The Story of Our Submarines. John Bowers QC
throughout the dive had sat unmoving by the periscope, notebook in hand and his eyes half closed, allowed himself a faint smile and a lazy yawn.
"Blow on A – fifty pounds – Blow one and two externals."
The air hissed and whined along the pipes, and the eardrums of those aboard tingled to the rising pressure from overloaded relief valves. For five minutes the hissing and roaring continued, then at a shouted order the noise stopped. The First Lieutenant looked back from the motionless gauge to the Captain. "Shall we put more on A, sir? Fifty pounds won't have moved any out at this depth…"
"No – don't put any more on, I've got One and Two pretty near out and the fifty will blow A as she rises. Then I'm going to fill One and Two again and catch the trim before we break surface. She's stuck in the mud, that's all, and we'll have to pull her out. Stand by the motors, aft there!"
The passengers were fidgeting slightly, and the Commander, noting the fidgeting, looked up and spoke, laughing, to the youthful Captain —apropos of absolutely nothing at all. The Captain laughed back (for publication and as a guarantee of good faith) and turned to the motor-room voice-pipe: "Slow ahead Port – half ahead Starboard" – a pause filled by a dry humming from right aft where the big motors purred. "Stop both – slow ahead Starboard – half astern Port" – another droning pause, and then – "Stop Starboard – half astern Starboard." The boat quivered, then with a lurch she pulled free and her bows rose sharply. "Stop both – half ahead both – flood One and Two – flood A —Dammit– hard-a-dive, coxswain."
The angle increased fast, faster than the forward tanks could fill, and the boat rushed upwards with chests, men, and other loose impediments sliding and slipping aft. At eighty feet she began to level slightly, but the angle could not be taken off her in time, – the destroyer men had a vision of a grey conning-tower foaming ahead for a few seconds, surmounted by fifteen feet of silver periscope, before, to the drive of her powerful screws, the boat dipped again till only the tops of the hooded lenses showed as she settled at her diving depth.
"Rotten," observed the Captain gloomily to the First Lieutenant. "I mustn't break surface like that when we get to the Bight, or we all go West one-time, – I think that'll do for the dive, though. She'll be tight as a drum when the firm's had another day or two at her. We'll do the helm and speed trials now and then go in. Hands by the blows! Surface!"
III
The Submarine Flotillas began to move to their war bases on the 29th July. By the 4th August they were ready to begin their work. The VIII Flotilla ("D" and "E" boats) were at Harwich, a port which throughout the War has remained the chief Heligoland Bight Patrol base. The "C" boats were spread all up the East Coast, with a Channel guard at Dover and a large number of them at Leith.
The Heligoland Patrol started on the 5th. The boats of the VIII Flotilla not patrolling in the Bight guarded, till the 13th August, a line drawn across the northern entrance of the Channel (between the Belgian and English shoals) till the Expeditionary Force was safely over. During the passage of this force it was fully expected that the enemy would show naval activity and make an attempt to hinder or prevent the passage of troops. Precautionary measures were therefore taken. That the enemy made no attempt to interfere or to dispute the command of the Channel was a surprise to our War Staff, who based their calculations on what an enterprising Naval Power would do in similar circumstances. A possible reason for the enemy's sluggishness at this time is that he does not appear to have at all expected to be at war with England.
"From Commodore (S),
To Chief of War Staff, Admiralty.
7th August 1914 (Midnight).
"Propose to postpone oversea operations from Yarmouth, and to concentrate all submarines in area arranged until after transit of Expeditionary Force. How many days will passage occupy?"
On the 14th the patrol in the Bight continued.
The following despatch is a typical report of an E boat's trip into the Bight during these early days of war: —
Sir, – I have the honour to submit a report of the proceedings of Submarine "E 6" on August 6th and 7th, when working in the Heligoland Bight.
August 6th—
1 A.M. Slipped by Amethyst, 30′ N.N.E. from Terschelling Light vessel, proceeded N. 69 E., 12 knots, making for allotted area, and avoiding T.B.D. patrol.
3 A.M. Dived to check trim; day breaking on rising; sighted two steam trawlers 4 to 5 miles to southward; dived away from them; 3 miles.
4.25 A.M. Proceeded E. × S., 12 knots.
6.30 A.M. Altered course S.E.
7.25 A.M. Sighted German cruiser, Stettin class, hull down, E.N.E., beam on, steering N. (approx.). Dived E. by N. 1 mile to avoid being seen; cruiser too far off to attack.
8.5 A.M. Rose. Sighted trail of smoke and yellow funnel, E.N.E.
Dived to attack, course N. 30 W., full speed.
8.55 A.M. Abandoned chase, enemy steaming very fast west (approx.).
Dived to avoid steam trawler, which had passed over boat during attack.
9.45 A.M. Rose. Proceeded to westward charging batteries.
11.30 A.M. Stopped. Charged on surface.
1.15 P.M. Proceeded S. 72 E., 12 knots.
2.45 P.M. Dived to avoid steam trawler, remaining on course S. 72 E.
3.40 P.M. Rose.
3.50 P.M. Sighted German large T.B.D., or flotilla cruiser, 10 miles to northward, steaming very fast E. Too far off to attack.
4.15 P.M. Proceeded S. 51 E., 12 knots.
5.45 P.M. Position W. ¾′ N. 23′ from Heligoland. Nothing in sight except numerous trawlers, chiefly sailing. Turned to N. 60 W., 9 knots. Sea rough.
8.10 P.M. Increased to 10½ knots. Many trawlers in sight at nightfall.
9.30 P.M. Stopped. Dived 50 feet on "grouper down" till —
August 7th—
2 A.M. Rose. Very dark; dived 50 feet.
3.15 A.M. Rose.
3.30 A.M. Proceeded under one engine, 8 knots, working round a large fleet of sailing trawlers making to southward; making for route of warships seen yesterday.
6 A.M. Altered course 12 knots.
7.45 A.M. Altered course S.E.
8.15 A.M. Sighted German submarine on surface, S.E. 4 to 5 miles distant, beam to beam. Dived to attack. At first thought she was stopped and had then dived, not sighting her through periscope till 8.45.
8.45. A.M. Sighted her steaming west, 4 or 5 miles off. Followed, diving.
9.30 A.M. Rose. Submarine not in sight. Followed, diving, for ¾ hour, in hopes of finding her stopped.
10.30 A.M. Proceeded S. 56 E., 12 knots.
12 noon. Stopped to let steam trawler pass across horizon, ahead.
Note.– Since about 7 A.M. I had given up the idea of trying to keep out of sight of trawlers, merely avoiding going within a mile of them.
12.10 P.M. Proceeded.
12.54 P.M. Altered course south, observed position being further north than intended. The steam trawler sighted at noon seemed suspicious of E 6, altering course so as to keep me in sight without getting close.
3.30 P.M. Turned and steered for trawler, signalling her to show colours (German), and to stop. Trawler fitted with W/T. Crossed her bows and shaped course N. 87 W., 14 knots. Position then N. 43 W. 37′ from Heligoland. Trawler proceeded, apparently shaping course for Emden. Steered to avoid our T.B.D. patrol.
August 8th—
6.30 A.M. Made Swarte Bank Light-vessel. Proceeded to Lowestoft to report.
Note.– The