Q Ships and Their Story 5

Q Ships and Their Story 5

But the Navy pressed into its use also sailing smacks, and sent

them out to sea. This began at Lowestoft in August, 1915. In that

neighbourhood submarines had been doing a great deal of damage to the

local fishing ketches, so it was decided to commission four of these

smacks, arm them, strengthen their fishing crew with a few active

service ratings for working the gun, and let the craft resume their

fishing among the other smacks. With any luck at all a German submarine

should come along, and then would follow the surprise. The original

fishermen crews were only too delighted to have an opportunity of

getting their own back, and these excellent fellows certainly were

afforded some good sport. So well did the idea work that within a

very few days the smack _G. and E._ engaged one submarine, and the

_Inverlyon_ sank UB 4. During the same month the smack _Pet_ fought a

submarine, and on September 7 _Inverlyon_ had a fight with another.

 

And still the Admiralty were not over optimistic as to the capabilities

of the decoy ship, and had to be convinced of the real worth of this

novel idea. However, an incident happened on August 19 which was so

successful and so significant that it entirely changed the official

mind, and all kinds of craft were suggested as suitable decoys. Some

thought that oil-tankers would have made ideal bait: so they would,

but such ships were few in number and too valuable. Others suggested

yachts, and actually these were used for intelligence work in the Bay

of Biscay. Many other schemes, too, were brought forward, but they were

not always practicable, or had to be discarded for particular reasons.

 

 

[Illustration:

 

FIG. 1.—DIAGRAM TO ILLUSTRATE APPROXIMATE MOVEMENTS OF ‘BARALONG’

WHEN SHE SANK U 27 ON AUGUST 19, 1915. THE NUMERALS INDICATE

SIMULTANEOUS POSITIONS OF DECOY AND SUBMARINE.]

 

 

[Illustration: Q-SHIP “BARALONG”

 

Heroine of two famous victories over submarines. Photograph taken in

Malta harbour after the ship had been transferred to the Mediterranean.]

 

[Illustration: Q-SHIP “REDBREAST”

 

This vessel was commissioned as a Q-ship at the end of March, 1916, but

six months later had concluded her service in this capacity.

 

To face p. 22]

 

In March, 1915, the Admiralty had taken up the S.S. _Baralong_, a

typical ‘three-island’ tramp, as a decoy. For nearly six months she had

been cruising about and had already steamed 12,000 miles, but during

the afternoon of August 19 she was at last to have her chance. This was

an historic day in the submarine campaign, for in that area between the

south-west coast of Ireland and the western end of the English Channel

eight British steamers were sunk, including the 15,801-ton White Star

liner _Arabic_. It is quite certain that there was more than one

submarine operating, and they had reaped a good harvest on the 17th. In

the hope of falling in with one of these U-boats, the _Baralong_ found

herself in Lat. 50.22 N., Long. 8.7 W. (that is, about a hundred miles

south of Queenstown), steering on an easterly course. She was disguised

as a United States cargo ship with American colours painted on boards

on her sides. These boards were made so that they could be hauled in,

and the ensign staff would fall away as soon as the ship should go

into action with the White Ensign hoisted. At three in the afternoon

_Baralong_ sighted a steamer manœuvring rather strangely, and almost

immediately picked up a wireless ‘S.O.S.’ signal from her. _Baralong_

therefore now altered course towards her, and the two ships were soon

steering so that they would presently meet. Then a submarine was

sighted about seven miles off heading towards the steamer, whom she was

shelling. By this time the crew of the steamer, which was the Leyland

liner _Nicosian_, were rowing about in the ship’s boats, and towards

these the _Baralong_ was seen to be approaching, but the submarine U

27, which had a 22-pounder forward of the high conning-tower, and a

similar gun aft, steered so as to come along _Nicosian’s_ port side and

towards the latter’s boats, apparently to prevent _Baralong_ rescuing

the men. One who was present told me the full story, and I made notes

and a sketch at the time. This is what happened:

 

As soon as the submarine was blanketed by _Nicosian_, the _Baralong_,

who was now roughly parallel with the other two craft, struck her

American colours, hoisted the White Ensign, and trained her guns

ready for the moment when the submarine should show herself ahead

of _Nicosian’s_ bows. In a few seconds U 27 came along, and had the

greatest of all surprises. The range was only 600 yards, and 12-pounder

shells, accompanied by rifle fire, came hurtling along, penetrating

the craft on the waterline below the conning-tower before the enemy

could reply. The conning-tower went up in the air, panic-stricken

Germans jumped into the sea, the submarine heeled over, and in about

another minute sank for good and all. The whole incident had happened

so quickly that _Nicosian’s_ people were as surprised as they were

amused. The whole of _Baralong’s_ tactics had been so simple yet so

clever and effective; deliverance from the enemy had followed the

sudden attack so dramatically, that it was not easy to realize quite

all that had happened. _Nicosian_ had been holed by the German shells,

but _Baralong_ took her in tow and headed for Avonmouth. She was down

by the head and the tow-rope parted during the night, but she managed

to get to port all right.

 

The sinking of this U 27 was a most useful piece of work, for her

captain, Lieut.-Commander Wegener, was one of Germany’s best submarine

commanders; she had left Germany a fortnight before. This incident,

with many of its details, reached Germany via the U.S.A.; for

_Nicosian_ was carrying a cargo of mules from across the Atlantic to

be used by our army, and some of the muleteers were American citizens.

On their arrival back home the news came out, and was published in

the newspapers, causing considerable sensation. The German nation was

furious and made some bitter accusations, forgetting all the time that

on this very day they had fired on and killed fourteen of the crew of

the British submarine E 13, which had grounded on the Danish island of

Saltholm. All the officers, with one exception, and most of the crew of

_Baralong_ were of the Royal Naval Reserve. A number of decorations was

made and the sum of £1,000 was awarded.

