THE SINKING OF THE "VICTORIA"
For a short time Jellicoe served as Gunnery-Lieutenant on the
_Colossus_, and then he was appointed Junior Staff Officer of the
_Excellent_ gunnery establishment, under the command of Lord
Fisher--then Captain.
This meeting between the two men was fortunate for the Junior Officer.
Fisher at once marked down Jellicoe as useful, and so, a few years
later, when he was Director of Naval Ordnance at the Admiralty, it
came to pass that Jellicoe joined Fisher there as his Assistant.
It was just subsequent to this appointment when Jellicoe was, we
believe, serving as first lieutenant on board the _Sans Pareil_, that
the German Emperor during the Naval Review put in an appearance with
the powerful vessels of his new and comparatively small Navy. Needless
to say, both the Kaiser and his officers, together with their ships,
were of the greatest interest to our men.
When the Review was over numerous were the discussions and fierce the
arguments which centred around William the Second and his little
fleet. Everyone present from Junior to Senior had something to say,
some criticism to make.
Everyone except Lieutenant John Jellicoe. He kept his mouth shut and
his eyes open, and he expressed no opinion either on the Kaiser, his
officers or his ships.
Jellicoe only spent about three years at the Admiralty as Fisher's
assistant, but it was quite enough for the authorities to realize that
he was an efficient and clever officer--a man who knew how to
organize. Captain Fisher found his services invaluable, and as an
"assistant" Jellicoe served him faithfully.
Jellicoe would probably be the first to admit that during the
comparatively short time he spent at the Admiralty under Fisher he
accumulated a vast amount of knowledge. A friendship sprung up between
the two men, born of respect. Both were enthusiasts; both loved the
Service keenly. Both were ambitious--not for themselves. Neither
sought personal aggrandizement. Their ambitions were noble. It was
natural that both, later on, should meet with opposition. It was
inevitable that the opposition should be overcome.
A greater contrast than the two men make--the "Little Admiral" and the
"Big Admiral"--it would be difficult to find. Physically, Fisher is of
the bulldog breed beloved of the public. The moment he enters a room
you are conscious of his presence. "Jacky" Fisher exudes vitality; it
surrounds him as a perfume surrounds a pretty woman. He carries it
about with him. His figure is robust; he stands with feet wide apart
and firmly planted. He is very straight up and down; his face is
nearly the colour of mahogany; a large mouth, almost brutal until he
smiles, when it becomes a veritable cavern of humour, and aggressive
eyes that nevertheless shine and almost sparkle beneath big bushy
brows; his hair is silver grey; his hands are titanic and generally
hang loosely by his side, suggestive, and ready for action.
Physically, the difference between the two men is the difference
between a small smooth-haired terrier and one of Major Richardson's
Irish police dogs. Mentally, there is not much difference, and events
have proved that both possess the same instincts.
One is the Dreadnought instinct; another, the faith that in action you
must "hit quickly, hit hard, and keep on hitting." A third instinct
might be called the instinct of Silence. They have never attempted to
emulate Lord Charles Beresford or Sir Edward Carson in discharging
fierce literary broadsides.
Jellicoe was gazetted a Commander in 1891; after leaving the _Sans
Pareil_ he was appointed to the _Victoria_, then one of our largest
battleships, sister ship (though of later date) to the _Camperdown_.
It was while he was her Commander that the accident happened during
manoeuvres off Tripoli, on the Syrian Coast.
This was his second marvellous escape from death; all the more
remarkable since Jellicoe was on the sick list, confined to his cabin
with a sharp attack of Malta fever. The ship went down twenty minutes
after she was struck, and twenty-two officers and three hundred and
fifty men were drowned.
This was the most terrible disaster that has happened to the British
Fleet in times of peace since the _Royal George_ foundered one night,
close to shore, and disappeared beneath the waves with her entire
crew, including the brave Kempenfeldt.
The _Victoria_ was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon,
Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet. The ships left Beyrout early in
the morning of June the 22nd, 1893; they steamed in line abreast to
the Syrian Coast, when the order was given to change their formation
into two columns, line ahead, with an interval of six cables. The
starboard column was headed by the _Victoria_ under Tryon, and the
port column by the _Camperdown_ under Rear-Admiral Markham.
Tryon's flag-lieutenant was Lord Gillford, and it was he who received
the fatal order to signal to the two divisions to turn sixteen points
inwards, the leading ships first, the others of course following in
succession.
The smallest circle in which either the _Victoria_ or the _Camperdown_
could turn was six hundred yards--about three cables length--and
therefore if Tryon's orders were obeyed a collision would be
inevitable between the two ships.
