Show Q Decoy Ships Took Advantage of Germans Germans' A Appetite pp e t I t e for fo r Defenseless I Boats and and Sank M Many any Submarines I I Accounts its of oC tho the exploits of oC deco decoy ships or ships or Q boats boat ns they are arc were called c called were were forbidden publication b by br bythe y th the e censor until now The Tho sailors faithfully withheld Information regarding Q Q boat exploits and th these hidden I dramas of ot tho the high seas wel o known to but few fete outside the British nay na navy y DT By Service T ONDON DO Jan 4 It 4 It It is now permitted L LO to r relate te h some somo of ot tho the s stories replete replete re re- pleto with thrills of ot tho the bravery cr and high efficiency on somo of or Britain Britain's s Q boats bonta Knowing tho Germans Gorman's vr pr preference for tor an nn easy casy mark macIc tho the Q boats hoats were sent out as lleco decoys s In ap- ap the they were Innocent merchant merchant- men In reality they thoy heavily armed and wore manned b by Intrepid seamen eamon of or Englon England's s 's navy c dt t was ryas a n summer Bummer evening with a 0 calm sea and a 0 setting Botting sun nun and just Juat sufficient to fill tho the sails Balls of oC a u looking clumsy old ohl British sailing ship apparently coasting Tho The galley fire was going goinS' and the steno was waR one ono of ot man many which were to tobe tobo tobo bo be seen In British waters prior to the opening of ot the tho U-boat U campaign n. n Suddenly some throe three miles oft off a a. Gorman Ger German German Gor- Gor man submarine broko water manned her forward gun and opened fire tire Four shots fell tell dangerously near tho sailing ship snip which at once hove to and lowered lowered lowered low low- ered a Q boat bont th the tho occupants of ot which commenced pulling as 09 for tor dour door life Ufo out of or tho the radius of ot tho the enemy faro The U-boat U continued firing at tho the same salO time approaching at t about ten knots until dead astern of ot tho the sailing ship Thought t Her lIer n a Tramp German officers oct examined hor her carefully carefully care care- fully through their glasses Classes S Sho was apparently apparent not worth wasting toasting a torpedo upon When about yards yarda away the submarines submarine's helm was ryas put over 01 and sho came camo up on the ships ship's port beam am amat at a distance of oC about 70 yards ards Evidently It was the Intention of ot tho the Gorman commander to sink her by br gunfire gunfire gun gun- fire In fact tact he had Just given tho the order or order order or- or der to fire tiro at her water line when ho he saw the white while ensign run up The lumbering old craft got ot In the first shot In tho the resumed encounter There was nothing nothing- to be done now but fight tight The Germans German's first impulse Impulso was wast t to ram rant and with his helm hard aport ho went full speed ahead But Dut tho the sailing sailIng sailing sail sail- ing Ing- ship was not In his turning circle Then Thell he came camo about and tried to maneuver to escape tho the British gun gun- fire The deco decoy ship ship for for such was thereal tho the real roal business of or tho the sailing vessel vessel- had been boon perilously l close with her first shot H er sego 1 n d 0 1 I tv n as more JUVI Q successful JU I and made mado a nast nasty mes mes of or the baso base of or ortho I- I tho the boats U-boat's conning tower so that tho submarine could not dive dhe Got the Submarine Tho British gunners gunners' aim was excellent excellent excel excel- lent as the third shot showed 1 for it I completely carried awa away tho the foremost b gun n an and killed th the tho whole of ot the guns gun's cr crew w. w Tho submarine submarino endeavored to show as small a n target ns hs possible keeping stern on to the British ship which however cr still continued to got ot In several hits with her larger guns gunJ and Lewis Jewis guns causing a number of ot casualties casualties cas cas- to the enemy The submarine apparently badly mauled proceeded for about 1000 yards when suddenly her hel engines stopped and ahe sank with an explosion and amidst a cloud of oC dense 1 black smoke When hen the smoke ha had cleared awa away three German sailors were seen struggling gling filing In tho the tho water and wore picked up They were badly badh wounded but hut thanks to first aid were sot got ot ashore and taken to a naval na hospital The Theca ca casualties to the British crew were slight sligh t. t Tricking the fhe Pirates Another decoy ship to all intents and purposes a British merchantman armed with an antisubmarine gun was making her hel way on a certain course when the lookout sighted a torpedo on I tho the starboard beam Apparently the torpedo had been heen discharged at very close range ranse Before Deoro the vessel had time to respond respond re respond re- re spond to Its helm the torpedo jumped out of oC tho the water ands ards from the tho ship hl and struck near the tho engine room Just on tho the water line Tho The explosion tore a large e rent in the tIle ships ship's side Water Yater rushed In n filling tho the boiler room loom engine room and No o. o 5 hold The starboard lifeboat was blown into tho the air all the wreckage lan landing ln on the I wireless room Tho rho abandon ship signal was given ond three boats were lowered As 5 tho the last boat pulled awa away a periscope appeared appeared appeared ap ap- above tho the surface scarcely yards ards ml away away The Tho submarine submarIno still submerged submersed sub sub- merged mersed approached the ship until CO 50 yards off oce and then again lowered Its periscope A few minutes later the periscope reappeared astern of oC the In Iii In 1 I ship and then the submarine broke broko o surface following ono of or tho the lifeboats which was pulling around tho the stern item of or tho tile e vessel Merely Merelyn n a Blind Blindt A t German sailor emerged from the conning tower an and shouted some seine directions lions in English to tho the boats boat's crow which h still continued to pull away from their ship D By this time limo tho the submarine was well above O tho surface and had reached a point before the ships ship's beam about 50 50 yards ards