Volume Three - The Pontoon Era - The Great War 1914 - 18 . . .

1914 - Taff Vale Ry. - 'The order for six tank locomotives placed with the Hanover Locomotive Works some months ago, has now been transferred to the North British Locomotive Co.' - The Locomotive - [743] - 15th December 1914.

1915 - A report in the New Zealand Herald [148] on the 10th April 1915 was headlined "Ramming a Submarine - Steamer Lizzie's Feat - Pirates Go to the Bottom - The engineer of the Delmira, Mr. Dunn, furnishes independent evidence that the steamer Lizzie rammed submarine U37 which torpedoed the Delmira. The U37 towed the Delmira's crew in two boats. she was traveling rapidly, and the boat's crews were drenched with spray. eight young Germans were keeping a look-out on the conning tower. They were highly amused, and were joking.

The 'Delmira'

After half-an-hour the Lizzie was sighted through the haze. The U37 cut the boats adrift, and then submerged, with the object of attacking the Lizzie, which, observing the U37, approached at increased speed. Dunn noticed that the conning tower was almost in the Lizzie's track, but the submarine crew went on, having apparently misjudged the distance. The Lizzie slightly changed her course, and before the U37 realised what was happening the Lizzie steamed right over the conning tower.

The U37 suddenly disappeared. Mr. Dunn has not the slightest doubt that she was sunk, because she had previously been making a long run on the surface, and had been gradually submerging for three minutes. When the Lizzie struck her the U37 dropped like a stone. The Lizzie picked up the boat's crews, and awaited the reappearance of the U37, which had ample opportunity of attacking the Lizzie if she was not sunk. A hugh quantity of oil rose up where the U37 disappeared. It had a fresh smell."

The U37 had departed Helgoland on the 20th March 1915 on its first patrol and there seems to be conflicting reports about her fate. Some reports agree with the crew of the Lizzie and the Delmira that she was sunk, however, during April 1915 the press reported that the 'Lizzie' had been placed on the Penarth Pontoon to be inspected by Admiralty Officers in order to ascertain how her damage justified the claim to have struck a submarine!