New Britain herald., 1918-07-09
TRANSPORT DODGES
 EIGHT SUBMARINES
Sinks One, While Destroyer ln Convoy Accounts for Another

An Atlantic Port. July 9.-A trans port which has just returned from France was attacked in the Bay of BisCay, when she was casthound and loaded with troops. by eight subma- rinCs and had a marrow escape from their torpcdoeS. Five of these mis- Silcs were fired at her bow and stern, and two of the torpcdocs missed the transport by less than five feet.
 Two of the submarines were sunk hy shell fire from the transport and tho dcstroycrS cscortinE her. three others were believed to have been sunk by depth charges, and three got away clear.
 An officer of tho ship, in descrih- ing the encounter, said that it was the most determined attempt that the Germans had made to get the trans port on her castbound trip, it was well known she was one of the fast ones which travelled without convoy On previous voyages the transport had only been met on the other side by two dcstroyers, but, on account of the frequent attacks made upon her by the enemy Rear Admiral Wilson, who is in command of the destroyer notilla of the American navy oper-
 
 his warships to afford better protec- ton.
 Battle Near France.
 At dawn, when the transport was nearing the French coast, two sub marines were seen right ahead, just awash. and shortly afterwards two more appeared on the StarbOard side, two on the quarter, and two others l;,.+n They were all on the starboard side of the transport, which was the one away from the destroyers and the submarine commanders had appar- ontly come to the surface prepared to fight the two destroyers and sink the transport.
 Directly the first submarine was sighted the naval gun crew on the transport fired a shell from the six inch gun forward on the starboard and hit the coming tower of the U-bOat sQuarely. This was followed by a second shot that struck the un- dersea craft amidships, and down she went with all her crew. By this time the destroyers had got to work and sunk a second submarine by shelltire while the other U-bOats were shoot ing torpedoes at the transport, which escaped them by rapid zig-zagginC at top speed well over twenty knots.
 U-Boats Given Surprise.
 When the commanders of tho oth- CT submarines saw that the transport was conveyed by four destroyers in- stead of the two they had expected, they submerged immediately. One was hit by a shell as she was going down, and the commanders of the American deStroyers believe that they got her and two more of the escap- ing U-boats With depth bombs, judg- ing by the explosions and agitation of the sea in the vicinity of the place where they had been dropped.
 On the previous eastbound trip of the transport two German subma- rines came to the surface just off the starboard quarter and were so close that they could not fire their torpe- does, and the escorting destroyers were afraid to drop their depth charges for fear of damaging the hull or propellers of the liner.
 The officer added that the U-boats which attacked the transport this time were of the latest miniature cruiser type, and carried two six inch Krupp guns, one at either end, and two quick firers on either side of the coming tower forward.