Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1915 — SUBMARINES IN RAID [ARTICLE]

SUBMARINES IN RAID

Lone German Craft Sinks Five Ships in 24 Hours. Undersea Raider Operated in British Channel and Gave Each Crew Ten Minutes to Leave Their Ship Before Using Bombs. Berlin. —The German submarine, U-29, made a recent raid on British shipping off the Scilly and within 24 hours sunk five ships and damaged two merchantmen so badly that they were abandoned by their crews. The commander of the submarine gave the crews of most of the steamships time to leave their vessels, and in some cases towed the shin’s lifeboats with the crew to passing steamers by which they were carried to port. Members of the crew of the Auguste Consul, who were landed at Falmouth, stated that the German commander informed them that he had been away from his base at Cuxhaven six days and was planning to return after completing the work of destruction near Scilly islands. He declared his boat would be replaced by another undersea raider. The British steamship Adenwen was torpedoed by the U-29 in the British channel, 25 miles off Casquets. Next came the torpedoing of the Auguste Consul. On the next day the U-29 claimed three victims in short order. They were the Indian City, the Headlands and the Andalusian. The Florizan and Hartdale were wrecked so badly that they were abandoned bjr their crews an sank later. When last seen the craft was pursuing a steamer out to sea. It is believed the submarine continued on its journey for Cuxhaven. In the destruction of the British ships it is believed bombs were used, especially on crafts from which the crews were taken by the Germans. The bombs are far smaller than the regular torpedoes and a far greater number can be carried. The work of the U-29 was watched by scores of people off Biddeford, within sight of Hughtown, on St. Marys island. Immediately after the craft was sighted patrol boats were sent out, but as they approached the submarine the latter submerged itself and was seen a few minutes later more than two miles away. In this manner it proceeded in its work of destruction, outmaneuverlng the slow merchantmen as'they sought to zig-zag out of the course of the speedy raider.