48 FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



her propeller so hopelessly fouled that she could not 

 steam and had to be towed to port to get the blades 

 set free. The nets were here, there and everywhere, 

 and the more an entangled craft tried to free herself 

 the more securely was her screw made useless and 

 the moment came when the last revolution had been 

 made by the shaft. 



Bearing this occurrence in mind, remembering 

 that the German submarines in the beginning were 

 compelled to operate mostly under water, not daring 

 to undertake the more helpful surface tactics which 

 they carried out later, the skipper and those who 

 were of his way of thought propounded the theory 

 that as the drifter became helpless when her pro- 

 peller was entangled in the herring-nets, so the sub- 

 marine, in like case, would be powerless ; but with 

 this terrible difference, that while a friendly craft 

 could tow the disabled drifter to port the under- 

 water boat was doomed. 



In accordance with this theory initial measures 

 were taken which proved of very great value in deal- 

 ing with German submarines. The unique experi- 

 ence of drifters and trawlermen was brought to bear, 

 and that experience grew enormously as the war 

 progressed. 



The skill and experience of the men who had been 

 used to handling ponderous beam-trawls and heavy 

 otter-boards, who had learnt many priceless lessons 

 in constantly dealing with a mile-long steel wire 

 hawser, who had an uncanny knowledge of gallows, 

 cod-ends, bridles, bosoms, bellies and other terms 



48 



