TROOP TRANSPORTS DISEMBARKING AT THE LANDING-STAGE, LIVERPOOLTROOP TRANSPORTS DISEMBARKING AT THE LANDING-STAGE, LIVERPOOL
Viewed from the low tidal stage, almost at a level with the water, the ship—that had appeared so delicate of line in the river—assumes a new and stronger character at close hand. The massive bulk of her, towering almost overhead, dwarfs the surrounding structures. The shear that gave her beauty at a distance is lost in the rapid foreshortening of her length: her weathered plating, strakeupon strake bound by a pattern of close rivet-work, attracts the eye and imposes an instant impression of strength and seaworthiness. On her high superstructure the figures of men seem absurdly diminished. The sense of their control of such a vessel is difficult of realization. Pouring from her in an apparently endless stream of khaki, her living cargason passes over the gangways.
They move rapidly from the ship to the shore. Waiting-sheds and the upper platforms are soon littered by their packs and equipment, and the troops squat on the roadway to await formation of their group. Large bodies are marched directly to the riverside station to entrain for camp, but the assortment and enumeration of most of the companies and detachments is carried through on the broad planking of the stage. In and out the mustered files of men, transport cars make a noisy trumpeting progress, piled high with baggage and stores, and each crowned by a waving party of high-spirited soldiers. A second transport is brought in at the other end of the stage, and adds her men to the throng of troops at the water-side. The disembarkation staff have work with the sheep and the goats. There is the natural desire to learn how 'th' fellers' got on in the other ship, and the two ships' complements are mixed in a fellowship that makes a tangle of the 'nominal rolls' and drives the harassed officers to an outburst of profanity. Ever and on, a block occurs on the gangways where the inevitable 'forgetters' are struggling back through the press of landing men, to search for the trifles of their kit.
A prolonged blast of her siren warns the military officers that the first transport is about to cast off, and the movement of the troops is accelerated to a hurried rush and the withdrawal of the gangways. The waiting tugs drag the ship from the stage, and she moves slowly down-stream to dock at the Sandon entrance, there to discharge the burden of her packed holds. Another huge vessel takes her place, canting in at the north end, and shortly sending out more men to the already congested landing. She carries two full battalions, and they are disembarked with less confusion than the former varied details. Forming fours, and headed by their own band, they march off up the long bridgeway to the city streets.
The tide is approaching high water and the pilots are growing anxious lest they should lose opportunity of docking on the tide. Already the dock gates are open, and the smaller vessels of the convoy have dropped out of the river into the basins. With three ships disembarked and a fourth drawing alongside, the Naval Transport officers decide that they can handle no more men on the stage, and send the remaining steamers to land their men in dock. There, with the troops away, an army of dockers can get to work to unload the store of their carriage from overseas.
'M N''M N'
SHIMMERING in gilt sunlit threads, the grey North Sea lay calm and placid, at peace with the whip of the winds after days of storm and heavy weather. The sun had come up to peer over a low curtain of vapour that hung in the east. Past the meridian, the moon stood clear-cut in the motionless upper sky. The ring of quiet sea accepted the presence of the waiting ships as of friendly incomers, familiar to the round of the misty horizon. Two British destroyers, a flotilla of motor-vessels, drifters—the brown sails of Thames barges appearing, then vanishing, in the wisps of fickle vapour. A breathless dawn. Sun, the silver moon, the grey flat sea bearing motionless ships, were witness to the drama—the giving up of the murder craft, the end of piracy.
Growing out of the mist, a squadron of British light cruisers and their convoy approached the rendezvous where the destroyers lay in readiness to take over charge of the German submarines. Two enemy transports under their commercialflags, headed the line of the water-snakes. Aircraft circled overhead and turned and returned on the line of progress. The leading ships swung out on approaching the destroyers and engaged them by signal. The destroyers weighed anchor and proceeded to carry out their orders. Each carried a number of officers and men to be placed aboard the submarines, to accept their surrender, to direct their further passage to within the booms at Harwich.
The commander ofMelampusfocused his glasses on the eleventh submarine of the long straggling line. The U-boat had a wash over his screws and was apparently steaming ahead to overtake his fellows, now fading into the mist in the direction of their prison gates.
"Our group," he said: then, to the signalman, "Tell him to stop instantly!"
The bluejacket stood out on the sparring of the bridge and signalled with his hand-flags. The submarine still moved ahead at speed, his exhaust panting at pressure. The German commander could not (or would not) understand, and it was necessary to hoist 'M N' of the International Code. The two flags were sufficient: he threw his engines astern and brought up to await further orders. His followers arrived on the station. Some cast anchor, others slowed and stopped. All took note of the flags—St. Andrew's cross over blue and white checquers, hoisted at the destroyer's yard-arm—and obeyed the summary signal.
'M N!' International Code! The old flags of the days when there was peace on the sea, when the German commercial ensign was known and familiar and respected in the seaports of the world!
How many of the Germans would understand the full significance of the hoist that brought them to a standstill—the import of the flags drooping in the windless air—the beckoning of the coloured fabric that ended their murder trade. The day had long passed since they had used this warning signal for a procedure in law and order. No 'M N' toLusitaniabefore littering the Irish Sea with wreckage and the pitiful bodies of women and small children: no signal toArabicorPersia:no warning toBelgian Prince, toCalifornia, to all the long and ghastly list: no summons to the hospital ships—alight and blazoned to advertise their humane mission. And now—their ensign dishonoured, their name as seamen condemned to the everlasting tale of infamy, their proud commercial seafaring destroyed—to come in with the blood on their hands, and render and submit to the mandate of a two-flag hoist!
