Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-08-29
HOW ADESTROYER
EvADES U BOATS
Speed and SkillfuI Handling
Keep Submarines Wary.
REPORTER SEES ATTACK
Torpedo Missed Its Mark by a Scant
Six Feet Swarm of Fast Patrols
Making 1t increasingly Perious For
Germans to Show Themselves Above
the Surface.

Making Ii increasingly Perilous For
Germans to Show Themselves Above
the Surface.
Just how a British destroyer acts
when attacked by submarine was un-
expectedly demonstrated to CORE
spondent while travelling on one of the
modern oil driven torpedo boat destroy
ers from England to France.
The correspondent had been taken
aboard the destroyer for the purpose
of observing British methods Of com
batting the submarine menace, when
the boat was suddenly attacked by a
u boat, a torpedo missing it by scant
six feet, thanks to the vigilance and
quick action of the crew.
The destroyer was one of a certain
number which were conveying in the
Usual manner some large transports
carrying British troops to France. The
group of ships was halfway across the
channel when suddenly one Of the look
outs spied pair Of periscopes rise for
q moment a few inches out of the wa.
ter half mile away. They were gone
the next instant, but almost before
they had gone came the shout Sub
marine on port boww accompanied by
a shfill call Of warning from the de-
stroyer's whistle and the fluttertng out
of the flag which notified every other
ship in the convoy Of the enemy's pres
ence. ~
Guns Brought to Bear.
On every ship things began to hap
pen more quickly than the telling
Guns were swung in the direction from
which the periscOpe had been seen,
ready to speak il the periscope appear
ed again. Torpedo tubes likewise were
swung into line, and the numerous
anti-submarine devices along deck
were in the hands OF their skilled ex-
pert crews E2A@ - 1im~ .E9&
But even while this was being done
came the torpedo, plainly visible from
the deck, its cleaning brass body glis.
| tefiing In the bright sunlight, it's pro-
pellers pushing it at express train
speed straight toward the destroyer
| Something was wrong with the mech
anism of this particular torpedo, for II
should have travelled twelve or fifteen
feet below the surface. Instead, 1t
came bounding along in plain sight,
now and then leaping out Of the water,
like fiat stone made to skip over the
surface
Even thus it might have found Its
target but for the presence OF mind or
the sixty-year-old coxswain. He had
been first to sight the periscopes and
had rushed Immediately to an emer.
gency lever, whereby he instantly
stopped the port engine, thus swing
ing the ship with a lurch to the left.
The torpedo whizzed through the wa
| ter six feet behind the stern of the
destroyer, it's gradually lessening speed
as it sank into the swirl of the en-
gines indicating that its possibilities
for mischief were nearly done.
Except for the coxswains action In
twisting the ship from its course, the
missile would apparently have made
square hit in the stern magazine.
Meanwhilert the wireless was at work
notifying the hundreds Of patrols in all
directions that the enemy was near.
"We sighted a submarine on the port
bow, just off blank buoy, 2:O3 p. m.
Torpedo passed just behind our stern.
missing us. We are proceeding with
our convoy" said the captains mes
sage.
Many Vessels Quickly In Pursuit.
1t was caught simultaneously, ashore
and afloat, by hundred vigilant wire
less operators. The destrOyer's cap
tain, according to his orders, must not
leave his convoy to seek out and attack
the u boat. Others would attend to
that Already they were gathering for
the chase-trawlers, chasers, drifters.
destrOyers. Even dirigible airship far
off on the horizon had caught the wire
less call and with the quick turn Of
seagull was swOoping down to the pur
suit.
The transports and destroyers, al
though fairly confident that the U boat
would scarcely dare show herself again.
even for pot shot, were nevertheless
taking every precautiOn. Every ship
was at full speed, oil burning destroy
.ers constantly protecting their charges.
4 The whole attack occupied bare sec
onds. Convoy and charges were out Of
range In a few minutes at the most
Nowhere had there been the slightest
panic or furry, but movements of men
and ships made with almost automatic
precision and speed. The efficiency OF
the British naval man is the efficiency
Of clockwork Every cog knows its
place There Is no meddling, no clash
ing no interference, but a confident rap
id efficiency which somehow demands
the use OF the adjective deadly"
Twenty minutes later the transports
were safe In their port Of destination,
and the destroyer convoy was off again,
thirty miles an hour, down the coast to
its next appointment.
Meanwhile the business of seeking
out the enemy was going on In the feet