The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-21
Men From Hun Submarine In a
Daring Exploit.
Raiders Say They VIII Destroy
Whole Fishing Fleet.
SHIP MANNED BY 16 MEN
Has Mounted Two Guns and
Wireless Outfit.
Destroyers Speed to the Scene
of the Sinkings.
tRx the Associated Press,


A Canadi n Atlantic Port. Aug. 21.
The steam trawler Triumph. fitted
VIII two guns and wireless ana
manned by sixteen Germans from the
U-boat which captured her yester-
day, is raiding the fishing banks off
the Nova Scotia coast. Gre rs of the
schooners -ank by t Triumph have
arrived here.
Vessels known to have been sunk
by the converted raider are the Una p.
Saunders of Lunenburg. the A. Piatt
Andrew of Gloucester, Mass. and the
Francis ]. O'Hara of Boston.
Sank Several Vessels.
Capt Wallace Bruce. master of the
A. Piatt Andrew, said on his arrival
here that his vessel was held up by
the Triumph yesterday afternoon and
that he and his crew were given ten
minutes to leave the ship. The Ger
mans then sank her with bombs.
The raider then bore down upon the
Una P. Saunders and the Francis j.
O'Hara and sunk them likewise.
Dories carrying the crews of the three
vessels reached here a. 10 a. m. today.
The fishermen say that while making
for. this port they heard firing and
believed other fishing vessels were
sunk by the raider.
Captain Myrrhe, master of the Tri-
umph, who landed here with his men
this morning, said he was told by the
captain of the submarine which cap
tured his vessel, that he was only one
of six U-boats operating on this coast
1--WE intend to destroy the fishing
fleets" the German commander said
to Captain Myrrhe.
Destroyers Hurry to Scene.
Washington, Aug 21-Strong force:
of swift naval patrol boats and de-
stroyers sped today to the north At
lantic fishing banks. There the trawiel
Triumph, CAPTURED yesterday by {
manned her is reported raiding fish
| ing fleets. Naval officials here thinl
recapture of the trawler or her en-
forced destruction by the German
! crew is a certainty.
Washington, Aug. 21.-Shrewdnes.
of the Triumph's skipper enabled the
navy to plan action against the new
/, raider without delay. Navy officials
concurred Immediately in the opinion
expressed by the fishing vessel cap
| tain that the unusual behavior of the
German prize crew evidently indicated
] their intention to use the vessel as ar
auxiliary raider.
| Admiral Benson. chief of nava
| operations, at once communicated the
| information to the commander of the
| first naval district at Boston. The
number of patrol craft at the dis
| posal of the American comma nder will
/ permit him to spread a Gordon a
right angles to the. coast and stretch
ing. for fifty miles or so out to sea
/ This line should move forward at no
less than eighteen miles per hour,
rate far in excess of anything TIL,
| Germans can get out of the Triumph
t,-a mi n at,-r,f fsrx,a H.,
the German commander, who un
doubtedlys realized the eventual fail
ure. was expressed by naval officers
although the military value. of tn
Triumph's operations will be as un
important as that of the submersible
themselves.
An Atlantic Port, Aug. 21.-A Ger
imam submarine late yesterday seize
the big fishing trawler, Triumph. Tn
crew who have reached shore safel,
said they believed the Germans in
tend to use the trawler as raider
The fishermen reported that tn
i U-boat is playing havoc" with tn
fleet of fishing vessels on the Gran
Banks.
The Triumph was halted on tn
fishing banks by the U-boat and tn
crew was permitted to take to tn
dories. The fishermen said that th
trawler was still afloat when they las
saw her
i An armed guard of Germans ha
been placed aboard and no prepare
tions were being made to sink tn
ship, the Triumpf's men said.
This led them to the conclusion ths
the Germans intended to use her as
raider.
+ Not Good for Raiding.
, Boston. Aug. 21.-Fishermen her
said that if the German submarin
made use of the trawler Trump
seized as a raider they would have t
recoal the craft at least every te
days. The Triumph was manned b
Canadian crew and is owned by
: Canadian company. The vessels
125 feet in length and registers abor
|, 250 tons gross.
III u---------