The Pensacola journal., 1920-03-28

was nothing in sight except the chas-
ers, as the larger ships had not yet
arrived.
Captain Nelson knew that there were
two or three Austrian destroyers at
Durazzo, and his first efforts were
devoted to attempts to persuade them
to come out and give battle. With
this idea IN mind, tn echasers engaged
in what they called a war dance. be-
fore the port; they began turning
rapidly in a great circle, but all to no
purpose, for the Austrian ships de-
clined to accept the challenge.
After a time the smoke of the Italian
cruisers appeared above the horizon;
this was the signal for the chasers TO
take their stations. DurazZo is located
in an indentation of the coast; at the
southern extremity of the little gulf
the land juts out to a point known as
Cape Laghi; at the northern extrem-
ity the CORES ponding point is Cape
Pail; the distance between these two
points is about fifteen miles. Two sub
chaser units, six boats, were assigned
as a screen to the Italian cruisers while
the bombardment was under way. one
unit three boats, was stationed at
Cape Pail, to the north, to prevent any
submarines leaving Durazzo from at
tacking the British cruisers, which were
to approach the scene of activity from
that quarter, and another unit, three
boats, was stationed off Cape LaghI
Thus the two critical capes were COW
cred against submarine surprises, and
the attacking vessels themselves were
effectively screened.
The Shellins Begins.
The Italian cruisers sailed back ana
- hlly ri
at Durazzo, destroying shipping in the
harbor, knocking down military build
ings, and devastating the place on
liberal scale, all the time screened in
this operation by our chasers. Mean
time unit B, commanded by Lieuten-
ant Commander Bastedo, had started i
for its station at Cape Pali The Aus
trian shore batteries at once opened
upon the tiny craft, the water in their
being generously churn-
ed up by the falling shells.
Meanwhile the British cruisers, after
steaming for a while east, turned !
south in order to take up the bonn
harding station which, according TO the
programme, the Italian
warships were about to abandon. The
three screening chasers were steamins
in column, No. 129 bringing up the
to the right and started scampering
in the direction of some apparently
very definie object 1t moved so alb
ruptly and hastily that it did not take
the time even TO signal to its asso- |
ciates the cause of it's unexpected man |
oeuvre.
A Submarine Spotted.
On board No. 215 there was some |
question as to what shGGld be done.
Lets CO." said Commander Bas- |
tedo, perhaps he's after a submarine" |
No. 215 was Immediately turned in |
the direction of the busy No. 129, when |,
the interest of it's officers was aroused |
by little foamy fountain OF spray |
moving in the water slightly forward |
of it's port beam. There was no mys- |
terry as to the cause of that feathery |
1t was made by a peri |
scope; it was moving with considerable /
speed also, entirely ignoring the sub |
chasers and shaping its course direct |
ly toward the advancing British cruis-
ers. Commander Bastedo forgot all |
about subchaser 129, which apparently |
was after game of its own. and head |
ed his own boat in the direction of |
this little column of spray. In few
seconds the periscope itself became !
visible; Commander Bastedo open fire |
at 1t with his port gun; at the second i
shot column of water and air arouse
about six feet-a splendid geyser which
informed the pursuer that the peri
scopehad been shattered. BY this time /
the third chaser, No. 12s. was rushing
at full speed.
THAT Got HimI"
The submarine now saw that all /
chance of attacking the British ships /
had gone, and turned to the south in
an effort TO get away with a whole
skin. But the two subchasers. 215 and
l2S, quickly turned again and started /
for their prey; soon both were dropc
ping depth charges and shooting their
Y" guns; and huge circle of the sea
was a mass of explosions, whirling L
water, mighty eruptions of foam, mist |.
and debris-for in the mass. steel
plates and other wreckage flew from
he depths into the air.
THAT got him!" cried the executive
officer from the deck of 215. while the
,rew lifted up it's voices in a shout
hat was reminiscent of a college yell.
1t was not until this moment that i
Bastedo and his asso-
.iates remembered the 129, which, when 4
asst observed, was speeding through
he water on an independent course of
Ter own. In the midst of the excite
nent there came a message from this
,oat:
Submarine sighted" l.
Then a second afterward came an
ther message: |,
My engines are disabled" i
In a short time Bastedo had reached
he boat.
Where is the submarine -
I'VE just sank it, was the answer
20. 129 had dropped eight depth
harges. one directly over the Austrian
oat; in the water thrown up the Of
icers had counted seven pieces of
METAL plates, and the masses of oil |
nd bubbles that presently arose COM l.
leted the story of the destruction. (
Ieanwhile the British cruisers had i