distant Up went tho the white on- on sign n and tho reveal roveal C d her true purpose Sho had hadd d not been thoroughly thor thor- abandoned Firo iro spurted from several guns load dead cm on tho submarine A 4 Inch shell hit tho bas bas baso of or tho conning conning- tower and tm v opt both P periscopes away Rapid fire was maintained and other othor hits re- re 01 deil Badly holed the submarine submarino took hea heavy list 1st to port and several mew mes n appeared on deck dock ft as 1111 she steamed slowly across the bows of OC tho the decoy ship Spurts of oC oil from her alclo hl ida showed the Barr sorry plight sho aho was in and more o of tho the crow crew camo came on deck and held up their hands The Tho British captain taking this for tor a sign o of surrender g SIve ve th the tho or order er to cease fire the But nut no sooner hall hail h ho don dons so than tho the submarine attempted to make malec off ott The decoy ship was on to her again In an Instant and a deadly fire was opened A great explosion scaled tho the fat fate of ot tho the enemy slid sha heeled over on oft ono side poli polled poled tl for tor a A. moment and sank BanI stern first A t Victim A A. loOkout man on tho decoy re reported ro- ro ported a U submarine three miles awa away For a. a t while tho the enemy dill did nothing navo aavo follow at nt a safe Bafo distance He lie appeared to bo lie satisfying himself that I ho he had superior speed and gun power Reassured on these points ho opened fire tire and continued firing tiring drawing closer all tho thu while rile Tho fact that not nota a single round was wan returned puzzled him and for tor a n qu quarter of or an hour ho withheld his hla firo Again In he ho commenced his bombardment now steering a n I parallel parallel course court I I 3 to hit his victim When hen he ho was In a suitable position the decoy ship opened fire fir on him the first round petting getting homo home just abaft the conning tower It Il was wa evidently o a 0 mortal wound for tor ho appeared to loso lose Va way and stopped Seventeen rounds round were we're fired Ired from the British ship and round after round found foun Its Us mark until seven direct hits had been scored Not ot n a shell came camo from rom the sub Bub- submarine marine and aull the tho last hit which holed her Just below the fore toro deck cau caused ed eda a very cry big explosion throwing avast a Vast ast column of oC water high Into the tho air It was all over in a brief brier space and within minutes of ot tho first hit tho the submarine sank three sank crowded minutes of ot glorious vl victory tor Another r Encounter Further honors remained In store stora for tor tho same bamo ship for tor later lator in the day she ran ron in with another submarine which slowly overtook her open opening Ins tiro lIro when about two miles Off iff After the sixth round tho the ship was stopped nn and a 11 boat put off ort from herTo her To all nil outward appearance the ship was abandoned From a 0 position away on tho the port beam tho the submarine maintained her fire till the tho boat had pulled clear of ot the ship shiV Thereafter he her maneuvers were ere strange For some time sho remained stopped exactly abeam tho the suddenly sho she began to approach tho the ship and was soon traveling at her hor full sur- sur fact speed When hen GOO COO yards ards away sho she began bogan to submerge and she remained submerged till she sho was within about t fifty Ct yards of or the ship when whon she roso rose rapidly As the tho hull hun appeared one of or tho the doCO do- do CO coy ships ship's fired and the tho shell struck just bolow below the conning tots tower or piercing piercing- llo rounded sl side e a afoot afoot atoot foot toot above tho the water A flash lash of brilliant blue flame and a n dense volume of ot yellow o came from the tho hole Almost simultaneously another shell struck forward and anti tho the bows were onvel enveloped ped in a cloud of ot black and yellow smoke and spra spray The fhe submarine submarino gave gate a a. convulsive lurch an and with n. n a loud noise of or gurgling gurgling lin ling and hissing plunged down bows bowa tor foremost most leaving on tho the surface n a great pool of oC oil Sometimes tho disguised merchantman merchant merchant- man has a rough time while waiting the tho opportunity to make mako suro sure of tho the enemy On ono one occasion tho the enemy opened fire at long long- range ranse but his aim wall was wan poor wor and ho approached at full tun speed From close quarters ho sent a 0 shell through tho pop of ot tho the merchantman I which exploded a a depth churgo nn and II blow an officers from his hla control tion Two more moro hits With were scored d on i tho the poop POOl which was now now burning fiercely Soon a bl big explosion blow the four four- Inch gun and tho the guns gun's crew Into the air nIl Tho The gun Kun landed forward on tin the tho well deck At tho the time lime only ono one gun run would bear on tho submarine and this opened fire Tho enemy surprised ship was not really abandoned hurriedly dived but It is possible that one hit was obtained on tho the conning tower before he disappeared Hoses S wore were oro turned on the poop which was by this time limo a mass of or flames lames tho deck being red hot r n ft Cripple The Tho submarine then fired tired a n torpedo which near r the engine room For an hour she sho cruised about sub sub- merged Then as tho the merchantman had been torpedoed and was badly on fire she deemed It safe safo to break brenk surface surface sur sur- face tace and she sho camo came up directly astern from which position she shelled tho the ship at a range of or a few w hundred yards ar s nearly all the tho shells being di direct direct dl- dl reel hits or falling near the bouts boats which had been lowered Two e exploded on the bridge ge tearIng tearing tear tear- ing ng it to pieces A signal for or assistance assistance assist St ance was sent out and very short shortly afterward a n destroyer arrived d. d It was one thing for tor the tho submarine submarino to tackle lc a 0 crippled and blazing merchantman mer mor- chan a destroyer was Vas another matter and at first sight of the tho warship war- war ship the enemy disappeared |