Iles war diary, 1914-1919 / G. H. Iles - Page 179
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 179]
Lighthouse at 11 am. when an enemy submarine was actually sighted a short distance to port – our helm was put about and the ship steamed a complete circle around the spot where a periscope was sighted, and another small craft apparently a motor scout also steamed fast on to the spot where the submarine was last seen, - a depth charge was dropped by scout and "Rifleman" and "Melbourne" shaped our course again for Plymouth, - we afterwards learned by reports that the depth charge sealed the fate of the enemy submarine, this episode was really our first glimpse of activity during the war, - in due course, at noon, we entered Plymouth Sound and still steaming at 22 Knots we entered the sheltered bay inside breakwater, and anchored
A large number of merchant vessels were here laying at anchor, sheltering from a known submarine outside, and only the night previous a large steamer was sunk off Start Point by submarine, probably the same one that we sighted this morning