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HM Schooner "First Prize" meets U93 |
| She was a three-masted topsail Schooner, built in 1901 at the Smit & Zoon yards in Westerbrock, Germany and was originally registered at Leer. She was 200 ton and 122 feet 6 inches long and built of Iron and Steel. Launched as Else, she was renamed "First Prize" by the Marine and Navigation Company in England who purchased her at auction after she was cleared under 'Prize Laws'. So named "First Prize" because of the fact she was the first ship Britain captured in WWI, within hours of the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914. She was captured in the English Channel and escorted in by British Destroyers. In November 1916, the Admiralty, who was on the lookout for suitable vessels to carry out decoy or Q-ship work, requisitioned her. She was lying idle at Swansea, subsequently surveyed and having been found suitable, was requisitioned. The patriotic Managing Director of the Marine and Navigation Company waived payment for hire and lent her to the Admiralty....Little did he know he would never see the schooner again. Also that she would become so famous, being involved in one of the greatest minor actions of WWI. Sanders took command of the schooner on 16 April 1917. |
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At about 8.35pm on 30 April 1917, Prize was sailing in Lat. 44.49 N., Long. 11.42 W. (49.40N., 11.40W). The spring-like weather was fine and clear with a light N.N.E. wind, calm sea, and good visibility. Von Spiegel was sitting in his little wardroom aboard U93, when the call "sailing ship Ahoy" came from the conning tower. A sailing ship flying Swedish colours was on the horizon about three miles away, this was the Prize nearing the end of her patrol area. Immediately the U93 started shelling, alarm gongs sounded on board the Prize . The crew of the Prize immediately went to action stations. At 8.45pm Sanders ordered the ship to be steered (put her head to the wind) into the wind so as to slow the Prize, to enable the 'panic crew to get away safely. The 'panic crew', true to name, made every outward symptom of haste and disorder while getting into the ship's boat and also in rowing away, the more panic, the better. The balance of the crew laid low out of site to give the impression that the ship had been abandoned. | ||
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U93 halted the shelling long enough for the panic crew to leave the Prize, then the shelling continued. Once The gun crews found the range, each and every shell hit the Prize. Smashing into her deck. The U93 took a wide circle around the Prize with its forward gun firing at a leisurely pace, closing cautiously astern of the Prize. Von Spiegel was still suspicious and wanted to circle the Schooner until he was certain that it was just an innocent ship. Von Spiegel had heard of British ships towing submarines and he wanted to be sure it was not a trap. | ||
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Twenty minutes passed during which time the wait must have been intolerable for all the crew. Shells were falling around the deck. The crew of the aft gun waiting with ears strained for the slightest sound heard the attachment holding the patent log line splinter as it was carried away. This shows how close the U93 was circling. At 9.05pm, the U93 put her helm to starboard and glided out on the port quarter of the Prize, giving seventy yards clear range. Von Spiegel could see that the Prize was in sinking condition and was collecting details of the ship Sanders held his fire, waiting for the precise moment, his unexampled courage and iron nerve held until he was satisfied that this was the moment he was waiting for. He shouted "Down Screens! Open Fire", at the same time he hoisted the White Ensign. Instantaneously the shipwright knocked the catch holding the aft gun screen and the hatchway cover fell back life the front on a roll top desk. With a jerk of a lever the gun rose into position and opened fire two seconds later. Together with the forward collapsible dummy deckhouse collapsing revealing the second 12 pounder, both guns were in action within a matter of seconds. At that exact moment the White Ensign was hoisted the U93 fired two shells from her guns, one hitting the main mast and the other hit the hull at the waterline, exploding in the interior of the Prize. | ||
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The U93 offered a good broadside target, the first shell from the Prize hit the fore gun and wounded several of the gun crew. The next nine shells were direct hits, finding their target in the hull and conning tower. All of the hits were fired from the after gun on the Prize, and the forward gun put in some good shooting as well. Von Spiegel yelled " Both Engines Full Speed - helm hard aport" The U93 leaped forward and swung around quickly, so that it was stern on to the Schooner. Shells kept hitting the U93 as she turned the quarter circle and her engines cut out. Shells were falling about the U93 and most of them found their target on the deck, hull and conning tower. Von Spiegel shouted "Was Zum Teufel" (What the Devil). | ||
