The British steamship North Wales left Hull bound for Canada on the 20th October 1916, and on the 10th November the Canadian naval authorities reported her as overdue. On the 9th November the German Wireless Press gave the name of this vessel in their list of torpedoed ships, so that, although details are lacking, her fate is fairly certain. She was sunk almost without trace. One piece of varnished wood marked “North Wales” was washed ashore in Sennen Cove, and one or two bodies reached the Cornish coast. That is all. If her crew had time to take to their boats, after being torpedoed, they were probably drowned, as violent gales were raging at the time.
The British s.s. Cabotia carried a crew of 74. She was on voyage from Montreal to Liverpool, and had encountered bad weather most of the way. On the morning of the 20th October there was a strong gale blowing from the S.W. and a heavy sea running. At about 12.20 p.m. a German submarine was sighted on the starboard bow and at once opened fire with her forward gun. Her first shot struck the steamer about amidships on the starboard side, but the master turned her stern to the submarine and put on full speed. The U-boat continued firing at the rate of a shot every five minutes, and out of seven shots she obtained four hits.
The steamer’s boats were now swung out, though all hands realised that probably they would not live long in such a sea. The submarine kept trying to get on the Cabotia’s quarter, but she was kept well astern. However, she continued to gain on the steamship, and by 2 p.m. was close astern. The engines were stopped, four boats were lowered, manned and got clear of the steamer without mishap. Of these boats, Nos. 1 and 2 were in charge of the master and third officer, respectively, while the second officer took No. 3 boat and the chief officer No. 4.
The submarine, after again shelling the Cabotia, went alongside another steamer which now approached. The boats proceeded in the same direction, hoping to be picked up; but the steamer, after communicating with the U-boat, blew two blasts on her whistle, apparently saluting the submarine, and steamed away. The third and fourth boats, carrying 42 men altogether, were picked up by a patrol boat; but the other two boats were never seen again, 32 lives being lost.
It goes without saying that the submarine commander could have saved every one of these lives, had he told the steamer whom he closed to pick up the Cabotia’s boats. Apart from this, it is the opinion of the survivors that those on board the strange steamer saw their signals of distress, shirts hoisted on oars, but deliberately ignored them.
About the fate of the British s.s. Rappahannock there was some doubt at the time of her disappearance, but it has since been established that she was sunk on the 26th October, 1916. In November the Admiralty received a message from the owners of the vessel to the effect that information had been received by them from Captain Cuvellier, of the Belgian Marine Department, that an inquest had been held at Porranporth on a body washed ashore on the 8th November. This was the body of a donkeyman named Theakins, one of the crew of the Rappahannock. Then came news from the s.s. Corinthian, who reported that on the 9th November she found a quantity of deals, wood pulp, and barrels of apples afloat 60 miles west from the Scilly Islands. These articles formed part of the Rappahannock’s cargo.
On the 27th January, 1917, Berlin published the following announcement:—
“The English steamer Rappahannock was forced to stop by a German submarine on 26th October, 1916, following a pursuit of some length, and sunk after the crew had been given ample time to leave the vessel. The distance from the point of sinking to the Scillies was about 70 nautical miles, wind and sea were W.S.W. of the third strength. The safety of the crew, who had entered the boats, appeared to the commander of the submarine to be guaranteed, inasmuch as the life-boats were in good condition and well equipped with sails and provisions, and were able to reach land quickly and safely in view of the favourable sailing wind, which pointed towards land, and the slight sea.”
If the weather conditions had, indeed, been all that the German commander here claims, it is fairly certain that most of the crew would have reached land. As a matter of fact, not a single member of the steamer’s crew was ever seen alive again. The inevitable conclusion is that the weather must have been unfavourable, and that the German commander must have known what the fate of the crew would be.