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(35) Photograph - Portvoller lad's fight with submarine in the Arctic Ocean
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Portvoller Lad's Fight with Submarines in the Arctic Ocean.
IN our issue of last week we announced the death of Gunner
Alick John Macdonald, son of Mr Torqui! Macdonald,
Port Voller. He was a tall, strapping young man, cool,
daring, and alert, and withal exceedingly shy. While serving
as gunner on s.s. "Palm Branch" he had a most exciting fight-
wit h two submarines in the Arctic, sinking one and probably
disabling the other. On the arrival of
his ship at Archangel he was presented
with a Russian decoration for his excel-
lent work. In a letter to his father he
wrote : — "I was summoned to appear at
the Russian Headquarters, and was
'•shered into the presence of ten officers
and forty mariners. I was very shy.
Before placing the medal on my breast
the officers spoke to me for half-an-hour,
complimenting me on my skill and gal-
lantry." With his usual modesty, he
forbade his father from sending his
account of the fight to the Press. His
many friends, however, will be pleased
to read the thrilling story of his excit-
ing adventure in the cold Arctic regions.
We give an extract copy of his written
description : —
"Details of encounter with enemy
submarines off Kola Inlet on May 4th,
1917. At 1.30 p.m. on 4th May land
was sighted on the port bow. I left the
cabin at 3.30 p.m., and directly having
got to the top of the ladder which goes
to the poop on the starboard side aft I
saw the wake of a torpedo on the star-
board quarter, passing from port to
starboard, and reckoned it could not
have passed our stern beyond 6ft. at most. The gunman
then on watch on the gun platform gave the alarm, which,
however, proved useless, as the alarm signal given was not
heard on the fore bridge. I got up on the platform, and saw
the periscope and upper part of a submarine's conning tower
*From "Stonioway Gazette," 29th. December, 1917-
*Giume'.' Alexanct
(Lost at Sea
-r J.
7th
on the port quarter, scarcely seventy yards away. We both
rushed to the ammunition boxes. I happened to take that
one which is always kept open in submarine waters. I loaded
the gun, and while my mate trained on I ran the sights to zero
and layed the gun at the bottom of his conning tower, and
fired just as his decks were coming awash. The shell hit him
right underneath the conning tower,
and the explosion tore a great gap in
his side and half-way up the tower.
The gun was loaded a second time by
my mate, and was layed this time abaft
the conning tower. By this time the
enemy was listing to starboard and sink-
ing slightly by the bow. The second
shot was fired and hit him abaft the
conning tower, the explosion of the shell
sending up a huge volume of smoke and
flame. Just as the second shot was
fired the remaining numbers which com-
prised the gun crew were all on the gun
platform, and the captain was giving
the alarm on the fore bridge. By the
time the third round was in the gun the
enemy was gone — sunk — and No. 2 at
the gun was reporting a periscope on the
starboard quarter. The gun was im-
mediately trained and layed on the said
periscope, and fired at 4000 yards range.
The third shot was fired and went over :
the fourth fell short ;. the fifth fell right
against the periscope. When the sixth
round was in the gun he was gone, but
whether hit or not none could tell. Then
followed a pause of about eight minutes,
after which he came right up a little
less than four miles right astern. We opened fire at 7700
yards range. He replied with two guns of about much the
same calibre as ours. After a time a great volume of smoke
shot up from his foremost gun, after which he only fired one
gun. After exchanging a few more rounds he turned round
and headed for sea — and fled. . ."
Macdonald, R.N.R
December., 1917).
IN our issue of last week we announced the death of Gunner
Alick John Macdonald, son of Mr Torqui! Macdonald,
Port Voller. He was a tall, strapping young man, cool,
daring, and alert, and withal exceedingly shy. While serving
as gunner on s.s. "Palm Branch" he had a most exciting fight-
wit h two submarines in the Arctic, sinking one and probably
disabling the other. On the arrival of
his ship at Archangel he was presented
with a Russian decoration for his excel-
lent work. In a letter to his father he
wrote : — "I was summoned to appear at
the Russian Headquarters, and was
'•shered into the presence of ten officers
and forty mariners. I was very shy.
Before placing the medal on my breast
the officers spoke to me for half-an-hour,
complimenting me on my skill and gal-
lantry." With his usual modesty, he
forbade his father from sending his
account of the fight to the Press. His
many friends, however, will be pleased
to read the thrilling story of his excit-
ing adventure in the cold Arctic regions.
We give an extract copy of his written
description : —
"Details of encounter with enemy
submarines off Kola Inlet on May 4th,
1917. At 1.30 p.m. on 4th May land
was sighted on the port bow. I left the
cabin at 3.30 p.m., and directly having
got to the top of the ladder which goes
to the poop on the starboard side aft I
saw the wake of a torpedo on the star-
board quarter, passing from port to
starboard, and reckoned it could not
have passed our stern beyond 6ft. at most. The gunman
then on watch on the gun platform gave the alarm, which,
however, proved useless, as the alarm signal given was not
heard on the fore bridge. I got up on the platform, and saw
the periscope and upper part of a submarine's conning tower
*From "Stonioway Gazette," 29th. December, 1917-
*Giume'.' Alexanct
(Lost at Sea
-r J.
7th
on the port quarter, scarcely seventy yards away. We both
rushed to the ammunition boxes. I happened to take that
one which is always kept open in submarine waters. I loaded
the gun, and while my mate trained on I ran the sights to zero
and layed the gun at the bottom of his conning tower, and
fired just as his decks were coming awash. The shell hit him
right underneath the conning tower,
and the explosion tore a great gap in
his side and half-way up the tower.
The gun was loaded a second time by
my mate, and was layed this time abaft
the conning tower. By this time the
enemy was listing to starboard and sink-
ing slightly by the bow. The second
shot was fired and hit him abaft the
conning tower, the explosion of the shell
sending up a huge volume of smoke and
flame. Just as the second shot was
fired the remaining numbers which com-
prised the gun crew were all on the gun
platform, and the captain was giving
the alarm on the fore bridge. By the
time the third round was in the gun the
enemy was gone — sunk — and No. 2 at
the gun was reporting a periscope on the
starboard quarter. The gun was im-
mediately trained and layed on the said
periscope, and fired at 4000 yards range.
The third shot was fired and went over :
the fourth fell short ;. the fifth fell right
against the periscope. When the sixth
round was in the gun he was gone, but
whether hit or not none could tell. Then
followed a pause of about eight minutes,
after which he came right up a little
less than four miles right astern. We opened fire at 7700
yards range. He replied with two guns of about much the
same calibre as ours. After a time a great volume of smoke
shot up from his foremost gun, after which he only fired one
gun. After exchanging a few more rounds he turned round
and headed for sea — and fled. . ."
Macdonald, R.N.R
December., 1917).
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Rolls of honour > Places > Loyal Lewis roll of honour, 1914 and after > (35) Photograph - Portvoller lad's fight with submarine in the Arctic Ocean |
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