1961-05-13 — Page 11

(Continued from Page 6) Scal stayed on the surface for most of the way across

the North Sen, doing 10 knots. On the evening of the fourth day she was well into the Skagerrak, There she had a rendezvou with the one other submarine which had been operating those waters, the Narwhal.

TRIUMPH

The contact was made early on the morning of May 4, and in a matter of minutes the two vessels were

No passing sooner had Narwhal disappear- behind the darkness cu into them then Seal begin to receive her signal to Admiralty.

In

It was a happy message. addition to her minelaying she had managed to find herirlf

12 actlun. some offensive HAVE FIRED SIX TOR- PEDOES, SIX HITS .." ran her story.

"What wonderful luck," said one voice in the control-roon: as the "buzz" went around.

"Yes, but just thinks of the hornet's nest she's stirred up for us," said another.

At two a.m. Seal was still on the surface, but dawn was only half an hour away, Longlale, from the bridge, gave the pre- paratory order "Diving stations"

to the control room.

With one or two exceptions, every man not on duty turned out of his bunk to be ready for the order to dive.

Lonsdale spoke again into the voke pipe: Control Tuom... bridge."

control

"Bridge...

room,

sir."

"Let nie know when It is 0230."

"Let you know when it is 0230-very good, şir.”

Lonsdale thus had his plans safely made to dive Seal a few minutes before full dawn broite. At the chart table in the corner of the control roam the navigator,

* THE CHINA MAIL,

SATURDAY, MAY 13, 1981.

Disaster when were

The depth-gauge in the con- trol-room showed 40-60 feet. The one in the engine-room, due to the angle at which Seal was being forced down on her hydro- planes. showed 20-30 fcot. ER. A. ("Tubby") Lister, on watch at one side of the engine- room, was just happily thinking that she was going down nicely, Then....Cherraaaack!

they

THE CAPTAIN AND THE MEN WHO SAILED IN SEAL

"They were a tough lot ....... not ah casy craw for a now skipper to take over

"That is how the au- thars described Scal's crow, some of whom are shown horo. Right: Seal's captain, Lieut. Com- mander Rupert Lons- dale. After leaving the Navy ho entered the Church and is now rector of Bentworth, shiro.

Hamp

they thought

Pago 7

"That depth-charge must have been close," said Chict Velly Officer Telegraphist

Charlie Futer.

For the Arst bellet was that their hunters had found them. But a few minutes Inter camo the true and even more disturb- Certainly the immediate ntore than a book being dropped ing interpretation of that urgency seemed over, 'Fall out on the floor. For several seconds mighty explosion. diving stations, please. Number all cars were deafened.

Lieutenant Beet tooted in One." ordered Lonsdale. The Almost lastantaneously there through the mess curtains, "The log entry read 1830 (or 6.30 pm). camo Ü dramatic, patnful captain thinks we'vo hit

Food was the order of the increase in the air pressure in mine," he said, day. After moro. than eight solid hours of being hunted, ap- the petites were keen.

safe

trawlers were stopping, as they no air moving through' had to, in order to listen.

When they stopped, she stopped too.

would have to work vichually alongside and almost directly underneath the trawlers.

Bricly There was a shattering noise

he summarised the and a terrifle explosion to position to those around him in starboard. Seal shook quera- the control room. "So we'll fuy lously and several people our mines in the second of the slipped off their seats

or three positions," he concluded, game of underwater chess pro- staggered as they atood.

"I know it's a. Dittle disappoint- Cressed through ing, but we shall at have noen, I pm. 2 pm.

A low lights went out. But accomplished a difficult opera- within seconda everyona could tion very satisfactorily. But let's feel that Soal was continuing to get them lald first before we move down to 90 feet under full talk too much about it.” control.

Scal's engineer ofleer, Licut.

compartments for hours.

ROAST BEEF Then quite suddenly,' Seal For seemed to lose her trim.

"Fall moment or two the depth-

out diving stations" needle quivered and had enabled all the non-watch- began to behave in a most keoper lo return to their peculiar fashion first a few messes. Signalman Waddington feet upwards, then a foot or went for'ard to the seamen's two down.

mess to find that the menu rend

gauge When they restarted, she re- And so the slow started also,

11

am,

GAP CLOSES

12

Seal was managing to escape

There was quickly a clue

to

on

the mystery.

heard

an

П

the boat, signifying to the That was what had happened. second nature of all the experi- That was the explanation of the enced submarinero on board scraping noise and the strange that a vast amount of water behaviour of the gauges. had entered from somewhere Seal had been towing mine. and had squeezed the whole of While she nosed forward it was

A the air supply into much safe behind her. But when she amalier space.

had stopped on the seabed It caught up with her. Then, as the reverberations And in the control room, of the explosion died down books and papers began to there was the unmistakable allther of the table. sound of the water surging in.

Seal had tilted quite ap- Forard in the accommodation preciably, bows upward.

The mining crow were already detection: but it was clear that nd, it was a scratching that control room, knew that Lons shaking and shuddering

Lensdale

conferred

R. H. Clark, a man with fair prepared. wavy hair and sim-star festures, quietly with Beet over the chart- at unce organised

a bows-to-table.

stern examination

Soon he was able to present a reassuring report to Lonsdale on the effects of the bomb.

