FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



one German commander boasted, and there was no 

 good reason to doubt his claim, that he had himself 

 sunk English fishing vessels of the value of 

 ^150,000. Very heavy losses undoubtedly were in- 

 flicted by individual German commanders who had 

 at their disposal the most terrible and destructive of 

 naval weapons and did not scruple to employ it 

 ruthlessly. 



The object of this policy of piracy was two-fold — 

 to instil fear in the British people through " fright- 

 fulness," and by removing fishing vessels to lessen 

 the supply of food. The first object was never 

 attained, even remotely ; and the second was nullified 

 by the persistence of British fishermen in going to 

 sea and their obstinate refusal to keep away from it 

 at the bidding of any enemy whatsoever. 



Fish was dear — the " profiteers " were said to be 

 largely responsible for that — but at most times there 

 was plenty of it, and a scarcity was generally due to- 

 bad weather and not to any fear of Germans. There 

 was an inevitable falling off in the supplies compared 

 with pre-war days, because the fishing areas were 

 so greatly restricted and most of the fishing vessels 

 and their crews were on Admiralty service ; but 

 large quantities of fish, of a very high value, con- 

 tinued to be brought into port. In August, 191 7, 

 10,414 tons of fish were delivered at Billingsgate, 

 and large supplies were steadily brought into ports 

 around the coast. These landings were a proof of 

 the courage of the men who made them and of the 

 failure of the German methods of ruthlessness, 



74 



