full of mines. She had been badly holed by the
explosions, and the water was surging about inside of her. The
Admiralty were very anxious to salvage her, for she was the first
German submarine that had fallen into our hands, and she would afford
us the opportunity of learning whatever secrets a German "U" boat
might contain. But it was obvious that it would be impossible to tow
her into harbour without proper salvage plant. As it turned out, the
salving of her proved a long job, occupying twenty-seven days of
anxious and arduous work. A salvage officer and divers were got from
the port to do the preliminary work and get all ready before the
arrival on the scene of Commodore Young, R.N.R., and the heavy salvage
plant. The mines in the submarine, of course, presented a serious
danger, and Lieutenant Paterson was told off as mine adviser to the
salvage people. First, exercising due caution, he made a careful
examination of the wreck, which resulted in the discovery of what
appears to have been the other Hun trap. He found that two of the
mines had been loosed and were projecting through the bottom of the
mine-tubes. Had attempts been made to raise the submarine, the mines
would have fallen out, and their explosion would probably have
annihilated the submarine, the salvage ships, and those engaged in the
salvage work.

Lieutenant Paterson reported what he had discovered, and ordered all
salvage operations to be suspended until these mines had been made
safe. That this had been a deliberately planned trap on the part of
the Hun is indicated by the following incident. Lieutenant Paterson
was told that one of the prisoners taken from the U.C. 5, who was at
that time confined in the _Pandora_ depot ship, had asked if he could
see a British officer, as he had a statement to make. So Paterson
went to see him. The man then said that he had been very well treated
by his captors, and that in recognition of this he wished to warn the
English against making any attempt to salve the submarine, as a trap
had been laid to blow up those who should undertake this task.

Lieutenant Paterson now proceeded to deal with the mines in the
submarine; he had with him an expert and daring naval diver--the
former was awarded a D.S.C. and the latter a Conspicuous Gallantry
Medal and a gratuity, in recognition of their services on this
occasion. It was highly risky work, calling for much dexterity and
ingenuity. It was found that the two projecting