CHAPTER VThe Toll of the Submarines

But some came not with break of light,Nor looked upon the saffron dawn;They keep the watch of endless night,On the soft breast of Ocean borne.O waking England, rise and prayFor sons who guard thee night and day!Cecil Roberts.

But some came not with break of light,

Nor looked upon the saffron dawn;

They keep the watch of endless night,

On the soft breast of Ocean borne.

O waking England, rise and pray

For sons who guard thee night and day!

Cecil Roberts.

Wehave dealt at length in the previous Chapter with the loss of theLusitanianot only because, as we have said, her torpedoing marked an epoch in the history of crime at sea, and was perhaps the determining factor in the entrance of America into the war, but because the Cunard Company was thus identified with this world-tragedy, and its servants exemplified then, as always, the noblest traditions of the British Mercantile Marine. Unhappily theLusitania, although the circumstances of her loss brought her, from so many points of view, into the limelight of publicity was, as we have already seen, by no means the only one of the Cunard vessels to be lost at sea in theservice of this country, and in the present chapter it is proposed to deal briefly with some other of the Cunard Company’s vessels that fell victims, many of them after the bravest resistance, to the submarine menace. It will, perhaps, be the more convenient, for purposes of after reference, to deal with these alphabetically, rather than chronologically.

Thus it was at 5.30 p.m. on February 4th, about 40 miles north of Londonderry that Captain W. R. D. Irvine of theAuraniasaw a torpedo approaching his ship, which eventually struck her between the funnels. TheAuraniaimmediately listed heavily to port, but then righted herself. The boats were immediately lowered and the crew and passengers, with the exception of Captain Irvine himself and some of his officers, were all safely aboard them within ten minutes after the torpedo had exploded. No sooner had they got into the boats, than theAuraniawas again struck by a second torpedo, a third following in the wake of this, just as the Captain and the remaining officers were coming down the ropes into the last boat. Seven men in the engine-room were killed by the explosions of the torpedoes, and two others were lost by drowning. The crew were in theboats for about one and a half hours, when they were picked up by some mine-sweepers.

The “Aquitania’s” garden-lounge as hospital ward

It was then seen that the ship was not sinking, and Captain Irvine with some of his crew, returned on board and made her fast with hawsers to one of the trawlers that had arrived on the scene. During the night, however, the ship broke adrift, and when day broke she was nowhere to be seen. A message was then received from one of the naval patrols to the effect that theAuraniahad drifted ashore at Tobermory, nearly 50 miles from the place where she had been torpedoed. Unfortunately, she had grounded at a very exposed position and in the heavy weather that followed she went to pieces, it being found impossible to salve her. She was a particularly severe loss in that she was a new ship, only on her eighth trip.

TheDwinsk, one of the steamers being operated by the Cunard Company for the Government, and in command of Captain H. Nelson, was torpedoed on June 18th of the same summer, at about 9.20 a.m., while some 650 miles east of New York, the torpedo striking her on the port side in the region of No. 4 hold. Seven lifeboats were immediately lowered and all the crew successfully embarked.The submarine then came to the surface, and with a heavy calibre gun fired 19 shells into the torpedoed vessel, sinking her about two hours afterwards. A passing steamer then came in sight and firing five shots in the direction of the submarine, passed on her course, the submarine submerging. When the unknown steamer had disappeared, the submarine again came to the surface, and overtaking the boats in which the crew had taken refuge, hailed the one in charge of the Chief Officer, and after interrogating him, moved off in an easterly direction. Meanwhile, during the night, the little group of lifeboats became separated, meeting with various adventures but all except one ultimately reaching safety, their crews being landed as far apart as New York, Bermuda, Newport, and Nova Scotia. As in the case of theAusonia’sboats described in Chapter III, they underwent the severest hardships. The First Officer’s boat, for instance, after sailing all that day and through the night, sighted a steamer, but, though she showed signals of distress, received no reply. Toiling on, a barque, and another steamer, were sighted in the evening, but again the little boat was unsuccessful in attracting attention.

