Survivors from the “Dwinsk” after eight days in the lifeboat
The next loss to be recorded is that of the Folia, Captain Francis Inch, which was sunk on Sunday, March 11th, 1917, at a quarter past seven in the morning, off the Irish coast, while on a voyage from New York to Bristol. The periscope of the attacking submarine was first sighted by the Third Officer some 500 feet away and nearly abeam. Immediately afterwards, he saw a torpedo approaching the ship, two of her boats being smashed in the explosion which followed, and the Folia herself beginning rapidly to settle. Seven of the crew, including the Second Engineer, were killed by the explosion, but the rest of the officers and men were safely embarked in the four boats which were lowered.
While the lifeboats were still in the neighbourhood, the submarine came to the surface, steamed round the ship and fired four shots into her, following this up with a second torpedo. The Captain then got his boats together and instructed the officers in charge to steer N.W. by compass, three of them making fast by painters so as not to get adrift from each other. About 11 a.m., the Captain, under the fog that had crept up, sighted breakers ahead, and told the other boats to follow in line behind him. Creeping along the edge of the breakers, they at last sighted smooth water at the base of some cliffs, and, pulling into shore, noticed the outline of a house high above them, with people standing in front of it. Shouting in unison, the crew succeeded in attracting attention and learned that the place was Ardmore, Youghal, Co. Cork, and from there they proceeded to Dungarvan, where they arrived at 8 o’clock in the evening, the inhabitants of both places treating the shipwrecked officers and crew with the greatest hospitality.
The “Mauretania” leaving Southampton with homeward-bound Canadian troops
In all these cases the vessels attacked were either unarmed or so taken by surprise that no resistance was possible. But in the case of the Lycia, Captain T. A. Chesters, which was sunk on February 11th, 1917, a most plucky action against odds was fought. It was nearly half-past eight in the morning, and about 20 miles north-west of the South Bishop’s Light, that the submarine was sighted, and by the time Captain Chesters had picked her up on the starboard beam, his vessel had already been struck by a shot from her. Captain Chesters immediately altered the Lycia’s course so as to place the submarine astern, and himself opened fire at about 3,000 yards. His gun, which was of Russian make and of a very light type, was one of the first supplied to merchant ships under the Admiralty scheme, when there was a great shortage of armaments owing to the needs of the Army and Navy, and it misfired several times; the Third Officer, Third Engineer, and Steersman had been already wounded by the fire of the submarine.
In the unequal duel that now ensued, the Lycia’s funnel, starboard boats, forward cabin, chart room, officers’ and engineers’ quarters and bridge were all wrecked, and being unable to steer the ship under the growing force and accuracy of the enemy’s shells, Captain Chesters at last had no alternative but to abandon his vessel. He, therefore, gave orders to cease firing and stop the engines. As soon as the ship had sufficiently lost way, the crew was safely embarked in the port boat, with the exception of the Captain, Chief Officer, Third Engineer, the Gunner, and one of the boys, who succeeded in scrambling into the starboard boat which was dragging alongside.
When the lifeboats cleared the ship, the submarine herself ceased firing, submerged, and re-appeared alongside Captain Chesters’ boat. The submarine commander then ordered Captain Chesters to go on board, which he did, and where, by what, alas, proved to be a rare exception, he was very courteously treated. The commander of the submarine then put three of his crew into the boat together with eight bombs, sent her back to the Lycia, and there the Germans hung the bombs on each side of the rigging, and in the engine-room. The ship’s papers, the breech plug of her gun, her telescopes and three cartridges, were lowered into the boat, after which the bomb safety pins were removed, and the bombs placed below the water-line. The boat was then ordered back to the submarine. Meanwhile, Captain Chesters had been asked by the ‘U’ boat’s commander why he had fired his gun without flying his Ensign. Captain Chesters pointed out to him that before he could fire the gun, he had to remove the flagstaff; and he was then allowed to return to his boat, the bombs, a few minutes afterwards beginning to explode. The submarine then went in chase of another vessel that had appeared on the horizon, and shortly afterwards the Lycia sank, stern first. Her boats were picked up the same evening by two mine-sweepers, and the S.S. Ireland Moor, the crew being treated with the utmost hospitality and safely landed at Holyhead. Their conduct had been worthy in Captain Chesters’ words “of all the traditions of British seamen.”
Happily it now becomes possible to record an equally gallant fight on the part of one of the Cunard Company’s vessels, with a successful issue. This was fought by one of the Mediterranean cargo boats, the Phrygia, a vessel of 3,350 tons, with a speed of not more than 9 knots. It was at 2 p.m. on March 24th, 1916, when she was homeward bound and off the south-west coast of Ireland, that a submarine, whom she had not previously seen, fired two shots at her, probably with the intention of bringing her to a stop. The skipper, Captain F. Manley, immediately ordered his helm hard aport and the crew to go to “general stations.” There was a big sea running at the time, and this was fortunate, since the submarine, on divining Captain Manley’s intentions, had continued to fire at the Phrygia. None of her shells, however, struck the steamer. Captain Manley then succeeded in manoeuvring his ship so as to bring the submarine astern, when he opened fire, and there then began a duel lasting for 45 minutes, during the whole of which time, both the submarine and the Phrygia fired continuously at one another under the most adverse conditions. Then at last one of the Phrygia’s shells found its mark; a great rush of smoke poured up from the submarine; her stern suddenly jumped out of the water; and she disappeared, amongst the loud cheers of the Phrygia’s crew.