The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-10
BRITISH CAPTAIN
TELLS OF lice AS
A PRISONER ON A
GERMAN U-BOAT
Was Aboard Submarine
When Depth Bombs
Were Exploded
WEAPON MUCH
FEARED BY CREW
Prison Camp Conditions In
Germany Described As.
Deplorable

| London, Aug 10.-Corresponden
of The Associated Press)-Sensa-
TONS experienced in German sub
marine while depth bombs were be-
| ing discharged overhead were de-
| scribed recently by British mer-
chant ship captain who was pris-
oner for fifteen days aboard u
| boat. ..g -.
In an interview the English COM
! mander, captured by the Germans
after his vessel had been torpedoed,
| related how the depth bombs shook
the under sea craft and created con-
| sternation among the sailors In one
instance the faces of the Germans
| became white with fear and all
stood trembling after the first shot,
! which was not near enough to de-
stroy the submersible. All were ex-
pecting a second, discharge.
The English commander reach his
| native land after having been i'm
prisoned for months at Brandenburg,
where, he said, he and other ship Of
ficers at timts had been harnessed
to carts which were used to haul
mail and packages from the postof-
flee to the prisoners camp,
Seven vessels were torpedoed
by the Germans while the British
captain was aboard the U-boat.
Previously the English officers had
been in command of a merchant YES
sci which had also met it's fate at
the hands of a submarine crew.
49, Chased BY Cruiser.
ION the third day after I had been
taken prisoner" said the captain,
Just after the midday meal, l gath
cred that the submarine was about
to carry out an attack on a. convoy
which had just been sighted. The
U-boat approached; submerged for
some distance and torpedoed large
steamer. Our whereabouts appar-
entity were detected, was told, by
an allied light cruiser, for we dived
rapidly to a great depth.
Hardly had the submarine reach
ed an even keel when we heard and
felt tremendous explosion which
caused the U-boat to vibrate from
stem to stern. 1t was a depth charge
from the cruiser. s.' -,
THE effect on the crew was evil
dent. All stood trembling with faces
'bIanched with fear, not attempting
to speak, expecting second charge,
the result OF which might mean the
destruction Of the boat and without
the slightest chance for us to es-
cape. .-...
There is no doubt in my mind
of the mental attitude OF the crew,
for it was not the first experience
Of the men with a depth charge, and
they had learned from others in the
service what terrible weapons depth
bombs were in the hands Of skill
full seamen. =
For some moments we waited;
engines were stopped and all means
were taken to prevent giving indi-
cation of our position, Minutes
seemed like hours in such a situa-
ton. I'll admit that / was turning
over in my mind whether i should
see my family again. No additional,
explosions took place, however, and
after, remaining some eighteen faith
oms deep for a long period we con-
tinued our voyage. j.. f<..
Another Experience. l. 4
"a few days later. we had another
experience with depth charges, or
''wasser bomber as the German
sailors call them, A sailing vessel
had just been sunk by shell fire
when two allied destroyers Were
sighted, and down We went. BY the
microphones the propellers could be
heard, and as the vessels came near
er and nearer we in the submarine
could hear the thudding. quite dis
tinctly. To and fro the destroyers
went searching y for us Evidently
they picked UP a clue, for there Were
two explosions ahead but not so near
us as that from CRUISER but
quite, close enough to cause the sub
marine to tremble and then roll
about as though in a heavy sea.
Prison camp conditions in Ger
many were described by the British
captain as being deplorable.
"Although we were merchant ship
captains imprisoned at Brandenberg,
we were made to suffer various in
dignities," he said.
I'VE were compelled to harness
ourselves to carts which we had TO
draw through the streets to- the
station or postoffice in order to fetch
our parcels and any commodities to
camp. It was at this camp also that
saw 800 Russian soldiers working,
all of whom were in the last stages
OF tuberculosis. The poor fellows
could not get enough to eat, and
they would eagerly scrape discarded
tin cans in the hope OF finding parti-
cles Of food. I have even seen Ger
man soldiers do. the Rame thing. We
were glad to search the cinder paths
at any opportunity in anticipation
OF finding bits of coke or coal with
which to cook our food"
Describes SuRbarine.
The captain said his ship was
torpedoed without warning and that
after he and all his men were afloat
in life boats the submarine appeared
on the surface and he was taken
prisoner, the mates and seamen be-
ing permitted to start in the direction
OF land. Describing the submarine
the British captain said:
she was a fairly large craft, of
recent numbering, having three tor
pedo tubes, two in the bow and one
aft, and carried ten torpedoes. She.
was also armed with gun for shell
fire just forward Of the coming
tower
f"My first meal aboard the U-boat
consisted of stew made with
stringy meat, probably horsefiesh,
supplemented by small portions OF
sausage with black bread. AS the
voyage progressed this bread became
widowed and UNBEATABLE and then
some bread OF lighter color, which
had been kept in Theoretically sealed
receptacles, was served but was
even more unpalatable than the
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