The Toll of the Submarines
_But some came not with break of light,
Nor looked upon the saffron dawn;
They keep the watch of endless night,
On the soft breast of Ocean borne.
O waking England, rise and pray
For sons who guard thee night and day!_
CECIL ROBERTS.
We have dealt at length in the previous Chapter with the loss of the
_Lusitania_ not only because, as we have said, her torpedoing marked an
epoch in the history of crime at sea, and was perhaps the determining
factor in the entrance of America into the war, but because the
Cunard Company was thus identified with this world-tragedy, and its
servants exemplified then, as always, the noblest traditions of the
British Mercantile Marine. Unhappily the _Lusitania_, although the
circumstances of her loss brought her, from so many points of view,
into the limelight of publicity was, as we have already seen, by no
means the only one of the Cunard vessels to be lost at sea in the
service of this country, and in the present chapter it is proposed to
deal briefly with some other of the Cunard Company’s vessels that fell
victims, many of them after the bravest resistance, to the submarine
menace. It will, perhaps, be the more convenient, for purposes of
after reference, to deal with these alphabetically, rather than
chronologically.
Thus it was at 5.30 p.m. on February 4th, about 40 miles north of
Londonderry that Captain W. R. D. Irvine of the _Aurania_ saw a
torpedo approaching his ship, which eventually struck her between the
funnels. The _Aurania_ immediately listed heavily to port, but then
righted herself. The boats were immediately lowered and the crew and
passengers, with the exception of Captain Irvine himself and some of
his officers, were all safely aboard them within ten minutes after the
torpedo had exploded. No sooner had they got into the boats, than the
_Aurania_ was again struck by a second torpedo, a third following in
the wake of this, just as the Captain and the remaining officers were
coming down the ropes into the last boat. Seven men in the engine-room
were killed by the explosions of the torpedoes, and two others were
lost by drowning. The crew were in the boats for about one and a
half hours, when they were picked up by some mine-sweepers.
[Illustration: THE “AQUITANIA’S” GARDEN-LOUNGE AS HOSPITAL WARD]
It was then seen that the ship was not sinking, and Captain Irvine with
some of his crew, returned on board and made her fast with hawsers to
one of the trawlers that had arrived on the scene. During the night,
however, the ship broke adrift, and when day broke she was nowhere to
be seen. A message was then received from one of the naval patrols to
the effect that the _Aurania_ had drifted ashore at Tobermory, nearly
50 miles from the place where she had been torpedoed. Unfortunately,
she had grounded at a very exposed position and in the heavy weather
that followed she went to pieces, it being found impossible to salve
her. She was a particularly severe loss in that she was a new ship,
only on her eighth trip.
The _Dwinsk_, one of the steamers being operated by the Cunard Company
for the Government, and in command of Captain H. Nelson, was torpedoed
on June 18th of the same summer, at about 9.20 a.m., while some 650
miles east of New York, the torpedo striking her on the port side in
the region of No. 4 hold. Seven lifeboats were immediately lowered
and all the crew successfully embarked. The submarine then came to
the surface, and with a heavy calibre gun fired 19 shells into the
torpedoed vessel, sinking her about two hours afterwards. A passing
steamer then came in sight and firing five shots in the direction of
the submarine, passed on her course, the submarine submerging. When
the unknown steamer had disappeared, the submarine again came to the
surface, and overtaking the boats in which the crew had taken refuge,
hailed the one in charge of the Chief Officer, and after interrogating
him, moved off in an easterly direction. Meanwhile, during the night,
the little group of lifeboats became separated, meeting with various
adventures but all except one ultimately reaching safety, their crews
being landed as far apart as New York, Bermuda, Newport, and Nova
Scotia. As in the case of the _Ausonia’s_ boats described in Chapter
III, they underwent the severest hardships. The First Officer’s boat,
for instance, after sailing all that day and through the night, sighted
a steamer, but, though she showed signals of distress, received no
reply. Toiling on, a barque, and another steamer, were sighted in the
evening, but again the little boat was unsuccessful in attracting
attention.
[Illustration: THE “AURANIA” ASHORE AFTER BEING TORPEDOED]
[Illustration: THE “IVERNIA” SETTLING DOWN. (Photographed against the
sun from the rescuing trawler)]
Fortunately, the weather up to then had remained favourable, and
continued to do so through the next day, on which another ship was
seen, but again failed to perceive the lifeboat’s dejected crew. Early
on the following morning an empty boat was sighted, and found to be one
of the _Dwinsk’s_ boats from which the crew had evidently been rescued.
