94 CHALLENGER 



Striking the water of the fjord and whipping it into a smother of 

 white foam and lashing spray and stirring up numerous Httle 

 whirhng water spouts which raced across the fjord. On such 

 occasions the boats hurried for shelter under the lee of the nearest 

 island and lay tossing there as the rain came slanting down. The 

 Boatswain in the ship ran to the forecastle to let go the second 

 anchor and veer more cable as the ship began to tug at her 

 moorings. But the sun soon came through, the rain passed off with 

 a brilliant rainbow and work began again. 



All through June the survey of Hvalfjord went on ; at the end 

 of the month it became necessary to return to Reykjavik to land 

 a rating for hospital treatment and to take in stores. At the en- 

 trance to the fjord the wind was blowing hard and five British 

 soldiers from the newly established battery were found adrift in 

 a small boat. It was lucky that Challenger foimd them, for within 

 an hour the east wind had developed into a full gale and when the 

 ship anchored at Reykjavik at 3 o'clock in the morning it required 

 both anchors down with seven shackles of cable on each to hold 

 the ship. Soon after _5^ o'clock in the morning the aircraft carrier 

 H.M.S. Argus was seen to be dragging her anchors and within 

 three minutes was ashore to leeward beam on. In such a gale it 

 was impossible to render assistance to tow her off, but there was 

 no immediate danger to personnel. The weather moderated slowly 

 during the day and at 10.30 at night, on the rising tide, Challenger 

 and two trawlers began towing operations. Challenger towed from 

 Argus' after fairlead, and the two trawlers from a fairlead amid- 

 ships, but it was difficult for them to keep their bows up into 

 the wind as they hauled, and gradually they fell off, parting their 

 wires. Challenger was assisted by a small local tug to keep her 

 head up into the wind and she hauled steadily while Argus worked 

 her engines astern, her crew of some hundreds of men jumping on 

 the quarterdeck. Such jumping, if done in complete unison by 

 the crew, has the effect of lifting, if only slightly and momentarily, 

 the bows of even the largest vessel and this sometimes assists in 

 refloating a ship grounded forward. Ever so slowly, about mid- 

 night, she came free. Challenger continuing to tow until both 

 ships were in open water clear of the harbour. 



By next day the gale was blowing again and Challenger lay at 