Both Lord Gillford and the Admiral's Staff-Commander must have
realized this: every seaman on board the Fleet, when eventually the
signal fluttered in the wind, knew what would happen.
The position must have been a terrible one for those on the bridge of
the _Camperdown_, as well as the _Victoria_; for, not theirs to
question but to obey.
But Staff-Commander Hawkins-Smith dared remind Tryon that they could
not possibly turn in less than eight cables length.
Admiral Tryon agreed, but what was the Staff-Commander's surprise a
minute or two later to see the original signal "six cables length" go
up. He spoke to Lord Gillford and advised him to again call Admiral
Tryon's attention to the impossibility of the manoeuvre being
successfully carried out.
This Gillford did: "You said it was to be more than six cables'
length, Sir."
"Did I? Well, leave it at six cables," Tryon replied, and turning
round he entered into conversation with Captain Bourke.
One cannot help wondering what would have happened if Jellicoe had
been present, instead of confined below with fever. Presumably, he
could have done no more than Gillford and Hawkins-Smith; the
_Victoria_ would have been lost just the same.
When the signal was read on the _Camperdown_ Admiral Markham was
puzzled and therefore he refrained from replying, thereby indicating
that he did not understand his instructions.
The fleet steamed ahead in two columns line.
Tryon grew impatient and signalled to the _Camperdown_--"What are you
waiting for?"
Markham had now no option but to obey. Perhaps he hoped that Admiral
Tryon had some scheme for manoeuvring his own ship.
The signal was obeyed. The leading ships of the two columns turned
sixteen points inwards.
The men of the Fleet watched; amazed and horrified.
A minute passed. There was still time to change the signal. Two
minutes passed, three. To those waiting and watching the minutes must
have seemed an eternity.
Before the fourth minute had expired the _Camperdown_ rammed the
_Victoria_ on her starboard bow. When the great ships parted there
was a big gash visible in the _Victoria_ through which the sea poured.
At once the boat began to list. But there was no panic. Jellicoe's
servant hurried below and warned the Commander that the _Victoria_ was
sinking. Jellicoe got up and went on deck. The order had already been
given to pipe all hands. There was no rush or hurry. In the engine
rooms the stokers remained at their posts, the artificer and
engineers. It was the same in the boiler rooms.
Above, on deck, the men lined up, calm and quiet. But the _Victoria_
was heeling over; sinking fast. Jellicoe, clad in pyjamas, had
clambered on to the bridge, and accompanied by two junior officers,
attempted to signal to the _Camperdown_.
It was too late. The _Victoria_ lurched, turned on her side and poured
her living freight into the Mediterranean. Those on the upper deck
jumped or were flung into the waters. There were many still below, and
as the ironclad sank they could be seen clambering through the port
holes and sliding down the ship's side. The majority were caught like
rats in a trap.
Several of those who escaped from her were struck by the propellers,
still racing madly. Others were sucked below when she finally sank and
disappeared.
As she sank the _Victoria_ turned right over and went down bottom
upwards. Hardly had she disappeared from sight when there came a
terrific explosion and a mighty mass of water was thrown high into the
air.
Many of the men who had risen to the surface and were swimming about,
were swept away and drowned in this waterspout.
Jellicoe, who had been flung from the bridge when the boat commenced
to turn turtle, escaped the explosion--probably caused by the bursting
of the boilers.
He was a sick man with a temperature over 100°. He swam as long as he
could, but weakened by fever he was in danger of collapsing, when
Midshipman West came to his rescue and supported him.
Very probably, but for young West, Jellicoe would have gone under. The
nation owes him a debt to-day. Eventually they were both picked up by
one of the boats sent from the Fleet.
The _Camperdown_ herself was in a bad way; her bows were crumpled up,
and for a little while it looked as though she would sink too, and
follow her sister-ship to the bottom of the Mediterranean. But thanks
to the celerity with which the water-tight doors were closed and the
collision-mats got out, she was saved; the crew were kept working
right through the night to keep her afloat.
There were numerous instances of courage and devotion besides that
quoted of Jellicoe, who, before going on deck, went below to warn and
hurry up any men he might find there. One of the boatswains continued
semaphoring until he was washed off his feet. Admiral Tryon refused to
try and save himself though implored to do so by his coxswain. The
last words he is reported to have said were addressed to a midshipman:
"Don't stop here, youngster; get to a boat."
He might have got to that boat himself, but he went down with his
ship.
At the court martial Captain Bourke was exonerated from all blame, and
the finding of the Court was that the collision had been caused by
Admiral Tryon's order.