TEXTS AS SIGNALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25306, 17 August 1943, Page 2

TEXTS AS SIGNALS

SINKING OF U-BOAT BIBLE AIDS NAVAL PATROL LONDON. July 27. Two Bibles, one in the Canadian destroyer Skeena and the other in the Canadian corvette Wetaskwin, played a part in sinking a German submarine in the Atlantic recently. These were the signals exchanged Skeena to Wetaskwin: “Submarine located. Need assistance.” Wetaskwin to Skeena: "Acts 16: 9-10.” The captain of the Skeena opened his Bible and read: “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. "And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”

Skeena to Wetaskwin: " Reveialion xiii, 1.” The captain of Wetaskwin found this text:

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea. having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” A few minutes later the Skeena and the Wetaskwin were whipping round in the sea as they got to grips with the submarine. Just before the depth charges were dropped this signal was sent: Wetaskwin to Skeena: “Job xli, 31." “He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.” The depth charges were dropped. Oil, pieces of wreckage and the bodies of some of the German crew floated up. As the Skeena lowered a boat to pick up evidence of the destruction, she picked up this signal: Wetaskwin to Skeena: "I Samuel xxvi, 8.” " Then said Ablshai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.”

In the final exchange of signals, the Wetaskwin asked: “What evidence of destruction have you? ” The Skeena replied: “Parts of bodies and .the wardroom furniture. What more do you want? ”