KEEPER OF THE HIGH SEAS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 71, 23 July 1915, Page 7

KEEPER OF THE HIGH SEAS

INCIDENT IN THE GREAT WAR. “Perhaps.” 1 Four bells in the morning watch had just struck, or in shore-going timo 6 a.m., and the first sign of dawn was stealing steadily into the sky. It was the great hour of “perhaps.” The ship, one of the resurrections of tho present war, hut in spite of ago trained to the moment by months of constant preparation and expectation, was keeping watch and ward over her particular portion of the high seas, ever on the look-out for either friend or foe, and with a decided preference for the latter. This ceaseless vigil had been going on for more weeks than one eared to remember, but up to date fortune had not favoured her. Every night men had kept watch at their guns, muffled up in duffel coats and warm clothing, thoughtfully sent out by those at home ,look-outs had strained their eyes peering fixedly into the darkness, and it was a criminal offence to strike a match or switch on an uncovered light. Silent and Invisible.

| Silent and invisible the ship had waited for her chance. Each morning at dawn telescopes and binoculars had searched the horizon in the hope

of seeing the silhouetted outline, farniliam through constant study of naval publications, of a German cruiser. Occasionally, small fry came into the net, and were promptly dealt with. A tramp steamer leisurely “thumping,” would sudeuly find herself illuminated by the piercing eye of an electric searchlight, apparently coming from nowhere, followed by a blank charge fired from a 12-ponnder gun, I a polite intimation to stop. A cutter 'manned by fourteen seamen, armed with rifles, and in charge of an officer and a diminutive midshipman, both equipped with revolvers, would then drop quietly into the water and proceed alongside tin* steamer to examine her papers, etc. This examination concluded permission would he -given for her to proceed on her voyage, the incident culminating with the signal. “Thank you, good night.” the steamer proved to be a passenger liner, and then occasionally .the boat would bring back some German reservists, who were making a j vain effort to reach their own country to assist in swelling the enemy’s ranks. Those reservists would eventually find their way to one of the i prisoners’ camps at our overseas bases. Very few get through, and most of them give one the impression that they are rather thankful to he caught. But this work, important 'and necessary though it be, is not 'a patch on a real “scrap,” and our friend the cruiser was longing for the bigger game. “Perfect bliss.” ’The silent approach, the distant flashes, followed by a deadly, pause as the messengers of death hurtle their way through the air, the answering roar of our guns, what antijcipations of perfect bliss! I But on the morning of this particular day, better luck seemed in store, for as the blackness of the night 'gradually lifted, and that mysterious half-light just preceding the dawn showed up the horizon, a black threefunnelled silhouette was observed by a lynx-eyed look-out. Roughly ten miles off and almost hull down, but fortunately with the light behind her. j Almost simultaneously the bugler, putting every cubic inch of wind into it. sounded off “Action,” and, like A wasp nest sudenly disturbed, the decks became alive with running, one might almost say flying, figures .

l“Action. j But each man was flying to a particular spot, and knew exactly where to go, 1 and what to do when ho got there. .So that in spite of the semi-darkness there was no confusion. Tho guns’ crews dashed into their armoured casements, the ammunition supply parties dived down into the bowels of the ship, stokers ran fire-hoses along the decks and turned on the water so as to prevent fires from starting, and the medical staff went down to the lower regions where are such horribly suggestive contrivances as stretchers and operating tables. Up the rigging to the small box-like control position, half-way up the mast, scrambled a bunch of officers and men, the all-im-portant fire direction and control staff. From this elevated pigeon loft, the fire of the guns is controlled

in action by tin* gunnery officer. ami from here ema-riaie uii orders eoncern-

inrr the direction and manipulation ot the gnus-. Everything Ready! In extctlv two minutes all the guns have been reported loaded and ready, the engines aye working up to full speed, and everyone is agog with sheer excitement and hope. Can it bo true? Has our luck turned at .last ? The electrical instruments which communicate the ranges to the guns are methodically ticking down by hundreds of yards ns the distance between the two ships decreases. All is ready, and a deadly still ness reigns. In the gnu positions the crews are quietly wasting their time in doing a hun-dred-and-one weird but useless things polishing and repolishing shining brass, tenderly patting and stroking the gun, apparently under the vague impfession that it needs encouragement, or chalking insulting messages to ttto Kaiser on the exterior of the shells: .which are. lying on the dock ready to he rammed into the gun. But nobody speaks. The weird little occupations are merely automatic, merely to occupy those minutes which seem like, hours. Suddenly the gunlayer, with the air of one who remembers a iorgotton 'iijunction, takes lii s ( >ye from the sight telescope to which it had been glued, and carefully deans the lens with a ■somewhatdilapidated handkerchief. This task being accomplished, ho expectorates deliberately on the. deck, and pnc.o more settles himself into his ' position. All the time the ranfee’ indicator is ticking down with the maddening regularity of a taximeter in a traffic block, until the distance reaches the maximum that our guns could lie effectively used at. The gunnery officer now reports to the captain that he is ready' .top opcil' fi re. Wafting for the Challenge.

No signal or challenge has yet been made, as our own speed is known to bo loss than that of our probable opponents/ i;tftd therefore it is essential that if still unobserved, wo should close to within effective fire range, before disclosing ourselves by signalling. The light has favoured us, and our background is still dark, while the other ship can be easily seen against the dawn.

There is no reason tor further delay, so the signal lamp starts winking, making the secret challenge. What a lot depends on the reply! Will there be any except the flash of guns? Heaven send the flash! For some seconds there i.s no reply. We have not yet been seen. Then an answering flicker of light. The signalman, smothering an appaling but heartfelt “nautical expression,” shuts his telescope with a click, and reports, “Answered the challenge, sir.” The cap tain, doubtless longing to be aide to relieve his feelings in a satisfactory manner, has to content himself with an- expressive growl, and orders the bugler to sound the “Disperse.” Jn a dew moments the normal morning routine of the ship is being carried out, the decks are being scrubbed and the paintwork cleaned. The incident is closed. But the test has been a. useful one, and in spite of the disappointment there is a feeling that all is well and ready for next time; but at the same time when the next time does come we want a proper show, and not a “might have been.”