The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-03-22
STEAMERS BATTLE
WITH A SUBMARINE

The following account of a battle |
between an armed American steamer
and a submarine is taken from the
New York Herald:
The American tank steamship
Paulsboro was the victor on March
in thrilling battle with giant Ger
man submarine, well directed shot
by the naval crew destroying the un-
dersea craft
Ninety shots were fired by the
Paulsboro during the fight. She was
within range of the guns of the sub
marine practically all of the time, and
her deck soon was Uttered with frag-
ments of shrapnel. When the steam
ship arrived yesterday at an Atlantic
port she brought one wounded sea-
man and numerous scars of battle.
The submarine was sighted late in
the afternoon of March /, appearing
at a distanct of 5000 yards like a
buoy. Within a minute after being
sighted the first shot fired by her fell
within half a mile of the Paulsboro.
Gunners on board the American yes.
sci responded Immediately, but their
first shots fell short of their mark,
for the submarine was beyond range.
Americans Joyous in Battle
Captain Frank w. Chapman, COM
mander of the tank steamship, sound
ed the alarm and the vessel began to
zigzag, going all the while at top
speed. The Paulsboro is a new vessel
of 6945 gross tons, was launched IN
1916 and is of good speed. The sub
marine, however, was faster craft
and it soon was apparent, the battle
would have to be fought to finish.
The crew of thirty-seven men on
board the Paulsboro went to work at
their allotted tasks with shouts of
glee. The men assigned to pass ammu-
milton sang patriotic songs as they
! worked. Those below deck were en-
vious of the men on the deck in dam
ger from shrapnel.
The fight lasted more than forty
FIVE minutes, the two vessels closing
the gap between them by more than
one thousand yards. The last twenty
/ shots from the Paulsboro fell close to
the submarine, which also zigzaged.
Then it was noticed that the U-boat
had stopped firing, and finally we'll
directed hit was seen to land right
| between her two wireless masts.
Down she went, bow first.
Wounded Man is Mexican
The wounded seaman is Santiago
Castallanos, a Mexican citizen, and ne
was struck by shrapnel while passing
ammunition along the deck. Carl Eek
man., of Philadelphia, chief officer of
the Paulsboro, said Castallanos de-
serves much credit for his display of
nerve before and after being wound
ed. Mr.. Eckman gave the following
4 account of the fight:
"The submarine apparently was of
the new design we have heard about,
She was easily 800 feet long and her
wireless masts were about $50 feet
apart. She had three guns, each of g.
inch calibre, and I should Judge was
of 1000 tons. / am told these new
submarines have a cruising range Of
three months.
4 OuA SACW AEAOAC0 O0AASCA
/ eve were 245 miles west OF
Queenstown and had left our convoy
when suddenly what looked like a
buoy was sighted far to our port
Then the first shot came, followed
h quickly by another, which fell much
closer.
"The captain turned and started
away, our gunners rushing to their
positions to reinforce those already
standing by the guns. The submarine
was beyond our range, as we discov-
cred by our first shots.
"Then the shells began to whiz tc
right and left and over US, but oul
zigzagging prevented the Germans
from making a hit. They resorted
then to shrapnel, which is timed to ex.
plode when close to the target.
"a few shots from the Germans
showed them how to time their shrap.
mel shells and fragments soon were
showered over the deck. It was evi
dent the Germans were trying to put
our gunners out of commission anC
wreck the bridge. They did not sue.
coed. We of the crew took off oul
hats to the naval gun crew, for those
men stuck to their jobs like heroes
never seeming to notice the danger.
Shell Hits U-BOat Squarely
eve were responding all the tim,
to the Smelling, but our shots continued
to fall short. To some of US it wa
becoming disheartening to see tina
we were unable to reach the subma
rine, which was coming to within
1000 yards of US. Our ideas were no
shared by the naval gun crew. The.
remained cool and kept on with thei
work just as if every shot made ;
hit.
HI tfEv-a1l.- AA4:oaa AlI