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Show CORRESPONDENT GOES ON-SUBMARINE TRIP French Commander Takes Writer Out for Glimpse of Patrol Duty. ELEVEN METERS DOWN Crew Yearns in Vain for a Brush With Enemy's U-Boats. 13 International News Sen-ice Correspondent. Corre-spondent. 1JAR1S, June 10. I have Just returned from a trlRin the North sea In a French submarine, one of tho Laubeauf class. Received with charming courtesy by tlie officer In command, I was conducted below, be-low, heard the opening above being closed and felt the vibration of the start. I looked around and saw a maze of machinery. ma-chinery. The commander had left me, but the young officer was still at my side. Next . to us stood a sailor holding the helm of the vessel and repeating In a clear, calm voice the orders which came to him from somewhere: "Twenty degrees to port! Th bar at zero!" I felt we were gaining speed and the vessel was rocking and swaying gently. Some ten minutes passod. Then cam the command: ''Aux postes de plonges!" We were going to dive. The Diesel oil engine stopped, the men took up their positions and the electrio motors began , humming. Getting Ready to Dive. ! "Open the valves of the diving tanks!" I knew we were sinking, but I felt nothing, heard nothing at all, not even i a sound of the sea water rushing Into : the tankB. I looked at the manometer. It showed we were already eight meters ; below the surface of the sea. I looked at my watch. Less than three minutes had passed since Uie order was given for : the men to stand at the plunging poste. Daylight was disappearing rapidly and the water was turning a deep green. Everything was done in a manner which banished every Idea of danger. I mounted into the upper part of the vessel ves-sel and- saw the commander standing at the periscope scanning the horizon. I ' felt that we Increased speed very considerably. con-siderably. The only sound I heard was the low humming of the electrio motors and the waves against the sides of the periscope. Eleven Meters Down. We were eleven meters below the su- face now. I heard the sailor blow singing sing-ing out the depth. Still the boat continued con-tinued to plunse. The order to put on maximum speed was given, but not the slightest shaking was noticeable. Only when I was permitted to look through the periscope did I get an Idea of tho speed we were making, and the commander com-mander explained the direction to me on the chart. Then maneuvering began. Time and ajrain we rose to tho surface and plunged again, once down to nearly twelve meters, me-ters, but every movement was soft and gentle. I explored the boat from one end to the other, which Is not a very difficult diffi-cult task, for a submarine is merely a narrow corridor between two rows of machinery', ma-chinery', with a central compartment for observation and two compartments at the ends for the quarters of the officers and crew. Onco more T looked through tho periscope peri-scope and now I saw plainly the vessel that was convoying us. Some distance away was a destroyer and out on th horizon a cloud of back smoke. Running Half Submerged. A brief command and we rose to th surface. The Diesel engines were set going go-ing and we went along half submerged. Suddenly came the order, "Alertel" and there was a stir. The Diesel motors stopped instantaneously and we sank quicker than ever, ttfo Indicators racd across the dial, daylight disappeared like a flash and the maximum depth was reached In quick time. Then we stopped sinking without the slightest jar. "If you could only examine our wonderful won-derful " torpedoes, or, better still, see us fire one of them, you would be surprised." sur-prised." one of the sailors said to me, his eves beaming with enthusiasm. On our way back to port I hafl a talk with our commander. We wore disouss-lng disouss-lng the possibility of a sortie of the Oer- I man navy. I.Ike all French sailors, ho is I wishing for one, but he does not believe j in H. During November last he had been I overloved -when it was thought that Von jTlrpiiz 'would venture a dash Into th I channel, but it was a vain hope. I "No." he said, "we shall never see anything but this dreadful monotonous patrol duty, which Is constant torture to , the men who are burning fnr a real fight, and we all envy our brethren ashore who are fighting at' Verdun." |