The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-05-16

London. -OIIeU lle QutNll'h H"'
been asked, "What are our submarines
doing? Are they active at all in hunt
ing the German U-boats which are sink
ing our mercantile shipping: Occa-
sionalIy cases are heard of German
submarines being sunk by destroyers.
The weekly Admiralty reports tell Of
certain number Of merchant ships
"unSuccessfully attacked" from which
one concludes that in some cases u
boat may have been Gagged by the
nerchantman's gun.
Nor has the American "moSquto"
fleet been long in learning the game
OF U-boat hunting. "Keen as mus
tard." said British naval officer re-
Gently In talking about the American
navy. They simply love a scrap when
they can get it, but the Germans are
not so keen.
There is no end Of stories about
the sinking and destroying Of German
U-boats hidden away in the very brief
reports of commanding officers which
from time to time reach the Admiralty,
If one could only get at them or
many Of the highly successful meth
DDS Of hunting and destroying the o.
boat 1t Is. of course, impossible 70 tell,
hut the Admiralty has permitted the
publication Of some recent records In
which American destroyers, British de
stroyers, motor launches and Subma-
rines have played distinguished parts.
Most Are Mere Boys.
The brave fellows engaged in the
work are, for the most part, mere boys,
fresh faced cear-eyod Youngsters, de
void of nerves, always alert, cool and
confident, who have to make up their
minds and give their orders on the
instant, ana who, in true navy style,
perform their allotted tasks and say
nothing about them.
Here is story Of successful en-
pAgement fought by two American de-
Stroyers which We're cscortiug "A con
voy Of merchantmen. They sighted n
pcriscope, which however quickly dis
appeared Rushing TO the spot the de-
stroyers dropped depth charge and
then wheeled back The pcriscope
again appeared as though heading for
the convoy. and Off went the destroy
erS fun speed.
once more the perIscope dsap-
pcnrcd but not before three rounds
had been fred by The leading destroy
er, who also dropped a depth charge,
The cnemy's how then came up rapid
~. and IT appeared that he was lying
mt an angle Of thirty degrees. stern
down
German Crew Surrendered.
He managed TO right himself md
tried TO get away on the surface, but
again the Americans opened FIRE, and
then the Germans came on deck, held
MP their hands and surrendered The
U-hOat sank Just afterward. the sur
vivors being taken on board one Of the
dcs'royers.
Here is tale Of an English com
mander Of a submarine just as #
rourhod Whtchnll
"1Da. M Sighted hostile submarine.
Attacked Snmp
40 .O3 NJ m Torpedood submarine.
Hit with one torpedo amldshlps Sub
marine seen to blow mp and disappear.
Surface TO look for survivors. Pit
down Immediately 10y destroyers who
fired AZ me"
But this young commander was
little more explicit in his footnote as
he might well be, for having kept to
sen md his appointed duty under cir
cum~fnnccs Of extreme difficulty and
hazard ne took his fate IN both hands,
siaked the enemy and destroyed him
During my attucJ" be wrote,
"thnrr wua lust enough son TO make
depth keeping difficult fred two
turbed rs, and one Dir ar forward end
Of coming tower A lrgp column OF
yellow smoke. about one and % half
times as high MS the must, WAS ohserv-
ed and the submarine disappeared
Tn explosion was heurd ana felt In
our owu submarine ON the previous
day the pcnscopc bad become very
stir 10 turn, and I'm the dark hours !
attempted To rpctify same. but while
doing SO / wus forced a. dlyc, and
thus lost nh the tools nud nuts Of the
center bush
while attacking f. loo. TWO men bo-
sfdc myself "a turu o., ptrlecapc For
th. rersun ! d'd NOT consider 10 pru.
d.ut 20 att8cb thc destroyer after hav
iue SINK the submarine.
Lay on Bottom Amid Enemy