On this day the wind began to increase and by the evening a furious
gale was raging. At six o’clock a great sea washed over the little
boat, carrying one of its occupants overboard, and almost filling the
boat with water. On the day after, a Sunday, the wind dropped again,
and remained variable until the evening of the following Wednesday,
when it again increased to such an extent that by midnight a fierce
gale was once more blowing. On Thursday morning this died down, but it
was not until half-past nine on Friday that a steamer which proved to
be the _U.S.S. Arondo_ sighted the now almost famished crew and took
them on board, clothed them, and provided them with medical attention.
They had then been drifting about in every condition of the weather for
no less than ten days, the highest ration allowed being one biscuit
and a half glass of water per man per day, for the first six days,
reduced on the ninth day to half a biscuit and a quarter of a glass of
water. To the invincible optimism and seamanship of the First Officer,
who himself steered the boat for the whole of the ten days, the crew
unanimously announced afterwards that they considered the saving of
their lives to be due.
Of the other boats, one was at sea for eight days, three for three
days, and one for a day and a half; one of them was never accounted
for, probably having foundered in the storm, with the loss of 22 lives.
It is pleasant to record that the First Officer Mr. Pritchard, as
well as the boatswain’s mate, who was in charge of another boat, were
specially commended in the _London Gazette_ for their great services.
[Illustration: TORPEDOING OF THE “VOLODIA”]
Nor must another incident in connection with the saving of the
_Dwinsk’s_ lifeboats go unmentioned although the hero in this case
was a gallant officer of the United States Navy, Lieutenant Ross P.
Whitemarsh, who was one of the convoy officers to the _Dwinsk_ and
went into No. 6 lifeboat with another American and nineteen British
subjects. This boat experienced an extraordinary severe storm some
four days afterwards, and Lieutenant Whitemarsh volunteered to take
the tiller and remained on watch without a break throughout the night
until five o’clock the next morning. One man was washed overboard and
Lieutenant Whitemarsh then ordered the other occupants of the boat to
lie down, two of them taking turns to hold on to this officer’s legs
to prevent him, while at the tiller, from being carried away. For this
Lieutenant Whitemarsh received from His Majesty the King, the Silver
Medal for Gallantry in saving life at Sea.
It was three years earlier and in a far distant sea that the _Caria_
was sunk, while proceeding in ballast from Alexandria to Naples in
charge of Captain J. A. Wolfe. In this case she was not torpedoed; the
‘U’ boat after signalling to the _Caria_ to stop and abandon ship,
fired some 10 shots at her, several of which struck her about the
bows and the bridge. The _Caria_ was unarmed, and Captain Wolfe and
his crew had accordingly no alternative than to abandon ship, having
first destroyed all confidential papers. This was fortunate, since
the submarine, hailing Captain Wolfe’s boat, ordered him alongside,
and demanded the ship’s papers, which were given him. After 12 hours
the crew of the _Caria_ were picked up by the _S.S. Frankenfels_,
ironically enough a German prize vessel in the employ of the India
Office, and landed at Malta. There were happily no casualties among the
_Caria’s_ crew.
In this respect the _Carpathia_, which was sunk on July 17th, 1918, was
not so fortunate. Travelling in convoy, and at the time of the attack,
some 120 miles west of the Fastnet, the escort had left some 3½ hours
previously. Two torpedoes struck the _Carpathia_ within 30 seconds,
one on the port side between No. 4 hold, and the stoke-hold, and the
second, half a minute later, in the engine-room. After satisfying
himself that there was no possibility of saving the ship, her
commander, Captain W. Prothero, ordered everyone to the boats, and saw
them safely embarked, a third torpedo striking the ship just after this
was accomplished. Three trimmers and two firemen were unfortunately
killed by the explosion, but the remaining 218 members of the crew,
together with 57 passengers, were picked up by _H.M.S. Snowdrop_, and
safely brought to Liverpool. A letter was afterwards received from
the Admiralty in which the Lords Commissioners stated that in their
opinion the discipline and organisation on board the _Carpathia_ had
been of a very high order, and that Captain Prothero was to be publicly
commended in the _London Gazette_ in recognition of his conduct in the
crisis.