The “Aurania” ashore after being torpedoed

The “Ivernia” settling down.(Photographed against the sun from the rescuing trawler)

Fortunately, the weather up to then had remained favourable, and continued to do so through the next day, on which another ship was seen, but again failed to perceive the lifeboat’s dejected crew. Early on the following morning an empty boat was sighted, and found to be one of theDwinsk’sboats from which the crew had evidently been rescued. On this day the wind began to increase and by the evening a furious gale was raging. At six o’clock a great sea washed over the little boat, carrying one of its occupants overboard, and almost filling the boat with water. On the day after, a Sunday, the wind dropped again, and remained variable until the evening of the following Wednesday, when it again increased to such an extent that by midnight a fierce gale was once more blowing. On Thursday morning this died down, but it was not until half-past nine on Friday that a steamer which proved to be theU.S.S. Arondosighted the now almost famished crew and took them on board, clothed them, and provided them with medical attention. They had then been drifting about in every condition of the weather for no less than ten days, the highest ration allowed being one biscuit and a half glassof water per man per day, for the first six days, reduced on the ninth day to half a biscuit and a quarter of a glass of water. To the invincible optimism and seamanship of the First Officer, who himself steered the boat for the whole of the ten days, the crew unanimously announced afterwards that they considered the saving of their lives to be due.

Of the other boats, one was at sea for eight days, three for three days, and one for a day and a half; one of them was never accounted for, probably having foundered in the storm, with the loss of 22 lives.

It is pleasant to record that the First Officer Mr. Pritchard, as well as the boatswain’s mate, who was in charge of another boat, were specially commended in theLondon Gazettefor their great services.

Torpedoing of the “Volodia”

Nor must another incident in connection with the saving of theDwinsk’slifeboats go unmentioned although the hero in this case was a gallant officer of the United States Navy, Lieutenant Ross P. Whitemarsh, who was one of the convoy officers to theDwinskand went into No. 6 lifeboat with another American and nineteen British subjects.This boat experienced an extraordinary severe storm some four days afterwards, and Lieutenant Whitemarsh volunteered to take the tiller and remained on watch without a break throughout the night until five o’clock the next morning. One man was washed overboard and Lieutenant Whitemarsh then ordered the other occupants of the boat to lie down, two of them taking turns to hold on to this officer’s legs to prevent him, while at the tiller, from being carried away. For this Lieutenant Whitemarsh received from His Majesty the King, the Silver Medal for Gallantry in saving life at Sea.

It was three years earlier and in a far distant sea that theCariawas sunk, while proceeding in ballast from Alexandria to Naples in charge of Captain J. A. Wolfe. In this case she was not torpedoed; the ‘U’ boat after signalling to theCariato stop and abandon ship, fired some 10 shots at her, several of which struck her about the bows and the bridge. TheCariawas unarmed, and Captain Wolfe and his crew had accordingly no alternative than to abandon ship, having first destroyed all confidential papers. This was fortunate, since the submarine, hailing Captain Wolfe’s boat,ordered him alongside, and demanded the ship’s papers, which were given him. After 12 hours the crew of theCariawere picked up by theS.S. Frankenfels, ironically enough a German prize vessel in the employ of the India Office, and landed at Malta. There were happily no casualties among theCaria’screw.

In this respect theCarpathia, which was sunk on July 17th, 1918, was not so fortunate. Travelling in convoy, and at the time of the attack, some 120 miles west of the Fastnet, the escort had left some 3½ hours previously. Two torpedoes struck theCarpathiawithin 30 seconds, one on the port side between No. 4 hold, and the stoke-hold, and the second, half a minute later, in the engine-room. After satisfying himself that there was no possibility of saving the ship, her commander, Captain W. Prothero, ordered everyone to the boats, and saw them safely embarked, a third torpedo striking the ship just after this was accomplished. Three trimmers and two firemen were unfortunately killed by the explosion, but the remaining 218 members of the crew, together with 57 passengers, were picked up byH.M.S. Snowdrop, and safely brought to Liverpool. A letter was afterwardsreceived from the Admiralty in which the Lords Commissioners stated that in their opinion the discipline and organisation on board theCarpathiahad been of a very high order, and that Captain Prothero was to be publicly commended in theLondon Gazettein recognition of his conduct in the crisis.

