South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-07-03

deemed it wise TO follow in the wake
OF each schooner. In fact, the
schooners and the submarines be
came quite chummy, 20 much 50
that a telephone line was strung from
the schooner 10 each submarine.
which remained below the surface
all day long. II is very probable
that II the U-boat had been sighted
there might have been some tele-
phoning 20 the submarine astern.
At night time the submarine
commanders brought their craft 20
the surface. and their good friends
on board the schooners loaded them
down with gifts OF food supplies and
fuel.
one pair Of these strange marine
pals" was dragging along in calm
of the Virginia Capes IN midsum-
mer. 1918. The submarine had been
on the surface till nearly daybreak.
and the former naval officer in the
schooner had been up all night tend
ing 10 the wants Of his friends in
the submarine. SO at daybreak he
turned in for a short sleep. and the
submarine opened her submerging
valves and went below.
Find U-BOat on Surface.
Shortly after s o'clock in the
morning the lookout on the schooner
reported a bark that a small vessel
was alongside the bark The look
out continued to make reports on
the activities Of the two vessels. The
American submarine stayed below.
the naval commander on the schoon-
er exulted in wel-earned sleep, and
the Scandinavian skipper OF the
schooner went about his usual
duties.
Just before noon the submarine
commander telephoned TO the
| schooner asking If all was clear for
him TO bring his vessel TO the sur
face to give the crew a bit OF fresh
, air. The skipper of the schooner
telephoned back for the submarine
to come up.
The submarine was hardly on the
surface before there was a distant
! boom; the bark astern was seen to
turn her tail upward and sink. and
| toward the schooner there came
scurrying through the ocean what
was Enthusiastically a submarine. She
/ had not sighted the American sub
marine.
The American submarine COM
mander was back to his vessel in a
I twinkling. Matches were suddenly
/ closed, orders were given TO prepare
for action, and the boat made a
quick dive below the surface. but
not quick enough; for almost simel
taneously the approaching U-boat
sighted the submarine and made an
other quick dive. Constant search
for many hours failed to turn up
the missing U-boat,
Navy Department Wrath.
disappointment on that day was
sufficient, but it was even greater
when some time later it was learned
that the U-boat had been alongside
the bark for more than four hours,
with her matches wide open, loading
copper bars from the bark before
sending her to the bottom with a
| bomb. While this perfect target was
open the American submarine had
loafed below the surface; the Amer
lean naval commander on the
schooner had slept peacefully, and
the skipper Of the schooner had
gone blisfully on with his deck du-
ties
There was a warm time in the
navy department. The skipper of
the schooner was sharply called to
account for his failure 10 report the
bark and the vessel alongside. He
maintained that he had believed il
to be a small tug towing the bark.
After the armistice when the navy
department secured the U-117 to-
gether with it's log, it was learned
that the U-boat commander record
ed this as his most narrow escape in
American waters.
II is small wonder that there was
grim satisfaction on the faces OF
watching naval officers a few weeks
ago. when the U-117 turned her tail
to the clouds and took her last
dive, an ignOminious end, sunk by
aerial bombers while anchored as a
helpless target.
And so another chapter of the dis
appointments of the sea was closed