The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-04-17

Aboard the Madawaska WHICH
brought troops from France was
Lieut.. Frank l.. Muller, of Oakland,
Cal. a survivor of the ill-starred
Ticonderoga which was sunk in Sep
tember by a German submarine after
a running fight which lasted for two
hours. Lieut.. Muller was executive
officer of the Ticonderoga and was a
captive aboard the u-boat which sank
the vessel until it was surrendered
along with the rest of the German
feet late in November of last year.
Lieut.. Muller in speaking of his ex-
perience says that it seems like
bad dream and that he can hardly
realize that it happened.
The Ticonderoga was proceeding
from the United States to France as
part of a convoy when it was at
tackled by u-boat 152 in mid ocean.
The attack was made early in the
morning of September 80, 1918. The
lookout on the vessel sighted the
submarine and the signal was given.
An attempt was made to ram it, miss
ing by five feet. Then started the
battle which ended by the ship being
abandoned four minutes before 1t
sank and by the killing of most OF
the men aboard.
Heavy Damage by Germans.
The submarine opened fire almost
Immediately. The first shell was fired
at $40 a. m. and, the attack lasted
until SIS a. M, by which time the
Germans had fired twenty-six times.
Forty men had been killed, the three
inch gun Of the ship had been put
out of business, the steering appa-
ratus smashed, and Capt. Madison,
Of the Ticonderoga, seriously wound
ed. The Germans were using shrap-
mel and in addition to the forty men
killed about the same number
had been wounded. The guns of the
Ticonderoga were useless, as the ship
could. not be steered into a position
where they could be used. However,
about fifteen shots had been fired.
At this time the u-boat submerged
, and Capt. Madison ordered Lieut..
Muller to have the debris cleared
away. The entire superstructure OF
the Ticonderoga was afire, but was
extinguished, the wounded were
cared for, and the auxiliary steering
gear utilized.
This work was completed at $40
O'Clock and five minutes later the
submarine reappeared about four
miles off the port quarter of the ship.
The guns of the Ticonderoga were
trained on it and fired, the subma-
rine returning the fire. The distance
In targets may be appreciated mas
much as the submarine appeared as a
gray streak in the water, while the
merchant ship loomed high and was
an easy mark. to hit.
The exchange Of fire continued un-
till It's o'clock and the crew and am
munition parties had to be replaced
several times, the men having been
killed or disabled. 1t was then dis
covered that the vessel was sinking,
it having been struck below the
water line. All the woodwork had
been shot away and it was nothing
more than a hulk. The decks were
covered with dead and wounded men,
the aim of the Germans having been
good. Capt. Madison, during the en-
tire time, although severely wounded,
had been propped up against a bulk
head and had issued orders for the
defense of the ship. He now ordered
that the vessel be abandoned and
against his protest he was placed
in one of the three lifeboats remain
ing undamaged. He tainted as the
lifeboat was lowered.
Germans Sank Lifeboats.
In each boat there were three able
men and load of wounded soldiers.
Two Of these were sunk by the Ger
mans as they pushed away from the
ship, but the third lifeboat, No. 9,
got away safely. Capt. Madison was
in this one. At 7.30 o'clock torpe-
do was fired by the Germans at the
Mconderoga and it began to sink rap
idly. At 1885 O'Clock Lieut.. Muller and
the remainder of the crew aboard the
vessel took to a lifeboat and an old
wherry. Four minutes later when
they were about $50 feet from the
vessel it sank. On the raft were sew
enteen men and nine were in the
wherry, Lieut.. Muller being among
them. The craft was clumsy and
l.