The “Ivernia” survivors arriving in port

Troops landing from the “Mauretania”; two days later they were at Suvla Bay

It was on May 5th, 1917, at 7.30 p.m., whileen routeto Avonmouth from New York, that theFeltriawas torpedoed without warning about eight miles south-east of Mine Head off the Irish coast. A very heavy sea was running at the time. No 1 boat was capsized during launching, and No. 4 boat blown to pieces by the explosion of the torpedo. Boats Nos. 2, 3, 5, and 6 were successful in clearing the ship’s side. Most of the crew were in boats Nos. 3 and 5, the captain and chief steward being alone in No. 2 boat, which had also been damaged by the explosion. The last boat away, No. 6, contained the Chief Officer, Second Officer, Purser, and three sailors, and it was this boat that the submarine, coming to the surface, ordered alongside. Having obtained particulars as to theFeltriaand her cargo, she then left but stopped to pick up Mr. Stott, one of theFeltria’sengineers, and returned towards the lifeboat. From her deck, he was then assisted into the water. TheFeltria’sQuartermaster, Mr. Burt, with great courage, jumped into the water to meet him, and helped him to the boat’s side, where he was taken on board in a very exhausted condition, while huge breakers were washing over the little boat itself. Of the boat containing the Captain, Captain W. G. Price, and Chief Steward, nothing more was seen, their lives being lost, and by midnight, three other members of theFeltria’screw in No. 6 boat had died from exposure and exhaustion, one of the victims being Mr. Stott himself. The remaining five in this boat were picked up early on Sunday morning by theS.S. Ridleyand landed at Barrow; twenty other survivors were landed at Queenstown; but out of a crew of 69 no less than 44 lost their lives, 17 dying from exposure in the lifeboats.

TheFlaviawas the more fortunate in that the whole of her crew was saved, when early on the morning of August 24th, 1918, she was sunk off the Irish coast while on a voyage from Montreal to Bristol. Her commander, Captain E. T. C. Fear, had been below resting at the time, but theOfficer in charge had kept the situation well in hand, andH.M.S. Convolvulus, standing by, picked up the survivors from the boats, landing them safely in Ardrossan.

The “Dwinsk” settling down after being torpedoed

Survivors from the “Dwinsk” after eight days in the lifeboat

The next loss to be recorded is that of theFolia, Captain Francis Inch, which was sunk on Sunday, March 11th, 1917, at a quarter past seven in the morning, off the Irish coast, while on a voyage from New York to Bristol. The periscope of the attacking submarine was first sighted by the Third Officer some 500 feet away and nearly abeam. Immediately afterwards, he saw a torpedo approaching the ship, two of her boats being smashed in the explosion which followed, and theFoliaherself beginning rapidly to settle. Seven of the crew, including the Second Engineer, were killed by the explosion, but the rest of the officers and men were safely embarked in the four boats which were lowered.

While the lifeboats were still in the neighbourhood, the submarine came to the surface, steamed round the ship and fired four shots into her, following this up with a second torpedo. The Captain then got his boats together and instructed the officers in charge to steer N.W. by compass,three of them making fast by painters so as not to get adrift from each other. About 11 a.m., the Captain, under the fog that had crept up, sighted breakers ahead, and told the other boats to follow in line behind him. Creeping along the edge of the breakers, they at last sighted smooth water at the base of some cliffs, and, pulling into shore, noticed the outline of a house high above them, with people standing in front of it. Shouting in unison, the crew succeeded in attracting attention and learned that the place was Ardmore, Youghal, Co. Cork, and from there they proceeded to Dungarvan, where they arrived at 8 o’clock in the evening, the inhabitants of both places treating the shipwrecked officers and crew with the greatest hospitality.