[Illustration: THE “IVERNIA” SURVIVORS ARRIVING IN PORT]
[Illustration: TROOPS LANDING FROM THE “MAURETANIA”; TWO DAYS LATER
THEY WERE AT SUVLA BAY]
It was on May 5th, 1917, at 7.30 p.m., while _en route_ to Avonmouth
from New York, that the _Feltria_ was torpedoed without warning about
eight miles south-east of Mine Head off the Irish coast. A very heavy
sea was running at the time. No 1 boat was capsized during launching,
and No. 4 boat blown to pieces by the explosion of the torpedo. Boats
Nos. 2, 3, 5, and 6 were successful in clearing the ship’s side.
Most of the crew were in boats Nos. 3 and 5, the captain and chief
steward being alone in No. 2 boat, which had also been damaged by the
explosion. The last boat away, No. 6, contained the Chief Officer,
Second Officer, Purser, and three sailors, and it was this boat that
the submarine, coming to the surface, ordered alongside. Having
obtained particulars as to the _Feltria_ and her cargo, she then left
but stopped to pick up Mr. Stott, one of the _Feltria’s_ engineers,
and returned towards the lifeboat. From her deck, he was then assisted
into the water. The _Feltria’s_ Quartermaster, Mr. Burt, with great
courage, jumped into the water to meet him, and helped him to the
boat’s side, where he was taken on board in a very exhausted condition,
while huge breakers were washing over the little boat itself. Of the
boat containing the Captain, Captain W. G. Price, and Chief Steward,
nothing more was seen, their lives being lost, and by midnight, three
other members of the _Feltria’s_ crew in No. 6 boat had died from
exposure and exhaustion, one of the victims being Mr. Stott himself.
The remaining five in this boat were picked up early on Sunday morning
by the _S.S. Ridley_ and landed at Barrow; twenty other survivors were
landed at Queenstown; but out of a crew of 69 no less than 44 lost
their lives, 17 dying from exposure in the lifeboats.
The _Flavia_ was the more fortunate in that the whole of her crew was
saved, when early on the morning of August 24th, 1918, she was sunk
off the Irish coast while on a voyage from Montreal to Bristol. Her
commander, Captain E. T. C. Fear, had been below resting at the time,
but the Officer in charge had kept the situation well in hand, and
_H.M.S. Convolvulus_, standing by, picked up the survivors from the
boats, landing them safely in Ardrossan.
[Illustration: THE “DWINSK” SETTLING DOWN AFTER BEING TORPEDOED]
[Illustration: SURVIVORS FROM THE “DWINSK” AFTER EIGHT DAYS IN THE
LIFEBOAT]
The next loss to be recorded is that of the _Folia_, Captain Francis
Inch, which was sunk on Sunday, March 11th, 1917, at a quarter past
seven in the morning, off the Irish coast, while on a voyage from
New York to Bristol. The periscope of the attacking submarine was
first sighted by the Third Officer some 500 feet away and nearly
abeam. Immediately afterwards, he saw a torpedo approaching the ship,
two of her boats being smashed in the explosion which followed, and
the _Folia_ herself beginning rapidly to settle. Seven of the crew,
including the Second Engineer, were killed by the explosion, but the
rest of the officers and men were safely embarked in the four boats
which were lowered.
While the lifeboats were still in the neighbourhood, the submarine
came to the surface, steamed round the ship and fired four shots into
her, following this up with a second torpedo. The Captain then got
his boats together and instructed the officers in charge to steer
N.W. by compass, three of them making fast by painters so as not to
get adrift from each other. About 11 a.m., the Captain, under the fog
that had crept up, sighted breakers ahead, and told the other boats to
follow in line behind him. Creeping along the edge of the breakers,
they at last sighted smooth water at the base of some cliffs, and,
pulling into shore, noticed the outline of a house high above them,
with people standing in front of it. Shouting in unison, the crew
succeeded in attracting attention and learned that the place was
Ardmore, Youghal, Co. Cork, and from there they proceeded to Dungarvan,
where they arrived at 8 o’clock in the evening, the inhabitants of both
places treating the shipwrecked officers and crew with the greatest
hospitality.
[Illustration: THE “MAURETANIA” LEAVING SOUTHAMPTON WITH HOMEWARD-BOUND
CANADIAN TROOPS]
In all these cases the vessels attacked were either unarmed or so
taken by surprise that no resistance was possible. But in the case of
the _Lycia_, Captain T. A. Chesters, which was sunk on February 11th,
1917, a most plucky action against odds was fought. It was nearly
half-past eight in the morning, and about 20 miles north-west of the
South Bishop’s Light, that the submarine was sighted, and by the time
Captain Chesters had picked her up on the starboard beam, his
vessel had already been struck by a shot from her. Captain Chesters
immediately altered the _Lycia’s_ course so as to place the submarine
astern, and himself opened fire at about 3,000 yards. His gun, which
was of Russian make and of a very light type, was one of the first
supplied to merchant ships under the Admiralty scheme, when there was
a great shortage of armaments owing to the needs of the Army and Navy,
and it misfired several times; the Third Officer, Third Engineer, and
Steersman had been already wounded by the fire of the submarine.
