BRITISH HEROISM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12061, 17 July 1917, Page 4

BRITISH HEROISM.

STORY OF THE SWIFT AND THE BROKE. Never has- a more magnificent story been told than that of the fight between tho British destroyer leaders Swift and Broke and six German destroyers in the Channel on Friday, April 20. The full details are now disclosed.

The British destroyer leaders Swifts and Broke, on night patrol in the Channel, were proceeding on a westerly course when, at 12.40 a.m., the Swift sighted an enemy flotilla on the port! bow, proceeding in the opposite direction at high speed. The night, though calm, was intensely dark, and when first sighted the enemy were within 600 yds range. Simultaneously the fire gongs on board the .German destroyers were heard to ripple' down the line, and in a blaze of flashes they opened fire. The Swift instantly replied, and the commanding officer. Commander Ambrose M. Peck, decided without! hesitation to ram the leading enemy destroyer. At his order the wheel was wrenched round, and the Swift, with every occupant of her bridge temporarily blinded by flashes, drove straight for the enemy. Now, it mast be realised that the operation of ramming one of a line of destroyers-, dashing through pitch darkness at between twenty and thirty knots, is an exceedingly delicate one. An initial miscalculation of a few degrees of helm, a, few revolutions of the propellers moro or less, spell failure. Failure may, and probably does, mean "being rammed by the next boat in the enemy line. The Swift! missed, but shot through tho line unscathed. She turned like a hawk upon a quarry, and, in turning, neatly torpedoed another boat in tho line. Again she dashed at the leading boat, which otco more eluded her, and, without firing another shot, made off into the darkness at full speed, with the Swift in pursuit. HAND TO HAND FIGHT.

Chi first sighting the enemy the Broke, commanded by Commander Edward R. G. R. Evans, C.8., was st-eam-ing astern of the Swift. Upon the latter altering course to ram the leader, the Broke launched a torpedo at the second boat in the line, which hit her, and then opened fire with every gun that! would bear. The six enemy boats, stoking furiously for full speed, emitted a dull glow from every funnel, which lit their upper works; and enabled the captain of the Broke to decide upon his tactics. Holding his course for a moment to gather speed for the blow, he swung round to portl and rammed the third boat at full speed, fair and square abreast the after-funnel.

Locked together thus, the two boats fought a desperate and hand-to-hand conflict. The Broke swept the enemy's decks at point-blank range with every gun from main armament to pom-pom, Maxim, rifle and pistol. In the meanwhile the remaining two destroyers in the German line poured a devastating fire upon the Broke. The foremost guns' crews were reduced from eighteen men to six, and Midshipman Donald A. Gyles, R.N., in charge of the forecastle, though wounded in tho eye, kept all foremost guns in action, himself assisting tho depleted crews to load. Whilo he was thus employed a number of frenzied Germans swarmed up over the Broke's forecastle out of the rammed destroyer, and, finding themselves amid the blinding flashes of the forecastle guns, swept aft in a shouting mob. The midshipman, amid the dead and wounded of his guns' crews and half-blinded by blood, met the rush single-handed with an automatic revolver; he was grappled bv a German, who attempted to wrest the weapon from him.

INVADERS FORCED OVERBOARD

Outlasses and rifles with fixed bayonets being; among the equipment of the foremost guns' crews in anticipation of just such events as were now taking place, the Gcrma.n was promptly bayoneted by Able-Seaman Ingleson. The remainder of the invaders, with tlio exception of two who lay down and feigned death, were driven over the side. The two exceptions were faibsequently made prisoners.

O'f the original six German destroyers there were now three remaining' in tho line. Two minutes after ramming tho Broke succeeded in wrenching herself freo from her sinking adversary, and turned to ram the last boat in tho line. She failed in this achievement, but as she swung round succeeded in hitting this boat's consort on the stem with a torpedo.

Hotly engaged with these two fleeing destroyers, tho Broke then attempted to follow the Swift in tho direction in which she was last seen; a shell, however, struck tho Broke in the boiler-room, disabling her main engines. The enemy was then lost to sight in tho darkness. Still carrying considerable way, tho Broke altered her course and beaded in the direction of a destroyer heavily on fire, whoso crew, on sighting thej Broke, sent up loud shouts for mercy. She. was burning fiercely, and then, regardless of the danger from her magazines exploding, the Broke .steered towards her, still moving slowly through the watpr. The shouts and cries of "Save!'" Save!" were redoubled, when the German "unexpectedly opened fire. The Broke, being then out of control and unable to manomvre or extricate herself, silenced tho treachery with four rounds, and then, to ensure her own safety, fired a torpedo and hit the German destroyer amidships.

In the meanwhile the Swift had continued her pursuit of the leading boat) -until tho injuries she had received in the earlier phases of tho action, though in themselves slight, prevented her from maintaining full speed. She thereupon abandoned the chase and turned in .search of a fresh quarry. Tho outline of a stationary destroyer was nrcsently sighted in tho darkness ahead, and as she drew near a confused noise of voices resolved itself into more distinct and evidently organised sounds as from a. large number of men shouting together in time.

Wearily, .and somewhat perplexed, hy the uproar, tho Swift approached with her gnus trained on tho stranger. Tin's presently rosolvird itself into the sinking Gorman destroyer that had been rammed by the Broke, whose crew wore bellowing in unison : "WE SURRENDER! WE SURRENDER!"

With a not unreasonable suspicion of treachery, tho Swift awaited developments. Apparently realising that their breath would be wanted" for moro onergpjtio measures, the crew of the German destroyer presently stopped shouting. She heeled slowly over, while her ship's company hastily took to the water, and sank stern first. As no other oncmy appeared to he in sight, and the action, which had lasted approximately five minutes, appeared to bo over, the 'Swift switched on her searchlights', and lowered boat's to rescue tho swimmers.

The Swift and the Broke then proceeded to exchange tho details of the action by the medium of a flashing lamp and (the Broke's circuits having been out, an electoric torch. Their respective ships' companies gave vent to soma pardonable- exhilaration by cheering each other out of the darkness till they were hoarse. The British casualties wero comparatively light, and tho spirit of the wounded is epitomised hy the conduct of William G. Rowles; this man, though four times hy shell fragments, remained at the wheel throughout tho action, and finally only betrayed the fact that ho was wounded by reporting to his captain, "I'm going off now, sir," and fainting.