The “Mauretania” leaving Southampton with homeward-bound Canadian troops

In all these cases the vessels attacked were either unarmed or so taken by surprise that no resistance was possible. But in the case of theLycia, Captain T. A. Chesters, which was sunk on February 11th, 1917, a most plucky action against odds was fought. It was nearly half-past eight in the morning, and about 20 miles north-west of the South Bishop’s Light, that the submarine was sighted, and by the time Captain Chesters hadpicked her up on the starboard beam, his vessel had already been struck by a shot from her. Captain Chesters immediately altered theLycia’scourse so as to place the submarine astern, and himself opened fire at about 3,000 yards. His gun, which was of Russian make and of a very light type, was one of the first supplied to merchant ships under the Admiralty scheme, when there was a great shortage of armaments owing to the needs of the Army and Navy, and it misfired several times; the Third Officer, Third Engineer, and Steersman had been already wounded by the fire of the submarine.

In the unequal duel that now ensued, theLycia’sfunnel, starboard boats, forward cabin, chart room, officers’ and engineers’ quarters and bridge were all wrecked, and being unable to steer the ship under the growing force and accuracy of the enemy’s shells, Captain Chesters at last had no alternative but to abandon his vessel. He, therefore, gave orders to cease firing and stop the engines. As soon as the ship had sufficiently lost way, the crew was safely embarked in the port boat, with the exception of the Captain, Chief Officer, Third Engineer, the Gunner, and oneof the boys, who succeeded in scrambling into the starboard boat which was dragging alongside.

When the lifeboats cleared the ship, the submarine herself ceased firing, submerged, and re-appeared alongside Captain Chesters’ boat. The submarine commander then ordered Captain Chesters to go on board, which he did, and where, by what, alas, proved to be a rare exception, he was very courteously treated. The commander of the submarine then put three of his crew into the boat together with eight bombs, sent her back to theLycia, and there the Germans hung the bombs on each side of the rigging, and in the engine-room. The ship’s papers, the breech plug of her gun, her telescopes and three cartridges, were lowered into the boat, after which the bomb safety pins were removed, and the bombs placed below the water-line. The boat was then ordered back to the submarine. Meanwhile, Captain Chesters had been asked by the ‘U’ boat’s commander why he had fired his gun without flying his Ensign. Captain Chesters pointed out to him that before he could fire the gun, he had to remove the flagstaff; and he was then allowed to return to his boat, the bombs, a few minutesafterwards beginning to explode. The submarine then went in chase of another vessel that had appeared on the horizon, and shortly afterwards theLyciasank, stern first. Her boats were picked up the same evening by two mine-sweepers, and theS.S. Ireland Moor, the crew being treated with the utmost hospitality and safely landed at Holyhead. Their conduct had been worthy in Captain Chesters’ words “of all the traditions of British seamen.”

Happily it now becomes possible to record an equally gallant fight on the part of one of the Cunard Company’s vessels, with a successful issue. This was fought by one of the Mediterranean cargo boats, thePhrygia, a vessel of 3,350 tons, with a speed of not more than 9 knots. It was at 2 p.m. on March 24th, 1916, when she was homeward bound and off the south-west coast of Ireland, that a submarine, whom she had not previously seen, fired two shots at her, probably with the intention of bringing her to a stop. The skipper, Captain F. Manley, immediately ordered his helm hard aport and the crew to go to “general stations.” There was a big sea running at the time, and this was fortunate, since the submarine,on divining Captain Manley’s intentions, had continued to fire at thePhrygia. None of her shells, however, struck the steamer. Captain Manley then succeeded in manoeuvring his ship so as to bring the submarine astern, when he opened fire, and there then began a duel lasting for 45 minutes, during the whole of which time, both the submarine and thePhrygiafired continuously at one another under the most adverse conditions. Then at last one of thePhrygia’sshells found its mark; a great rush of smoke poured up from the submarine; her stern suddenly jumped out of the water; and she disappeared, amongst the loud cheers of thePhrygia’screw.

