Q-Ships and Their StoryChatterton, E. Keble (Edward Keble)
History
Q-Ships and Their Story
Chatterton, E. Keble (Edward Keble)
Q-ships; World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations
_Chagford’s_ position on August 5 at 4.10 a.m. was roughly 120 miles
north-west of Tory Island, and she was endeavouring to find two enemy
submarines which had been reported on the previous day. At the time
mentioned she was herself torpedoed just below the bridge, and in
this one explosion was caused very great injury: for it disabled
both her torpedo tubes and her 4-inch gun; it shattered the boats on
the starboard side as well as the captain’s cabin and chart room.
In addition, it also wrecked all the voice-pipe connections to the
torpedo tubes and guns, and it flooded the engine-room and put the
engines out of commission, killing one of the crew. Lieutenant Jeffrey
therefore ‘abandoned’ ship, and just as the boats were getting away
two periscopes and a submarine were sighted on the starboard side 800
yards away. As soon as the enemy came to the surface fire was opened
on her by the two 12-pounders and both Lewis and machine-guns, several
direct hits being observed. The submarine then dived, but at 4.40 a.m.
she fired a second torpedo at _Chagford_, which hit the ship abaft the
bridge on the starboard side.
From the time the first torpedo had hit, the enemy realized that
_Chagford_ was a warship, for the 4-inch gun and torpedo tubes had been
made visible, and now that the second explosion had come Lieutenant
Jeffrey decided to recall his boats so that the ship might genuinely
be abandoned. The lifeboat, dinghy, and a barrel raft were accordingly
filled, and about 5.30 a.m. the enemy fired a third torpedo, which
struck also on the starboard side. Having sent away in the boats and
raft everyone with the exception of himself and a lieutenant, R.N.R.,
two sub-lieutenants, R.N.R., also an assistant-paymaster, R.N.R., and
one petty officer, Lieutenant Jeffrey stationed these in hiding under
cover of the fo’c’sle and poop, keeping a smart look-out, however,
through the scuttles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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