ARMED MOTOR-BOATS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 285, 21 August 1918, Page 7

ARMED MOTOR-BOATS

WORK OF THE LIGHT CRAFT

The important part played by motorlaunches in the reccnt naval attack on Zeebruggo and Ostend has brought these craft under the public eye more than has been the case hitherto.

The motor-launches of t'lio Auxiliary Patrol are manned, to a considerable extent, by men 'who wero amateur yachtsmen in the days of peace. These yachtsmen possess an intimate knowledge of tho waters .round the British Isles, and of the French and Belgian coastal waters, so that they wero able to perforin many most necessary services front the very beginning of the war. Ono of the first coastal necessities in 1914 was an efficient examination, Service of the traffic w'hich was continually passing to and fro along our coasts and up and down our estuaries. This task was one for which tho amateur yachtsman found himself peculiarly well fitted, since not only did ho know the intricacies of the coastline, but ho'.was also well acquainted with tho fishermen and other local residents. So tho patrol and examination 6ervico was established, and the yachtsman quickly began to take his part in the war. Many of the motor-boats used in those .early days were pleasure craft which before had only been used for up-river picnics or short' cruises from point to point along the coast.' Those boats were lent to tho .Admiralty, and, very often commanded by their owners, took part in the new uorkj tho yachtsmen receiving commissions in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

To-day the little motor-boats of 1911 havo disappeared, having been replaced by motor-launches specially constructed for their work and built according to Admiralty designs. In these vessels both officers and men have continued to acquit .themselyes splendidly, as tho following testimony proves. Tho words quoted aro from a report madesby the Senior Naval Officer of a certain coastal area. Ho writes:— .

' ''They have performed their duties in a loyal manner, and I cannot adequately express in words my appreciation of their services to tho country. Day after day, year after year, they havo kept'tho seas in the worst weather when other craft havo had to run for shelter."

On one occasion a fire broke out in the engine-room of a, motor-launch, and it looked as though the vessel was doomed to destruction. Petrol was flowing through from the forward tanks; tho en-gine-room itself was thick with smoko and fumes; the firo was increasing, fed iiy the flow of petrol. Such was the position when tho chief motor mechanic determined to go below. He made two attempts, but was beaten back by tho smoke each time. However, ho would not givo in, and at last managed to force his way down. Once in the engine-room, despite fire and fumes, ho, succeeded in shutting off the How of petrol, and so saved his vessel. On one occasion a German submarine sighted ail American barquo and proceeded to attack her. Before tho U-boat could do any damage, however, a motorlaunch appeared and opened firo. Tho enemy, taken by surprise, was. compelled to withdraw his attention from the_American vessel and to defend himself against the motor-launch. The result was that the barquo escaped without receiving any damage, whilo the German submarine was obliged to submergo under a rain of shells. The Armed Trawlers. The armed trailers, which are also auxiliary patrol craft, havo been manned by fishermen, and aro commanded by skippers nnd lieutenants of tho Royal Navul Reserve. They have accomplished a vast amount of good work since the outbreak of war, tho'gallantry of their officers and crews having been conspicuous and unwearying, as tho following instances show:— After ono of H.M. ships had been mined, the commanding officer of a. trawler lashed his vessel alongside the disabled ship and succeeded in removing all the wounded to his own vessel. This happened in a dangerous aTea, whero tho trawler might have been mined at any moment. . Tho 6amo lieutenant who accomplished this had also brought in 25t> survivors from'eight ships ■ torpedoed in his area. On another occasion a steamer had been torpedoed, and was sinking. Her crew had abandoned ship. A trawler deckhand, on hearing that there men were still on board the sinking vessel, insisted on. boarding her in the.hope of saving them. He rescued ono man from under a heap of wreckage, but could not find the' others and was 'lucky to escape alive. ' Great gallantry was shown by a trawler boy when Ms vessel was mined. Ha had no lifebelt, and was struggling in tho water with'the remainder of the crew. But ho never lost his presence of mmd, and did his best to help those near hiin to keep their heads above, water. Then he saw a man floating face downwards and tried to turn him over so that he could breathe. Unfortunately, the pool fellow was already dead Seeing this, tho brave lad turned his attention to a deckhand who could not swim, and was in a state of collapse. "He was more cer/tainly the mejins of saving this man from drowning,' 'writes the commanding officer in his report of the occurrence. * On one occasion a seaplane had fallen into the sea. A trawler camo along in time to find tho pilot and the observer, both exhausted and clinging to the upturned floats of thi! machine. Having rescued the two men, tho trawier crew got tho wrecked seaplane alongside, to pass a wire round it. This was a very difficult job, as the sea was rough and • the machine was under water, but in the end they were successful, and managed to hoist the wrecked seaplane- on fo the ship's rail. . In thiff way they brought it into port, where the engine was found to bo still intact. A submarine on the surfacc attacked a steamer. This was observed by a trawler engaged in escorting another steamer. The trawler ordered her convoy to proceed in a certain direction, and hastened to attack'the U-boat. Finding the rarpe quickly, 'the trawler was soon dropping shells all round ' tlio submarine. Ono round caused a cloud of dense black smoke to rise from the oncipy, who instantly ceased tiro and disappeared. - The trawler, having saved tho second steamer by her prompt interference, now returned to her convoy.