The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1918-08-02
LIFE 0NA
SUBMARINE
The Experience of an English
Captain Who Was Cap
tured and Kept
ON ENEMY SUBMERSIBLE

l London.-(C Correspondence Of the
Associated Press )-Sensation expe-
rienced in German submarine while
depth bombs were being discrged ov-
erhead were described recently by a
British merchant ship captain who
was prisoner for fifteen days
aboard a U-boat.
In an interview the English COM
mander, captured by the G ermans
after his vessel had been torpedoed,
related how the depth bombs shock
the under sea craft and created con-
centration among the sailors. In
one instance the faces of the Ger
name became white with fear and
all stood trembling after the first
shot, which was not near enough to
destroy the submerger. All were ex-
pecting second discharge.
The English commander reached
his native land after having been i'm
prisoned for months at Brandenburg,
where, he said, he and other ship Of
ficers at times had been harnessed
to carts which were used to haul mail
and packages from the postoffice to
prisoners camp.
Seven vessels were torpedoed by
the Germans while the British cap
tain was aboard the U-boat. Previ-
ously the English officer had been III
command Of merchant vessel which
had also met it's fate at the hands Of
submarine crew
"On the third day after had been
take prisoner said the captain,
"just after the midday meal, I gath
cred that the submarine was about
to carry out an attack on a convoy
which had just been sighted. The
U-boat approached submerged for
some distance and torpedoed large
steamer. Our whereabouts appar-
emily were detested, l was told, by
an allied light cruiser, for we dived
rapidly to great depth.
Hardly had the submarine reach
ed an even keel when we heard and
felt tremendous explosion which
caused the U-boat to vibrate from the
stern. 1t was a depth charge from
the cruiser.
For some moments we waited;
engines were stopped and all means
were taken to prevent giving indica-
tion of our position. Minutes SEEM
ed like hours in such situation.
Ill admit that | was turning over in
my mind whether | should see my
family again. No additional explo-
sions took place, however, and after
some eighteen fathoms
dep for long period we continued
our voyage.
"A few days later We had another
experience with depth charges, or
"wasser bomben'' as the German sal
lors call them A sailing vessel HAD
Just been sunk by shell fire when two
allied destroyers were sighted, and
down we went. BY the microphones
the propellers could be heard, and as
the vessels came nearer and nearer
we in the submarine could hear the
quite distinctly To and
fro the destroyers went searching
for us. Evidently they picked up
clue, for there were two explosions
ahead but not so near us as that from
the cruiser, but quite close enough
to cause the submarine to tremble
and then roll about as though in
heavy sea-
Prison camp conditions in Germa-
ny were described by The British
captain as being deplorable.
Although we were merchant ship
captains imprisoned at Branden-
berg, we were made to suffer various
indignities, he said.
I'VE were compelled ito harness
ourselves to carts which I'VE had to
draw through the streets to the sta
tion or postoffice in order to fetch
our parcels and any commodities. to
camp. 1t was at this camp also that
I saw three hundred Russian, soldiers
working, all of whom were in the
last stages of tuberculosis The poor
fellows could not get enough to eat,
and they would eagerly scrapet dis
carded tin cans in the hope. Of find
ing particles Of food. ,haye even
seen German soldiers do the same
thing. We were glad to search the
Sinder paths at any opportunity In
( (continued on last pags)