ITWO leaks in the pressure hull, sir-one of them over the main engines. And the for'ard hydroplane motor eid coll has

and shifted

armature.

it's fouling the

SILENT

Seul set to work to effect her minor repairs.

Putting the for'ard hydro pling motor right called for concentrated, persevering work in hot, airless, cramped Sur- roundings. Butler, Clark, and Chief E.R.A. John Stalt tackled it with help from the electrical artifeer, Johnstone.

tho

time.

They were just coming into position for starting to lay beginning of the field. They waited and checked the Then Lonsdale looked Number up. "Away we go. Öne," he amiled at Butler. The process of laying began quietly and efciently.

The system of letting in eum- pensating water to replace each nine as it dropped over Seal's stern was not on automatic one. Very much depended on the skill of the Mining ERA in admitting just the right amount of water at just the right time and place.

NEXT WEEK

roast beet, potatoes and peas; prunes and custard. "Good-ch spaces, the business of eating It wasn't the sort of angle that for the chef," he thought. had been forcibly arrested. The made standing or movement Able Seaman Reynolds,

can Just do with something men there were consclous, even difficult — it probably wasn't watch on the starboard main slap-up like this."

more than of the deafening noise any more than 10 degrees. But unfamiliar Lieutenant Trevor Best, in the of the explosion, of the boat's it was sinister. at the rate things were going,

Copyright: 1961 C. E. T. the

hunters and became a scraping. It moved dale, more than anyone else, gap between

And as in the ensuing seconds Warren & James Benson. They along the side of the hull, just needed the meal and rest.

they looked around their little hunted was narrowing.

consider lying past where he was working It

saw an would have to

like a wire,

It was, therefore, with great box of a mess they I PAL- the trawlers sounded doggo and letting

back from the wardroom. But all over the table, a broken plato go over their heads, with the doubtedly was a wire. Perhaps reluctance he called his captain upheaval of meat and vegetables a-It had jumped two or three hepe that Seal would be able to the torpedo boats were dragging the captain had to be told:

for them with an explosive gauge reading seemed a Hittle Inches up in the air --- and a recross their line after dark.

cloud of cork particles and dust inexplicable. Then, at about 3 pm, Lans- sweep, he thought, dale sighted a new.

ol group

"Wire scraping along stor-

still raining down from the deck- board vessels to the north-east.

side." he passed the

head. There were nine of them, message forard. Briefly Lonsdale studied their

But before Lonsdale had time to suggest any action Seal outline.

own accord. They were easily identidable steadied of her

"Well whatever it was we've one of the more modern as German classes of motor torpedo shaken it off." said in volec boots fitted for anil-submarine work with depth charge throwers in addition to their two torpedo tubes.

"It looks ад though we Ernie Truman, the mining might be hemmed in a bit," he very icer, was conscientious in said. "These boys are the extreme about this and fast and they'll be a lot more about all his taske.

dangers than the trawlers.

He could well have seemed out But I think we'll dodge them al

right."

Lieutenant Trevor They started just before three of place in Seal having in his Eeet, kept looking at his deck and it was not until after 8.30 strong religious convictions more watch. It showed 0224 .. 0225 that they could replace the last in common with Lonsdale than ... 0226. Not long before they plate and relax. would be diving and be down nice and

betscath the surface.

SILE

DIVING

EVASION

with many of his messanates. sometimes looked silthily They had sweated-physio- He

In naval uniform. So began a classic plece of ally and metaphorically-for wrong

Seal, a "You're 100

evasion looking, submarine good over ive and a half hours, scarcely stopping for

fellow E.R.A. very large submarine, was shut the Ernie," his reviving cup of tea that grould tell him in fest,

in by two groups of vessels ap- proaching from different angles. was passed for'ard to them.

The same thoughts were pass- ing through the mind, of the lookout, Signalman Waddington, perched up on top of the wave- washed bridge, as he tried to make the darkness around him show more detail to bis Inquiritle

ing eyes.

ESCAPE

All of them had good reason Lonsdale now brought the sub-

to believe that a submarino was marine un and took D look

In these waters. Many hours of through the periscope, He was quite close to one of the second-

Truman handled his part of daylight were still left, and the choice positions

particular mine-lying shallowness of the Kastegat that had been this

On not afforded Seal no chance to go allocated to him, but mill some operation impeccably.

of the several occasions deep and run for it." from his une

during the course of the laying

הערב

way. primary target area,

Vitry

so

the

But for one, two, three hours

And as he thought and looked When the periscope caine when Lonsdale was taking a he suddenly heard. For a down he volunteered no infor- quick glimpse at the trawlers Lonsdale evaded his two groups moment it was only plaprick mation, but maintained his and a sharp fix on the shore did of hunters, of nule. Just dfulshable course and reduced speed. Every periscope depth own muscle of his face was being much as a foot.

skilful ли the keenly watched by a dozen or Then it was the beginning of more pairs of eyes in

could have lurched the ten feet. a recognisable roar.

control-room to see whether he would betray any emotion,

from the sound of Seals diesels.

