REMOVAL OF THE NORTH SEA MINE BARRAGE 



131 



THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF MINE-SWEEPING WERE ACCOMPLISHED UNDER ALMOST 



SUPERHUMAN DIFFICULTIES 



Storm followed storm with steadily increasing frequency and violence, until it seemed 

 impossible that ships could actually be operating. The foremast of a sweeper can be seen 

 in the center of the picture, while in the upper left-hand corner, perching on the crest of the 

 wave, is the silhouette of a tiny sub-chaser. 



year. A careful analysis of the meteoro- 

 logical records covering years of obser- 

 vation showed that in all probability the 

 equinoctial storms could be expected 

 within the next few days, and after they 

 had broken the winter weather would set 

 in with such fury that further operations 

 would be practically impossible. 



THE* SWEEPERS ENCOUNTER A NORTH SEA 

 STORM 



Every minute must be saved. As soon 

 as the ships had anchored the Admiral 

 made a signal, asking how many could 

 go out again at the end of three days. 

 After 32 days at sea, it was asking a 

 lot — more than could be expected, even 

 of battleships — but in less than half an 

 hour 23 of the sweepers reported that 

 they would be ready ! Actually, 28 of 

 them managed to sail at the end of the 

 third day. 



Group 8 was finished in two days, but 

 before the test sweep could be started the 



equinoctial storms bore down upon us 

 with the violence of a hurricane. For 

 three days the storm continued. The 

 sweepers had sought shelter in the lee of 

 Sanday Island, where the anchor chains 

 of many snapped as if they had been 

 made of cordage. In Kirkwall two of 

 the ships were blown ashore and rescued 

 only with the greatest difficulty. A large 

 British transport, the S. S. Vedic, was 

 driven on a reef a few miles north of 

 where the sweepers lay and four of them 

 were sent to her assistance. 



DAYS OF MISERY 



The following days were days of mis- 

 ery for the sweepers. Storm followed 

 storm with such rapidity that the seas 

 seemed ever to climb higher under the in- 

 termittent acceleration of the succeeding 

 gales. 



As long as it was possible to run be- 

 fore the seas, those sturdy little vessels 

 would manage by one means or another 



