The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-06-11
GERMAN SUBMARINE
SUNK BY OCEAN LINER
Fire From Ship Sends Diver to Bottom = Two
Other Destroyers Probably Sent to Davy
Jones' Locker.
(By Fred ]. Wilson, General Manager
the International News Service.)

(By Fred j. Wilson, General Manager
the International News Service.)
An Atlantic Port, June 11.-Certain
destruction of one German submarine
and the probable sinking of two more
by allied deStroyers escorting her, was
reported by the captain of big liner
which reached this port today after a
voyage crowded with events as thrill
ing as any met with on the high seas
since the Germans first began their
midsea- murder The U-boat surely
accounted for was sunk by gun fire
from the liner after an attempt to ram
the diver had missed by a bare six
feet.
One other submarine is believed to
have been shattered by a destroyer's
depth charge by the liner and the third
within two hours after.
Naval regulations forbid naming the
ship which sunk the diver with her
guns, or the naming of the destroyers,
but the elated captain of the liner,
after persuasion, permitted me to tell
the thrilling story of his banner voy-
age.
When our liner, with several other
large steamers, left it's home port for
America it was evident that trouble
from U-boats was expected, for as we
steamed out of port six grim. black
destroyers, three on side, formed its
lines to guard us from attack. Not
passenger on the big ship which car
ried me really felt that the Germans
would dare assail us, but bright aft
ernoon passed as usual on shipboard,
jests about the divers being general
enough.
We got our first taste Of sea perils
that evening. Dinner was served at
o'clock and all hands were at the table
when a terrific boom rang out and the
ship quivered from stem to stern.
With one pulse every passenger
jumped to his feet, but the ships Off
Ger simply held up. his hand' saying
quietly "it's depth bomb, probably
DESTROYER has got one" They all sat
down again.
Later we learned that the rearmost
DESTROYER on the port side had sighted
the periscope, hoisted his danger sig
nal dashed forward at lightning speed
over the exact spot where the suoma-
rine was seen and dropped depth
bomb of the extremely effective Sort
which has nearly settled the submarine
peril.
Officers of the liner and submarine
hunters who were on board were all
confident that one U-boat would muir
der no more. Injunctions by ofncers
of the ship to sit close to our life pre-
servers were needed after the hrst
brush. Every one on board sensed ms
real danger and many an eye was un-
closed through the long hours OF the
night. But always to port ana star
board the grim destroyers Kept thelr
watch over their big convoy OF liners
while all steadily Zig-zagged their way
towards the west
Along towards midnight a fog closed
in thick and woolly and then the oc-
90 sional roar of the steamers whistle
and answering roars from the other
liners showed tnat The vessels were
still in their appointed positions. But
no sound came from the destroyers.
They watched
With the break of day the high tog
was blown away, and then it was seen
our line1 was alone, plunging steadily
along through sea on which dense
blanket of mist still lay to the helght
of about twelve feet. High on the
bridge our captain, his mate and the
lookout scanned the water through the
mist which rolled about us and at
Just about $3.50 am. action began when
a lookout sang out: something ahead.
sir two points on the starboard bow.
Instantly every gun on the bridge
was turned on the something" and
each pair of eyes tried to make out her
outline through the fog. AT first the
outline of the vessel as she lay partly
clouded by the low lying mist, sug
gested fishing vessel, but fas the big
liner swept along the coming tower
and two periscopts of the German
were discerned.
Then was the time for quick de-
cision. 1t was fight or run. Our
captain hesitated not an instant. I'VE
will run her down." he said, and threw
his wheel to starboard. while the sub
nIrine. which evidently had seen US.
was seen to get under way.
Right on through the fog drove the