 

This great success in the midst of a terrible tale of shipping losses

finally convinced the authorities of the value of the Q-ship. There

was a great shortage of tonnage at this time, for ships were being

required for carrying mules and munitions from America, munitions to

Russia, and every kind of stores across to our armies. However, it was

decided to take up some more steamers as decoys and fit them out in a

similar manner. Thus the two tramp steamers _Zylpha_ (2,917 tons) and

the _Lodorer_ (3,207 tons) were assigned to Queenstown. The former,

after doing excellent work, was sunk on June 15, 1917; the latter,

commanded by the officer who eventually became Captain Gordon Campbell,

V.C., D.S.O., made history. Under the aliases of _Farnborough_ and Q 5

she became the most famous of all the decoy ships. Tramp steamer though

she may be, she has a career which, for adventurous fights, honourable

wounds, and imperishable glory cannot be approached by any ship in the

world, with the solitary exception, perhaps, of the _Vindictive_, for,

in spite of everything, _Lodorer_ was able at the end of the war to

resume her work in the Merchant Service. In another place we shall soon

see her exploits as a warship.

 

In addition to these two a few small coasting steamers were taken up

and a couple of transports, and the work of selecting officers of dash

and enterprise had to be undertaken with great secrecy and discretion.

Unquestionably the most suitable type of Q-ship was the tramp, and the

worst was the cross-Channel railway steamer. The first was slow, but

could keep at sea a long time without coaling; the latter was fast,

but wasteful of coal and had limited bunker space. Of these railway

steamers we have already mentioned the G.E.R. Co.’s S.S. _Vienna_

(alias _Antwerp_). Another decoy ship was the L.& S.W.R. Co.’s S.S.

_Princess Ena_, which was built to run between the Channel Islands and

Southampton. She had been commissioned in May, 1915, armed with three

12-pounders, and could steam at 15 knots, but she ceased her decoy work

in the following August. The _Lyons_, already referred to, was really a

salvage steamer, but much resembled a tug, especially when she hoisted

her dummy funnel. She was of 537 tons, could steam at 11 knots, and was

armed with four 12-pounders. But it was the ‘three-island’ tramp type

of the _Baralong_ breed, which was so ordinary and seen at any time in

any sea, that made the ideal Q-ship. She was of 4,192 tons, built in

1901, speed 10 knots, armed with three 12-pounders, and fitted with a

single wireless aerial which could excite no suspicion. So skilfully

was the armament of these ships concealed that they frequently lay in

harbour close to foreign ships without revealing their true nature. I

have myself been all over such a ship, commanded by one of the greatest

Q-ship officers, and entirely failed to find where he mounted his

guns, and yet they were on board ready for immediate use. How much

more likely would the German submarine, lying lower down to the water,

be deceived! As time went on and these much-feared ‘trap-ships’ were

scrutinized more closely, several minor but fatal characteristics

had to be remembered; for instance, the crew sometimes would be too

smart or the signal-man was too good with his semaphore. But these and

similar points were rectified as soon as they were realized.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER III

 

Q-SHIP ENTERPRISE

 

 

Within five weeks of her victorious fight _Baralong_ had done it

again. After the war it was definitely announced in the public Press

that U 27 had been sunk by H.M.S. _Wyandra_ on August 19. Under this

name the ship’s crew were awarded the sum of £185 as prize bounty, and

in the same court _Wyandra_, her commanding officer this time being

Lieut.-Commander A. Wilmot-Smith, R.N., was awarded £170 prize bounty

for sinking U 41 on September 24, 1915. It was an open secret that

_Baralong_ and _Wyandra_ were one and the same ship, so we may as well

get this matter quite clear. Already we have seen the manner in which

this decoy sank U 27, and we shall now be able to note very similar

tactics in almost the same locality attaining a like result under her

new captain.

 

 

[Illustration:

 

FIG. 2.—DIAGRAM TO ILLUSTRATE APPROXIMATE MOVEMENTS OF ‘BARALONG’

WHEN SHE SANK U 41 ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1915. THE LETTERS INDICATE

SIMULTANEOUS POSITIONS OF DECOY AND SUBMARINE.]

 

U 41 had left Wilhelmshaven on September 12, this being her fourth

trip. She was under the command of Lieut.-Commander Hansen, and on

the 23rd had sunk three British steamers, each of about 4,000 tons,

in a position roughly eighty miles south-east of the Fastnet. The

first of these ships was the _Anglo-Columbian_, which was sunk at 9.45

a.m., followed by the _Chancellor_ at 3 p.m., and the _Hesione_ about

four hours later. The news of the first sinking reached _Baralong_

(henceforth officially known as _Wyandra_) in Falmouth, so this decoy

put to sea, and after rounding the Lizard steered a course that would,

with luck, intercept the submarine if she were operating towards

Ushant, as seemed probable. So the night passed. About 9 o’clock next

morning the British S.S. _Urbino_ (6,651 tons), of the Wilson Line, was

attacked by this U 41 in a position roughly sixty-seven miles S.W. by

W. of the Bishop rock. At 9.45 a.m. up came the _Baralong_, and sighted

the _Urbino_ about eight miles ahead, on fire, stopped, with a heavy

list, and blowing off steam. It was a fine, clear morning; a steady

course was maintained, and the Q-ship made ready for action. Already

the _Urbino’s_ crew had been compelled to take to their boats, and the

submarine, at a range of 200 yards, had put five shells into her.