Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1919-01-01
STORIES OF THE WAR
How the Decoy Shin Was Lost

Correspondence of the Associated
Press. 1.-The loss of the British de-
coy snip DunraVen in a desperate bat
tie with a German submarine, the
story of which has now been made
public by the British Admiralty. con-
stitutes one of the most daring and
heroic episodes of the i-subnarine
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 wag-
ed
This action took place in August
! 1917. The vessel was one of the de-
| coyS which was commanded by Cap
tain Gordon Campbell, who mad pre-
! VlousIy won the Victoria Cross by he
role and successful work in decoying
| SUBMARINES to their destruction. In
| her role of an armed British merchant
ship, the Dunraven was Zig tagging
! her course in the lanes haunled by
| the submarines When q U-boat opened
! fire upon her at 5,0te yards. The
| Dunraven returned the fire with her
merchant ship gun and reduced her
speed to enable the Hun to overtaize
her. To coax him on, wireless signals
were seat out reading: Help. Como
| quickly. Submarine chasing and
Smelling me"
Finally when the submarines shells
began falling close the Dunyay;,l
stopped and the usual panic party
abandoned ship. The Dunravcr was
| then on fire aft ard the submarine
closed in to q distace OF 100 wards
but vas partly obacured from view by
dense clouds >of smoke issuing from
the Dunraven's stern.
Although he knew that the maga.
zine must explode if he waited. ant
that a gun and a guns crew lay
concealed over the maya zine, Captain
Cainhpeu reserved his fire until Inc
submarine had passed clear OF the
smoke. A moment later there was a
heavy explosion and the Dunravpn's
gun and its crew were blown into tn
air. The conclusion started tha FIRE
gongs at the remaining gun positions
The screens hiding the guns were
dropped and the only gun that could
be brought to hear opened fire. Tht
submarine commenced to subm erge
Knowing that a torpedo would sure
ly follow, Captain Campbell had all thC
wounded brought up and concealed il
cabins, Inc after part Of the Dun
raven was a mass of flame but the
crew fought the fire with hose whilC
wireless signals were sent out warn
ing all other vessels to keep below thi
horizon so IS not to interrupt the fna
phase Of the fight.
Twenty minutes later another tor.
pedo struck the ship abaft the e1gin,
, room. Another panic party" was sen
away in the boats, leaving the shil
apparently completely abandoned
with the British flag flying and he
guns unmasked, but Captain Camp
bell and handful of officers and mel
had remained on board and lay hif
de for nearly an hour while the sub
marine commander held off WATCHING
! the burning ship through his peri
. scope.
During all that time boxes Of cor
T dite and shells were exploding ever
! few minutes and the fire was olaztn
! furiously. Eventually the submarine
\ emerged astern where no guns coul
be brought to bear upon her. an
| sheIled the Dunraven for twenty min
utes. The U-boat then steamed pas