In the unequal duel that now ensued, the _Lycia’s_ funnel, starboard
boats, forward cabin, chart room, officers’ and engineers’ quarters and
bridge were all wrecked, and being unable to steer the ship under the
growing force and accuracy of the enemy’s shells, Captain Chesters at
last had no alternative but to abandon his vessel. He, therefore, gave
orders to cease firing and stop the engines. As soon as the ship had
sufficiently lost way, the crew was safely embarked in the port boat,
with the exception of the Captain, Chief Officer, Third Engineer, the
Gunner, and one of the boys, who succeeded in scrambling into the
starboard boat which was dragging alongside.
When the lifeboats cleared the ship, the submarine herself ceased
firing, submerged, and re-appeared alongside Captain Chesters’ boat.
The submarine commander then ordered Captain Chesters to go on board,
which he did, and where, by what, alas, proved to be a rare exception,
he was very courteously treated. The commander of the submarine then
put three of his crew into the boat together with eight bombs, sent her
back to the _Lycia_, and there the Germans hung the bombs on each side
of the rigging, and in the engine-room. The ship’s papers, the breech
plug of her gun, her telescopes and three cartridges, were lowered
into the boat, after which the bomb safety pins were removed, and the
bombs placed below the water-line. The boat was then ordered back to
the submarine. Meanwhile, Captain Chesters had been asked by the ‘U’
boat’s commander why he had fired his gun without flying his Ensign.
Captain Chesters pointed out to him that before he could fire the gun,
he had to remove the flagstaff; and he was then allowed to return to
his boat, the bombs, a few minutes afterwards beginning to explode.
The submarine then went in chase of another vessel that had appeared
on the horizon, and shortly afterwards the _Lycia_ sank, stern first.
Her boats were picked up the same evening by two mine-sweepers, and the
_S.S. Ireland Moor_, the crew being treated with the utmost hospitality
and safely landed at Holyhead. Their conduct had been worthy in Captain
Chesters’ words “of all the traditions of British seamen.”
Happily it now becomes possible to record an equally gallant fight on
the part of one of the Cunard Company’s vessels, with a successful
issue. This was fought by one of the Mediterranean cargo boats, the
_Phrygia_, a vessel of 3,350 tons, with a speed of not more than 9
knots. It was at 2 p.m. on March 24th, 1916, when she was homeward
bound and off the south-west coast of Ireland, that a submarine,
whom she had not previously seen, fired two shots at her, probably
with the intention of bringing her to a stop. The skipper, Captain
F. Manley, immediately ordered his helm hard aport and the crew to
go to “general stations.” There was a big sea running at the time,
and this was fortunate, since the submarine, on divining Captain
Manley’s intentions, had continued to fire at the _Phrygia_. None of
her shells, however, struck the steamer. Captain Manley then succeeded
in manoeuvring his ship so as to bring the submarine astern, when
he opened fire, and there then began a duel lasting for 45 minutes,
during the whole of which time, both the submarine and the _Phrygia_
fired continuously at one another under the most adverse conditions.
Then at last one of the _Phrygia’s_ shells found its mark; a great
rush of smoke poured up from the submarine; her stern suddenly jumped
out of the water; and she disappeared, amongst the loud cheers of the
_Phrygia’s_ crew.
In connexion with this incident, the following resolution was passed
by the Directors of the Cunard Company at a meeting of the Board in
April, 1916. “That the Company place on record their high appreciation
of the gallant and successful efforts made by the Captain, Officers,
and crew of the _Phrygia_ to save their vessel, and of the efficient
preparations made beforehand by Captain Manley to deal with such an
emergency, which contributed towards this result, and finally extend
their heartiest congratulations to all concerned upon the splendid
gunnery and seamanship which put the enemy submarine out of action.”
Captain Manley and the _Phrygia’s_ crew also received recognition from
the Admiralty for their achievement.
