"November 3: English transport steamer Woodfield, western Mediterranean. The steamer did not stop at the warning gun. At a distance of 6,000 meters she returned the fire with a small gun. She was forced to stop by artillery fire, and her crew list showed that the steamer carried gunners and enlisted men of the navy as members of her crew.

"November 5: Unknown steamer, western Mediterranean. A large steamer was chased by U boat after being challenged in vain. The steamer returned the fire with a large gun. The chase had to be given up.

"November 6: Eastern Mediterranean, English tank steamer Lumina. The steamer was challenged to stop by a warning gun. She turned about, ran away, and returned the fire with a poop gun. She was compelled to stop by artillery fire and later was sunk.

"November 11: English steamship City of Marseilles, western Mediterranean. U boat after warning tried to stop a large freight steamer by artillery fire. The steamer turned away and returned the fire with two guns of about 10 centimeters. The U boat had to give up the chase; the steamer got away. A press telegram of January 1, 1916, from Bombay told the incident in detail. The steamer claimed she had sunk the U boat.

"November 30: Unknown steamer, middle Mediterranean. U boat after a warning gun tried to stop a large steamer by artillery fire. The steamer turned away and returned the fire with a small

gun.

66 December 8: Unknown steamer, eastern Mediterranean. The steamer was approached under water. She fired with a poop gun on the periscope as soon as it emerged.

"December 13: Unknown English steamer, middle Mediterranean. U boat tried to stop by artillery fire a larger steamer, with poop guns, that showed no flag. The steamer hoisted the English flag and returned the fire with two guns.

"December 14: Unknown steamer, middle Mediterranean. U boat approached the steamer, which stopped at sight of the boat, and ordered her to show her flag. The steamer speeded away, keeping up a brisk fire from a poop gun.

"January 17, 1916: Unknown steamer, middle Mediterranean. U boat ordered steamer, apparently in ballast, that was sighted on a westerly course, to stop. The steamer turned about, ran away, and fired with a poop gun.

"January 17: English steamer Melantic, middle Mediterranean. U boat signaled a flush-decked freight steamer, with raised forecastle and cabin, of about 3,000 tons, sailing under the Dutch flag, to send a boat and have the ship's papers examined. This was done after a while. As U boat, which for safety's sake had gone under, came to the surface about 1,000 meters away from the steamer, near the ship's boat, the steamer opened fire with two guns of medium caliber and machine guns so briskly that the U boat barely saved herself by speedily submerging. Throughout the action the steamer displayed the Dutch flag. She bore the name of Melantic, which is found not in the Dutch but the English marine list."

BRITISH ORDERS TO MERCHANTMEN.

Exhibit No. 5 is what purports to be the text of confidential instructions to British defensively armed merchantmen regarding the use of their armament. These instructions are declared to have been found on the British steamer Woodfield and are given as follows:

66 CONFIDENTIAL.

"Instructions for guidance in the use, care, and maintenance of armament in defensively armed merchant ships.

66 GENERAL.

"1. Ratings embarked as gun's crew will sign the ship's articles at the rate of pay communicated.

"2. They are to obey the orders of the master and officers of the ship. If they think it necessary to make a complaint against any order, they are to obey the order and make their complaint in writing, asking that it may be forwarded to the proper authorities.

66

3. The ratings are not required for duties unconnected with the armament, except in case of emergency, but they are to assist at all times in the welfare of the ship and look after the cleanliness of their berths.

"4. They are to keep watch and watch at sea and also when the ship is anchored in any place liable to attack by submarines.

5. They will receive their pay through the master of the ship. They will not mess with the crew, but in one of the officers' messes, as the master may decide.

"6. Uniform is not to be worn in neutral ports.

"7. A brief report is to be rendered by the senior rating on the first of each month, countersigned by the master, and sent to the Director of Trade Division, Admiralty, Whitehall, S. W.

"8. The ratings embarked are entirely responsible for the efficiency in all respects of the gun and ammunition, which should be ready day and night.

66 9. The senior rating is to arrange with the master to detail the necessary additional men to complete the gun's crew up to the numbers required by the drill book.

“10. One of the ratings is to act as gun layer and the other as breech worker. The remaining numbers should be told off to act as sight setter, projectile loader, and cartridge loader, etc.

66 11. Arrangements are to be made with the master to detail a sufficient number of hands, over and above the gun's crew, to supply ammunition to the gun on going into action.

"12. A ready supply of 10 complete rounds, with percussion tubes in the cartridges, is to be kept at the gun day and night. Care should be taken that a supply of one percussion tube to each cartridge is kept aside for action, and this supply of tubes is never to be encroached on for practice firing.

"13. The senior rating should arrange with the master for the instruction of the ratings told off as gun's crew and ammunition supply party.

"14. A drill book is supplied for information, but it is not necessary that the gun's crew should be burdened with details, provided that they understand what is required when the gun is to be fought. "15. Percussion firing should always be used, as it is the most certain means of discharging the gun; and, therefore

"(a) Cartridges in ready supply only should be kept ready tubed with percussion tubes. Tubes not required for ready supply of cartridges should be retained in their sealed boxes to preserve them from damp.

"(b) Aiming practice with a percussion lanyard should be carried out daily. It is not necessary to fire a tube in this practice, but the breech worker should be exercised at the same time in cocking the striker while the breech is open and in hooking on the firing lanyard and passing it to the gun layer.

"The present allowance of percussion tubes is one per cartridge. Electric firing mechanism and batteries are therefore to be kept efficient in every respect, in case the supply of percussion tubes becomes insufficient from damp or other causes.