In connexion with this incident, the following resolution was passed by the Directors of the Cunard Company at a meeting of the Board in April, 1916. “That the Company place on record their high appreciation of the gallant and successful efforts made by the Captain, Officers, and crew of thePhrygiato save their vessel, and of the efficient preparations made beforehand by Captain Manley to deal with such an emergency, which contributed towards this result, and finally extend their heartiest congratulations to allconcerned upon the splendid gunnery and seamanship which put the enemy submarine out of action.” Captain Manley and thePhrygia’screw also received recognition from the Admiralty for their achievement.

“Father Neptune” cared little for the preying submarines

An armed cruiser’s rangefinder

It was on March 27th, 1917, at 8 o’clock in the evening, that theThracia, Captain R. Nicholas, while on a voyage with ore from Bilbao to Ardrossan, was sunk at sight and without warning, leaving only one survivor. Disappearing in one minute, those on board were left with no possible chance of saving their lives, and it was only by a miracle that Cadet Douglas Duff, a boy of 16 years of age, was left to tell the tale. He succeeded in saving his life by clinging for sixteen hours to the keel of a capsized boat, during the early part of which time, he was seen and jeered at by the crew of the submarine. One of them indeed raised a rifle and aimed at him, whereupon he shouted, perhaps characteristically of the service to which he belonged “Shoot and be damned to you.” He was ultimately rescued by a French destroyer and landed at La Palais, Belle-ile-en-Mer. The body of the Chief Officer was also recovered, and it is touching to reflect that, as a mark oftheir respect and honour to the personnel of the British Mercantile Marine, a public funeral was accorded to him by the inhabitants of this little French seaport town.

Before her loss, however, theThraciahad performed, like all the vessels mentioned, most arduous and important duties, and one of her voyages, since it throws a sidelight upon the multifarious activities of the Company during the war, deserves special mention. She was then under the command of Captain Michael Doyle, and it was on the 27th of December 1914, that she left Liverpool for Archangel with stores for the Russian Government. All the way to the North Cape, she steamed in the teeth of heavy gales, and under stormy skies, and at this point, at this season of the year, entered a region where there was but one hour’s so-called daylight in the twenty-four. Entering the White Sea, on the night of the 7th of January, she ran the next day into an icefield, reaching out ahead of her as far as the eye could see. In the hope of breaking through to clear water, Captain Doyle, however, kept her going until, the ice becoming thicker and closer packed, it became impossible for theThracia’sengines to drive her through.

The “Thracia” fast: Caught in the ice in the White Sea

After prolonged and arduous exertions, theThraciawas at last extracted from her dangerous position in the ice and brought back to the open water harbour at Alexandrovsk. From this port, accompanied by an ice-breaker, she again made an attempt to reach Archangel on January 24th, 1915. Heavy field-ice was once more encountered as soon as the White Sea had been entered, causing the utmost difficulty in steering, and reducing progress to the slowest limits. After covering, with much perseverance, a certain distance, huge floes of ice finally stopped theThracia’sprogress; the ice-breaker was also in difficulties, and therefore unable to render any assistance. For a considerable time theThraciaremained wedged in the drifting ice, and meanwhile a heavy north-east gale had packed the entrance to the White Sea. The action of this wind, however, presently opened the ice in the immediate neighbourhood of the vessel, and a certain amount of further progress towards the south became possible. Here, however, the ice was found to be once more heavily packed, while the north-east gale was choking the entrance with ever more and more drifting floes.

