London, Jan. 11.
Before the crew of the British merchantship Shakespeare (5,020 tons) had to abandon the vessel off the coast of Portugal, they had fought 'a gallant action with only one gun against an Italian submarine.
Details of the ght, which lasted two hours, were received In London Fast night.
Not until 19 men of the crew had been killed and some of the remain= ing 23 had been wounded, was a lifeboat launched. Shortly' after the
The commander of the Italian sub-re was sunk by gunfire, marine acted up to the best traditions the sea and towed the life-boat to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.