The Washington herald., 1919-01-27
TWO CAPTURED BY U-ROAT
DESCRIBE THRILLING yC5f-
American Naval Officers Escs
Ticonderoga on Raft to Be
Submarine; Held Prisoner

Brimful Of excitement and contrast
ing sideliEhts on the character Of the
men who carried out the most hideous
OF the German frightfulness cam
paigns. the Clearest portrayal OF life
under the sea ever given TO the world
Is contained in the thrilling rcCitar
Of two United States naval oficers
who were held prisoner aboard n.
German U-bo7t l52 during her last
six weeks cruise against allied ship
ping. !
The report made to Secretary Dan
iels by Lieut.. = l. Muller and Lieut.
J. II. FUlcher opens with a terse.
dramatic statement OF the desperate
fight the L. s. 5. TiconderoEa waEed
early on the morning of September -, i
1875, when she fell oehind her convoy
and was attacked by C-boat Ia
The Ticonderoea fought the subma-
rine for seyenJy-rve minutes early in
the morning, four OF her men being
killed at the 6-inch gun and her radio
house and superstTucture being de-
molished. The approach OF the I. 5.
s. Galveston forced the Germans to
sUbmerEe, but they returned an hour
and a quarter later, and in another
vigorous attack. which lasted nearly
an hour. sent three shells into the
merchantman's engine room and
( placed her in a sinking condition.
Took to the Rats.
As the ship sank the men took to
1 the RATS. The U-boat came 10 the
saene, seized upon floating foodstuas
and took the two officers prisoner.
/ The wounded on the RATS appealed for
aid, but the Germans gave them short
answers. Only twenty-four SURVIVORS
were reported and 10 Were lost.
Muller and Fulcher We're sent be
low and isolated. Neither knew o.
/ the others presence on board for four
/ days Muller. whom Capt. Franz. OF
/ the Submarine. supposed 10 b. Lnr
! captain of the TiconderoEa. was pick
/ cd up at SO. When FulCher was
/ taken aboard. Franz. standing amid-
| ships, demanded. Where's the Chi"'
/ gunner? Where's the chief gUuncr's
mate
Dead" replied FuICher.
Franz was under the impress on that
the Ticonderogs's after gun had con-
tinued firing after the sheet had been
hoisted.
Interpreted for Orhccr.
] AllCke. n ma CnlnHN lllttA' VI ~
man descent already hauled aboard
/ the submarine. interpreted for G:-
/ cher. Franz was ordering him TO the
raft alongside, when he pleaded TO Toe
/ kept on board. Speak for me- he
I begged his officer. but the German
captain replied: Get back on the
raft. What do you mean by lighting
| against us, against your country
Only God can save such as you now
Wounded men on the raft pleaded,
1 Won't you please take u.s. we
| have no food or water, no chance
/ But Franz answered: We have room
| for no more" and cast them adr1fL
Fulcher was taken to Chief I'm
! Cineer Heines room. where shrap1cl
was cut from his leg and he was
given brandy and overalls by the
ships surgeon. whose name by CO.
. incidence, was Fuy'Cher. He was
( kindly treated and the pair contec-
/ tured upon their relationship
The U-l52 had left Kiel for her
cruise on September S. She did not
return until November Il. Although
/ she had engine troubles, the ships
record on the cruise gives evidence OF
the great radius OF the later types OF
| German submersibles.
During the 1rSt week lne sAlueTlCHilS
were aboard the ship was not in ac-
ton. But on October l. she sighted
/ the Norwegian bark Sufinder and.
/ after setting its crew adrift in small
boats, with instructions to make sail
| for Newfoundland. LooO miles away,
the bark was sunk after being looted.
| This action was taken despite the
I fact that on the previous day a code
! message was received. which read:
I Engage men-of-war only. The mer-
J chant war has ended" The Ameri-
cans were told OF the message by the
: crow.
\ Again. on October =. tho order wss
i violated and an unescorted steamer
! WAS attacked, sixty shots being fred.
I The ship escaped when a cruiser and
! destroyer appeared. On October %
l orders wcre received TO return to KieI-