TheThracia’spropeller had by this time become badly damaged, and the ice-breaker herself was finding it all she could do to secure her own safety. It was now clear that to remain in the drifting ice would be bound in the long run to prove fatal, and thereupon Captain Doyle made an effort to drive his vessel close to the land ice, where some degree of shelter might be found from the gales which were constantly driving enormous floes up and down with the ebb and flow of the tides through the narrow neck of the White Sea.

After many days and nights of the heaviest and most unremitting toil, theThraciawas finally brought close to land, and a net-work of cables and ropes thrown out to secure her position there. For seven weeks, until the 18th of March, she was held here, during the whole of which time she was being submitted to the severest pressure owing to the alternating flow and ebb of the tides driving the packed ice against her side, under her bottom, and piling it up round her counter to a height of as much as 20 ft. Serious damage was done to her hull, and for three months her pumps had to be kept going constantly in order to keep her afloat, while the greatest skill and ingenuity hadto be exercised in order to protect her rudder from the ice pressure under her counter.

The “Aquitania,” having escaped the fate of so many of her sisters, reappears in the Mersey in her peace-time guise

So matters went on until the night of the 18th of March, when, owing to heavy off-shore gales, theThraciabroke adrift, her anchors, cables, and ropes being lost and her windlass broken. Fortunately, a few days later, the ice began to open here and there, and with the courageous assistance of another vessel, and under her own steam, she succeeded at last in reaching a position inside the bar of the Archangel river on April 9th, when her cargo was landed in good condition on the stationary river ice and conveyed by sleighs to Archangel.

Her troubles, however, were not yet over, for within less than three weeks, the river ice itself began to break, and the outgoing stream, carrying this broken ice to sea, drove theThraciaon to the Bar. Her propeller blades were now reduced to the merest stumps, but in spite of this, she succeeded, at high water, in working herself free again by her own exertions. Obtaining ground tackle from another ship, which had come down from Archangel at the first break-up of the ice, theThraciawas enabled to come to anchorage in the gulf, and here she remained for about a weekuntil the Dwina river was finally cleared of ice. She then proceeded slowly up river to the town itself, where she arrived on May 9th. So great had been the damage sustained by her, that she was then dry-docked for the necessary repairs to enable her to return to England; and when she at last arrived home, about the middle of August, 1915, it was not until her voyage had lasted some seven and a half months.

After this diversion, let us return to the record of the war experiences of other Cunarders. It was on March 30th, 1917, that theValacia, Captain J. F. Simpson, left London for New York, and it was at 5.30 the next evening that she was struck on the port side by a torpedo, when in the English Channel off the Eddystone Lighthouse. An attempt was made by one of the torpedo boats, of which several happened to be in the neighbourhood, to tow theValacia, whose No. 6 hold, engine-room, and stoke-hold were all full of water. She proved too heavy, however, and tugs were accordingly sent from the shore, the Admiralty officials intending to try and beach the ship. Although a heavy gale was blowing at the time, Captain Simpson, in view of the fact that thebulkheads were holding, strongly advised that this course should not be pursued, but that an attempt should be made to tow theValaciainto Plymouth Harbour. This advice was taken, and as it proved with complete success, theValaciabeing taken safely into Plymouth Harbour, where she was subsequently docked for repairs, and whence she was enabled, within a few months, to take her place again in the Company’s fleet, and do much useful service.

“Aquitania” as Hospital Ship

The hole in the ship’s side caused by the explosion of the torpedo was no less than 25 feet long by 20 feet deep, and the greatest credit is due to Captain Simpson for his splendid judgment and seamanship in bringing the vessel safely into port, and saving her both for the country and the Company.

To theValeria, under the command of Captain W. Stewart, fell the good fortune to destroy a German submarine on June 20th, 1917, while nearing the end of a voyage from New York. It was at 3 o’clock in the afternoon that both Captain Stewart, who was on the port side of the bridge, and the Second Officer who was on the starboard side, felt the ship quiver as if she hadstruck something. The Captain immediately crossed the bridge and saw that the object hit was an enemy submarine, the working of her motors being distinctly audible. For a moment theValeria’sgun crew were taken aback at this most unexpected appearance at such close quarters to the vessel. Captain Stewart, however, gave prompt orders to fire and the gunners depressing the gun as far as possible, immediately obeyed.