[Illustration: “FATHER NEPTUNE” CARED LITTLE FOR THE PREYING SUBMARINES]
[Illustration: AN ARMED CRUISER’S RANGEFINDER]
It was on March 27th, 1917, at 8 o’clock in the evening, that the
_Thracia_, Captain R. Nicholas, while on a voyage with ore from Bilbao
to Ardrossan, was sunk at sight and without warning, leaving only one
survivor. Disappearing in one minute, those on board were left with no
possible chance of saving their lives, and it was only by a miracle
that Cadet Douglas Duff, a boy of 16 years of age, was left to tell the
tale. He succeeded in saving his life by clinging for sixteen hours
to the keel of a capsized boat, during the early part of which time,
he was seen and jeered at by the crew of the submarine. One of them
indeed raised a rifle and aimed at him, whereupon he shouted, perhaps
characteristically of the service to which he belonged “Shoot and be
damned to you.” He was ultimately rescued by a French destroyer and
landed at La Palais, Belle-ile-en-Mer. The body of the Chief Officer
was also recovered, and it is touching to reflect that, as a mark of
their respect and honour to the personnel of the British Mercantile
Marine, a public funeral was accorded to him by the inhabitants of this
little French seaport town.
Before her loss, however, the _Thracia_ had performed, like all the
vessels mentioned, most arduous and important duties, and one of her
voyages, since it throws a sidelight upon the multifarious activities
of the Company during the war, deserves special mention. She was then
under the command of Captain Michael Doyle, and it was on the 27th of
December 1914, that she left Liverpool for Archangel with stores for
the Russian Government. All the way to the North Cape, she steamed in
the teeth of heavy gales, and under stormy skies, and at this point,
at this season of the year, entered a region where there was but one
hour’s so-called daylight in the twenty-four. Entering the White Sea,
on the night of the 7th of January, she ran the next day into an
icefield, reaching out ahead of her as far as the eye could see. In the
hope of breaking through to clear water, Captain Doyle, however, kept
her going until, the ice becoming thicker and closer packed, it became
impossible for the _Thracia’s_ engines to drive her through.
[Illustration: THE “THRACIA” FAST: CAUGHT IN THE ICE IN THE WHITE SEA]
After prolonged and arduous exertions, the _Thracia_ was at last
extracted from her dangerous position in the ice and brought back to
the open water harbour at Alexandrovsk. From this port, accompanied by
an ice-breaker, she again made an attempt to reach Archangel on January
24th, 1915. Heavy field-ice was once more encountered as soon as the
White Sea had been entered, causing the utmost difficulty in steering,
and reducing progress to the slowest limits. After covering, with much
perseverance, a certain distance, huge floes of ice finally stopped
the _Thracia’s_ progress; the ice-breaker was also in difficulties,
and therefore unable to render any assistance. For a considerable time
the _Thracia_ remained wedged in the drifting ice, and meanwhile a
heavy north-east gale had packed the entrance to the White Sea. The
action of this wind, however, presently opened the ice in the immediate
neighbourhood of the vessel, and a certain amount of further progress
towards the south became possible. Here, however, the ice was found to
be once more heavily packed, while the north-east gale was choking the
entrance with ever more and more drifting floes.
The _Thracia’s_ propeller had by this time become badly damaged, and
the ice-breaker herself was finding it all she could do to secure her
own safety. It was now clear that to remain in the drifting ice would
be bound in the long run to prove fatal, and thereupon Captain Doyle
made an effort to drive his vessel close to the land ice, where some
degree of shelter might be found from the gales which were constantly
driving enormous floes up and down with the ebb and flow of the tides
through the narrow neck of the White Sea.
After many days and nights of the heaviest and most unremitting toil,
the _Thracia_ was finally brought close to land, and a net-work of
cables and ropes thrown out to secure her position there. For seven
weeks, until the 18th of March, she was held here, during the whole
of which time she was being submitted to the severest pressure owing
to the alternating flow and ebb of the tides driving the packed ice
against her side, under her bottom, and piling it up round her counter
to a height of as much as 20 ft. Serious damage was done to her hull,
and for three months her pumps had to be kept going constantly in order
to keep her afloat, while the greatest skill and ingenuity had to be
exercised in order to protect her rudder from the ice pressure under
her counter.
[Illustration: THE “AQUITANIA,” HAVING ESCAPED THE FATE OF SO MANY OF
HER SISTERS, REAPPEARS IN THE MERSEY IN HER PEACE-TIME GUISE]
So matters went on until the night of the 18th of March, when, owing to
heavy off-shore gales, the _Thracia_ broke adrift, her anchors, cables,
and ropes being lost and her windlass broken. Fortunately, a few days
later, the ice began to open here and there, and with the courageous
assistance of another vessel, and under her own steam, she succeeded
at last in reaching a position inside the bar of the Archangel river
on April 9th, when her cargo was landed in good condition on the
stationary river ice and conveyed by sleighs to Archangel.
