Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-25
BURSTING STORES
Of CORD|TE DID
. STOP DECOY SHIP
Dunrayen Did Not Give Up At
tempt to Get Submarine Al
though on Fire and Her
Magazine Exploding,
Associated Press correspondence.l

ASSOCIATED Press CorrespOndence.)
London. Nov. 2S.-The loss of the
British decoy ship Dunraven in
desperate battle with a German sub
marine, the story of which has now
been made public by the British adj
miralty, constitutes one OF the most
daring and heroic episodes of the anti
submarine war. With their vessel
ablaze, and boxes of cordite and shells
exploding every few minutes the after
gun crew stuck to their gun until the
magazine exploded and blew them and
their gun into the air. Meanwhile
the battle with the submarine was
fiercely 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-
viously won the Victoria cross by he
roic and successful work in decoying
submarines to their destruction In her
hole of an armed British merchant
shop, 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 sig
nails were sent out reading: Help.
Come quickly. Submarine chasing and
shelling me-"
Finally when the submarines shells
began falling close, the Dunraven
stopped and the usual panic party
abandoned ship. The Dunraven was
then on fire aft and the submarine
closed in to q 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 maya
zine must explode if he waited and
that a gun and guns 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
heavy explosion and the Dunravens
gun and its crew was blown into the
air. The conclusion started the fire
gongs at the remaining gun positions.
The Screens hiding the guns were
dropped and the only gun that could
be brought to bear opened fire. The
submarine commenced to submerge.
Knowing that a torpedo would surely
follow, Captain Campbell had all the
wounded brought UP and concealed in
cabins. The after part OF the Dun
raven was a mass of flame but the
crew fought the fire with hose while
wireless signals were sent out warn
ing all other vessels to keep below
the horizon so as not to interrupt the
final phase of the fight
Twenty minutes later another tor
nedo 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 flying and her
guns unmasked. but Captain Camp
bell and handful of officers and
men had remained on board and lay
hidden for nearly an hour while the
submarine commander held off watch
ing the burning ship through his per-
iscope.
During all that ime boxes of cor
dite 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