SUCCOUR AT SEA
LANGUAGE DIFFICULTY OVERCOME
RUGBY, February 1. The Admiralty has told of how the Russian trawler Kirov helped the British trawler Ayrshire to tow a 10,000----ton United States merchantman carrying supplies to Russia. While proceeding down a narrow channel in far northern waters, two United States merchant .ships ran aground. The escort vessel Aryshire towed one of them off, but the other defied her efforts. A signal was sent to the Kirov, which was in the vicinity. The Russian ship came alongside, but nobody on either ship knew the other's language. Scraps of paper with drawings of diagrams were passed from ship to ship to plan joint action. Signal meanings from the international code helped. Between them the trawlers succeeded in refloating the merchantman.
.. Thrmghout the operation speed* signals :-i.-^re made between the trawlers by -'British commanding officer mimicking with his hands.the movements of the engine-room telegraph, which are the same in all navies. A first-lieutenant of the Ayrshire said: "I was the only man on board with any Russian. It consisted of one phrase which meant, 'Would you like a large.-bottle of beer?' It was not much use, but it kept everyone in good
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19430203.2.44
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 28, 3 February 1943, Page 5
Word Count
197SUCCOUR AT SEA Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 28, 3 February 1943, Page 5
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