Her troubles, however, were not yet over, for within less than three
weeks, the river ice itself began to break, and the outgoing stream,
carrying this broken ice to sea, drove the _Thracia_ on to the Bar. Her
propeller blades were now reduced to the merest stumps, but in spite
of this, she succeeded, at high water, in working herself free again
by her own exertions. Obtaining ground tackle from another ship, which
had come down from Archangel at the first break-up of the ice, the
_Thracia_ was enabled to come to anchorage in the gulf, and here she
remained for about a week until the Dwina river was finally cleared
of ice. She then proceeded slowly up river to the town itself, where
she arrived on May 9th. So great had been the damage sustained by her,
that she was then dry-docked for the necessary repairs to enable her to
return to England; and when she at last arrived home, about the middle
of August, 1915, it was not until her voyage had lasted some seven and
a half months.
After this diversion, let us return to the record of the war
experiences of other Cunarders. It was on March 30th, 1917, that the
_Valacia_, Captain J. F. Simpson, left London for New York, and it
was at 5.30 the next evening that she was struck on the port side by
a torpedo, when in the English Channel off the Eddystone Lighthouse.
An attempt was made by one of the torpedo boats, of which several
happened to be in the neighbourhood, to tow the _Valacia_, whose No. 6
hold, engine-room, and stoke-hold were all full of water. She proved
too heavy, however, and tugs were accordingly sent from the shore, the
Admiralty officials intending to try and beach the ship. Although a
heavy gale was blowing at the time, Captain Simpson, in view of the
fact that the bulkheads were holding, strongly advised that this
course should not be pursued, but that an attempt should be made to
tow the _Valacia_ into Plymouth Harbour. This advice was taken, and as
it proved with complete success, the _Valacia_ being taken safely into
Plymouth Harbour, where she was subsequently docked for repairs, and
whence she was enabled, within a few months, to take her place again in
the Company’s fleet, and do much useful service.
[Illustration: “AQUITANIA” AS HOSPITAL SHIP]
The hole in the ship’s side caused by the explosion of the torpedo was
no less than 25 feet long by 20 feet deep, and the greatest credit
is due to Captain Simpson for his splendid judgment and seamanship
in bringing the vessel safely into port, and saving her both for the
country and the Company.
To the _Valeria_, under the command of Captain W. Stewart, fell the
good fortune to destroy a German submarine on June 20th, 1917, while
nearing the end of a voyage from New York. It was at 3 o’clock in the
afternoon that both Captain Stewart, who was on the port side of the
bridge, and the Second Officer who was on the starboard side, felt the
ship quiver as if she had struck something. The Captain immediately
crossed the bridge and saw that the object hit was an enemy submarine,
the working of her motors being distinctly audible. For a moment
the _Valeria’s_ gun crew were taken aback at this most unexpected
appearance at such close quarters to the vessel. Captain Stewart,
however, gave prompt orders to fire and the gunners depressing the gun
as far as possible, immediately obeyed.
A volume of vapour was then seen to rise up from the ‘U’ boat, together
with fountain-like spouts of water. A second shot was fired, falling
short, but the third struck the submarine fair and square, at the base
of her conning tower, and caused her to sink. It is believed that
the _Valeria_, when she first came into contact with the submarine,
probably broke her periscope. Captain Stewart’s first impulse was to
turn back in order to pick up any survivors, but in view of the fact
that German submarines were at this time usually hunting in couples he
thought it wiser to continue his voyage, and brought his ship safely
back into Liverpool. For this successful action, both Captain Stewart
and the crew received special awards from the Admiralty, the Cunard
Company, and other Associations, the destruction of the German
submarine being later verified by Admiralty trawlers.
[Illustration: OFFICERS OF THE TORPEDOED “FRANCONIA”]
[Illustration: A CUNARD CREW BUYING WAR SAVINGS CERTIFICATES]
It was perhaps not an unexpected fact, but it was one, nevertheless,
of which the whole nation may well be proud, that the rescued officers
and crews of these torpedoed vessels, never for a moment hesitated, and
indeed were anxious, as soon as possible, to render further service
in other vessels. An example of this occurred when the _Vandalia_
was torpedoed on June 9th, 1918, her commander, Captain J. A. Wolfe,
having already, as has been seen, had a previous vessel, the _Caria_,
torpedoed beneath him in the Mediterranean. The _Vandalia_ was in a
convoy accompanied by six American destroyers, and though she settled
down rapidly and was lost within less than two hours, no lives were
lost.
