamer Moreni about q
O'Clock on the morning of June IL.
after a two-hour running fight with
"a German submarine.
THE vessel was fired upon first
from an estimated distance of 5000
yards at o'clock. The steamer,
which was armeJ and carried gun
crew, returned the shots and at
tempted to escape. There was light
breeze and smooth sea. The subma-
rine was hardly visible. After $50
shots in reply to some 200 shots fired
| by the submarine, the crew aban-
doned the vessel, which was all
ablaze, taking to the lifeboats in a
fiery sea.
-Four Lives Lost.
"An oiler, Edward Cunningham of
| Brooklyn, was drowned while escap-
/ ing to a boat. Wireless operator, G..
Curran, Jr, Of New York, died of
heart failure in the lifeboat, and one
| seaman, E. Moustner was injured by
gun fire and died in lifeboat. Fire
| man A. Geeisen also died of wounds.
| These last two were treated by the
surgeon of the submarine.
'The German submarine captain
| congratulated the American captain
upon the splendid fight he had made.
Half an hour after the vessel was
sunk the crew was picked up by q
passing steamer. Forty-three of the
original crew of forty-seven were
| landed. Six of these were slightly
hurt and placed in a hospital. All
the gunners were saved"