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Loss of HM Schooner "First Prize"

Sometime prior to the loss of the Prize Sanders was asked to have a meeting with the Officers commanding submarines in the area. It was thought that Sanders and a submarine could work up some sort of "stunt" between them. The Officer said " Well, what do you think about taking out a British submarine with you and working together? Don't you think it is a good idea?. While you are playing about with the U-boat, we can maneuver into position and torpedo her" . Submarines had worked with armed trawlers and were successful in destroying submarines (U.23 and 20/7/1915 and U40 on 23/6/1915 - were destroyed in this way) Sanders worked with the submarine commander to decide on the codes and signals that would be used to communicate with each other. Signals for instance a shirt hanging from the fore-rigging meant that a U-boat had been sighted off the port bow, or if hung on the main rigging, the U-boat was on the starboard bow The Prize cruised from the submarine base sporting newly painted topsides in black and red boot topping, flying the Swedish flag. She was in the company of British Submarine D6 as they cruised into the Atlantic and to the north-west of the NW Irish Coast. German submarine U48 was on her way to the hunting grounds via the north of Scotland and N.W. of Ireland. On 12 August 1917 there were no submarines sighted and during the night D6 came up and alongside the Prize to discuss tactics. On 13 August 1917 D6 stayed close to the Prize at her stern, to enable her to see signals. At about noon a submarine was sighted to the north and the Prize signaled to D6 by way of a man apparently climbing up the rigging and waving a flag. The submarine was on the port side and started to shell the Prize, D6 started to close on the Prize to see any other signals. D6 could see shells falling, but was unable to see the U-boat until 4.10pm and at that time the Prize was flying the White Ensign and a fight was on. U48 was more or less ready to dive at a moment's notice and did so. U48 disappeared and there was no further sign of her, however she stayed within sight of the Prize, waiting for a time to attack. Five hours later D6 came to the surface and spoke to Sanders who said that he had opened fire from 200 yards and had hit the U-boat. It was confirmed after the war that the crew of the Prize did in fact hit U 48, however, not in a vital part. D6 and the Prize stayed close together all night and unknown to them so did U48. At about 1.30am on 14 August 1917, the commander of D6 heard and felt a huge explosion. D6 came to the surface and saw U48 surface at almost the same time. Taking the opportunity, D6 loaded her torpedo tubes and went on the attack, firing a torpedo at U48, however the commander observed the track of the torpedo and made off at full speed. Unfortunately the torpedo missed and U48 got away. The reason for U-48 to surface was to see if any survivors could be found and to confirm the identity of the ship. The crew of D6 was stunned, there was not a piece of wreckage to be found, it was as though the Prize had never been on the sea. The Commander of D6 was to report later that it was a weird feeling. The second officer in U48 had previously been in the German Mercantile Marine and was taken for submarine duty as an educated eye to scan ships to see if they were trap or Q-ships. It had been suggested that the Prize was a marked ship after the fight with U93. The crew of U93 were able to describe the Prize and every submarine crew working the Atlantic Irish coast area, would by now had her description. Or, maybe U48 saw Prize in the company of British D6 and took that to mean she was not the harmless merchant man she made herself out to be. It was suggested that the wireless aerial was attached in such a way that the educated eye of the second officer drew the conclusion she was not so innocent. And maybe a Q-ship. Little has to be proved however, to say that U-48 would not be bothered spending 12 hours shadowing the Prize to hunt her in the dark of the early morning, if her identity was not revealed. No sane U-boat commander would bother with a little innocent 200-ton topsail schooner. Then again, it is hard to draw a conclusion, as U48 would have been foolish to surface knowing that D6 was in the area. Could it be that they were hoping to rescue the crew to take them back to Germany to try them as spies. Talk of threats from U-boat crew that they would capture and torture Q-Ship crew's. Once the news of Sanders death was revealed, talk around the docks and the mercantile marine suggested that Sanders was captured, strapped to the periscope and taken down with U48 and drowned. Other ghastly suggestions also came about, non of which had any truth at all. Sanders had been offered the command of a Destroyer, a safe option after the good work he had done. He chose to stay with the Prize. He preferred to deliberately court death because that was the way duty and honour pointed.

A telegram was received by Sanders father dated 17 August 1917; "Sir, In confirmation of the Admiralty telegram, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to inform you that a telegram has been received that your, Lieut.-Commander William E. Sanders VC RNR, was killed on the 14th instant, as result of the vessel in which he was serving being blown up. My lords deeply deplore the death of this gallant officer, whose services against enemy submarines have been such value to the Empire, and they desire me to assure you of their profound sympathy in the loss you have sustained. Since the award of the Victoria Cross to you son in the "Gazette" of the 22nd June last, in recognition of his consummate coolness and skill while in command of one of His Majesty's ships in action, the King had also approved his appointment to be a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, in recognition of his services in action with an enemy submarine on the 12th of June. This award has not yet been gazetted, but an announcement will be made shortly. Your son had not be decorated with either the V.C. of the insignia of the D.S.O. at the time of his death. It is customary in such cases, if the deceased officer's next-of-kin, so desires, for the V.C to be personally presented by the King to the next-of-kin, and in the case of other distinctions, for the insignia to be presented by a naval Commander-in-Chief. As you live in New Zealand, it will not be possible for this procedure to be followed, but arrangements will be made for the presentation to you of the V.C. and the badge of the D.S.O, through the Governor of New Zealand. I am, etc, (Signed) Charles Walker For Secretary

"Buckingham Palace'   September 13., 1917. "It is a matter of sincere regret to me that the death of Lieutenant-Commander William E. Sanders, V.C., D.S.O, R.N.R., deprived me of the pride of personally conferring upon him the Victoria Cross, the greatest of all rewards, for valour and devotion to duty."   (signed) George R.I.

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