The _Veria_, Captain D. P. Thomson, was sunk on December 7th, 1915,
in the Mediterranean, having left Patras in ballast for Alexandria on
the 3rd. At noon on the same day, when about 50 miles from Alexandria,
she had sighted two lifeboats containing the crew of a Greek steamer,
the _Goulandris_ which had been sunk by a submarine, and at half-past
four in the afternoon, it was probably the same submarine that was
sighted approaching the _Veria_ at high speed from a distance of about
eight miles. Almost at once the ‘U’ boat opened fire, dropping a shell
about 20 feet ahead of the _Veria_, when Captain Thomson, having no
alternative, stopped his ship and ordered the crew to muster at the
boats. On a second shell dropping closer to the vessel, Captain Thomson
ordered the crew to take to the boats; the submarine continued to fire
as she approached, one of her shells destroying the chart house and
the bridge, just as the boats were leaving the vessel’s side. Captain
Thomson had already destroyed the confidential papers, and all that the
German commander obtained, was the ship’s register. It was at 9.15 p.m.
that the _Veria_ sank, her boats being not interfered with and arriving
at Alexandria next morning, in safety.
[Illustration: ONE OF THE AMERICAN HOWITZERS ASSEMBLED AT THE CUNARD
WORKS]
[Illustration: THE “AQUITANIA’S” CHAPEL]
The next vessel to claim our attention is the _Vinovia_, and high
as was the standard set by, and expected of the Cunard Company’s
commanders, there were few instances of greater coolness and bravery
than that of her skipper, Captain Stephen Gronow, when she was
torpedoed in the English Channel on the 19th of December, 1917. She
was then on her way from New York with a Chinese crew, and it was
at half-past three in the afternoon that the torpedo struck her on the
starboard side. As the _Vinovia_ did not at first appear to be sinking
Captain Gronow ordered his engines full speed ahead, and made a gallant
endeavour to reach the land. At 4 p.m. a small tug came on the scene
and made fast to the _Vinovia_, after some of her crew had left the
ship on one of the lifeboats. A patrol boat then came alongside, and
the remainder of the crew jumped aboard her. For the next three hours
Captain Gronow, the only man left on his sinking vessel, steered her
by means of the hand gear. At seven o’clock in the evening a drifter
approached and the Chief Engineer returned on board to assist his
Captain in making a rope fast, and then returned to the patrol boat. It
was now quite dark, but Captain Gronow, sticking to his forlorn hope,
remained alone on board the _Vinovia_, and continued to steer her and
attend to the ropes. By half-past seven, he noticed that she appeared
to be making no headway, and groping forward by means of the rails,
he found the forecastle deck already submerged four feet. He also
discovered that the tug had slipped the wire. In making his way back
again, he was so severely struck by a piece of wreckage that for a time
he remained unconscious.
On recovering he made his way to the bridge and put on a life-jacket.
Here he remained until, at eight o’clock, five miles from land and in
pitch darkness, the _Vinovia_ sank under his feet, and he was thrown
into the water. He succeeded however, in supporting himself on some
wreckage, to which as it happened the ship’s bell was attached; and it
was this little fact that in the end proved his salvation. Attracted by
the ringing of the bell, a small patrol boat the next morning decided
to investigate the wreckage, and there Captain Gronow was found lying
unconscious. Unhappily his vessel, with her valuable cargo, of 9,000
tons was lost, but in endeavouring to save the _Vinovia_, Captain
Gronow had provided yet another illustrious example for his successors
at sea, and happily survived to receive from the Cunard Directors a
handsome inscribed silver vase, together with a certificate, a silver
medal and a monetary gift from Lloyds.
[Illustration: CUNARD NATIONAL AEROPLANE FACTORY]
Twice it has been our duty to record the torpedoing of vessels under
the command of the gallant Captain J. A. Wolfe, but he underwent
this ordeal three times. He was in command of the _Volodia_ on the
21st of August, 1917, when, at half-past seven in the morning she was
torpedoed and sunk some 300 miles from land. As was usual, there had
been no warning, and the _Volodia_ was struck amidships, several of
her engine-room crew, mostly Chinamen, being killed by the explosion.
