PERTAINING TO MYSTERY SHIPS
"YOU BRITISH WILL ALWAYS BE FOOLS AND WE GERMANS SHALL NEVER BE
GENTLEMEN"--SILHOUETTE LIFEBOAT FOR GUN COVERING--A SECRET OF THE
WAR EXPLAINED AND ILLUSTRATED--MORE IDEAS FOR MYSTERY SHIPS
DESCRIBED--SECRET THANKS--SUCCESSFUL RESULTS FROM CAMOUFLAGE AT
SEA--THE GRATITUDE OF THE ADMIRALTY.
The year 1915 saw much havoc at sea from the ravages of German
submarines. I was located in the midst of it. I saw many a noble craft
torpedoed direct or sunk by gunfire or mines. Such is a sight which
leaves impressions and gives much to reflect upon.
The Germans, I knew, adopted subterfuges to lure their victims to
destruction. The British apparently scorned to descend to such levels.
Bitterly I remembered the words of the captured officer: "You British
will always be fools and we Germans shall never be gentlemen." It was
maddening to know that all our acts of chivalry and knightly conduct
throughout the war only provoked the mirth and contempt of our
adversaries.
Something should be done to meet blow with blow, subterfuge with
subterfuge, and violence with equal retaliatory force.
The outcome of my reflections on this subject are hereinafter divulged.
"_To_
"THE ADMIRALTY,
"WHITEHALL,
"LONDON. "_June 15th, 1915._
"SIR,
"I would, with all deference, submit to your consideration a
suggestion which has occurred to me as possibly worthy of trial. It
is as follows:
"In the Port of ---- I observed trawling vessels fitted with guns
conspicuously mounted upon a platform raised just abaft the funnel
and over the engine-room, obviously for patrol purposes.
"I assume that a German submarine could not but at once observe the
gun and at a considerable distance, as it is raised well above
deck-levels. She would naturally resort to the torpedo without
coming to the surface and without warning. But if the submarine
could be deceived that these trawlers were fishing vessels, or
mine-sweepers, she would hardly waste an expensive torpedo when she
could sink such insignificant craft by gunfire or bombs, and she
might come to the surface to warn the crew to take to the boats, or
to hail the vessel, thus giving a chance for our men to get a bit
of their own back.
"In my humble opinion the guns which are now mounted
(twelve-pounders, I believe) on these trawlers could be concealed
with the greatest of ease in more ways than one; and as the vessels
are in all other respects unaltered in their ordinary appearance, I
see no reason why the experiment should not be tried. Also
remembering that submarines as a rule attack at dawn or gloaming.
"If I may be so presumptuous as to go further and outline one of
the means of concealment foreshadowed, I would construct in light
framework covered with painted canvas the sides of a small row-boat
or lifeboat in two silhouettes, which I would place on each side of
the gun, whereby it would be completely covered up. The stanchions
erected round the gun platform I would unship, or if their
continuance is essential I would mount imitation davits of painted
steam-bent wood, which could easily ship or be jointed with hinge
and hook fastenings, so that they could be unshipped at a moment's
notice. To these davits I would add light blocks and tackles, so
that in a few seconds the whole dummy show could be swept on one
side and the gun brought into play.
"I have carefully examined the platform and gun on one of these
vessels and firmly believe that the idea is practical and feasible
and would act effectively and to advantage.
"When I was cruising in the Baltic opposite Kiel and Femern
(December-February) I was successful with somewhat similar devices
of a simple nature, fitted to small boats, and calculated to
deceive as to distances and in other ways, which originated the
present ideas as soon as I saw our trawlers.
"If you consider the idea worthy of a moment's further
consideration, I would, if you so desired, at once set to work and
have a working model made.
I remain, your obedient servant,
"NICHOLAS EVERITT,
"('JIM' of the B.F.S.S.)"
* * * * *
Intermediary correspondence and actions would not perhaps interest the
reader. Suffice it to say that my ideas found favour in the eyes of the
Powers-that-be, and I was given _carte blanche_ to carry my designs into
effect.