"Sound of aircraft starboard

bow, sir," he shouted.

"Dive, dive, dive,"

Lonsdale.

shouted

bridge and

hatch before the sen

shut and clip the sure

slumped about."

that

there's

And he did co in by

submarine best possible With a less manner; not by making fam- submarine boyant decisions, not by taking uo five or gamblers' risks, but simply and solely by having the courage and the strength of will to do very, very little indeed.

In the excellent time of a little over three-quarters of un

His first

any

Ele continued to say nothing, hour-by precisoly 9.45 a. M. it went like this. but even the most sanguine of Before either set of words his obscrvers could not

Think the last of Seal's cargo of fifty move was a slight concession to i was completely delivered дл that he looked really satisfied mines was laid, A sum total of the forces that were piling up escape route. aircraft appeared out of the with what he saw.

17,000 ib. (or almost eight tons) on his obvious

Ruzter full-back darkness ahead of thein of an

of TNT. heavy explosive had Then, liko altitude of about 300 feet.

Soon he louiced again: and been placed in a position where who had made sufficient ground Slithering through the con- then nodded. Down came the it could be expected to cause in from the touch-luc, to "make

an angle," he turned Dort ning-tower hatch and down the periscope, There's a bunch of havoc to German shipping.

again, Then the manoeuvre was vertical ladder went both look onfi-submarine trawlers ahead Quis, officer-of-the-watch and of us," he confided. "They're Scat's mission was completed, repeated but with variations captain. They had scarcely time doing tight zig-zag

sween only remained for her to get of speed to complicate

that the German for four of them to get off the which looks as though they're out, clear of lell Corner, and calculations

That was all surface forces might be making. someone dash for home.

that remained for her to do.

Everyone in Seal realised tho this grim Immediately the last mine penally for losing was laid Lonsdale turned Seal game. But no dicing-with death through 100 degrees. Her stern tension resulted. The trawlers were sull koma

to presented

thr distance off, but there was no advancing trawlers,

Watchkeepers only were on But there

The remainder rested doubt that their course and

was more to a successful creare calmly, fully clothed. Scal's would coincide.

out of the Kattegat than вп AL six o'clock Lonsdale Moreover

they already slood increase in speed and a

decided it was time for the next major move. 11 way not. Loo tho More speed would mean long till nightfall - and

etunce

of un escape dash en mare malso; more nolso would

By then the lang disclose their position to the the surface,

kad trawlers immediately.

hours of cautious progress achieved a position to take that

over the bridgerails.

Seal was in a difficult situa-

The alreraft had not, in fact, tion. sighted Seal until she was just about directly overhead, was dropping quickly throughi realised

the hatch Lonadale

that

As ho

the was not actually

running in to bomb them, but

Was

a second later he saw her bank clearly and firmly between Seal for

and turn nurledly.

THEN...

Both the first and second mun down hod pressed the Klaxon button on their way through into the conning-tower

and before they could tumblo

and her primary target aren. And in the particularly shallow waters of this part of the Katie- gat there was no hope at all of cluding them by going deep.

DECISION

down to the deck of the control- Lonsdalo thought carefully.

now

Tun

duty.

The only valley could be one feasible. So he would take her

pf quiet, uniturried guilo.

Lonsdale's plan was really quite simple. The trawlore' do tection apparatus wall almost

comprised

directional

down to the sea bed and wall until darkness.

MYSTERY

room below, ballast-tank vents There was, in fact, no chance of certainly limited to hydrophone were opening, the main engines getting through the trawlers. Histening rear, which in lay

As soon were shut off and Seat was nd Seal had one target only he terms

a Seni had settled alreatly submerging.

would obviously have to con- underwater microphones.

satisfactorily, alt her machinery tinue straight towards it.

was stopped. Every piece of Everything was going

Seal had hydrophones, too, machanical or electricat equip- cording to plan. "Ninety feet. But he did have two alter- but she als had the Navy's ment, anything with any moving please," pulled Lonstalo se ha native target areas. And one highly conuitive dotection part that could make any kisi

device, Audio.

BOM

landed, last man down, as the lay just this aide of where the foot of the control-roon laskler. trawlers were now sweeping. If Seal hurried she might just auc- acknow- coed in laying her fält nectar- leutenant, ately in this secund position, although to do ever that sho

"Ninaly feet, ledged his first

Terence Buller.

of sound

off.

at all, was switched

With this advantago --- aud with only occasional resort to This included all the fans and a periscope sight ---- sho was ventilating machinery, whill abin to know when the promised a hot, lifelessness with

erog

Lonsdale immediately answer- ed Beet's call What is it, Trevor?" asked.

Six mess cups had all fallen He never got his reply. There and broken, but had left their handles hanging neally was a shattering explosion which six made the bomb detonation that along the row of hooks.

them just before in the chief and P.Ó.s' mess had shaken daybreak sound like nothing the scene was much the same.

THE TWO MEN

ALL ALONE...

FRANKFURT

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