"16. Great attention is to be paid to the ready supply of ammunition, to keep it clean and dry. If tubes and cartridges are not kept dry there is considerable danger of hanging fire. The projectiles are to be lightly oiled. In case the cartridges are suspected to have become wet, they should be laid aside until return to harbor.

"17. For the maintenance of the gun and mounting, it is to be borne in mind that 'lubrication is the secret of efficiency in gun machinery.' All oil channels should be seen clear of vaseline and filled with oil. It is to be remembered that vaseline is a preservative only; oil is a lubricant.

"Each morning and evening the bore is to be seen clear, recoil cylinders filled, striker protrusion gauged, and the gun trained and elevated to both extremes.

"The gun is to be cleaned twice a day, gear being supplied by the master.

"Brick dust is not to be used on machined surfaces.

"ACTION.

"The master is responsible for handling the ship and for opening and ceasing fire. He has been furnished with instructions which will enable him to do this to the best advantage. The duty of the gun's crew is to fire the gun under the general direction of the master, who will communicate to them so much of the instructions as he may consider necessary to enable them to fire the gun to the best advantage.

"In action the following instructions should be carried out:

"1. When in submarine waters everything should be in a state of readiness, but the gun should not be kept actually loaded,

"2. When the enemy is engaged:

"(a) The point of aim should be the center of the water line. "(b) It is to be remembered that 'over' shots are useless. A short shot by causing a splash confuses the enemy. It may ricochet into the enemy. If the shell bursts on striking the water-as it usually does some fragments are likely to hit the enemy. To get the best results at least half of the shots fired should fall short.

"3. The master will probably keep the submarine astern, so that little deflection will be necessary.

“4. It is not advisable to open fire at a range greater than 800 yards, unless the enemy has already opened fire, for the following

reasons:

"(a) The ammunition supply is limited.

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"(b) Accurate shooting under probable existing conditions can not be expected at greater range.

"5. When in action and a misfire occurs with a percussion tube the following procedure is to be adopted:

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(a) The B. M. lever is to be tapped to insure it is closed.

"(b) The striker is to be recocked.

"If the gun does not then fire the striker is to be taken out to insure that the point is not broken. If unbroken, the breach is to be opened and the cartridge is to be thrown overboard, it having been ascertained that the percussion tube has been inserted. "The gun is then to be reloaded.

66 INSTRUCTIONS FOR CARRYING OUT FIRING PRACTICE.

"1. In order to insure that the gun is maintained in an efficient condition one round is to be fired every two months.

"2. In order to prevent false alarms it is essential that the firing referred to in paragraph 1 shall take place in clear weather and out of sight of land and of other ships.

"3. If convenient, a cask or other suitable object should be dropped as a target, and the gun should be fired when the range is about 600 yards.

"4. The gun's crew and ammunition-supply party should be exercised on the day previous to the practice, and also immediately before firing.

"5. Before practice firing the following procedure is to be carried

out:

"(a) Recoil cylinders and tanks are to be seen filled.

"(b) Bore is to be seen clear.

"(c) Movable objects in the way of blast from the gun are to be removed.

"(d) The striker is to be reexamined to see (1) that sheet net is screwed up and keep pin in place and intact; (2) that needle set and check nuts are screwed up; (3) that striker does not protrude with B. M. lever in open position; (4) that striker does not move forward till marks on breechblock and gun are in line; (5) that safety stop is correct and keep screw is in place.

"MAY 7, 1915."

"ADMIRALTY.

INSTRUCTIONS TO SHIPMASTERS.

Exhibit No. 6 gives the text of a separate set of confidential British instructions for guidance in the use of armament on defensively armed merchantmen, said to have been found on the steamer Woodfield, and is similar to the secret instructions given in Exhibit No. 5, except that the instructions described as Exhibit No. 6 appears to be a reprint of the instructions described as Exhibit No. 5, with several slight technical rules concerning the guns.

Exhibit No. 7 embraces brief supplementary instructions of a confidential nature, also said to have been found on the steamer Woodfield, as follows:

"Confidential addenda to instructions for guidance in the use, care, and maintenance of armament in defensively armed merchant ships:

"1. The master should arrange, wherever possible, that the space in the immediate vicinity of the gun is railed off, and passengers and other unauthorized persons should not be allowed near the gun. "2. A notice to this effect should be posted up near the gun.

"3. When the ship is in habor one of the two ratings is always to be on board to keep guard on the gun and ammunition, and the master is to use his discretion as to keeping both ratings on board, should he consider such a course to be desirable.

"4. The gun is to be kept covered at all times when not in use. "5. Whenever the ships anchor in the vicinity of a man-of-war a request should be made to the commanding officer of the man-of-war for an armorer to inspect the gun and mounting.

"MAY 27, 1915."

LEAF FROM DRILL BOOK.

"ADMIRALTY.

Exhibit No. 8 is a facsimile of the title-page of the "Drill book for 12-pounder quick-fire guns, issued to defensively armed merchant ships, issued by the gunnery branch of the British Admiralty in May, 1915." This book is alleged to have been found on the steamer Woodfield.

Exhibit No. 9 is a copy of secret instructions No. 45 regarding submarines, applicable to vessels carrying a defensive armament, issued by the British Admiralty on February 25, 1915, and also found on the steamer Woodfield. It follows:

"In no circumstances is this paper to be allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy.

"This paper is for the master's personal information. It is not to be copied, and when not actually in use is to be kept in safety in a place where it can be destroyed at a moment's notice.

"Such portions as call for immediate action may be communicated verbally to the officers concerned.