Evening star., 1921-07-16
GUNS
SINK DESTR0YERS
Former Enemy War Craft
Sent Down by Accurate
Fire.
By the Associated Press.

NORFOLK, Va, July 16.-Six former
enemy war craft now have found a
last resting place on the floor OF the
Atlantic seventy-five miles off the Vir-
glnia capes. They will be Joined next
week by the light cruiser Frankfurt
and dreadnaught Ostfresland. the last
OF the German ships turned over to
the United States for experimental
purposes.
Destroyers and battleships of the
Atlantic fleet sent down yesterday
with shell fire two destroyers. the
V43 and S-132. in operations which
consumed much of the entire day.
Naval and Army aircraft will under
take to destroy the Frankfurt Mon
day and the Ostfresland Wednesday,
Should they fail, destroyers will shell
the Frankfurt and the Ostfresland
will fall a target to the 14-inch guns
of the superdreadnauSht Pennsyl-
vania. flagship Of the Atlantic fleet.
While lacking much Of the spectac-
ular which marked the destruction or
the old destroyer G-102 Monday by
Army aircraft. yesterdays operations
were impressive and were conducted
under weather conditions which naval
officers said were far from favorable.
the heavy seas kicked up by a twenty
fiveknot wind pitching and tossing
the targets as well as the attacking,
destroyers.
Speed OF 81 Knots.
Under orders to fire at a speed OF
thirty-two knots, the thirty sixth de-
stroyer division bore down on the tar
get from the distant horizon just be-
fore noon, only to find as they dashed
past that at that speed they were
making the maximum of roll in
choppy sea. They withheld their fire
md af 10 f
other run by at fifteen knots. with
the Dickerson leading. followed by the
Sicard. Leary, Scheneck and Herbert
Whom the ships were 5000 yards off
the marks, which were anchored in aI
approximate column 400 yards apart
the Leary let go with three of her
four four-inch rifles. Each gun was
discharged ten times. One of thirty
shells went through the bridge of the
V-43. and another passed through the
Naval officers said that had the V-43
been in action. with ammunition
aboard and steam up. that shot prob
ably would have done for her, causing
either a magazine or boiler explo-
sion.
Schooner Crosses Range.
With the Sicard dropping out to act
later as a dispatch boat, the destroyer
column, still running single file. cir
come up again for the attack on the
S-l32. by the Herbert. As the vessels
stood down TO the firing line, three
masted schooner sailed leisurely
across the range despite warnings
from the Pennsylvania, and she was
within a few hundred yards Of the
Herbert, when that ship opened fi-e.
Thirty shots were discharged by :he
Herbert. six taking effect and plac
ing the target in sinking condition.
,yov ..vf
Of the attack. Led by the Florida,
flagship of Vice Admiral Scales. the
North Dakota and Pennsylvania.
which had been observing the de-
stroyer's fire. bore away for a rum
| ming start past the targets. After
they circled and came down TO a
7.500-yard range. where the Florida
opened up on the V-43. firing 1f0
shells in salvos from her starboarI
six-inch battery. The first shots were
over. but the pointers soon hal the
range and shell after shell crashed
into the rusty hulk as it pitched and
tossed at its anchorage.
Vessel Sinks.
Within a few minutes after the fir-
ing ceased the V-43 was settling by
the head. She filled gradually until
her forward deck was awash. Her end
then was only a matter Of minutes
The stern hoisted higher and higher
out OF the water until it was at right
angles. and as it slipped down there
was an explosion, caused by the pres
sure Of running water against the air
in the after compartments.
Meantime the big battleships. aug
mented by the Delaware, which fell
into line behind the Florida, started
away on a wide circular course which
would bring them back on a 1900
yard range, from which the Della ware
opened fire on the S-132.
Three shells in the first salvo Of
seven found the mark. and before the
full 140 shots allotted the ship had
been fred the old German destroyer
had been swept from stem to stern,
explosion following explosion as each
shell found the mark. An early shot
carried away the mainmast and an
other set fire to the afterhouse. 9th
ers exploded below decks, causing
columns of smoke to come from the
| ships tunnels.
Despite this punishment, the S-132
remained af1oat until after the naval
| officers, foreign naval attaches and
other observers. who came down from
Washington on the naval transport
Henderson, had started away on the
homeward trip. A radio message from
l the Pennsylvania announced the sink
\ ing at 1907 pm. to those on the Hen
derson and to the newspaper corre-
| spondents who had been transferred TO
! the destroyer Sicard, which made a
| forced draft run to Norfolk.