A volume of vapour was then seen to rise up from the ‘U’ boat, together with fountain-like spouts of water. A second shot was fired, falling short, but the third struck the submarine fair and square, at the base of her conning tower, and caused her to sink. It is believed that theValeria, when she first came into contact with the submarine, probably broke her periscope. Captain Stewart’s first impulse was to turn back in order to pick up any survivors, but in view of the fact that German submarines were at this time usually hunting in couples he thought it wiser to continue his voyage, and brought his ship safely back into Liverpool. For this successful action, both Captain Stewart and the crew received special awards from the Admiralty, the Cunard Company, and otherAssociations, the destruction of the German submarine being later verified by Admiralty trawlers.

Officers of the torpedoed “Franconia”

A Cunard crew buying war savings certificates

It was perhaps not an unexpected fact, but it was one, nevertheless, of which the whole nation may well be proud, that the rescued officers and crews of these torpedoed vessels, never for a moment hesitated, and indeed were anxious, as soon as possible, to render further service in other vessels. An example of this occurred when theVandaliawas torpedoed on June 9th, 1918, her commander, Captain J. A. Wolfe, having already, as has been seen, had a previous vessel, theCaria, torpedoed beneath him in the Mediterranean. TheVandaliawas in a convoy accompanied by six American destroyers, and though she settled down rapidly and was lost within less than two hours, no lives were lost.

TheVeria, Captain D. P. Thomson, was sunk on December 7th, 1915, in the Mediterranean, having left Patras in ballast for Alexandria on the 3rd. At noon on the same day, when about 50 miles from Alexandria, she had sighted two lifeboats containing the crew of a Greek steamer, theGoulandriswhich had been sunk by a submarine, and at half-past four in the afternoon, it wasprobably the same submarine that was sighted approaching theVeriaat high speed from a distance of about eight miles. Almost at once the ‘U’ boat opened fire, dropping a shell about 20 feet ahead of theVeria, when Captain Thomson, having no alternative, stopped his ship and ordered the crew to muster at the boats. On a second shell dropping closer to the vessel, Captain Thomson ordered the crew to take to the boats; the submarine continued to fire as she approached, one of her shells destroying the chart house and the bridge, just as the boats were leaving the vessel’s side. Captain Thomson had already destroyed the confidential papers, and all that the German commander obtained, was the ship’s register. It was at 9.15 p.m. that theVeriasank, her boats being not interfered with and arriving at Alexandria next morning, in safety.

One of the American howitzers assembled at the Cunard Works

The “Aquitania’s” chapel

The next vessel to claim our attention is theVinovia, and high as was the standard set by, and expected of the Cunard Company’s commanders, there were few instances of greater coolness and bravery than that of her skipper, Captain Stephen Gronow, when she was torpedoed in the English Channel on the 19th of December, 1917. She wasthen on her way from New York with a Chinese crew, and it was at half-past three in the afternoon that the torpedo struck her on the starboard side. As theVinoviadid not at first appear to be sinking Captain Gronow ordered his engines full speed ahead, and made a gallant endeavour to reach the land. At 4 p.m. a small tug came on the scene and made fast to theVinovia, after some of her crew had left the ship on one of the lifeboats. A patrol boat then came alongside, and the remainder of the crew jumped aboard her. For the next three hours Captain Gronow, the only man left on his sinking vessel, steered her by means of the hand gear. At seven o’clock in the evening a drifter approached and the Chief Engineer returned on board to assist his Captain in making a rope fast, and then returned to the patrol boat. It was now quite dark, but Captain Gronow, sticking to his forlorn hope, remained alone on board theVinovia, and continued to steer her and attend to the ropes. By half-past seven, he noticed that she appeared to be making no headway, and groping forward by means of the rails, he found the forecastle deck already submerged four feet. He also discovered that the tug had slipped thewire. In making his way back again, he was so severely struck by a piece of wreckage that for a time he remained unconscious.

