FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



cruiser class, then attacked the vessels of the convoy, 

 sinking nine of them. 



It was not until the surviving ships reached 

 Lerwick that the affair became known, and the 

 Admiralty did not receive the information until 7 

 p.m., about eleven hours after the attack began. 

 The destruction of the wireless installations in the 

 fighting ships, and the enforced dropping back of 

 the wireless-equipped small vessel, prevented the 

 Navy from getting news of the affair and so cutting 

 off the raiders on their return journey. 



Hopeless though the odds against them were, 

 the naval forces with the convoy did not hesitate to 

 meet the Germans. The Mary Rose was blown 

 up almost at once. The Strongbow fought until 

 her guns and engines were out of action, and her 

 commanding officer — Lieutenant-Commander Ed- 

 ward Brooke — who was severely wounded, after his 

 ship was helpless, feeling that she might fall into 

 the hands of the enemy, ordered the engineer officers 

 to stand by to flood the ship, so that she might be 

 sunk rather than captured. 



After the Strongbow became helpless the enemy's 

 ships returned and swept the decks with small guns. 



" The armed trawler Elise," the First Lord 

 added, " most gallantly came up to the Strongbow 

 to assist in rescuing the crew, but was driven off by 

 the enemy, who returned twice and swept the upper 

 deck of the Strongbow with gunfire each time." 



Imagination must complete the picture for which 

 the First Lord provided such a substantial basis, 



176 



