REMOVAL OF THE NORTH SEA MINE BARRAGE 



121 



A FLOTILLA OF SUB-CHASERS AT REST 



When these small but active war craft were in port they tied up alongside the repair 

 ships in order to facilitate repairs, replenish their stores, and to give their crews as much 

 relaxation as possible. 



them for years, their structural strength 

 was far too light to withstand the ex- 

 plosions of the American-made mines. 

 Arrangements were therefore made to 

 return thirteen of these vessels to the 

 Admiralty, six being retained for trans- 

 porting gear and supplies from Inver- 

 ness to Kirkwall and for the delivery of 

 sweeping material to the vessels on the 

 mine field. 



The new sweepers which the Admiral 

 had requested in May now began to ar- 

 rive, fortunately just in time to replace 

 the vacancies caused by turning back the 

 trawlers and the absence of the ships 

 which had been crippled by explosions. 

 Eight had reached Kirkwall within the 

 week, so that now the total force con- 

 sisted of 32 sweepers, 24 sub-chasers, and 

 6 trawlers, besides the two repair ships. 



SWEEPERS SET NEW RECORDS 



When all the vessels were in port the 

 little harbor of Kirkwall bristled with 

 activities, resembling more the busy har- 



bor of New York than that isolated little 

 village bordering on the Frigid Zone. 



After five days in port the sweepers 

 headed once more for the mine fields. 

 The two groups designated to be cleared 

 were finished in such record-breaking 

 time that the sweepers asked permission 

 to try to do two more before going back 

 to port. 



The Buoy-laying Squadron was rushed 

 out to mark the new fields, but were no 

 longer able to keep ahead of the sweep- 

 ers, and another pair of vessels had to 

 be added to their force. 



At the end of sixteen days Groups 3, 

 5, 6, and 7 were all swept. The casualties 

 had been remarkably light. Fifty-five per 

 cent of the barrage was now cleared, and 

 although it was the middle of August, 

 with the best part of the summer gone 

 and the days rapidly growing shorter, 

 every officer and man was determined 

 he would not give up until the last mine 

 in the North Sea had been destroyed. 



Of the remaining six groups, five were 



