Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-09
WRITER TELLS THE STORY
OF THE SEA SERPENT
Flying Squadrons on Algerian Coast
Have Performed WoCder-
sy8 full Work.
CONVOY CALLS FOR HELP
When Submarine Showed Itself Sea-
planes Are Rushed to Scene, Drop
Bombs and Later See Mass OF
" Wreckage on Surface.
BY ii. {. FERRABY,
Famous British NnNnl Writer.

gett
~ Famous British Navnl Writer.
s a MEDITERRANEAN NAVAL BASE.
December S.-Acr.al scouting has
played an enormous part in the anti
submarine warfare in the Meditcrran-
can and the flying men of the French
squadrons on the Algerian coast have
done wonderful work 1t was they
Spain. to he in,ernea. The story of
that deed has never been fully told. L
heard it to-day officially. and as a tale
Of determination in unfavorahle cir
cumstanecs it stands alone.
y convoy sent out wireless calls for
help one night. and little later. as
day broke, two SeapianeS went off from
one OF the Algerian stations to help.
HaIf an hour later more urgent calls
wind. diriSiblc was ordered out. 1t
was driven back by stress of weather.
but the seaplancs plunged on. picked
g marine half submerged about twenty
miels away. They sped TO the spot.
hut the submarine went right under,
and the Scaplancs were forced by the
exhaustion Of their supply petrol to
return.
The wind was blowing harder than
eyer by midday, but two more seaplaneS
= went out. tumbling and tossing through
y the squalls until they. too. picked UP
the convoy. They escorted it for half
an hour, and then the submarine broke
4 surface right ahead of the convoy five
z miles away. The seaplanes at that
moment were masked by clouds and to
leeward. The noise OF their engines
was not heard by the submarine crew
until the aerial chascrS were on them
Ensign Lcray's machine reached them
first and dropped bombs. The bows OF
the submarine came up abruptly until
they were twelve feet out of the water.
the whole vessel heeled over TO one
side and there was great patch OF
oil. amid which air bubbles burst.
Ensign leray came down to the sur
face to identify debris. but the sub
marine succeeded in righting itself and
opened fire on him. He had no more
his petrol supply SO after four hours
flight across the open sea in heavy
weather he and his companion also
had to return.
THIRD PAIR GOES OUT
TO FIND A SUBMARINE
third pair went out, found the sub
marine on the surface. dropped bombs
without visible results and had to re-
of the darkness the U-boat slipped
away from the Gordon OF searching
ished. She dragged herself to Carta-
termed.
Another Interesting adventure befell
the leader OF squadrilla of patroling
seaplanes in the Eastern Mediterranean
He spotted submarine on the surface
attack. AS he dived towards the enemy
something went wrong with his motor.
II stopped. The submarine was begin
ming TO dive, but the aviator Giided on,
intent only on reaching his enemy. He
planed down until he was only six feet
from the surface and then suddenly his
motor began to work again. 1t carried
him along Mt that low altitude right
over the submarine, and he dropped
just on the coming tower as it dipped
below the water. Another aviator. fol-
lowing close behind. dropped sec
ond bomb into the boiling waters.
American lNiltOrS worked with the
French squadrons in the Mediterran-
can as well as in the Atlantic, and they.
vessels that have been attacked On
one occasion they tackled a submarine
that was Smelling sailing ship, The
seemed to be doomed to one OF those
dreadful Odysseys OF many days and
nights that fall 10 the lot OF marooned
\ men in those waters when the dying
men swep, down out OF the clouds.
The submarine promptly shut up and
ron signaled to the merchant seamen
TO re-embark., They scrambled aboard
their damaged ship again and for some
hours they slipped along under aerial
escort until the submarine was shaken
Some interesting figures OF aerial
rcconnalssance work done by the
French flying service have been given
to me officially.
+ can be summarized thus:
seaplaness- Flights made; 1886: hours
: nown, 10Y; lnlIes~-CoNered. $3.50
Dirig ihleS-FliNht- made 256: hours
flown. l.4Sl: miles covered. $1,000
The fSuers for July show an even
more intense activity as the total num-
ber OF hours hown was I.432. while the
distance town by seaplane and dirigi-
bic patrols was 4S5.33O miles,
Such are n few of the many instances
/. of submarine warfare from the air that
have been told 20 me by the men who
arc taking part in the work night and
day. Those who live ashore can have
no conception Of the immense network
/, OF organization thar has been built up
from the Shetlands to Port Said 10
deal with the C-boat menace, and very
Few English speaking people have any
Idea OF the part played in that or
ganization by the French fEhting men
+ The only sign Of it's activities is the
y diminishing losses OF merchant shins
and the increasing losses of German
{ patrol hotlias on the high seas dying
the colors OF three different nations
. that one beg ms TO realize the colossal
S.cffort that the allies had 10 nut for
ward to counter the great menace of
4 the ruthless submarine campaign. 4
& threat to Paris was something that Ali
81 could realize. How many people really
4 knew year ago that the threat to our
sea communications was something far
greater than ever was the phalanx OF
Won Hutier?--Copyright. 1918.
81 "Sister Su.fe" Is log
I>EAMINGTON, ENGLAND. Decembe,