'M N!' The Code of the Nations! The summons to peaceful seafarers! 'Stop instantly!' Disobey at your peril! At last, at long last, the Freedom of the Seas—the security of the ships—the safety of all who pass on their lawful occasions—completely re-established by the flaunt of the old flags!
COMPELLED by the nature of their work to be long absent from home ports, seamen are frequently in ignorance of the current of longshore opinion. Newspapers do not reach out to the sea-routes (as yet), and the media of Guild Gazettes and Association Reporters come somewhat late on the tide of an appreciation. The tremendous historical importance of the Nation's Thanks to its Fighting Forces (in which the Merchants' Service was included) has not adequately been realized by the merchantmen. Some do not even know of it. For these reasons—not in a spirit of 'pride above desert'—the writer quotes the following:
The Resolution of Parliament of October 29, 1917, placed upon record—
"That the thanks of this House be accorded to the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine for the devotion to duty with which they have continued to carry the vital supplies to the Allies through seas infested with deadly perils."
"That the thanks of this House be accorded to the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine for the devotion to duty with which they have continued to carry the vital supplies to the Allies through seas infested with deadly perils."
A year later, an equally generous appreciation of the work of the Merchants' Service was issued by the Board of Admiralty.
"On the occasion of the first Meeting of the Board of Admiralty after the signing of the German Armistice, their Lordships desire, on behalf of the Royal Navy, to express their admiration and thanks to the Owners, Masters, Officers, and Crews of the British Mercantile Marine, and to those engaged in the Fishing Industry, for the incomparable services which they have rendered during the War, making possible and complete the Victory which is now being celebrated."The work of the Mercantile Marine has been inseparably connected with that of the Royal Navy, and without the loyal co-operation of the former, the enemy's Submarine Campaign must inevitably have achieved its object. The Mercantile Marine from the beginning met this unprecedented form of warfare with indomitable courage, magnificent endurance, and a total disregard of danger and death, factors which the enemy had failed to take into account and which went far towards defeating his object."In no small measure also has the success achieved against the submarine been due to the interest taken by Owners in the defensive equipment of their ships, and to the ability, loyalty, and technical skill displayed by Masters and Officers in carrying out Admiralty regulations which, though tending to the safety of the vessels from submarine risks, enormously increased the strain and anxiety of navigation. The loyal observance of these precautions has been the more commendable since the need for absolute secrecy, on which safety largely depended, has prevented the reasons for their adoption being in all cases disclosed."Further, the Convoy System, which has played such an important part in frustrating the designs of the enemy and securing the safe passage of the United States Army, could never have attained its success but for the ability and endurance displayed by Masters, Officers, and crews of the Merchant Service forming these Convoys. This system has called for the learning and practising of a new science—that of station-keeping—the accuracy of which has depended in no small measure on the adaptability and skill of the Engineers and their Departments."Their Lordships also desire to acknowledge the ready response of Owners to the heavy calls made on the Merchant Service for Officers and men to meet the increasing requirement of the Navy. On board our ships of every type, from the largest Dreadnought down to the smallest Patrol Boat are to be found Officers and men of the Merchant Navy who have combined with those of the Royal Navy in fighting the enemy and defeating his nefarious methods of warfare at sea."The Merchant Service and the Royal Navy have never been so closely brought together as during this War. In the interests of our glorious Empire this connection must prove a lasting one."
"On the occasion of the first Meeting of the Board of Admiralty after the signing of the German Armistice, their Lordships desire, on behalf of the Royal Navy, to express their admiration and thanks to the Owners, Masters, Officers, and Crews of the British Mercantile Marine, and to those engaged in the Fishing Industry, for the incomparable services which they have rendered during the War, making possible and complete the Victory which is now being celebrated.
"The work of the Mercantile Marine has been inseparably connected with that of the Royal Navy, and without the loyal co-operation of the former, the enemy's Submarine Campaign must inevitably have achieved its object. The Mercantile Marine from the beginning met this unprecedented form of warfare with indomitable courage, magnificent endurance, and a total disregard of danger and death, factors which the enemy had failed to take into account and which went far towards defeating his object.
"In no small measure also has the success achieved against the submarine been due to the interest taken by Owners in the defensive equipment of their ships, and to the ability, loyalty, and technical skill displayed by Masters and Officers in carrying out Admiralty regulations which, though tending to the safety of the vessels from submarine risks, enormously increased the strain and anxiety of navigation. The loyal observance of these precautions has been the more commendable since the need for absolute secrecy, on which safety largely depended, has prevented the reasons for their adoption being in all cases disclosed.
"Further, the Convoy System, which has played such an important part in frustrating the designs of the enemy and securing the safe passage of the United States Army, could never have attained its success but for the ability and endurance displayed by Masters, Officers, and crews of the Merchant Service forming these Convoys. This system has called for the learning and practising of a new science—that of station-keeping—the accuracy of which has depended in no small measure on the adaptability and skill of the Engineers and their Departments.
"Their Lordships also desire to acknowledge the ready response of Owners to the heavy calls made on the Merchant Service for Officers and men to meet the increasing requirement of the Navy. On board our ships of every type, from the largest Dreadnought down to the smallest Patrol Boat are to be found Officers and men of the Merchant Navy who have combined with those of the Royal Navy in fighting the enemy and defeating his nefarious methods of warfare at sea.
"The Merchant Service and the Royal Navy have never been so closely brought together as during this War. In the interests of our glorious Empire this connection must prove a lasting one."
The Resolution of Parliament of August 6, 1919, placed upon record—
"That the thanks of this House be accorded to the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine for the fine and fearless seamanship by which our people have been preserved from want and our cause from disaster."
"That the thanks of this House be accorded to the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine for the fine and fearless seamanship by which our people have been preserved from want and our cause from disaster."