Witness this tale. It does not concern the Jutland fight, but another
little affair which took place a while ago in the North Sea. It was
understood that a certain type of cruiser of ours would _not_ be
taking part in a certain show. Therefore, if anyone saw cruisers very
like them he might blaze at them with a clear conscience, for they
would be Hun-boats. And one of our destroyers--thick weather as
usual--spied the silhouettes of cruisers exactly like our own stealing
across the haze. Said the Commander to his Sub., with an inflection
neither period, exclamation, nor interrogation-mark can
render--"That--is--them."
Said the Sub. in precisely the same tone--"That is them, sir." "As my
Sub.," said the Commander, "your observation is strictly in accord
with the traditions of the Service. Now, as man to man, what _are_
they?" "We-el," said the Sub., "since you put it that way, I'm d----d
if _I'd_ fire." And they didn't, and they were quite right. The
destroyer had been off on another job, and Joss had jammed the latest
wireless orders to her at the last moment. But Joss had also put it
into the hearts of the boys to save themselves and others.
I hold no brief for the Hun, but honestly I think he has not lied as
much about the Jutland fight as people believe, and that when he
protests he sank a ship, he _did_ very completely sink a ship. I am
the more confirmed in this belief by a still small voice among the
Jutland reports, musing aloud over an account of an unaccountable
outlying brawl witnessed by one of our destroyers. The voice suggests
that what the destroyer saw was one German ship being sunk by another.
Amen!
Our destroyers saw a good deal that night on the face of the waters.
Some of them who were working in "areas of comparative calm" submit
charts of their tangled courses, all studded with notes along the
zigzag--something like this:--
8 P.M.--_Heard explosion to the N.W._ (A neat arrow-head points that
way.) Half an inch farther along, a short change of course, and the
word _Hit_ explains the meaning of--"_Sighted enemy cruiser engaged
with destroyers._" Another twist follows. "9.30 P.M.--_Passed
wreckage. Engaged enemy destroyers port beam opposite courses._" A
long straight line without incident, then a tangle, and--_Picked up
survivors So-and-So_. A stretch over to some ship that they were
transferred to, a fresh departure, and another brush with "_Single
destroyer on parallel course. Hit. 0.7 A.M.--Passed bows enemy cruiser
sticking up. 0.18.--Joined flotilla for attack on battleship
squadron._" So it runs on--one little ship in a few short hours
passing through more wonders of peril and accident than all the old
fleets ever dreamed.