_Penshurst_ resumed her cruising, and just about a month later she was in the western approach to the English Channel, the exact date being February 20, and the position Lat. 49.21 N., Long. 6.16 W. At 12.36 p.m. a German submarine rose to the surface, and a quarter of an hour later began firing at a range of 3,000 yards. _Penshurst_ then ‘abandoned’ ship, and at 1.4 p.m. opened fire and scored a hit with her 6-pounder. At 100 yards range the other guns came into action, and the enemy was hit above the waterline in the centre of the conning-tower and abaft this superstructure. She then submerged and was depth-charged; yet this submarine, in spite of all this, was not sunk. This again illustrated the statement already made that a submarine could be severely holed and yet be able to get back home. A still more illuminating example is to be found in the following incident. Only two days had elapsed and _Penshurst_ was again busily engaged. It was at 11.34 a.m., February 22, and the ship was off the south coast of Ireland, the exact position being Lat. 51.56 N., Long. 6.46 W. _Penshurst_ was steering S. 89 W. when she saw a submarine steering west. The steam-ship therefore steamed at her utmost speed, but could not get up to her, for we may as well mention that this was U 84, a very up-to-date submarine which had a surface speed of 16 knots and could do her 9 knots submerged for a whole hour. It is not to be wondered, therefore, that she could run away from this slow steamer and at 11.55 a.m. disappear. At this time there was in sight 8 miles away H.M.S. _Alyssum_, one of Admiral Bayly’s sloops based on Queenstown, who was escorting the large four-masted S.S. _Canadian_. As _Penshurst_ proceeded, she sighted at 12.18 p.m. a boat with men in it, these being from the torpedoed sailing ship _Invercauld_, which had been sunk 22 miles S.E. of Mine Head, Ireland, that same day. A few minutes later and _Penshurst_ observed the keel of this ship floating bottom up. At 12.35 the periscopes of U 84 were seen to emerge 400 yards on the port beam, and the track of a torpedo making straight for the midships of _Penshurst_. By at once starboarding the helm, disaster was avoided, but the torpedo passed as close as 15 feet. [Illustration: Q-SHIP “PENSHURST” In this dummy boat mounted on the main hatch is seen hidden the 12-pounder gun. The sides of the boat were movable. The voice pipe from the bridge to the two after guns was lashed to the derrick and thus hidden from the enemy.] [Illustration: Q-SHIP “PENSHURST”