IN THE NAVAL PATROL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 80, 30 December 1918, Page 7

IN THE NAVAL PATROL

WORK OP MYSTERY SHIP.

Among those who relumed to Auckland by transport No. lflll on Tuesday was Captain J . It. Grey, son of Captain and Mrs. W. J. Grey, of Wellington, who has seen a grent deal of service in the war with patrol units of tho British Navy. Upon arriving-in England about tllrGe years ago as an ollicer of the Otaki, which was sunk on its next voyage by tho raider Moewe, Captain Grey offerrfl his services to the Admiralty. He u'.is.at first employed as instructor in-navigation and seamanship at Southampton for five months, was then attached to a coastal patrol, a miiie-sivecping trawler, winch was on duty around the Irish coast, and, finally, was appointed to the command of one of the mystery ships. This vessel, he said, was formerly a merchant ship, and used to trade between the east coast of Scotland and Icelnncl, and even a. careful examination would have revealed no.change in her occupation after she was taken, ovnr by the Admiralty. All the officers and crew wore the usual navnl merchant uniforms, the vcs.«l flew the. Red Ensign, and all Rims were carefully concealed, in iuct, Captain Grey said that when be went aboard his new command for the nrst time it took him about half an hour to discover that she was anything elso than what; she appeared to be. "We "f. 0,1 simplv to potter about so that if tho enemy caiiio along ho thought, until we disillusioned him, that he had an easy prev" was the manner in winch Captain Gro'v described (lie average day's work ot a nivstery ship. The, most serious action in which ho took part was toward the end of last year when ft convoy, wliicii his vessel, in-tlio. course of its.duly, had just met, was suddenly attacked. A heavy eca. was running at the time, and the first warning that submarines were about was the sinking of one of the two destroyers in the escort. This was about 7 a.m., and within tho next G5 minutes another ■• destroyer and iivo merchant ships had been sunk, three of tho vessels being lost in a new enemy minefield toward wlucii they wero driven. In tho heavy sea. miming it was impossible to see ot what tho attacking force consisted, but it was bulieved to have been composed ot two submarines whose fate was never certain. "One night when we- were practically hove-to about 40 or 50 miles west of Ireland, and just as I was turning in, tin. watch reported a submarine on tho starboard bow," sakl Captain Grey, when asked for further experiences. "Wo went full steam ahead and dropped two depth clrfrges, which, incidentally, gnvo our vessel a considerable shaking as wo had littlo time to. get. clear. . Coining 'about we saw the big, black, curved side of our submarino showing out of tluwater, and raised a cheer. It rathoi spoils tho - story, however, to have to add that our catch was really a 70ft. whale!" .He added that it was fre- ■■ qneiitly impossible to say definitely whether submarines attacked had been destroyed or had merely submerged, but tho protective methods adopted had proved exceedingly satisfactory. Captain. Grey has been invalided to enable, him to recover from ill-health resulting from his constant exposure vo nil weathers whilo on duty. Tn (he area in ■which ho was operating rain and snowstorms .were of almost daily occurrence for nine months of the year, and finally, after one - particularly bitter experience, last January, when he was on duty for 20 hours continuously guarding a convoy of 22 ships in a heavy galo, he was sent to hospital. Ho is now convalescent.