"WE'RE NOT DONE YET"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 183, 23 April 1918, Page 8

"WE'RE NOT DONE YET"

LAST FIGHT OF THE MARY ROSE

STIRRING EPISODE OF THE

WAR AT SEA

The following account of the action in which H.M.R. Mary Hose attempted to defend the convoy committed to her charge is compiled from official sources:— H.M.S. Mary liose left v. Norwegian port in-charge of a west-bound convoy of merchant ships in the aft.ernooniof October Ili. .-it dawn 011 October 17 flashes of gunfile were sighted astern. I'iio captain ot the Mary Hose, Lieutenant-Commander Charles i'ox, who was 011 the bridge at the time, remarked that he supposed it «as a submarine shelling the convoy, und promptly turned his ship to investigate. All hands were callcd to action stations. Mary Hose had increased to full speed, and in' a short time three light cruisers were sighted coming towards them at high speed out of tlio morning mist. Mary ttose promptly challenged, and receiving no reply opened lire with every gun that would bear at a range of about four miles. The German light cruisers appear to have been nonplussed by this determined single-handed onslaught, as they did not return the firo until the range had closed to three miles. They then ■, opened lire, and the Mary Hose held gallantly on through a barrage of bursting shells until only a mile separated her from tlio enemy, tip to this point the German marksmanship was poor, but as the British destroyer turned to bring her torpedotubes to bear a salvo struck her, bursting 111 the engine-room, and leaving her disabled a log on the water. All guns with the exception of the after 011 c were out of action, and their crews killed or wounded, but the after-gun continued in action under, tho directions of Sub-Lieu-tenant Marsh, 11.N.V.8., as long as the gun would bear. The captain came down from the wrecked bridge and passed aft, encouraging and cheering his deafened men. He stopped beside the wrecked remains of the midship gun, and shouted to the survivors of its crew: "God, bless my heart, lads^ get her going again; we're not done yot!

British Spirit Never Flinches,

The enemy were now pouring a concenimtcd tire into tho motionless \6SSpI. Ono of the boilers, struck by a shell, exploded, and through the inferno of escaping steam, smoke, and the vapour ot bursting shell, came that fnmUiar, cheei\ vuice, "We'ro not done yet! As tho German light cruisers sped past, two able seamen (Able Seaman Irencli and Able Seaman Bailey), who alone survived among the torpedo tubes' crews, on ..thoir own initiative laid and fired the remaining torpedo. Able Seaman 1! rencn was killed immediately, and Able seaman Ballev badly wounded, llealising that the enemy had- Passed ahead, and that the four-inch gun. could no longer bo brought to bear on them, the captain went below, and sot about destroying his cyphers. The first lieutenant (Lieutenant Bavin), seeing ono of tho light cruisers returning towards them, called the gunner, (Mr. Handcock), and bade him sink tho ship. The captain then came, on deck, and gave tho order "Abandon ship!" A.U tho boats had been shattered by shellfire at their davits, but tho survivors launched u Cark'y vail, nnd paddled clear of the ship. Tho German cruiser dotailed to administer the coup-de-grace then approached te Within three hundred yards, and poured a succession of salvoes into the already riddled hull. 'J'hc Mary lioso sank at 7.15 a.m. with colours Hying. The captain, first, lieutenant, and gunner were lost with the ship, but. the handful of survivors, in charge of SubLieutenant J. li. D. Freeman, K.N., on the Cn.rley raft, fell in some hours later with a lifeboat belonging to one of the ships of the convoy. Sailing and' rowing,' they, niado the Norwegian coast some forty-eight hours later, nnd were tended with the utmost kindness by the Norwegian authorities. AH survivors unite in testifying to tho cheerful courage of the senior surviving officer, SubLieutenant Freeman, throughout (he luk phase of this ordeal. Able Seamau Bal.ley, who, despite severe shrapnel wounds in the leg, persisted in taking his turn at tho oar, is also specially mentioned for an invinciblo lightheadedness throughout.

There is no record of what was in the mind of the captain .of the Mary Jf.oso when ho .inado that single-handed dash in the face of such preposterous orids. The convoy which was'in his charge lay ahead of him, and as he apparently supposed was being attacked by the gunfire of a hostile submarine. "When on rushing to the rescue, he realised that it was to meet not a submarine, but three of Germany's newest and fastest light cruisers, it is oonceivable that the original intention of rescue was not supplanted in his mind by considerations of higher strategy, fie held on unflinchingly, and he died leaving to the annals of his §ervice an episode not less glorious than that in which Sir Richard Grenville perished—(Admiralty copyright.)