Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-01
PRAISE
SIMS MEN FOR
U-b0AT DEFEAT
Belated Report Describes
Sinking of Sumbarine
and Crews Capture.
FIGHT ALL OVER IN
EIGHTEEN MINUTES

ASSOCIATED Press Summary
A shell fired by an American
! passenger steamer 10 believed to
have sunk a German submarine
near the British Isles Thursday.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 29-Fun de
tails Of the destruction by American
destroyers of German submarine
and the capture Of its crew made pub
lie today by the navy department
show that destroyers Tanning and
Nicholson were the ships engaged
The incident was reported November
"a but few facts were given at the
time.
The submarine was sunk, the navy
departments story Of the affair indt
Gates, as it was preparing to attack a
merchant ship fotilla conveyed by the
destroyers.
DROP DEPTH CHARGES.
The navy departments full story OF
the incident follows:
AT about 4:10 p. M, while escort.
ing a convoy, Coxswain David D.
LOOMS, lookout Of the Tanning.
sighted small periscope some dis
lance of the port bow, extending
about foot out of water and visible
for ony few seconds. The flaming
Immediately headed for the spot aid
about three minutes after the peri
scope had been sighted dropped at
depth charge.
1.-The Nicholson also speeded to the
position of the submarine, which ap-
peared to be headed toward mer-
chant vessel in the convoy, and
dropped another depth charge. At
that moment the submarines coming
tower appeared on the surface be-
tween the Nicholson and the convoy
and the Nicholson fred three shots
from her stern gun.
CREW sURRENDERs.
''The bow Of the submarine came up
! rapidly. She was down by the stern
but righted herself and seemed to In
crease her speed. The Nicholson
cleared, the Tanning headed for the
U-boat, firing from the bow gun. After
the third shoot the crew Of the sub
their hands, the submarine surrender
ing at 4:2s p. m.
1.-THE Tanning approached the sub
marine to pick up the prisoners. Both
destroyers keeping their batteries
trained on the boat.
"A line was got to the submarine
| but in a few minutes she sank. The
line was let 60 and the crew Of the
U-boat jumped into the water and
swan to the flaming.
ONE GERMAN DIES.
"Although the crew all wore life
preservers," the statement adds, "a
number of them were exhausted when
they reached the side of the destroy
er. AS the submarine sank, five or
six men were caught by the radio
aerial and carried below the surface
before they diseptagled themselves.
Ten of the men were so weak that
lines had to be passed under their
arms to haul them aboard. One man
was in such a condition that he could
not even hold the line thrown him.
Chief Pharmacists Mate HArwell and
Coxswain Francis G. Conner, N. N. ",
jumped overheard after this man and
secured line under his arms. When
he was hauled aboard every effort was
made to resucitate him but he died In
few minutes. =
THIRTY-NlNE PRISONERS.
The four officers of the submarine
and the thirty five members of the
crew were all taken prisoners.
After being taken on board, the
prisoners were given hot coffee and
sandwiches. Though kept under strict
guard they seemed contented and
after a short time commenced to sing.
To make them comfortable the crew
OF the destroyer gave them their warm
coats and heavy clothing.
THE German officers said the first
depth charge had wrecked the ma
chinery Of the submarine and caused
her to sink to considerable depth.
"The submarine bore no number nor
distinguishing mark She was iden.
titled by life belts, the report said,
which had Kaiser marked on one
side and Colt on the other.
CAP1lVEs CHEER IN DEFEAT.
1.-THE Tanning proceeded to port
! and transferred her prisoners under
guards. AS they were leaving in
small boats, the Germans gave three
cheers. The commanding officer of
the Tanning read the burial service
over the body OF the dead German
sailor and the destroyer proceeded to
sea and buried him with full military
honors.
"In his report the commander Of
the Tanning praises the conduct of
his officers and crew and gives par
ticular credit to Lieut. Walter O. Hen
ry, officer Of the deck and to Coxswain
Loomis who sighted the periscope.
He also commends Pharmacists Mate
Harwell and Coxswain Conner, who
jumped overheard to save the drown
ing German.
PRAISE FROM BRIToN.
1.-THE British commander in chief,
under whom the destroyers were OPP
Grating. said this in his report to the
admiralty:
The whole affair reflects credit
! on the discipline and training of the
United States flotilla,' and added that
the incident showed that the Tanning
is man of war in the best sense of
term, well disciplined and organized
and ready for immediate action. He