The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-03-18
OIL SHIPS GUNS
ROUT SUBMARINE.
American Tanker in Port
with Story of Thrilling
Fight with Big U-Boat
BELIEVE GERMAN
CRAFT WAS SUNK
Encounter Took Place Off the irish
Coast and Lasted 45 Minutes-When
Final Shot Was Fired Undersea Craft
Went Down Suddenly.

AN ATLANTIC PORT, March IS
American gun crews on an Atlantic
tanker by pluck and the accuracy of
their aim saved their vessel from a
U-boat and brought her safe into port.
The encounter took place few miles
off the Irish coast, and the crew are
sure that they hit the submarine and
sent her to the bottom, either disabled
or TO rise no more. The men told their
story Saturday when their vessel battle
scared and with one Of her crew wound
ed, came into port. The attacking boat
is believed to have been one Of Ger
many S latest types Of submarines. The
officers on the tanker said that the
glimpses they obtained of the under
sea boat showed that she was about 800
feet long, of perhaps 1000 tons, and had
three deck guns of large calibre. The
chief officer said it was the largest sub
marine he had ever seen.
The fight lasted for about IS minutes,
and during that time about 80 shots
were exchanged The weight Of arma-
ment gave the German boat all the adj
vantages of the preliminary stages of
the fight. 1t was not until she worked
into the range Of the oil tank 5 guns.
evidently with the intention Of placing
Il solid shot or to let go a torpedo, that
the gun crews on the steamship could
get into effective action. While coming
closer the undersea boat simply
Ishowered shrapnel about the vessel, but
did not make one direct hit, and the
damage done to the vessel and the
wounding Of a member of her crew were
caused by bits of bursting shells, some
of which came within 10 feet Of the
deck
Those on the steamer had just noticed
the low living craft when a single shot
: came and fell short. This was the range
finder. Immediately afterward the
guns on the U-boat began continuous
chorus.
The tanker was too slow to run away
, so her crew decided TO fight it out With
the steamship following a zigzag course
| the American gunners kept their guns
going. Sometimes they flung them
: selves flat on the deck to avoid tbs
/ shells Chief officer Carl Eckman saiG
! that bits of shrapnel came on deck like
hail. It was also the chief officer 5 i'm
preston that the gunners on board final
r " sunk the submarine. Those on TIT
I vessel could see that the shots were
+ dropping close about the U-boat. 1t wa
T difficult firing, because, he said, tn,
/ C-boat kept rs much as possible be
5 tween the sun and the ship, thus making
| il difficult for the gunners to see her
e much less to fire with certainty.
/ Mr.. Eekman said that the final sho
Y appeared To strike either the bow o
: the T-boat or just forward of it. In an.
y event, he said, she ceased firing an
> went down with startling suddenness
y bow first. The battle ended, the nc
Ii set about taking stock OF the damag,
\ There were sears on the deck and 81
g pcrstructure where the shrapnel STRUCK
One piece went through the topmast
d s. w Mastrano, a Mexican member o
J. the engine room force, was wounded /
- the leg by bits of metal.
II All that day and all night the gunner
II stood by their guns, and the officer
I. kept watch on the bridge. but they SAY
20 nothing more of the submarine