_Like the Armenian, the British merchantman Anglo-Californian refused
to lie-to when signaled by a German submarine on July 2. Her crew of
ninety-five included fifty Americans and Canadians. A Queenstown
dispatch of July 5 gave the following account of the action:_
The Anglo-Californian left Montreal for the British Isles on June 24.
The submarine was sighted at 8 o'clock last Sunday morning. Captain
Parslow ordered full steam ahead and wireless calls for aid were sent
out. The submarine on the surface proved to be a far speedier craft
than the steamer and rapidly overhauled her, meanwhile deluging her
with shells. One shot put the wireless apparatus on the
Anglo-Californian out of action. Finding that he could not escape by
running for it Captain Parslow devoted his attention to manoeuvring
his ship so as to prevent the submarine from using torpedoes
effectively.
"Our Captain was a brave man," said one of the narrators. "He kept at
his post on the bridge, coolly giving orders as the submarine circled
around us vainly seeking to get a position from which it could give us
a death blow with a torpedo. All the while the under-water boat
continued to rain, shot and shell upon us, and at times was so close
that she was able to employ rifle fire effectively.
"At last one shell blew the Captain off the bridge, killing him
outright and terribly mutilating him. Just before that he had given
orders to launch the boats, but this was very difficult under the
shell fire. Several men were struck down while working at the davits.
Ultimately four boats were got overboard and were rowed away until
picked up."
The son of Captain Parslow, serving as second mate, was standing by
his father's side when the Captain was killed. The son was knocked
down by the violence of the explosion. Springing to his feet, he
seized the wheel, and, as ably as his father had done, continued
dodging the submarine. Another shell burst alongside him, shattering
one of the spokes of the wheel, but young Parslow retained his post.
The wireless SOS calls that had been sent out at the first alarm had
reached those able to give more than passive assistance, however, and
British destroyers appeared. On their approach the submarine abandoned
the attack and submerged. Young Parslow was still at the wheel when
the destroyers came up.
[Illustration: War zone area showing where the Armenian, (British);
Normandy, (American); Anglo-Californian, (British), and Orduna,
(British) ships were attacked during the month of July.]