Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-01-14
Commander OF Submarine
Says After He Had Sunk
English Merchantmen, He
Was TreaCherOuSIy Attacked
AMERICAN FLAG USED
BY ENGLISH PATROL
Says Vessel Tried to Run Him
Down While He Was in
Lifeboat, Wounded, but Fin
ally Took Him Aboard.
tav MORNING JOURNAL spser.. LEASED w,ssI

tsN MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wIsGl
Berlin, Jan. 3 (by Wireless to Say
Vile THE official report of Lieuten-
ant Crompton, Il survivor of the Ger
man submarine C-41, sunk by tho
British on September "a, 1915, the
case of which the German government
has characterized as second Bara-
long incident, was made public to-
day.
Lieutenant Crompton, after being
wounded and prisoner in England,
was interned in Switzerland, whence
his report was received. Previous
statements by the German admiralty
have charged that the account he
gave of the circumstances of the
sinking and the after treatment of the
two survivors showed u deliberate at
tempt to do away with the only eye
witnesses on the German side. The
destruction of the U-41 is alleged to
have been carried out by British pa
troll ship which flew the American
flag throughout the engagement and
which afterward attempted to run
down a rowboat containing the two
survivors, who also are said to have
been ill-treated after finally being
taken on board the British vessel.
Lieutenant Cromptons report in
part reads;
Had just Sunk Steamer.
"on the morning of September "a
the British steamer Urbino, bound to
England. was sunk by artillery fire
about thirty miles southeast Of ths
| iaI u,
lowed about half an hour to depart.
When the urbino was listing heavily
and burning, a smoke cloud was sight
ed. Submarine U-41 submersed and
let a steamer pass at a distance of
about 200 meters. The steamer flew
the American flag. 1T had no neutral
ity sign on the side.
THE submarine emerged and Or
dered the steamer to stop. This orr.
der was Immediately obeyed. We sig
nailed to send the documents on
board. This was not answered by the
steamer, which gave the counter sig
nal, I am stopping. At the same
time the steamer prepared to lower a
boat, on the submarine the gun on
the bow had been made ready.
Suddenly Opens Fire.
when the vessels were about 200
meters apart the steamer suddenly
opened a violent fire, first with rifles
along the whole railing, then from rs
centimeter guns hidden behind the
ships side at the bow and stern.
'"The submarine had received sew
eral hits by shells shortly before the
| 20.
ing the entire engagement the steam
er flew the American flag. To be
sure the flagstaff was turned down
but the flag was not replaced.
"As the submarine went to the bot
tom | was lying unconscious in the
tower in consequence of wound.
! When ! returned to consciousness |
was swimming. After being in the
water for some time l was passed by
the steamer at distance of about six
| ty meters. | called and raised my
arms but was sneered and spit at by
sailors.
after long time l saw an empty
| lifeboat of the steamer Urbino. When
| had climbed into it l heard the
hemsman calling for me and took
him in In consequence of loss of
| blood | was lying in the boat aft
while the helmsman sat at the bow.
After some time we saw the steamer
again. We stood upright in the boat
and waved our hands. The steamer
changed her course and approached
us at high speed. Soon we observed
a man in the bow who directed the
- Of bn Az gfn
did not reduce her speed there was no
doubt that she intended to ram us.
Finally they threw a rope and took
us on board.
- Nobody Wore Uniforms.
aside from the officers of the Ur-
bino. whom VIC recognized, nobody
wore a uniform. The crew of the
steamer, according to the declarations,
belonged to the royal navy reserve but
all of them including the officers,
were clad as civilians. When we arr
rived on board we were led to the
stern and had some brandy. AS no
surgeon was aboard, the helmsman
bandased me as well as possible Then
we were locked in box standing on
the deck
ON the morning OF september %,
the steamer was at Falmouth. A sur
geon came on board and bandaged the
British. The helmsman observed that
ten hammocks with wounded and
dead were taken off the steamer. At
this time | was taken out of the box
but had no medical attention until the
next day at noon.
I'm the afternoon the captain of the
Corvette, who spoke German perfect
,ly, tried to interrogate me. I told