Submarine and Anti-submarineNewbolt, Henry John, Sir
History
Submarine and Anti-submarine
Newbolt, Henry John, Sir
Submarines (Ships); World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations -- Submarine
As the last boat was pushing off, the enemy’s periscope was seen for
the first time, just before the port beam, and about 400 yards from
the ship. He turned and came straight on; but ten minutes later, when
only 50 yards from the ship and close to the stern of the lifeboat, he
submerged completely and disappeared. His periscope was sighted again
a few minutes later, directly astern; he then steamed to the starboard
quarter, turned round and went across to the port beam, turned again
towards the ship and lifeboat, and finally, after all this nosing
about, broke surface within 50 yards or less. But even now he was
extremely cautious, showing only his conning-tower and ends; and when
the lifeboat pulled away round the ship’s stern, he followed close
behind, with only one man visible on top of the conning-tower, shouting
directions to those below.
For the next three minutes of this long game of patience, the
strain was intense. Commander Campbell was watching the man on the
conning-tower carefully, for as long as he saw him perched up there he
knew that he could reserve his fire. Lieutenant Hereford was waiting
till he was certain that his captain was in a winning position. As soon
as that was attained, he pulled deliberately towards the ship. This
annoyed the submarine, whose object was evidently, in case of a fight,
to keep the boats as much as possible in the line of fire. He came
right up to the surface and began to semaphore to the boats, at the
same time training a Maxim on them.
But by this time the U-boat was only one point before the ship’s beam,
with all guns bearing on him at 50 yards’ range--Commander Campbell’s
chance had come. He opened fire with a shot from the 4-inch gun,
which struck the base of the conning-tower and also removed the two
periscopes. Hit after hit followed, nearly all in the conning-tower,
which could no longer be closed. The submarine took a list to port, and
several men rushed up, out of the hatch abaft the conning-tower. Then,
as the stern began to sink and oil squirted from the boat’s sides,
the rest of the crew came out, held up their hands and waved in token
of surrender. Commander Campbell, of course, ordered ‘Cease fire’;
but no sooner had the order been obeyed, than the pirate started to
move off on the surface, hoping, though listing to port and down by
the stern, and in honour bound a prisoner, to get away in the mist.
The _Pargust_ could not follow, so that she was obliged to open fire
again. The U-boat’s breach of faith did not save her. In her quick
rush, she got to about 300 yards from her captor, whose guns continued
to speak straight to her. Then a shot apparently touched off one of
her torpedoes--there was an explosion forward, and she fell over on
her side. For a moment her bow was seen jutting up sharply out of the
water, and the next she was gone.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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