e the scene of the latest attack had been thought
worthy of mention on account of the unusual and unexpected places that
submarines chose for action.

A new phase of the submarines' activities was opened on March 21,
1915, when two Dutch ships _Batavier V_ and _Zaanstroom_ were held up
and captured. The _U-28_ had for some days been hiding near the Maas
Lightship, and had been taking shots with torpedoes at every ship
which came within range. The _Batavier V_ had left the Hook of Holland
on March 18, 1915. At about five o'clock that morning she came near
the Maas Lightship on her way to England, whence she was carrying
provisions and a register of fifty-seven persons, including passengers
and crew; among the former there were a number of women and children.
Suddenly a submarine appeared off her port bow, and her captain was
ordered to stop his ship. This he did readily, for he had been thus
stopped before, only to be allowed to proceed. But this time the
commander of the submarine, the _U-28_, shouted to him through a
megaphone: "I am going to confiscate your ship and take it to
Zeebrugge."

While the two commanders were arguing over the illegality of this, the
_Zaanstroom_ was sighted, and was immediately overtaken by the
submarine. An officer and a sailor from the submarine had been placed
on the _Batavier V_, and this prevented her escaping while the pursuit
of the _Zaanstroom_ was on. A similar detail was now placed on the
latter, and her captain was ordered to follow the _U-28_ which
returned to the _Batavier V_. "Follow me to Zeebrugge" was the order
which the commander of the submarine gave the two ships, and their
captains obeyed. They arrived at Zeebrugge at noon, and were
immediately unloaded. Those of the passengers and crews who were
citizens of neutral countries were sent to Ghent and there released,
while all those aboard, such as Belgians and Frenchmen, were detained.

When possible, the commanders of the German submarines saved their
costly torpedoes and used shell fire instead to sink their victims.
This was done in the case of the steamship _Vosges_, which was sunk on
March 28, 1915. For two hours, while the engines of the steamship were
run at full speed in an attempt to get away from the submarine, she
was under fire from two deck guns on board the submersible. Though the
latter made off at the approach of another vessel, her shells did
enough damage to cause the _Vosges_ to sink a few hours later