The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-06-03
MANY A DECEIT TO.
PRACTICED BY THE
GRENSOF U-BOATS
Men IN Yankee DestrOyers
Must Keep Wide
Awake.
some OF THE SEA TRICKS
Sailor Burke Winds Up His
Tale of U-Boat Stalk
ing.
Oy SEAMAN R. W. BURKE, OF THE

u. 8. 3. -,
n the war zone you have 10 keep
! sharp lookout and report everything
hat you see-seaweed, birds, drift
wood, anything at all II you don't you
yOt . "call down"
The fellows on the masthead ought
10 Be able to report thing many miles
ahead Of the bridge. II anybody on
tie bridge spots a thing ahead Of the
nan on the masthead the "old man
WIN baWl out the unlucky seaman. 1t
q Q pretty serious ofiense 70 let any
thing get BY you.
SeaWeed may be camouflage. The
Germans tie q lot Of II together and
ct iuSt under the water with the peri.
scope sticking right up among the sea-
weed.
One day we were conveying a big
transport with an American army base
hospital on II, whole hospital
equipped with doctors. nurses and
everything on board. We we're cruis-
lng about at 20 knots or so when we
saw q capsized lifeboat sitting on the
water. We never thought anything Of
Il. You see hundreds Of capsized boats
running aWash like that,
Suddenly the boat turned, came to
life e. It we're and started right to-
wards US. The "old man" called down
the fo'castle and told them to cut away
1t her. They started firing before
they had time to ring up General
ouorteEs"
The first shot hit her It was the
best shot ! ever saw. II hit her in the
center. Sure enough there was the
peTiscope right there!
We crossed over and we tried 70
ram her but we're too late. She had
submerged 90 We dropped a depth
charge. We got that sub all right be-
cause the oil that came up spread for
miles around.
One submarine captured by our de-
utroyers had q periscope only one and
Q quarter inches in diameter
This periscope stood but a foot out
% the water and was visible less than
30 seconds so you can see how much
time you have to spot a periscope in.
The periscopes are painted pearl gray,
about the color Of the sea.
These U.boats are camoufaged like
our merchant ships with green wavy
lines running fore and aft. or lines Of
light blue or indigo that just match up
With the water. The destroyers look
like blocks Of peppermint candy-quite
different from the old battle green.
The Germans have all kinds Of
tricks. We have heard fellows on 9th.
OF destroyers tell how they came along
the coast among a lot Of little fishing
boats and had suddenly seen some
merchant or passenger ship blown up
and no submarine in sight-only these
little fishing boats one Of which how.
ever had mysteriously submerged
The Germans get hold Of one Of
hOso little boats and take the crew
% or shoot them maybe, or take them
% board and make them prisoners.
The fishermen cannot give them much
Information 30 they do not bother to
make them prisoners always; they
Eet I'D Of them, guess. They take
lhlB little fishing boat and tie It on the
I6p Of their submarine and then 90
Deseefully along.
u % Q tough game. You are not
hghting q man who will come up and
llght. You are Just going after a
Tneak and you have TO be looking for
-. ~ A. kt,aA That q ~h,, ha hoo
L on you. A good many times he can
got near him. He can see you couple
q miles Oh and you cannot see the
Dorlgeope q couple Of miles of.
But when We can see them, We can
ret a idea where they may be after
they have submerged, and we then
h0Ve . pretty good chance Of getting
hem With q depth charge.