To make this yarn more plausible, it was stated that the British destroyer had three funnels, that she was in company with two other destroyers, and that there was a British submarine in the neighbourhood. To explain away the illegal use of torpedoes which float for 10 days after being discharged, it was pointed out that this might happen through some flaw in construction. Out of this cock-and-bull story one fact at least emerged clearly enough, namely, that the Dutch steamer had been destroyed by a German torpedo.
A Court of Enquiry was held in Holland, at which the evidence was carefully sifted. At this court both the fourth mate and the man in the crow’s nest swore to having seen the track of a torpedo coming towards the ship before she was struck. The court’s verdict was: “The evidence given by the said witnesses and experts, considered in all its bearings, proves that the explosion was caused by a torpedo, which at some distance, under an angle of six points, was launched by a torpedo-boat or a submarine, without any previous warning. This torpedo appears to have been a bronze Schwarzkopf torpedo, and was aimed at the Tubantia, there being no other ship near.”
The fact that the wake of a torpedo approaching the ship was seen by two men in the steamer proves that the German explanation about a floating torpedo was false. A floating torpedo would, of course, make no track in the water. The whole case is a further exposure of German methods.
On the 3rd February the Norwegian sailing vessel Tamara fell in with a German submarine at 9.30 a.m. Although flying the Norwegian colours and bearing the name of the ship and her country painted on her side, this vessel was sunk by the U-boat. Before sinking her, the Germans searched the ship and carried away everything portable, including the clothes of the crew. The boats were picked up at 10 p.m. by a patrol vessel.
The Norwegian steamer Solbakken was sunk by a German submarine off Finisterre on the 4th February, 1917. One man was drowned and one died of the cold. Thirteen survivors were landed at Gijon.
A German submarine sighted the Peruvian barque Lorton on the 5th February, 1917, and at once opened fire at 3,000 yards. The Peruvian colours were hoisted, the ship was hove to, and the master proceeded in his boat to the submarine. He was questioned by a young officer who spoke very good English, and who seemed to know all about the Lorton. This officer told the master to return to his ship and bring back a German who was on board. Five of the submarine’s crew went back with him, and they found the German mate of the Lorton with his things all packed ready to be taken off. The Germans took the master’s watch, refused to return his papers, and sank his ship. The master is of opinion that his German mate had given certain information about the movements of the ship. The man sent a letter off from Colon.
On the 7th February the Swedish steamship Varing, bound from Savannah to Helsingborg, met with a German submarine. Although the steamer was hove to and hoisted the Swedish flag, the submarine continued firing for 20 minutes, her master counting 20 shells in that period. Her crew were allowed no time to save their personal belongings or to furnish the life-boats with provisions. The master made a strong protest against the methods of the submarine commander when he reached Helsingborg.
In fine weather and a calm sea the Greek steamship Aghios Spyridon was sunk without warning by a submerged U-boat at 1.5 a.m. on the 12th February, 1917. The vessel sank in a few seconds after being torpedoed, and the crew had but little chance of escape. Out of 21 men, 16 were lost, one Chilian and one Spaniard being amongst the killed. The survivors, who clung to floating wreckage, were eventually picked up by a patrol-boat and landed at Penzance.
The Norwegian vessel Falls of Afton was at sea on the 20th February, 1917, with the Norwegian colours painted on her side. At nine o’clock in the morning, in hazy weather, a German submarine rose to the surface right ahead of the ship, waited till the vessel approached, then steered to starboard and lay about 4 cables distant. No other vessel was in sight. The Norwegian colours were hoisted, but the submarine fired three shots, one of which went through a sail. The ship was hove to and was abandoned by her crew, the Germans sinking her with bombs. No lives were lost, but a member of the crew, who had signed on as a Russian Finn, declared himself a German and was taken away in the submarine.
The Norwegian sailing vessel Mabella was sunk by a U-boat on the 1st March, 1917, although the Norwegian colours and ship’s name were hoisted directly the submarine was sighted. The vessel was sunk by gun-fire and two bombs. The Germans took the master’s chronometer, sextant, new oilskin coat, and three bags of stores.