It may now be divulged that many weeks prior to the writing of the
letter mentioned above I had confided an outline of my invention to a
certain naval officer, a friend of mine in charge of a patrol-boat. We
had between us manufactured a rough model from such materials as could
be collected, which had been fitted to a vessel, and it had been
effectively and successfully used in action at sea, although not
officially known or recognised.
Now that I had free access to, and full authority to make use of,
several Admiralty yards for material and assistance, it was an easy
matter to improve on former ideas and to produce a complete efficient
and creditable result.
* * * * *
"_To_
"THE ADMIRALTY,
"WHITEHALL,
"LONDON. "_July 14th, 1915._
EXTRACTS FROM MY REPORT
"The completion of the model was pushed along as quickly as
circumstances would permit, and the first week in July, 1915, was
fitted to a completed gun platform on the steam trawler ---- then
lying in ---- Harbour.
"The silhouette boat and chocks which support it on the gun-deck
are made all in one piece, the deception being brought about simply
by shading in the painting.
"The boat is held in position by the dummy blocks and falls above,
and to the gun-deck below by short iron clips at the foot of the
chocks, which slip into small iron sockets screwed on the gun-deck
and so slightly raised that they are not noticeable. The two
silhouette boats are kept firm by two iron connecting rods.
"_To clear the gun-deck._--Two men are required to handle the gun,
which gives one man at each end of the boats.
"To clear the gun-deck for action each man would simultaneously
push up the iron connecting-rod between the silhouettes and at the
same time instantly kick clear the clip at the foot of the chock
from its socket. A slight push to the swinging boats releases the
hinged davits, which fall backwards, pulling each dummy boat clear
over the top of the lifeline stanchions, whilst they automatically
drop into the bend of the davits, which holds them there until
wanted for further deception purposes.
"The boats can be pulled back and fixed into their original
positions in about a minute, or even less time if necessary.
"Both sides of the dummy silhouette boats are covered with canvas
and painted white with gunwhale streak brown, so both sides match
each other. The gun should be laid pointing towards the stem of the
vessel and the gun itself, mounting and pedestal, painted white.
"Then in whatever position (whether the ends are covered with
canvas or not) the dummy boats are viewed, within ten yards or
further away the deception is complete.
"A very close observer, viewing the apparatus end-on, might assume
that a couple of collapsible lifeboats were being carried aboard
over the engine-room."
* * * * *
Immediately after the official inspection (July 10th), which was said to
be quite satisfactory, the vessel so fitted was ordered to sea, and in
due course I received a registered letter marked "Personal and Private."
The envelope covered an inner envelope also marked "Private." The inner
envelope contained a short note conveying the thanks of the Lords of the
Admiralty to me, the inventor.
[Illustration: _Sketch No. 1_ (taken at 25 feet) shows the dummy boat in
position ready to go to sea.]
[Illustration: _Sketch No. 2_ (taken at 25 feet) shows the dummy davits
down, the boat gone and the gun deck cleared for action _within three
seconds_ from the word of command having been given.]
To what further uses, or with what results the design was utilised,
remained as closely guarded a secret as the inner letter of thanks.
* * * * *
Meanwhile I was more than anxious for active service which would give me
a chance of getting at short grips with the dastardly submarines which I
had hunted in the frozen north so long but never fairly and squarely
behind a gun.
Further reflections caused the following letter to be written:
"_To_
"THE ADMIRALTY,
"WHITEHALL,
"LONDON. "_August 17th, 1915._
"SIR,
"Since I wrote you with completed report on my gun-screen-dummy
boat, submarines have continued to favour these waters in
particular. Three large steamers have quite recently been
torpedoed.
"They have sunk in this neighbourhood alone over fifty sailing
trawlers, _every one_ bombed or sunk by gunfire, and _from the
surface_, but not a mine-sweeper nor a patrol-boat seems to have
been attacked!
"There are plenty of sailing trawlers lying idle in ports.
"I therefore humbly venture to suggest to the Admiralty that if
half a dozen of these were mounted with guns, covered by the
dummy-boat-screen and manned by a small, smart crew, dressed in
_ordinary fishermen's_ clothes (not the naval uniforms with gold
braid and _white-topped_ ornamental caps, so much in vogue at
present), those submarine pests would be caught napping without
much difficulty; whilst the fishermen, who are mostly ruined, would
at least feel that we had got a little of our own back with every
pirate so sunk.
