Red Sailors' Prize

Jolly British tars were grave, last week, at news that the submarine L55 had been raised from Baltic waters, after nine years. Forty-one British skeletons were discovered by the salvage crew all of whom were Soviet Russian sailors, commanded by Comrade Chief Commander (Admiral) R. A. Muklevich. Said he:

"Involuntarily the question arises what were the English seeking in our territorial waters in 1919? Without any formal declaration of war they attacked us, sank our ships and bombarded our forts. The English monitor Erebus frequently fired her 15-in. guns at our fort, Red Hill. The English broke into our house by the right of might to kill the workers and peasants and to turn back the wheel of revolution.

"In numerous fruitless battles with the Soviet forces, between Dec. 18, 1918, and Aug. 19, 1919, the British lost twelve other ships: the light cruiser Cassandra, the mine carriers Victoria, Verulam, Gentian and Myrtle, and seven torpedo cutters.

"Forty of those whose bodies we have found were our enemies, but the Red sailors nourish no enmity against them. The English sailors carried out the will of those who sent them and perished. We shall consider the wishes of the English Government concerning their burial and disposition of their personal property. In any case their remains will be interred with full military honors."

At London the British Admiralty released a communique from which three facts appeared. First that the British were now receiving the first official intimation that the L55 was ever sunk. Second that the Admiralty had announced on June 12, 1919, eight days after the sinking, that a submarine (unnamed) was missing from the British Baltic Fleet. Third, that the relatives and next of kin of the Britishmen lost on the L55 were privily notified.

At Kronstadt, of course, Red sailors held jollifications and high jinks. They knew that the L55 is a noble prize of a war which, although never declared (see France), was nonetheless hotly fought. Indeed, the L-55, a ship of 1,150 tons, is almost as large as the recently raised U.S. submarine S-4 (TIME, Dec. 26), and twice as large as the Italian F14, sunk and raised last fortnight. Soviet technicians added to the jollification by announcing that the Red sailors' prize is in sufficiently good condition 'to be made serviceable, seaworthy, deadly. Citizens of the British Commonwealth of Nations were hopefully and confidently doubtful that the L55 will ever sink a British ship.