El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-24
O-BOATS KNELL
Of THE U-BOATS
Sir Eric Geddes Tells How
British Navy Lures Sub
marines to Doom.
By SIR ERIC GEDDEs.
First Lord of the British Admiralty.

London, Eng, Oct "a am going
/ to tell you a story that has never
been told before-a story of the Brit
ish navy. and one which has never
been told by anyone before because
it concerned a ruse of war which was
very effective. The Germans now
know all about it, so it may therefore
be told and published
The story is about the mystery Vic
tOria cross and our @" boats, or
mystery ships"
viii tell you what a mystery
ship" is. It is a decoy on the waves
Of the deep; a decoy for use in modern
warfare. and known in the service as
a q" ship.
She may be an old windjammer
sailing ship. tramp or a collier. but
she is something more than that. IN
the admiralty records she is known
and registered as the @ so"
Appearances Deceptive.
Her real name might by the Mary
Blunt" or something Of that kind
a merchantmen. which in a few Sec
onds can be turned into a formidable
man O. war.
The ship I am going TO tell you
about was, to all appearances. a dingy
old collier. She sailed under sealed
orders. which informed the captain
that German submarines were sinking
British and American vessels in such
and such position, and ordered him
to proceed to the spot forthwith
She sailed looking like a collier.
with crew that looked like a mer-
chant crew. and the captain a mer-
chant captain fairly undisciplined
lot on the whole, yet beneath the
guise Of merchant seamen and officers
were the clothes of our bluejackets, a
captain and officers of a British war
ship.
Let US look into the captains bunk
and We see the cap Of the royal navy
and the jacket with the brass buttons
OF the royal navy The same thing
applies in the case of the quarters of
the other officers aboard, and also OF
the quarters OF the men The C so"
also carried the white ensign, and had
a little gun mounted on her stern
Sights Submarine.
It was a summer morning. a brisk
breeze blowing. and the @ so" steered
out into the Atlantic to the spot in
dictated in the captains orders. About
two hours passed by, when on the
starboard bow an enemy submarine
was sighted, and the collier" turned
ing her ruse of zigzagging and putting
on steam. until she raced along at the
rate OF eight knots, midst volumes Of
thick black smoke.
The submarine was giving chase.
Meanwhile the @ 50" fired her little
stern gun Intentionally short
Soon the submarine began to over
haul the @ So" and began shelling-
Some Of the shells were now dropping
hnf~
killed and wounded.
@ 50" kept steadily on. and then I
gradually slackened speed, first to
seven and then down TO six knots. I
She then made a signal in plain Eng 4
hsh. Submarine following me-" and 4
stiu kept on her course, the subma- I
rine still overhauling- Then again 4
another signal. Submarine Smelling 4
me And still another and final. 4
Am about to abandon ship HelpI 4
Help,"
Men Jump Overheard.
The captain of the U-boat by this
time began to think he had an easy
prey. He watched panic take place 4
among the golfers" crew, and a
party leave her in the small boat. A I
very. very undisciplinary lot Of fell
lows they were. these merchantmen"
Then still a few more left the ship,
one even taking with him pet par
rot.
Just then n shell from the
U-bOat straek the poop of "a CO.,
blowing up the little gun and the
guns crew. Other shells hit her.
The poop was on fire.
The captain, who remained on
board, secreted with other members
Of the crew. knew that. as the fire
approached il, the magazine would
r~HnH oil 70 2 faFr
Again at this time more Of the men
Jumped overheard. trusting to luck TO
be picked up by the small boat.
At lasti The U-bOat now came
alone II gradually got nearer, very.
very slowly, but the smoke from the
burning poop now interfered with the
-ange Of q sos guns-the real guns.
Shells Fall All About.
Shells again fell ali about the ship.
This time an explosion took place.
and the @ SOS" aft gun, together
with the guns plucky crew. was
blown up, and then. last OF all the
Ire had reached the magazine.
a terrible explosion took place, and
he second aft gun went hurtling
through the air. This was indeed
4 misfortune" the captain wrote in
lis report. as the submarine had only
o steer another 200 yards and I should
lave had three guns bearing on her
It 400 yards range"
% 5O7 by this time was blazing
and sinking. The stern was raging
with fire. 1t was quite clear now
that the submarine knew she was
SQs ship and, quickly submerg-
ing, fired torpedo after torpedo.
The captain instantly gave the or
Ter. Abandon shipii" And bluejack-
IT'S once again scrambled over the
ide into the water, getting onto a
aft as best they could.
Loud explosions We're taking place
Is the fire spread. but the U-boat.
which had come up again, was still
.uspicious that there were men on
loard. so again more Of the crew OF
he @ so" took the water, and then
he enemy came on nearer towards
q So" She got for-ard.
ObIiterates U-BOaf.
In flash the for-ard gun was IN
nuzzled- Shell after shell was dis
harged. One took away with it the
boats coming tower. another hit
Ter broadside- She was gone-like
many of her kind.
The fight lasted from II a m. until
p. m Warships lying in wait be-
lind the horizon picked up the crew
f @ so" which had done its work.
nd was left abandoned in the grip
4 fire, ammunition exploding.
The enemy now knows nf This IRE