The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1919-01-15
der TAC'' FOR BRITISH FLEET
IS FULL Of HUMAN Interest
Eyewitness Story of UBoa Surrender Makes Greatest Naval His
toriea Incident Thrilling Narrative of Retribuion That
Appeals Strongy-No Signs Of Any Change in
German Discipline.

manders, Who Spoke Of this as der
Tag" as nearly all Of them did Zone
of them called it der Tag Nacht Den
Tage'-"the day after the day'), said
that he would not forget this day. cit
is the anniversary of the day year
ago when they did down my brother"
Among the party on the Melampus
was the captain of an Atlantic liner
who had been sailing through the "tin
fish" since the war began and who had
had great liner, the apple of his eye,
tOrpedoed in the Mediterranean when
carrying nearly 5000 troops, of which
he had lost 14O.
1t was appropriate surely that the
mercantile marines who had fought
these U-boats that now lay helpless
before us all through the four terrible
years should have been present at the
death. All the appalling tales of
herOism and death and suffering in
the annals of the merchant service
seemed to come to head in the sight
of these low ships on this day of days.
Anchored in wide line, several
miles in extent, our little gray motor
boat went dancing across the sunlit
water. Each trip we carried four
British submarine commanders and
their crews. Each time a pretty SIM
liar scene was enacted.
The ceremony was not like the
ceremony when Nelson's captains took
over an enemy ship. The English
commander invariably saluted as he
went on board and the German &C.
knOwledged the salute, and in reply to
request for his papers handed over
blue tracing of his vessel or other
technical papers, and gave it's number
hitherto strictly withheld.
After the Germans came into the
harbOr, were taken off the submarines
and were taken back to their own
Transports on two destrOyers, one of
which was the vessel I was on--the
II. M. 8. Melampus-the officers came
over the sides, Saluted and there the
ceremony ended. The guard was
mounted forward and aft to prevent
intercourse with the British crew, but
ments Of the crew were very unfavor-
able and chiefly turned on Lewis guns
and bombs.
"Look at them Iron Crosses! What
did they get them Iron Crosses for:
For doin' down sahor men and women
and children-the Belgian Prince
Landovery Castlei That's the sort OF
thing for the Iron Crosses they're wag
ging about. Look at them"
Very Strange Sight.
When some of the men looked with
an attempt at superciliousness at the
crew that had clustered aft one OF
our men replied by pointing meaningly
to a depth charge on the side. The
German submarine men knew well
what that meant in the past. 1t was
very strange sight, the German Off
GERS and men on the British destroyer
gazing across q few yards of space to
the British Seamen gazing at them
What waves Of will and heart must
have passed back and forward in that
crowded boat, what pages of racial
history!
There was no sign of any change in
German discipline. The officers were
as one expected and the men were a.
one expected; everything the officers
commanded was Immediately Obeyed
There was no sign Of civilian commit
tees, except that there were two men
in civilian clothes on the bridge of the
Titania. Strangely enough, there were
two similar figures on the bridge OF
the British Melampus, two shabby
looking journalists. And so again the
Wolff bureau can lift it's Witchine
voice and tell the respondent Huns
the British sailors soviet was in com
mand of the boarding operations.
The Germans all smoked all the
time. The officers smoked cigars, the
men cigarettes and pipes. The officers
were notably well dressed, most OF
them wearing starched linen, white
collars and shirts. Cigar cases wer.
passed round ostentatiously. 1t wa
surmised that the Germans had mo-
biliZed their best clothes most OF
them changed on the submarines into
their No. clothes before leaving-and
all the best tobacco they could get in
order to impress us with the condi
tons in Germany. If this is so, it was
most grotesque and almost most
pitiable incident in the German trag
edy.
The last event of the day was see
ing the German submarines, now
purged of their crews, lying in punches
Of three securely moored in the inner
harbor of Harwich.
1t was growing dark and thei: curl
GUS CHASTITY shapes recalled other
ghOsts-ghOsts of women and children
and merchant seamen-pallid, blood.
less human faces floating onto the
lift Of the water in the gray deserted
wastes of the Atlantic.
Bookkeeping.
It comes as surprise, very often,
f0 find how for no olr In no oonf11vi DC