In addition, before she sank, the _Volodia_ was also shelled by the
attacking submarine. Captain Wolfe, with the survivors of the crew,
had, however, succeeded before this in getting away in three boats, in
charge respectively of Captain Wolfe himself, the Chief Officer, and
the Second Officer, and these boats were chased by the submarine. On
catching up with the Second Officer’s boat, the submarine commander
enquired for the Captain. He was told by the Second Officer that
his last sight of Captain Wolfe was on the bridge of the torpedoed
vessel. The Second Officer was then taken on board the submarine and
questioned, but was subsequently allowed to return to his boat.
Captain Wolfe then gave sailing directions, and the three boats kept
together until nightfall, by which time the wind had increased to the
violence of a gale. During the night the three boats became separated,
and it was only the magnificent seamanship of Captain Wolfe and the
two other Officers, together with the splendid endurance and courage
of the crews, that succeeded in bringing any of them to safety. For
three days they were adrift in the open Atlantic, rations being reduced
to one biscuit and one dipper of water a day. The Captain and Chief
Engineer were actually on one occasion washed out of their little boat.
It was in the Captain’s boat that the sea-anchors and rudders were
carried away, and Captain Wolfe then improvised a sea-anchor out of
some canvass, sewing it with his penknife and rope-yarn, and putting in
it the last three remaining seven-pound tins of meat, the only articles
of weight left in the boat. This contrivance he lashed to the broken
rudder, and by this means was enabled to weather the breaking seas. How
well to the course the vessel was kept can be gathered from the fact
that when she was picked up by a destroyer, she was within 30 miles of
the Lizard, having sailed 300 miles without seeing a ship. Both the
other boats had similar adventures, but both were at last found and
their exhausted and almost helpless crews brought safely to land.
Thus ends a record, perhaps equalled, but certainly not excelled, by
any other of the great Mercantile Marine Companies, upon whose unsung
exertions our success both on land and sea was primarily founded.
The list which appears on the next page, in tabular form, summarises
in brief the losses sustained by the Cunard Company during this, the
severest ordeal, that any maritime nation has ever undergone.
From this it will be seen that vessels amounting to over 205,000
gross tonnage were lost by the Company, and this does not include the
_Campania_, which had just passed from the Company’s service, or two
further losses, that of the _Ascania_ and the _Valeria_, which were
wrecked by stranding during 1918, and which added to the total another
14,985 tons. In all, more than 56 per cent. of the Company’s gross
tonnage was sacrificed in the performance of services of the highest
importance to the nation in the hour of its greatest jeopardy.
+-------------------------+--------+--------+--------------+
| NAME OF SHIP. |Tonnage | Total | Date Lost. |
| |(Gross).|Tonnage.| |
+-------------------------+--------+--------+--------------+
|LUSITANIA | 30,395 | | 7 May 1915. |
|CARIA | 3,032 | | 6 Nov. ” |
|VERIA | 3,228 | 36,655 | Dec. ” |
+-------------------------+--------+--------+--------------+
|FRANCONIA | 18,149 | | 4 Oct. 1916. |
|ALAUNIA | 13,404 | 31,553 |19 ” ” |
+-------------------------+--------+--------+--------------+
|IVERNIA | 14,278 | | 1 Jan. 1917. |
|LYCIA | 2,715 | |11 Feb. ” |
|LACONIA | 18,098 | |25 ” ” |
|FOLIA | 6,704 | |11 Mar. ” |
|THRACIA | 2,891 | |17 ” ” |
|VALACIA (towed into port)| 6,526 | | 1 Apl. ” |
|FELTRIA | 5,253 | | 5 May ” |
|AUSONIA (towed into port | 8,152 | |11 June ” |
| but sunk the following | | | |
| year) | | | |
|ULTONIA | 10,402 | |27 ” ” |
|VOLODIA | 5,689 | |21 Aug. ” |
|VINOVIA | 5,503 | 71,533 |19 Dec. ” |
+-------------------------+--------+--------+--------------+
|ANDANIA | 13,404 | |27 Jan. 1918. |
|AURANIA | 13,936 | | 4 Feb. ” |
|AUSONIA | 8,152 | |30 May ” |
|VANDALIA | 7,333 | | 9 June ” |
|CARPATHIA | 13,603 | |17 July ” |
|FLAVIA | 9,291 | |24 Aug. ” |
|CAMPANIA (turned into | 12,884 | 78,603 | Nov. ” |
| seaplane carrier) | | | |
+-------------------------+--------+--------+--------------+
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE AEROPLANE FACTORY (i)]
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE AEROPLANE FACTORY (ii)]