The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-06-21

~ &A NAAG
perhaps rather q marvel that the Ger
mans did not make a glorious cap
ture of nearly every submarine we
had In the Baltic. They captured
none, and they destroyed none There
Is not q German harbor In the Bal
tic that our submarines have not en-
tered and charted for their own con-
venience, creeping under mine fields
and through channels so shallow as
hardly to admit OF this hazardous ma
NEWER.
eWe never had more than nine
submarines In the Baltic. and W. still
had seven when the end came. One
Of our boats put down nine enemy
transports In q single day. Russia
knew and openly admitted last sum-
mer that 1t was the British subma-
rines which held Petrograd intact.
'sWhen Reval went II was obvious
that the end was near. The British
submarines, still seven In number and
all In fighting trim, had by this time
moved over to Finland, and ultimately
concentrated, with their stores and
workshops ashore, and a huge barge
for floating mechanics In the harbor
Of Helsingfors.
Sunk to Check Foe.
~With three or four warning par
ties jealeusly cycling the British ships
and stores and the Toovaristchi
(comradcs) airing their new gospel
to the British crews of the subma-
rincs on every occasion, and with the
absence OF law and order In Helsing-
fots. opportunities for every kind Of
trouble were plentiful. and extreme
tact and firmness were needed to
bring things to q successful issue. As
q result, not a single ounce of any
kind OF metal-British property,
bome Of 1t priceless nowadays here
wiIl ever fall into human hands,
either those of the Huns or the White
Guards or the Finnish Red Guards.
br Russian Toovaristch. All seven
submarines, the repair-shop barge,
and every scrap Of stores lies safely
In infinitely disintegrated form at the
bottom Of the Baltic.
I'm charge at Helsingfors was
Lieut.. Commander Downie. The task
OF destroying some 100000 worth
Of British Government property to
save 1t from the Germans, who had
already landed at Hango, was his last
sad duty. Plans for the private sale
OF enormously valuable stores of all
kinds-metals and composites, cleo
trio fittings, etc.-were cancelled when
It was discovered that arrangements
existed whereby all such matters Of
pr5celess value to the enemy were to
be handed over to the Germans wher-
ever found. It was decided to put
British property to the bottom.
'sThat fraction Of the British navy
which was under Russian orders in
the Baltic consisted Of submarines,
which ! Will call (because these were
neither their letters nor their num-
bers) Alpha 2. 10. IL. 20. and n and
Beta 20. 80. 83. and SO. The Alpha
class was fairly large, carrying thir-
ty-odd men. The Beta was an older
type, with about half that number.
Attacks German Armada.
s'The biggest thing the Germans
have done In q naval way In this war
was the landing on the Islands Of
Nessel and Dago. Certainly the only
effective opposition they met at sea
came from British vessels, three In
number. OF the four Beta boats one
was undergoing repairs at the time
leaving three available-29. 30. and
IS. These three went into the thick
e things and gave the Germans Q
very unwelcome surprise. Failing an
adequate intelligence service, thu
British submarines took sight fol
themselves OF the oncoming armads
OK dreadnoughts. cruisers, destroyers
and transports, and plunged into theil
midst. Everything was against oul
submarines, but they all came out Of
It alive. and the enemy did not.
Captain Sealey, In Beta 30, was Of
the true British type, the finished ar
ttcle Of the British navy. Beta q
was commanded by Commander
DoWnie, whose record proves hin
psEfsctly true to type; but It was hi
1ret command.
s~The Germans, Notwithstanding
c~onveniont arrangements made for tn,
maximum Of immunity. were mis-
tru5tfu1 Of the British boats. and thu
armada moved inside q ring Of de
stroyers and other smaller craft
0ealey, taking = comprehensive glanc