Trawlers—William Johnson, Richard Bulkeley, Thos. Blackhorne, Thomas Buckley, George Cochrane, John Collins, William Caldwell, eorge Clarice, William Darnold, Siam Duffey, John Graham, Thomas Laundry, William Ashton, George Burton, John Dunkin, Thomas Graham, Thomas Henrix, John Fitzgerald, John Clay, Pat Caharty.
I had the pleasure of visiting our mine base in Scotland just before the squadron sailed on its first expedition. Everything was ready for operations. The spirit of officers and men was inspiring. Not minimizing for a moment the difficulties they had to face, all were eager to begin the task.
They were to set forth on April 28th, but the heaviest snowstorm of the year was raging, causing 24 hours delay. The next morning the sweepers and a division of sub-chasers got under way for the barrage, while the Black Hawk and other chasers proceeded to the new base at Kirkwall. That excursion, which was experimental, was completed May 2nd.
Mines sometimes fouled in the "kites" which picked them up, and exploded as the sweep was being hauled in. The Patuxent was the victim of an accident of this kind on May 12th. Severed by an explosion, its sweep had to be hauled on board to be repaired. When the kite came within sight, a mine was seen hanging by its towing cable. The commanding officer sent all hands forward to a place of safety, going aft himself to clear it, with the assistance of his chief boatswain's mate. When the mine got within ten feet of the ship, it exploded. Several men were blown overboard by the mass of flying water, but all were rescued. The commanding officer had a narrow escape. Only a few feet from the exploding mine, his thumb was cut off by a flying fragment of steel, but luckily he escaped further injury.
Two days later, the same accident befell the Bobolink, killing its commanding officer, Lieutenant Frank Bruce, and badly damaging the ship. Seeking first the safety of his crew, Lieutenant Bruce went aft to clear the mine. Before anything could be done, it exploded, killing him and blowing the boatswain and three other men into the water. All four were rescued, though the boatswain was unconscious from the shock. The Teal took her in tow and, accompanied by the Swallow and sub-chaser No. 45, towed her to Scapa Flow.
While clearing the largest mine-group in June the force found impressive evidence of the success of the barrage. Crossing the lines of mines, the Heron and the Sanderling were brought to a standstill by an obstruction which fouled their sweeps. Oil rose to the surface, and spread out astern, giving evidence of the wreck of a submarine underneath. This was the locality in which the mine-laying squadron had sighted the body of a German sailor floating in the water. From the records of the Admiralty, it appeared that the obstruction was the wreck of the German submarine UB-127.
Six mines exploded under and around the Pelican one day in July. Deluged by the mass of water thrown up by the explosion, the forward part of the ship ruptured and flooded, the mine-sweeper was rapidly sinking. Captain R. C. Bulmer, directing the operations, went at once to her assistance. Placing his flagship, the Auk, alongside the Pelican, he connected his wrecking hose with the forward compartments, and set the pumps going to keep the damaged ship afloat. The Eider got on the other side, and did the same thing. The Teal took the three ships in tow, and the four, lashed together, headed slowly for port. The bow of the Pelican was hardly above water, but for several hours constant pumping held her up.
Then a heavy head sea arose, and the pump-lines were carried away. Water rose in the Pelican, buckling the forward bulkhead, and the vessel was liable to burst at any moment, going down in a flash. Every man on her was in danger, and it was decided to leave aboard only a few men to do necessary work. Twelve volunteers were called for. Every member of her crew stepped forward. The dozen strongest were chosen and the others, against their will, were ordered off the ship.
Fifty miles of open sea were still to be traversed. Darkness had fallen. Crews of Auk and Eider struggled desperately to get the lines repaired and pumps going. Men stood by with axes to cut the mooring lines, in case the Pelican should sink. All through the night this struggle continued, and there was a sigh of relief when day dawned with the vessel still afloat, and the ships reached the shelter of Tresness Bay.
A curious accident befell the Flamingo. While weighing anchor, steel touched copper and exploded a mine which her anchor had fouled, damaging her rudder, bending her skeg, and dishing in her stern.