Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-26
Luckenbach Liner Puts Up
Game, Though Losing
Battle, for a Four
Hour Period

freiEhter fought German submarine
to Il standstili. answered her shot for
shot and she'll for shell. and then Grip
pied. and losing her battle. was saved
By an American patrol boat which,
Gashing up, put the U-boat to rout.
was told in dispatches reaching here
this afternoon from France.
The ship was one of the Luckenbach
liners-which one is not known.
She is identified merely as ";hc Luck
enbach" in official dispa tchcs.
The story of that fight is told In fifty
words by the Navy Department. but
other dispatches give the details of the
story. which arc more than enough to
make a Yankee sailor glad he is what
he is.
The Navy Department Is Informed"
says the official statement, that the
American steamer Luckenbach was en-
gagged by an enemy submarine on Oc-
tober l9.
The engagement lasted from 1885 A.
NJ, until l1:40 4. NJ. being broken OF
by the arrival OF an American patrol
vessel The Luckenbach was hit sew
eral times. but no serious damage was
done to the ship.
Seven of the crew OF the Lucken-
bach and two members of the armed
guard were wounded"
The Luckenbnch. her engines dis
abled. her supcrs;ructurc riddled with
she'll fire, struggled into French port
to-day
NAVY DEPARTMENT GIVES
OUT SHORT STATEMENT
1t was not until she was safe in her
dock that the Navy Department per-
mitted to become public even the short
statement it gave out.
But, unofficially, details OF Just what
had occurred in those four hours on
the morning of October l9 became
known.
The story is just one OF those hun
dred' In which British and American
sailors have proved their right to call
the seas their highway down the ares
There have been so many that tho
heroisDi- OF an individual ship or an in
difiduai crew is often lost. But oc-
cas.onally one becomes public, and tho
Luckenbnch was such a one
They were telling story around tho
Navy Department TO day about another
American vessel which had been at.
tackled by German submarine. Tho
attack took place Off the Irish coast.
The steamer fought OF tho U-boat,
TO submcrse
WheI. the ship returned to an Ameri-
can port, the commander of the armed
guard was called to Washington to
make his report and tell the story of
the incident to officials. that sugges-
lions for use In other cases Of attack
Nigh, be sent TO all commanders of
armed guards.
SA RI
HOW CLOSE SHELLS PASSED
The sailor-he was noncommis-
stoned man-was talking to Secretary
Daniels. He told how a German shell
had whistied above the bridge.
Honest, Mr.. Secretary" no said,
1--WE could read made in Germany on
that She'll"
And the story of the Luckenbach.
from all accounts Is just such another.
The vessel entered the submarine
zone during the night.
Shortly after dawn the lookout
sighted submarine off the port bow,
but before he could yell warning, a
she'll did his work for him.
The shell whistled past the Luck
enbach's stern. missing the vessel by
matter OF feet
ton. over the wireless flashed out the
call for aid. The armed guard jumped
TO stations. The tnrpauiins fell from
naval rifles. forward and aft and two
shells went screaming toward the SUBJ
marine. Fired at range OF 5000
yards they fell short.
Both ships meanwhile were maneu- :
verns the submarine to keep out OF |
Iva clkon hoc oh
"&! 10 escape.
Eli the C-buat was fast one and
hent thr I.rckenhach within range.
FER more tUon two hours there was a /
shor nluutH some OF ;hc German
shells found heir mark -Four Of the
!.-rkcntachs men were shot down
Thcn = lack: shot from thc U-boat
pierced The hin hull OF the steamer
and exploded in the engine-roo,n Sc
riously w"undirs several of the nrc
crow snd putting the engines entirely
out Of commission.
LUCKENBACH'S GUN CREW
GHIMLi FIGHTS ON
Drifting before the wind. a playthlnc
OF the waves. the Luckenbuch's men
never gave up. Grinly the gun crew
fought on. although the submarine
came nearer and nearer, It's shells doing
more and more damage as the range
grew shorter Poweress In a heavy
sea. the Luckenbachs shots fell wide.
Then there was a smudse OF black
against the horizon. and a wireless
message flashed. stick 1t out; we're
coming" The smudge was black
smoke pouring from the stubby funnel
OF an American destroyer. The patrol
boat had heard the call for aid and
had come up nt fun speed. Plunging |
through giant waves. at times nearly |
lost to view In the walls OF water and
spume. the destroyer came on. She
dashed at the submarine, and the sub
marine submerged. Several depth
charges were dropped. but tho U-boat
diaa nnAare