THE MISTERY SHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20629, 30 July 1930, Page 13

THE MISTERY SHIPS.

COMBATING SUBMARINES,

DARING AND INGENUITY. MANY DEVICES EMPLOYED. Adventures on a "Mystery Ship," the enemy of the German submarines during the latter part of the Great War. were fold by Lieutenant-Commander R. W. | Nesbit, D.5.0.. R.N.V.E., at a well-at-tended meeting of the "Victoria League literary branch last evening, llr. Nesbifc was gunnery officer on three of these ships. The principle of the ships, said Mr. Xesbit, was to provide a fairly heavilyarmed ship which by its innocuous appearance would bring the enemy within adequate range. Submarines could submerge within 30 seconds if necessary, and they never showed themselves above water within range to an armed vessel. A "mystery ship" was one on which was concealed a considerable armament which could be brought into use in a few seconds. False decking, falso funnels, tarpaulin deck-houses, and innumerable ingenious devices were employed to carry out this concealment adequately, and the whole crew was trained to carry the doj caption to it 3 fullest limit 3 Converted Coastal Collier. The first mystery ship on which he served, said Mr. Nesbit. was the Farmbrough, a converted coastal collier. It commenced its patrol around the coasts of Ireland. One of the plans adopted was to create the impression that panic had broken out among the crew as soon as the first shot was fired by the submarine, and everyone had to run wildly around the deck. Then an effort had to be made to launch the boats, and care was always taken, to tip them up and so create further apparent confusion. Finally a section of the crew would get away in the boats and all those left on board would keep under cover so that it would appear that the ship had been deserted. By means of various artifices, the boats' crews wouid lure the submarine as close to the ship as possible, and then suddenly, the false bulwarks wouid be lifted, the white ensign would be flown, and simultaneously a broadside wouid bo directed on the submarine from the guns, which had been concealed. Changes Made in Night. At first the scheme adopted was to fly a neutral flag and to masquerade as some particular boat that chanced to he in the vicinity. To do that, huge changes would have to be made over-night. Funnels and hulls £ould be repainted, new names attached, and even the deck-line and funnel shape altered. By this means the submarines could be brought within range without suspicion being aroused. Great skill and ingenuity was required to carry this out successfully. Later, however, tile tactics were changed'and the new scheme was to invite torpedoing or shelling. After receiving a terrible battering, a panicky "desertion" of the ship wouid be earned out, but a la.r™e number of the crew would remain concealed. After a shelling that might last for two hours or more, the submarines would approach to inspect their victim and would have the tables abruptly turned on them. The ordeal of hiding behind tarpaulin false bulwarks while tha ship was being shelled naturally called for great nerve. "Nev«r once, however/' concluded Mr. Nesbit, "did I see the crew lose their presence of mind or fail to carry out their dutv.