"It would also be easy to place a motor and propeller in the vessel
so employed which would help manoeuvring in no small measure;
whilst as to manning them, there is plenty of material of the very
best to select from for such a job--men who have been patrolling in
gunboats and trawlers for a year without a smell of powder which
their nostrils hunger for. I personally know plenty who would
willingly abandon good positions and hail such an opportunity with
eagerness; whilst, if the chance was given, I myself would
willingly and gladly volunteer my services with them in the first
boat sent out, or under them in any capacity, from the lowly cook
or cabin-boy upwards.
"If this seeming presumption on my part should be acted upon you
may rely upon my wholehearted service for any assistance that I may
be able to give in the fitting-out, etc., or otherwise, and it will
be my pleasure to execute your smallest commands.
"I remain, your obedient servant,
"NICHOLAS EVERITT.
"('JIM' of the B.F.S.S.)"
* * * * *
This letter only produced further "secret" thanks. The suggestion for
active service was not responded to!
Cold comfort to one burning with such unquenchable desires. Poor
gratitude for services rendered. Depressing recognition for future
effort.
But what could a mere civilian expect! It was the same in both Services
at that period of the war. Civilians were as nothing; merely to be used
as conveniences--if they had to be used at all. Or as stepping-stones
for Service men to trample upon towards their own immediate advantage,
utterly regardless of position, ability and status, and whether they had
voluntarily or compulsorily sacrificed position, property, or dearer
belongings.
Had any such ideas as these originated with a junior in the Service he
would have had to have taken them at once to his superior officer. That
dignified individual would in all probability have personally commended
him in private, then put forward the ideas to those above him with much
weight, but at the same time conveniently neglecting to couple the name
of the real originator.
The secret annals of the Service could many such a tale unfold.
Should a junior officer have dared to presume to have sent in his
original ideas direct to Whitehall, woe betide the day for his
immediate future and his chances for early promotion.
The above opinions are no flights of imagination; they are founded
solely on many bitter complaints which have come direct to the ears of
the writer from junior officers in both arms of the Service, whose
inventive ideas have either been summarily squashed by superior
officers, or who have been compelled in their own future interests to
stand aside, silent and disgusted, whilst they have observed others far
above them taking what credit was to be bestowed for ideas or
suggestions which were never their own, and often followed by decoration
without any patent special service.
* * * * *
Shortly before this book went to press the author happened to meet a
naval gunner who had served for a prolonged period aboard mystery ships.
He was most enthusiastic on the subject of camouflage, and he related
how he had served in 1915 in a ship which had one gun only, placed
amidships, which was concealed by a dummy silhouette boat.
According to his account the stunt was great. He narrated in detail the
completeness of the deception, the instantaneous manner in which the gun
was brought into action, and the success which had attended the
introduction of the idea. He affirmed that no less than ten submarines
had been sunk during the first few weeks this invention had been first
introduced. But, as he explained, one day a vessel so fitted was
attacked by two submarines at the same time, one being on each quarter,
and the secret became exposed. After that, he added, the Germans became
much more suspicious how they approached and attacked fishing vessels,
and successes fell off considerably.
It had been an Admiralty regulation that when a submarine was sunk and
its loss proved, the successful crew was awarded £1,000 for each
submarine recorded, which was divided proportionately according to rank.
Submarines claimed to have been sunk run to over two hundred. Many and
various were the methods by which they were sent to the bottom of the
sea; but so far as a number of inventors or the originators of
ingenuity were or are concerned, it would appear that virtue alone
remains their sole reward.
* * * * *
Since this book was accepted for press my attention has been called, in
the February number, 1920, of _Pearson's Magazine_, to an article by
Admiral Sims of the U.S.A. Navy, entitled "How the Mystery Ships
Fought," in which he says:
"Every submarine that was sent to the bottom, it was estimated,
amounted in 1917 to a saving of about 40,000 tons per year of
merchant shipping; that was the amount of shipping, in other words,
which the average U-boat would sink, if left unhindered to pursue
its course.