On recovering he made his way to the bridge and put on a life-jacket. Here he remained until, at eight o’clock, five miles from land and in pitch darkness, theVinoviasank under his feet, and he was thrown into the water. He succeeded however, in supporting himself on some wreckage, to which as it happened the ship’s bell was attached; and it was this little fact that in the end proved his salvation. Attracted by the ringing of the bell, a small patrol boat the next morning decided to investigate the wreckage, and there Captain Gronow was found lying unconscious. Unhappily his vessel, with her valuable cargo, of 9,000 tons was lost, but in endeavouring to save theVinovia, Captain Gronow had provided yet another illustrious example for his successors at sea, and happily survived to receive from the Cunard Directors a handsome inscribed silver vase, together with a certificate, a silver medal and a monetary gift from Lloyds.

Cunard National Aeroplane Factory

Twice it has been our duty to record the torpedoing of vessels under the command of thegallant Captain J. A. Wolfe, but he underwent this ordeal three times. He was in command of theVolodiaon the 21st of August, 1917, when, at half-past seven in the morning she was torpedoed and sunk some 300 miles from land. As was usual, there had been no warning, and theVolodiawas struck amidships, several of her engine-room crew, mostly Chinamen, being killed by the explosion. In addition, before she sank, theVolodiawas also shelled by the attacking submarine. Captain Wolfe, with the survivors of the crew, had, however, succeeded before this in getting away in three boats, in charge respectively of Captain Wolfe himself, the Chief Officer, and the Second Officer, and these boats were chased by the submarine. On catching up with the Second Officer’s boat, the submarine commander enquired for the Captain. He was told by the Second Officer that his last sight of Captain Wolfe was on the bridge of the torpedoed vessel. The Second Officer was then taken on board the submarine and questioned, but was subsequently allowed to return to his boat.

Captain Wolfe then gave sailing directions, and the three boats kept together until nightfall, by which time the wind had increased to the violenceof a gale. During the night the three boats became separated, and it was only the magnificent seamanship of Captain Wolfe and the two other Officers, together with the splendid endurance and courage of the crews, that succeeded in bringing any of them to safety. For three days they were adrift in the open Atlantic, rations being reduced to one biscuit and one dipper of water a day. The Captain and Chief Engineer were actually on one occasion washed out of their little boat. It was in the Captain’s boat that the sea-anchors and rudders were carried away, and Captain Wolfe then improvised a sea-anchor out of some canvass, sewing it with his penknife and rope-yarn, and putting in it the last three remaining seven-pound tins of meat, the only articles of weight left in the boat. This contrivance he lashed to the broken rudder, and by this means was enabled to weather the breaking seas. How well to the course the vessel was kept can be gathered from the fact that when she was picked up by a destroyer, she was within 30 miles of the Lizard, having sailed 300 miles without seeing a ship. Both the other boats had similar adventures, but both were at last found and their exhausted and almost helpless crews brought safely to land.

Thus ends a record, perhaps equalled, but certainly not excelled, by any other of the great Mercantile Marine Companies, upon whose unsung exertions our success both on land and sea was primarily founded. The list which appears on the next page, in tabular form, summarises in brief the losses sustained by the Cunard Company during this, the severest ordeal, that any maritime nation has ever undergone.

From this it will be seen that vessels amounting to over 205,000 gross tonnage were lost by the Company, and this does not include theCampania, which had just passed from the Company’s service, or two further losses, that of theAscaniaand theValeria, which were wrecked by stranding during 1918, and which added to the total another 14,985 tons. In all, more than 56 per cent. of the Company’s gross tonnage was sacrificed in the performance of services of the highest importance to the nation in the hour of its greatest jeopardy.

Interior of the Aeroplane Factory(i)

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