Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-20
JACKIES STICK
TO THEIR GUNS
IN SEA BATTLE
U-Boat's Crew Admit Amer.
leans Made Game Fight
Against Odds

on the morning of June 12 the Amer
lean, steamship Moreni was sailing
along the coast OF Spain in an at
tempt to make an italian port, when
her engines broke down and she was
becalmed. Three hours later a Ger
man submarine sighted her and
opened fire. The armed crew under
Chief Boatswain's Mate Andrew Cop
assaki returned the fre, and for two
hours battle ragged.
The Moreni was hit forty-hve times
Her merchant crew sought to desert
her while the naval jackies continued
the fight. Copassaki stood by his
guns until one OF them was disabled
and the flames of the burning ship
drove him and his men from the other.
Then they took to the boats and were
congratulated by the submarine COM
mander for having put up the gameSt
fight that ever had been made by the
crew of an armed ship.
Secretary Daniels made public the
complete and verbatim story of the
official report made to the Navy De-
partment by Copassaki 1t represents
the most thrilling story that the
American navy has staged in the pres
| ent war. and it probably will so down
/ with the nf tha sarvica
1t follows:
About A. NJ. June ~. the engines
stopped. l was awakened and asked
the captain what was the trouble. He
said something was wrong in engine
room and engines had to be stopped.
| They remained stopped for about
| three-quarterS of an hour.
U-BOat Kept Out of Range
I'VE were attacked by a subma-
rine at 4.05 \. NJ. on June -, 1917.
She was OF quarter. about 5000 yards
! away. She fred four or five shots be-
fore we located her We swung
around until our stern faced the sub
marine, and returned the fire at range
OF about 1000 yards. Submarine
stayed about 5000 to 5000 yards
away, and for that reason our shots
fell short. We sent out a radio call
| for assistance.
After a half-hour fight we were hit
| in the gasoline tank aft, and a fire
started. 1t was reported to me that
the ammunition aft was running low.
| immediately l lined up the forward
| guns crew with the merchant crew to
I pass ammunition from forward to aft.
About an hour later fire broke out
| all over the ship. and 1t became i'm
possible for the men to pass any more
ammunition aft. When 1 saw such
was the case. happened to be abaft
the mainmast, and 1 called for one
of the guns crew to go forward with
me. I reached the bridge. being
| burned on the way. The man was
unable to follow. About this time
| steering gear was shot away and we
started to go around in circles.
Coming down off the bridge I saw
the captain and the boatswain, who
was holding the falls ready to lower
the lifeboat. The captain said to
come and get in the lifeboat, as ii
| was starting to burn. / told him to
wait. lie said he would hold the boat
as long rs possible for me.
Man Forward Gun
| 81 then noticed two of the guns
| crew in the lifeboat. I ordered them
! to get out and come with me. We
went forward and manned the for
ward gun. with which we fred four
| shots before the firing pin went out
of commission.
| when the submarine saw our fire
was coming closer. she steamed full
. speed astern. so that we could not
see her. Then, as we could fire no
more. and as the captain called that
| the lifeboat was burning, we got into !
| the boat
Meanwhile, the engines of the ship |
had not been stopped and she was
going around in circles, which she |
continued to do for about a half hour |
| after we left.
THE lifeboat upset when it hit the |
! water. and two of the merchant crew
were lost. We swan around until we
were able to get to the capsized boat, |
turn it over and climb into it.
II found out afterward that soon |
after l went forward, during tn, fight. |
| the after guns crew and merchant |
| crew left in their boat as fire was be- |
/ coming too hot and would have |
/ burned the boat. 1 also found that |
| the first mate OF the ship left much |
earlier before any OF the other boats, |
with three men. leaving behind the |
men who were supposed to go in that |
boat.
Germans Treated wounded
"The submarine called the boats |
| alongside and congratulated US. shook |
hands with the captain, and tolc US
that ii was the best fight they had |
ever seen any merchantmen put up. |
/ He asked If there were any English
\ men in the boat. 1 told him no.
THE Germans treated two men who
! had been wounded and returned TO
! the other boats. The commander OF
| the submarine said he would have
| towed us towards the beach but for
| the fact that we had called for assist
ance.
THE submarine then left us and
commenced firing again into the Mo-
reni She finally hit the Morenfs en-
gineroom, which stopped the engines.
We then lost sight of the submarine.
About an hour after the submarine
left us we were picked up by the
Spanish steamer Valbanera (about
A. NJ. June IL. 1917), who had received
our call for assistance. The captain
| of the Valbanera told me we were
then about seventeen miles off Cape
de Palos. Spain.
shortly after the submarine came
up near Valbanera. officers of ship
got in small Boat and went over to
the submarine. He returned to ship
and submarine went around the ship,
submarine crew cheering and Valba-
neras crew also cheering. and then
| steamed away.
while on the Valbanera we were
] given every consideration-dry cloth
ing. good food and good sleeping ac-
commodations.
I'VE were landed in Barcelona,
! Spain, at 8 A. NJ, June 13. 1917. Re
! ported to the American consul on ar