"This type of vessel (Q-boats) was a regular ship of His Majesty's
Navy, yet there was little about it that suggested warfare. _Just
who invented this grimy enemy of the submarine is, like many other
devices developed by the war, unknown._ It was, however, the
natural outcome of a close study of German naval methods. The man
who first had the idea well understood the peculiar mentality of
the U-boat commanders."
Extracting further paragraphs from Admiral Sims' article:
"There is hardly anything in warfare which is more vulnerable than
a submarine on the surface within a few hundred yards of a
four-inch gun. A single well-aimed shot will frequently send it to
the bottom. Indeed, a U-boat caught in such a predicament has only
one chance of escape; that is represented by the number of seconds
which it takes to get under water.
"Clearly the obvious thing for the Allies to do was to send
merchant ships armed with hidden guns along the great highways of
commerce. The crews of these ships should be naval officers and men
disguised as merchants, masters, and sailors."
At p. 104 of the magazine Admiral Sims refers directly to my invention
as described and illustrated:
"Platforms were erected on which guns were emplaced; a covering of
tarpaulin completely hid them; yet a lever pulled by the gun crews
would cause the sides of the hatchway covers to fall
instantaneously. _Other guns were placed under lifeboats, which, by
a similar mechanism, would fall apart_ or rise in the air exposing
the gun.
"From the greater part of 1917 from twenty to thirty of these ships
(Q-boats) sailed back and forth in the Atlantic."
The February number of the _Wide World Magazine_, p. 361, also contained
a most interesting article by Captain Frank H. Shaw entitled, A "Q," and
a "U," in which he describes how he personally helped to sink a
submarine with the aid of a camouflage apparatus on the lines of my
invention as illustrated:
"Meanwhile the fitters were making most of their opportunities
aboard the _Penshurst_ (the Q-boat in question). A useful
twelve-pounder gun--one of the best bits of ordnance ever devised
for short range work--was mounted on the fore-deck. A steel ship's
lifeboat was cut in two through the keel, and so faked that on
pulling a bolt, the two halves would fall clear away. This dummy
boat was then put in place over the twelve-pounder and effectively
concealed its presence.
"So far as the outward evidence was concerned, the _Penshurst_ was
simply carrying a spare lifeboat on deck--a not unnecessary
precaution, considering the activity of the enemy submarines."
Captain Shaw describes in stirring narrative and vivid detail how a
submarine held up his ship, how part of their crew abandoned the ship,
and how the Hun boat was lured well within easy gun-fire range, and how
my ideas worked in practice:
"_The foredeck boat opened beautifully like a lily and the gun came
up, with its crew gathered round it._ The twelve-pounder was not a
second behind its smaller relative. Her gunlayer, too, was a useful
man. He planted a yellow-rigged shell immediately at the base of
Fritz's conning-tower. It exploded there with deafening report and
great gouts of water flew upwards with dark patches amongst the
foam."
* * * * *
By my friends I was disparaged for foolishness in not putting forward a
claim for compensation in connection with these ideas, followed by an
accepted invention of recognised utility. In the U.S.A. in the spring of
1919 I heard this invention considerably lauded; in New York, Boston,
and Washington. It was also described and illustrated in certain
American periodicals.
If the figures given by Admiral Sims are true estimates, and, say, only
twenty-five submarines were sunk by the direct assistance of this simple
contrivance, then it follows that about 1,000,000 tons of shipping were
saved each year it was in active use.
Eventually I communicated with Admiral W. R. Hall, C.B., through whom I
had submitted my suggestions in the first instance. From him I received
a charming letter in which he regretted the matter had passed beyond his
department. Therefore on January 26th, 1920, I wrote to the Secretary of
the Admiralty referring by number to previous letters conveying the
_secret_ thanks of the Lords of the Admiralty to me in 1915 and asking
him whether (now that the war was over) I was entitled to any
recognition for this invention, and if so, how and to whom I should
apply.
I wrote again on April 29th, asking for a reply to my previous letter,
but being only a civilian, I suppose he did not consider either myself
or the subject matter I enquired about worthy even of simple
acknowledgment.