The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-12-31
FATE OF DECOY
SHIP IS Barred

London, Dec. III Correspo spondence
of the Associated Press The loss
of the British decoy ship Dunraven
in a desperate battle with q German
submarine, the story of which has
now been made public by the British
admiralty, constitutes one Of the
most daring and heroic episodes OF
the anti submarine war. With their
vessel ablaze, and boxes of cordite
and shell exploding every few min
utes, the after gun crew stuck TO
their gun until the magazine ex-
Eploded and blew them and their gun
into the air. Meanwhile the battle
with the submarine was hercely
waged.
This action took place in August,
1917. The vessel was one Of the de-
coys which was commanded by Cap
tain Gordon Campbell, who had pre-.
viousiy won the Victoria Cross by.
heroic and successful work in decoy-i
ing submarines to their destruction.
In her role of an armed British mer-
chant ship, the Dunraven was zig
Tagging her course in the lanes
haunted by the submarines when a
U-boat opened fire upon her at 5000
yards. The Dunraven returned the
fire with her merchant ship gun and
reduced her speed to enable the Hun
to overtake her. TO coax him on,
wireless signals were sent out read
ing: Help. Come quickly. Subma-
rine chasing and Smelling me-"
Finally when the submarines
shells began falling close. the Dun-
raven stopped and the usual panic
party abandoned theship. The Dun
raven was then on fire aft and the
submarine closed in to a distance of
400 Yards, but was partly obscured
from view by dense clouds of smoke
issuing from the Dunraven's stern.
Although he knew that the maga-
zine must explode IL he waited, and
that gun and a gums crew lay con-
cealed over the magazine; Captain
Campbell reserved his fire until the
submarine had passed clear of the
smoke. A moment later, there was a
heavy explosion and the Dunraven's
gun and its crew were blown into
the air. The concussion started the
fire gongs at the remaining gun posi-
tions. The screens hiding the guns
were dropped and the only gun that
could be brought to bear opened hre.
The submarine. commenced to sub
merge. Knowing that a torpedo
bell had all the wounded brought up.
and concealed in cabins. The after
part of the Dunraven was a mass Of
flame but the crew fought the f1re
with hose while, wireless signals
were sent out warning all other yes
sells to keep below the horizon so as
not to interrupt the final phase of
the fight.
twenty minutes later another
torpedo struck the ship abaft the
engine room. Another panic party"
was sent away in the boats, leaving
the ship apparently completely
abandoned with the British flag n.y.
ing and her guns unmasked, but Cap
tain Campbell and a handful of Of
ficers and men had remained on
board and lay hidden for nearly an
hour while the submarine commander
held off watching the burning ship
through his periscope.
During all that time boxes or
cordite and shells were exploding
every few minutes and the fire was
blazing furiously. Eventually the
submarine emerged astern where no
guns could be brought to bear upon
her. and shelled the Dunraven for 20
minutes. The U-boat then steamed
past the ship $50 yards off and
Campbell fired one Of his torpedos at
her but missed by few inches. a
second torpedo also missed. The sub
marine saw it and submerged. A
third panic party was planning to
Jump overheard and leave one gun
crew for final attempt to sink the
U-boat when British and American
destroyers arrived on the scene. The.
Dunraven's wounded were trans
ferred, her guns recalled and the fire
extinguished. The Dunraven, in a.
sinking condition was taken in tow,
but the weather grew worse and on
the following morning she sank with
I,ay. coIors flying