Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1917-08-17
HOW ES1ROYER
EVADES U BOATS.
Speed and SttIIfuI Hand|lae
Keep Submarines Wary.
REPORTER SEES ATTACK
Torpedo Missed Ito Mark BY scant
Six Feet Swarm Of Fast Patrols
8 Making Il increasingly Perileus For
Gsrmans 70 Show Themselves Above
the Surface.


Just how q British destroyer acts
when attacked by submarine was I'M
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, 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
a 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 bowr' accompanied by
shrill call of warning from the de-
strOyers whistle and the duttering 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 If 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.
But even while this was being done
came the torpedo, plainly visible from
the deck, its cleaning brass body glis-
tening 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 it
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 Of
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, its gradually lessening speed
as it sank into the swirl of the en-
gines indicating that it's possibilities
for mischief were nearly done.
Except for the coxswain's action in
missile would apparently have made
square hit in the stern magazine.
Meanwhile the wireless was at work
notifying the hundreds Of patrols in all
directions that the enemy was near.
I'VE sighted submarine on the port
bow, just off blank buoy, 2:03 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..
It was caught simultaneously, ashore
and af1oat, 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 q 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 a
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 a pot shot, were nevertheless
taking every precaution. Every ship
was at full speed, oil burning destroy
ers constantly protecting their charges.