The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-11-29
YANK SEAPLANE
BOMBS U-BOAT
First Flyers to Sink Submarine
Are American Boys.
Carson Of Alabama. sIIer Of Ohio and
Chord Of Iowa Make New Record,
but Credit May BE noffIciaI-TraII
Of Oil and Two Dead Sailors Prove
Loss Of German craft-Brltlsh o.
hoers Compliment Yankees.

hcers Compliment Yankees
Ensign Julian F. Carson Of Mont
gomery, Ala, has been credited unof-
ficially with the first sinking of SUBJ
marine by seaplane. He probably
will never receive official recognition
because Of the simple fact that there
Is absolutely no way to prove that a
submarine has been sunk when she is
lying hundreds of feet down on the
shifty bottom of the ocean.
But from corroboratlve stories told
by officers In the British service
roundabout and narratives from varied
sources, 1t Is generally agreed that the
job was done properly.
With Ensign Carson were william
Siler Of Cleveland and Amos Chord
Of Oskaloosa. Ia. Chord was In front
with the machine gun and bombs.
The trio started out on an early
morning patrol, just at daybreak, ac-
cording to the usual routine. They
had been scanning the North sea for
only 10 minutes when Siler called out !:
Sub Off the port bow, sir"
The DID headed for the sub.
The undersea craft was lying on the
surface of the water, inactive. She
was refilling her tanks and recharging
her batteries. This work Is always
done In the early morning hours, be-
cause they are the slackest hours, IL
there are such things as slack hours, in
warfare.
The DID roared down uN ~
marine. The Hun sailors
Ing. They shouted to one|
take cover. They droppedi
instantly and darted for
One OF them fired rife d
cutting flying boat. He miA
The DID fred her recognition.
to be sure she was not attacking an
allied submarine. There was no reply.
Another shot was fired by the Hun.
It missed.
The observer from the forward pit
opened with the machine gun. Two Of
the Germans dropped into the hatch
and closed 1t. leaving the other two
outside.
Two Bombs Sink German.
. Then the airplane dropped bomb.
1t struck Immediately in front of the
coming tower. The two men were
blown Off the submarine and the YES
sci dived almost with the striking of
the bomb. The airplane dropped the
second bomb into the swirl
The submarine came up again, re-
manned on the water for moment
and then went down again. backward.
That was the last seen of her. Two
days later the bodies of the two sail
ors blown overheard were picked up
on the beach.
Confederation Of this story was
given by a British officer ON one Of
the destroyers on duty In the North
sea. He said:
"The Yanks are doing fine work
around here. They seem to be tireless
and full Of enthusiasm. / saw them
make an attack on a submarine one
morning and I am sure. as many 9TH
ers are, that they sank the submarine.
They certainly killed two Of the sea-
men, because the bodies were washed
ashore.
"When the submarine first went
down under the attack of the airplane
she left trail Of oil that covered a
track Of two and a half miles long.
1t is the usual thing for submarine
to send up food Of oil when she is
hit or fired on, as ruse, but they do
not waste enough oil to make a trail
two and half miles long. will lay
my bet any time that those Yanks got
the sub--and they have my compli-
ments."