The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-08-08
DEPTH BOMBS SHAKE U-BATS.
British Skipper Describes Sensations
Experienced on Sub.

London, July 15.-Sensations ex-
perienced in a German submarine
while depth bombs were being dis
charged overhead were described re-
Gently by British merchant snip
captain who was prisoner Tor 10
days aboard a u-boat.
In an interview the English COM
mander, captured by the Germans at
ter his vessel had been torpedoed, re-
lated how the depth bombs shook the
undersea boat and created consterna-
ton among the sailors. In one in
stance the faces of the Germans be-
came white with fear and all stood
trembling after the first shot, which
was not near enough to destroy the
submersible. All were expecting a
second discharge.
The English commander reached
his native land after having been
imprisoned for months at Braden-
burg, where, he said, he and other
ship officers at times had been har-
messed to carts which we're used to
haul mail and packages from the
postofice to the prisoners camp.
Seven vessels were torpedoed oy
the Germans while the British cap
tain was aboard the u-boat. Pre-
yiously the English, officer had been
in command of merchant vessel
which had also met it's fate at the
hands of a submarine crew.
'"On the third day after I had been
taken prisoner" said the captain,
s.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 a large
steamer. Our whereabouts apparent
IL were detected, l was told, by an
allied light cruiser, for we dived rap
idly to a great depth.
Hardly had the submarine reach
ed an even keel when we heard and
felt a tremendous explosion which
caused the u-boat to vibrate from
stem to stern. It was depth charge
from the cruiser.
"The effect on the cruiser was evi-
dent. All stood trembling with
faces blanched with fear, not at
tempting to speak, expecting a Sec
ond charge, the result of which
might mean the destruction of the
boat and without the slightest chance
for us to escape.
ssThere is no doubt in my mind of
the mental attitude of the crew, for 1t
was not the first experience of the
men with a depth charge, and they
had learned from others in the serv-
ice what terrible weapons depth
bombs were in the hands of skillful
seamen.
"For some moments we waited;
engines were stopped and all means
were taken to prevent giving indica-
ton of our position. Minutes SEEM
ed like hours in such situation. I'll
admit that I was turning over in my
mind whether should see my family
again. No additional explosions
took place, however, and after re-
naming some 1S fathoms deep for
a long period we continued our voy-
age.
"a few days later we had another
experience with depth charges, or
swasser bomben,' as the German sail
ors call them. A sailing vessel had
Just been sunk by shell fire when
two allied destroyers were sighted,
and down we went. By the micro
phones 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 for us. Evidently
they picked up clue, for there were
two explosions heard, but not so
near as that from the cruiser, but
quite close enough to cause the sub
marine to tremble and then roll
about as though in 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 Brandenburg,
we were made to suffer various in
dignities," he said.
eve were compelled to harness
ourselves to carts which we had to
draw through the streets to the sta
ton or postofhce in order to fetch