w the vessel there was a
cloud of smoke. I raced to the scene, knowing then that the Dutch tramp
had been torpedoed by a German U-boat. Four miles further on I espied a
second submarine. I opened fire on the first submarine, which then I saw
had taken in tow a boat evidently containing the survivors of the Dutch
vessel. I observed one of the Dutch sailors crawl to the bows of the
boat attached to the submarine and cut the rope. At that instant I
dropped a bomb, which fell about 25 or 30 feet from the submarine. The
under-sea craft went down very quickly, and I descended further and
dropped my aerial, and the mechanician-operator sent out a message. I
threw other bombs when I thought I detected about where the submarine
was in the sea. It was like a hawk after a fish. The other submarine
fled without giving me a chance.

"I continued scouting, having warned the British warships that two
submarines were in the vicinity. It came over very misty, and in the
deep haze I saw three or four German vessels coming out. As I turned,
deciding to race home and give the word, my engines failed me. I went
down and down, holding off from the white caps of the sea for two and
one-quarter hours. My next adventure was the sight of some German
aeroplanes. After fiddling around, I got my engine started, and flew up
to 1,000 feet above the sea. It was lucky that I started the engine when
I did, for the sea was becoming unpleasant. But then my magneto failed
me, and I realised what was in store on those wind-torn waters. I was
forced to dodge about like a bird with a broken wing. The wind freshened
to 40 knots. Although we did our utmost to keep the seaplane off the
water, it, of course, had to rest there, and I became horribly seasick.
The mechanician and I tried to keep the craft afloat. We fired off our
rockets, hoping to attract the attention of a friendly or neutral
vessel, but at the same time realising that we might fall victims to the
enemy.

"All night the mechanician and I were tossed on the sea without a chance
of attracting anyone, as our rockets had given out. The cold was
unbearable, and both of us were very seasick.

"Dawn came, and there did not even then seem much more chance of our
being rescued than at night time. You could not imagine anything
lonelier than a seaplane on the bosom of the North Sea when you are
without food or drink. The rocking of the light craft would have made a
good sailor keel over with seasickness.