Ogden Daily Standard | 1916-11-16 | Page 1 | Berlin Denies Shelling Ship

BERLIN DENIES I SHELLING SHIP I Crew Did Not Fire on Rowan- ; : more's Lifeboats Is Com- j xnander's Report. I STORY UTTERLY FALSE !H Survivors Owe Lives to Pre- ; cautions and Skill of Ger- ; man Submarine Men. j Berlin, Wednesday, Nov. 15. By Rl wireless to The Associated PresB via feil Sayville, Nov. 16. Assertions that the German submarine which sank the fll British ship Rowanmore, on which there were Beveral Americans, fired ll upon lifeboats containing members of ' the crew are dismissed as utterly false in the report in the commander '91 of the submarine, further details of Ml which became known today. In fact, '11 It is said, the men on the Rowan- jflH more owe their lives to the precau- 1 tions taken by the Germans and the skill with which their operations were j fH carried out. During the 20 minute 11 pursuit of the steamship the submar- I IH ine's shots were aimed accurately so J as to eliminate the danger to the 11 crew which was congregated at the j ttH bow. The Rowanmore was hit ten jjH times, the last shell disabling the J UH propeller. No Shots Fired at Boats. The submarine ceased firing, the report continues, immediately It was noted the Rowanmore had decreased her speed and abandoned her effort I to escape. No shots were fired at 'H the men in the boats. Just before , 'H she stopped, the Rowanmore hoisted a j H signal, but it was impossible to read ! it from the submarine, at that time about 2,000 yards away. Later it was shown that the signal was "I sur- ;.H render." Tho master of the Rowanmore at-tempted at-tempted to justify his attempt to escape, the submarine commander re- 'H ports, by the assertion that he de- , sired to gain time to launch boats I but this pretext was.not accepted. Later the Rowanmore's captain was ' mado a prisoner of war for attempt- , lng to escape and for summoning as- ' sistance by wireless, which speedily brought np a British destroyer. Thereupon the Rowanmore was sunk by a torpedo. jM oo 1 1