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TANKER SUNK BY SUBMARINE
The New York Times, Aug 6, 1918, Tuesday
The Luz Blanca Fights a U-Boat Three Hours Off Halifax.
MEN SHELLED IN BOATS
HALIFAX, N. S., Aug:. 5.-The Standard Oil Company's tank steamer Luz Blanca was torpedoed and sunk forty miles
west of this port today after a three hours battle with a German submarine.
The crew took to their small boats, where they were shelled by the submarine, but escaped without being hit. The chief
cook and the chief steward of the tanker, however, were killed when the explosion of the German's torpedo smashed
the steamer's stern.
A second oil tanker which was ten miles astern of the Luz Blanca when the battle opened escaped by rushing full speed
to port.
The Luz Blanca left port at 8 o'clock this morning in ballast. Three hours later she was attacked by the submarine and
for three hours she engaged the German in a running fight, exchanging shot for shot.
The submarine soon learned that he outranged the tanker, and kept just out of reach of the ship's gun. The German's
long-range shooting, however, was Ineffective. Finally he manoeuvred Into a position for a torpedo attack and hit the
tanker astern.
As their, ship settled, fast the Captain and crew took to their boats. They pulled away as rapidly as they could to avoid
being hit by debris from the exploding boilers of their ship and the German fired several shots at them. His marksman-
ship again was bad and all the shells went wild. Two of the small boats reached shore. The other was picked up by
another ship.