A FALSE START

Evening Star, Issue 19523, 2 April 1927, Page 2

A FALSE START

FROM THE SIGNALMAN’S LOG [Written by Tal Johnston, for the ‘ Evening Star.’] The first rays of a dazzling sunrise were tinting the Adriatic with kaleidoscopic effect as the signalman appeared on the forward deck of the light cruiser Antrim, and made his way yawningly to the crow’s nest to relieve the lookout. “Anything doin’j maieyP” ho asked as ho clambered into the lofty perch. “Naow!” snarled the relieved one. “ It’s as slow as ’Ampstead ’Eatb on Monday mornin’. Orders is t’ keep a sharp lokout for Orstrian craft: W.T. come through ’alf a hour ago sayin’ we’d declared war on th’ Orstrians, an’ t’ git busy if we see any. Fat chance we got t’ see anythin’ in this ditch.” And the grumbling voice died away down the mast, leaving the signalman to his lonely watch. Higher rase the sun, and the vivid red gave place to the angry glare of molten copper. Heat waves rose from the deck, and sounds of scrubbing and splashing could be heard as the crew commenced their morning work. _ A black speck distantly silhouetted against the eastern skyline caught the signalman’s eye, and he focussed his telescope on it, endeavoring to see against the sun-glare. Two or three minutes of intent peering, then the speck moved out of the glare and stood boldly out against the morning sky. A slight alteration in the focus of the powerful telescope revealed the speck to be a destroyer, and, what is more, showed Austrian colors fluttering at the taffiail, stretched flatly out by tbe speed of the tiny craft. “ Destroyer flying Austrian flag, sir,” he hailed the bridge. “ Lying twenty-two a-half green, about six miles away.” , The captain was called, the bugles shrilled “ Action stations,” and every man was at his post with the almost unbelievable sliced only to be acquired by intense training. “At em, gnns, said the captain to the gunnery lieutenant as he appeared oh the bridge. “Good egg!” quoth the youthtul “ Guns ” as he proceeded to his firecontrol platform, anxious to show what his beloved guns could do when thej" were given the chance. “ Gooq egg, is it?” said the captain. “Then, plase tho pigs, wo will have this one scrambled.” . . Intoned through the voice pipes from the fire control came the orders: All guns train on enemy, Green twentyseven j range, ten thousand j deflection 2deg right; Fo’csle gun only. Stand by. Fire!” The jarring crash followed instantly, then the seconds ticked away while the cordite smoke wreathed astern until the lieutenant’s telescope showed a white spout of water ascending skyward beyond the destroyer. “Ahl” he muttered. “ Over. Down fifteen. All guns, stand by.” Then a second later: “Fire!” This time flickers of yellow showed for a moment against the distant craft, a cloud of brownish smoke covered her for a time, then dissipating in the light breeze disclosed a sea empty save for the light cruiser. Destroyers i with their half-inch plating are not built to resist the 1001 b projectiles from 6in guns, and the Antrim’s salvo had blown her to fragments, with none of her crew left to tell of her going. The gunnery lieutenant, with the ecstatic expression of a small boy who has, undetected, broken the windows of his schoolmaster with a catapult, descended from his platform and went about his business of entering up th< expenditure of ammunition, the crew “ carried on ” with their several employments of deck-scrubbing, gun-clean-ing, and like matters, _ and peace brooded once more on His Majesty’s ship of war. Eight bells pounded, and the 'signalman made his way to the bridge to report. A wireless operator, pushing past him, saluted the captain. “W.T. from the Admiral, sir: ‘Cancel my signal of 3.30 a.m. War not declared on Austria.’ ”

“ We’ve made a false start,” declared the “owner.” Then, turning to the waiting signalman, he winked largely and demanded. “Signalman! Sir, did you see the colors plainly on that destroyer?” “Yes, sir!” “Now, think carefully. What were they?” This with another wink.

“Why!” said the signalman, taken aback; “they were red, green, and—er—l mean they were black on a white ground,” he concluded, grinning hugely. “Ah! I thought she looked like a German,” said the captain, nodding wisely. “ Just stand by a moment, will you, signalman?” The captain descended to his quarters, and a moment later a marine appeared on the bridge and saluted the officer of tho watch. “Captain’s compliments, sir; and would you instruct the waiting signalman to throw this bottle overboard,” he repeated solemnly, handing a large bottle of port wine to the officer. “ But it’s a full bottle, man,” the officer protested indignantly. “ Yessir. The captain, ’e tells me to wink when I’m sayin’ it, sir.”