DARING JACK TARS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 January 1916, Page 6

DARING JACK TARS.

TALES FROM THE NORTH SEA. Tin? '-'barging about, the North Sea," to which Rear-Admiral Sir David Beatfcy recently alluded, while it has lacked the one great opportunity of a smashing contest with the German fleet, lias ineluded many incidents which, were they known, would add to Britain's gratitude to tho Navy. The Scotsman has been permitted to lift the veil a little, and an article by a special correspondent reveals two feats of seamanship which sent a grin around the fleet and helped to nerve the sailors for the continual strain of watching. The correspondent w-rites: 'Many of our tars will recall one such incident, which involved quite a feat of seamanship. It occurred out on the North Sea, and possible a little west of the Long Forties. Just about twelve months have gone since the affair, but it still raises a smile in certain quarters. A fast, light cruiser of our Navy on a very dull morning, after a calm, cold night, sighted a cargo vessel under a neutral flag, and came to regard her with some suspicion. SUSPICIOUS. v "The -'tramp' was kept under observation for a long time before she received any evidence at all of being watched. To outside appearances the neutral was in that condition which brings to his mouth the heart of a skipper expectant of salvage, and no doubt more than one trawler that morning had glanced at her hopefully, and again and again, for a signal that she had broken down and wanted a tow. "Lying off in the distance, the warship was satisfied that the tramp was not 'going lame,' but was waiting for something. Having arrived at that conclusion, the neutral was approached in the usual way and an examination was made. In the making of the examination the 'gullible and unsuspecting' Britisher rather scored. The officer entrusted with that duty did not spend mucli time over it. That was not necessary. He was apparently satisfied as to the bona fides of the tramp when he shouted a cheery 'Good-bye!' and returned to his Bhip. QUICK CAPTURE IN THE DARK.

"His report was to the point. While 'looking at nothing' he had seen enough to be certain that the vessel was neither a neutral nor an innocent tramp steamer with a defect in the engine-room. The warship disappeared, and the tramp 'limped' along with no more than steering way on as before. "Throughout eleven weary hours patient eyes and ready guns were turned on that unsuspecting merchantman, and at length darkness fell. Then there was vouchsafed the watchers that for which they had waited so long—the combination of lights on the neutral. It was a clever combination. Having lea-ned all that she seemed likely to learn by waiting, and being now certain that anything that was about to happen to the cargo steamer would not be seen by any submarines that might be about, the warship made a move in the darkness. During the whole eleven hours the position of the suspect had hardly changed. The extra lights of the combination suddenly vanished on the tramp as the cruiser bore nearer, and that was the first indication to the invisible fighting ship that the crew of the tramp had heard the rumble of machinery somewhere, and were taking precautions.

SMART WORK. "Then an astounding thing happened. On the trarnp a section of the darkness materialised in the most startling fashion, and from it there poured over the merchant ship a crowd of sturdy fellows who da9hed for the bridge and dived for the engine-room and had the ship in their hands and her crew prisoners within five minutes. The cruiser, supping up in the blackness, had laid her long, slim bows alongside as sweetly as ever she had laid them along a jetty, and the landing party assembled forward did the rest. The crew of the tramp had no timo to do anything in the way of warning anyone. "It was smart work and a valuable capture. Stores of food, drums of oil fuel, and spare torpedoes were carried under the sham cargo of the supply ship. She was steamtd into port by her prize crew, and she steamed very well indeed. It is said that she was steamed out of port again not long after, and that on resuming her interrupted duties with a new crew she exercised a distinctly demoralising influence upon certain units of the submarine service ol the enemy. GOES ABOARD AT FULL SPEED. "The feat of seamanship involved in layiiijr the cruiser alongside her quarry so suddenly and so closely in the darkness was noteworthy, but on the occasion of the fight at racing speed between our battle cruisers and those of the enemy off the Dogger Bank, last January, there was provided a no less notable example of the splendid skill with which the fighting ships are controlled. "It will be remembered that when the Lion dropped out of action, Admiral Beatty transferred his flag to the Princess Royal. The Princess Royal, steaming at full power, was using her guns with effect upon the fleeing enemy without intermission. To recall her from that work in order that the Admiral might get on board was apparently not thought of. She had to be overtaken, not recalled. To catch her the Admiral i boarded the Attack. The destroyer was asked to overtake a battle cruiser which was running at well over thirty miles an hour, and to put the Admiral on board without delay. "The Attack was 'opened out' to the task, and it may be questioned if eveu her designers dreamed of the speed she developed. The Princess Royal was overhauled, but kept on her furious way, her guns crashing out unceasingly. Steadily the Attack worked closer, and very soon, with engine-room responding with marvellous precision to the demands of the bridge, she was reduced in speed to enable her absolutely to cling to the speeding leviathan ahead o! her, and with both vesels rushing along at that terrific pace the Admiral passed from the destroyer to the battle cruiser and resumed his place in the action."