Night and day the Allied Fleets patrolled the North Sea, watching for
U-boats and waiting for the German Navy to act.]
Thus freed from pursuit the enemy ships made off swiftly and
disappeared in the darkness. In spite of her disability the _Broke_
made such headway as her crippled engines were capable of in quest
of the _Swift_. Soon a burning German destroyer was sighted and
immediately its crew saw the _Broke_ they rushed to the rails shouting
for mercy and begging to be saved. Disregarding the danger and
unsuspicious of treachery the _Broke_ steered slowly toward the burning
ship. The German crew redoubled their plea, “Save, Save,” and then
suddenly opened fire on the vessel coming to their rescue.
The _Broke_ in her crippled condition was not able to maneuver for
safety, but she had her guns and happily they served her. She silenced
the German with four shots and then, the desert of baseness, torpedoed
the German amidships.
The _Swift_ had a somewhat different experience. She had, owing to
impaired speed, abandoned the pursuit of the first destroyer, and began
a search for other quarry. After a time she sighted a motionless
destroyer from which came calls for help. She approached cautiously
with guns ready for instant action and presently made out that it was
the destroyer that the _Broke_ had rammed. The Germans were shouting,
“We surrender,” but the _Swift_ was wary, suspecting treachery, and
waited. In a little while the destroyer keeled and went down stem
first, the crew jumping into the water.
The _Swift_ switched on her searchlights and there being no enemy ship
visible, lowered her boats and rescued the Germans swimming toward her.
Then the _Broke_ and the _Swift_ reported to each other on the details
of the engagement and those who remained of the two crews cheered each
other well nigh as long a time as the thrilling engagement itself had
lasted.
And let not be forgotten, when quiet heroisms are remembered, the
conduct of Seaman William Rowles, helmsman of the _Broke_. Though hit
four times by shell fragments he stuck to the wheel during the entire
action and only betrayed the fact that he was wounded by fainting as he
reported to his captain, “I’m going off now, Sir.”