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U93 settled about 200 yards away from the Prize with the shells from the Prize still falling around her and finding
their mark. She stopped and fell broadside on to the swell, then gradually settled down by the stern, sinking shortly
afterwards, and the last the crew of the Prize saw was her bow pointing out of the swell up in the air as she took
her final plunge. Fires could be seen from the wrents in her hull and for all on board the Prize and those captured
from the U93, the Submarine had gone to the bottom, taking the crew and a number of prisoners with it - In fact
the U93 had settled only a few feet below the surface, enough for Von Spiegel to be swept away, then bobbed up
some distance off. Due to the smoke of fires and explosions and the fact that the evening was closing. After four
minutes and 36 rounds of ammunition, the fight was over. Wounded men were lying on the deck in the water, but Von Spiegel was not amongst them. At the moment another shell hit the below the conning tower with a deafening detonation and another exploded in the hatch leading to the Captains Quarters. Lieutenant Ziegler had just given the order to dive, however, the second explosion made that an impossibility. With gaping holes in the deck and the hatch to the conning tower missing, there was no way the U93 could dive. The dusk, clouds and the shell smoke concealed the U93. Lieutenant Usedom frantically searched the boat for Von Spiegel and to find out if any others were missing. A search revealed that the helmsman Knappe and the machinist's mate Deppe were also unaccounted for. Ziegner concluded that the shell that knocked him unconscious and half swamped the boat must have swept them into the sea. His crew worshipped Von Spiegel and they seemed unable to come to terms with it. They were to helpless to go back to look for him for every effort was needed to keep the crippled and leaking boat above water and afloat. The U93 suffered some severe damage; The upper works were shot to pieces, the deck was pierced by eight gaping shell holes, One shell had mowed off the periscopes. Another had torn open two of the starboard compressed-air compartments. The deck was a mess, for a distance of thirty feet, it was nothing but a mass of ripped and shredded metal. Five diving tanks were blown open and three oil bunkers were leaking like sieves, leaving behind a trail of oil. One depth gauge, three compressed air gauges, and half a dozen other instruments in the central station were utterly useless. This damage was bad enough, the good shooting from the Prize had ensured that the U93 could not dive at all. The water tight hatch cover did not exist any more, it had been blown clean away. The U93 could no longer submerge, its greatest weapon gone. Part of The fresh water supply had been contaminated by sea water. Despite the damage and being unable to submerge, the U-93 made it back to Germany. This was seen as an epic journey by seasoned mariners from both sides. U93m was patched up and went out to face the enemy again. She was lost by ramming on 7 January 1918 in the (West) English Channel with the loss of the entire crew. The Photo below is of U93 at sea. . 
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When
an attempt was made to start the diesel engines and this ignited oil spilt in the engine room causing a smoky fire.
Von Spiegel saw an Officer go streaking by with a fire extinguisher that put the fire out. That was his first glimpse
of Lieutenant WE Sanders. Later in the officers mess an officer came in and this is the account of Von Spiegel;
"A tall slender chap in his 20's with a good looking English face, fine brown eyes, and blond hair which sprawled
over his head. "Where is the U-boat Captain?" he demanded." I stood up, and he came to with a good
friendly smile and grasped my hand. "my dear fellow" he said, "I am sorry for you. Please feel that
you are my quest. But", he exclaimed ruefully, "I am sorry I can't give you better quarters, especially
as we are about ready to sink 4 May 1917, this was the day that the first United States destroyers steamed into Queenstown Harbour (now Core). HM Drifter Rival II took Prize in tow, heading for Milford Haven across the Bristol Channel. Sanders was desperate to get the wounded crew medical attention. Next day the Prize was towed to safely at Milford Haven. Sanders shook hands with Von Spiegel and wished him godspeed and handed him over to some officers. The Baron would not see his homeland for sometime....... |
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