El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-12

- osToN. Mass, Feb. 12.-The frs
full account OF the fight OF the
- steamer Luckenbsck with a Ger
man U-bost, during which it with
stood . siege Of four hours OF she'll
ing. TO be rescued finally by an Amer
lean destroyer, which made a dash of
81 miles IN response % IS. O. S" ap-
peals. vas given here today by Fred
srick Remington, wireless operator OH
the Luczenbsciz. It Is one Of the most
thriIlng tales Of q sea fight that has
come out Of the present world war
Remington held the key IN the wire
less room Of the Luckenbzck and kept
The destroyer posted as she fought
her way through the ocean to the res
cue Of the American boat Don't sur
render the destroyer kept signaling
him. Never was the reply from the
Luckeuback's operator. and they
dfdrit aIthouEh the old boat was al
most ripped 10 pieces by German
shells before the destroyer reached
me scene Here is Remiugton's story
Of the trip and the fight;
Without n Convoy.
"A crazy old tub was the Lucken-
bach. She actually = as rocking at the
dock on the day We sailed from an
Atlantic port for one IN France with
$4,000. 900 worth Of cotton and min
erals slowed away IN her hold
We got out on the eth-a Saturday
and rolled along at 10 knots or so
FOR a week Then we broke down, and
for six hours the Luclzenbach literal
y rocked in the cradle OF the deep
before they patched her up
Tive days later We passed several
American destroyerss and we might
have had a convoy but the skipper
preferred to take a chance on getting
across alone.
The very next day we got ours
good and plenty.
six bells-that's oclock-hsd Just
been rung, when I went up on deck
70 stretch There I stood at peace
with myself and the world. Must
have been day dreaming a few min
UIes later, for I didn't grasp the sig
uificance OF q hail from the man IN
the crows nest forward that came
Believing down to me:
submarinei Summarized Astern
on the port sideP
I remember hanging over the rail
and looking down on the checker
board like camouflaEe OF the Lucken-
Huns must have sharp eyes to pick US
Up
~Happy's7 Patriotic Creed.
1t was Just 7:15 a. m. when the
lockout yelled again. This time 1 had
moved aft by the wireless room and
by screening my eyes could make out
the submarine very clearly-too con-
1oundedly clear. She was clipping il
OF at about IS knots and gradually
swinging n brOsdside to US.
7 guess I told you we had a gun
crew aboard. Well, under the direction
- thar r--frF officer
they had manned the guns fore and
aft and were all ready to fire at com
what do you think Of our
chaneesT the skipper asked Happy
when the two Of them happened to-
Eether.
z. Tn not thinking Happy shot at
him in 2 hurry, al know is that II
1hs sub gets within range I'm going
70 get him and we're going TO stick
With him tin the finish Captain, a
United States navy man doesn't know
the meaning OF 'sbandon ship
say I've heard Fourth OF July
orators epread-eagling for hours
without thrill but when that little,
old warrior, who had been q sailor
man IN the navy for % years, pulled
those lines ] just felt an electric
shock Of patriotic pride run through
ny whole system
The S. o. s.
IN the wireless room Kip my
chief operator. was pounding out the
old s. o s. His head was bent down
over the desk / looked over his head
and Vas just noting that Il was 1880
BY the clock when 7 heard the first
boom from the sub.
I Whirled and saw the first shell
lezTing the gun, just as I've sat out
N the center field blsachers and
watched a ball. soar away from the
bat It sort OF hypnoEzed me for
Few seconds. Then as il came on swift
and sure was rooted to the spot
But Il went over by 100 feet, and
as Il did Happy sung out begin fir
ing And our guns fore and aft let
loose at the sub.
They were four inchers, and right
away our boys got the range Of the
big U-boat.
Never mind. we're getting EN-
Kip yelled at me when the second
shot dropped over uncomfortably
close.
He had hardly spoken when their
fhird shot got US 10 feet away from
the wireless rOom-that was their
game. to put the radio out Of commits
sion. Tor they knew that we were
signalling for help The shot rippco
through the end Of the deck house