New Britain herald., 1918-01-12
THRILLING STORY
 ()F SHIPS ATTACK
Navy Department Tells Of Heroic Fight by Grew Of J. $. Steamer
RESCUE BY DESTROYER

Out of 22o Shots Fired By German
 subma1dne There Were Only Nine
 Clean IIits-Distress Call Sent Out
 and Answered.
 Washington, Jan. 12.-How the naval gun crew of the American steamer J. l.. Luckenbach successfully fought off for four hours the attacks ot a German submarine until a de- stroyer racing to the steamers assist ance forced the U-boat to submerge, is told in detail today in an official ac count by the navy department "The enga cement took place on Oc- tober l while the vessel was enroute l to French port. The U-bOat sub | jected the merchant craft to a heavy ] shell fire that injured seven men, started q small blaze aboard, and tem- porarily put the engines out of com mission.
 Don't surrender" flashed the com- mander of the American destroyer that caught the Luckenbach's distress call. "Never," was the laconic reply All members of the armed guard have been commended by the navy de- partment for gallantry in action, and the commander has been given the temporary warrant of boatswain in recognition of his service. The off, l cial account follows:
 About 7:3O o'clock the after look 1 out on the Luckenbach reported a | steamer abeam. The commander of the armed guard sighted her himself, ] CT nd Jcc, 1 looking at the steamer which appeared very suspicious, through the glasse, sail appeared on her. Both guns were trained on the steamer. The armed 1 guard commander then went aloft to get better view When half way up, the supposed steamer turned out to be a submarine and opened fire. The time was then about 7:30.
 '"The Tuckenbach mmediatelT | opened fire with both guns. The first two or three shots fired by the subma- rine fell about 2,000 yards short She was firing at long range. The Luck enbach's shots also fell short. As the submarine appeared to be closing in, the captain was told to put the stern of the Luckenbach to her, which he did. Distress signals were sent out by wireless.
 ''The subm arine closed in to about l 2,000 yards. Early in the battle ono shot from the submarine landed on the deck forward on the port side and l exploded in the gun crews quarters, starting a fire which partially de- stroyed the quarters, and burned the effects of the guns crews The same shot burst the fire main. The fire main was blocked off and water finally got l tn ha fire a f11rr ,1o the flames. Shortly after the first shot landed, another shot struck the quar- termaster's room without doing much damage.
 "A shot landed near the stern and exploded putting the aftergun out of commission.
 At least 225 rounds were fired by the submarine, out of which there were only nine clean hits the com mander reports. Pieces of shell were , falling all around the deck. Two shots landed on the port side, first striking the oilers room and putting a large hole in the side, one landed on the port side at the water line, hitting the fresh water tank and destroying
 most of the fresh water supply. An other landed in the petty officers m messroOm and exploded, putting the ash hoist out of commission and burst ing the steam pipes also wounding two men, one a boy and one a fireman. A shot passed through the weather screen on the bridge and landed in the
 cargo exploding, but not starting a
 fire Pieces of shell hit V. Louther
 one of the armed guards, in three
 places One of the ships crew who
 was carrying the ammunition was hit Another shell exploded in the engine
 room, woundng the first and third
 engineers and putting the engine out of commission. Bell one of the gun 7 crew, was going up the forward lad 5 der carrying ammunition when the 5 shell that landed in the quartermas- l ters room exploded, the fumes from , the shell binding him for about two 7 hours.
 l '"The distress calls sent out had been
 answered by a United States destroy l CT at 8:10, which was asked how l quickly it could arrive on the scene - 1.-TWO hours, was the reply. The 2 captain of the Luckenbach said:
 " Too late, look for boats.'
 Don't surrender, came back the
 message, and the Luckenbach replied
 Never
 - At about II a. m smoke was
 sighted on the horizon. The vesse
 was headed toward the smoke to les = sen the distance the destroyer would l have to come. It was shortly after l. wards the engines were tempOrarily y k put out of commission by an explosive
 shell. About 1l:10 the destroyer fired ~ a shot at the submarine, which sub - merged three minutes later. c '"Thc Luckenbach commenced firinl 5 about :: 40 and ceased firing at 11:40
 two hundred and two rounds hein2
 fired at the submarine
 The ships crew hehaved credit r ably, no difficulty being experienced - iE getting, them to. pass ammunition