WAR AT SEA lOI 



to be settling very slowly Commander Jenks intended to take her 

 in tow and hoped that he would be able to get her into Aberdeen 

 before she foundered. The Captain of the Eros persuaded a number 

 of his officers and men to go back to the ship with him to make 

 fast the tow. Some considerable delay occurred before a 7 -inch 

 manila rope was roused up from aft in Eros; this rope was 90 

 fathoms long and was secured, with the help of the Fraserburgh 

 lifeboat which had now arrived, to Challenger's 3 1 -inch wire 

 hawser of 25-0 fathoms. This work had to be done with the 

 minimum of torchlight as enemy aircraft could still be heard in 

 the offing, flares were being dropped in the distance and anti- 

 aircraft firing was continuous ashore. It seemed that the tow 

 would never be ready, but at last all was secured and Challenger 

 moved slowly ahead. 



Anxiety was felt by both Captains as to the possibility of towing 

 such a large vessel with this light gear ; the soft eye of the manila 

 was shackled to the wire hawser which gave a sharp nip where 

 considerable chafe might develop. But in fact the ship was got 

 under way with ease and she followed steadily at a speed of 4I 

 knots. The tow continued southward through the night and at 

 daylight off Aberdeen Eros was handed over to the tug Sabine, 

 who took her safely into harbour to sail the seas another day. 



The Royal Naval Dockyards had long since been working to 

 capacity and now it was commonplace for naval ships to be re- 

 fitted by commercial ship repairers ; and in early November, 1 940, 

 Challenger was taken in hand for her annual refit in the East India 

 Dock, Blackwall. 



However clean a ship may be at the beginning of the refit, 

 and however comfortable, there is a rapid deterioration as soon 

 as the refit gets going. The water system is taken apart, the lava- 

 tories are closed, the galley is torn asunder — it is like having one's 

 house completely rebuilt and yet trying to remain living in it. 

 Gradually the amenities disappear; portable galleys, shore wash 

 rooms and lavatories never satisfactorily replace those of the ship. 

 Above all, in winter time the shore supply of power is invariably 

 inadequate for the needs of the vessel, giving but a dull red glow 

 to one bar of the electric radiator and a depressing half-light 

 throughout the ship. In the winter of 1940-41 Challenger suflered 



