The Rainbow. A World War One on Canada's West Coast Timeline

Aug 4. 0800 Black Ball Ferry wharf, Inner Harbour, Victoria, Canada

Thomas Brown was enjoying his time in the navy very much so far. He had signed up on a lark, as much as hearing the call of duty. In his first several hours of training he had already been promoted from seaman to spy. He used his spying powers to identify Captain Logan in the ferry passenger lineup, based on the description Lieutenant Pilcher had given him.

Brown introduced himself. Logan was a bit suspicious, so Brown showed him the written orders that Pilchard had given him.

“My God,” said Logan, “ You had better get rid of those. Before we go through the Immigration gate in Seattle.”

Brown took a step towards a trash can, but Logan stopped him. “No, better throw them overboard once we get under way. Pilchard has a point sending you along. You never know who is watching.”

“I made sure to dress so I could mingle with the transfer crews and yard workers.” Brown said, and made a shrewd expression.

“You look like a Hobo.”

By now the ticket line was moving, and the two men soon boarded.

https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist56y201uvic

This is an amazing thread, about a bit of history I wasn't aware of.

Know a lot of what RAN & Australian Army did in Papua New Guinea / Bougainville, and other German Territory, in the South Pacific, but the North Pacific has never to my knowledge ever been mentioned in OTL, or Alt. Timelines.

The inclusion of ship photo's, and Wiki links is useful, but the best bit is using the actual newspapers.

A/B Brown seems a likely lad, maybe he becomes the "West Coast Naval Intelligence Office" with, perhaps the department designation 007 ?

One thing that would make it more interesting would be for Pilcher to set up an operation where the subs actually engage the Germans, or is tha a "spoiler" ?

The only other thing would be for Brown and his slightly expanded intelligence unit to work with the North West Mounted Police, (actually, I think they were RCMP, by 1914) rounding up German Agents, and other troublemakers.

Very interested, also, in the geography descriptions, as I wil be passing through Vancouver in September, on a train / cruise package. Not sure how much "free" time I'll have, as "she who must be obeyed" will want to do "Tourist" things, so I better start making suggestion of places to visit !!
 
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This is an amazing thread, about a bit of history I wasn't aware of.

Know a lot of what RAN & Australian Army did in Papua New Guinea / Bougainville, and other German Territory, in the South Pacific, but the North Pacific has never to my knowledge ever been mentioned in OTL, or Alt. Timelines.

The inclusion of ship photo's, and Wiki links is useful, but the best bit is using the actual newspapers.

A/B Brown seems a likely lad, maybe he becomes the "West Coast Naval Intelligence Office" with, perhaps the department designation 007 ?

One thing that would make it more interesting would be for Pilcher to set up an operation where the subs actually engage the Germans, or is tha a "spoiler" ?

The only other thing would be for Brown and his slightly expanded intelligence unit to work with the North West Mounted Police, (actually, I think they were RCMP, by 1914) rounding up German Agents, and other troublemakers.

Very interested, also, in the geography descriptions, as I wil be passing through Vancouver in September, on a train / cruise package. Not sure how much "free" time I'll have, as "she who must be obeyed" will want to do "Tourist" things, so I better start making suggestion of places to visit !!

Thanks!

Vancouver will be a stage for part of this story upcoming. Much of the story happens on Vancouver Island, which is a car ferry ride away from Vancouver. Particularly, Fort Rodd Hill is a really cool 1890s coastal defence fort that has been lovingly restored as a National Park. The story has and will in the future involve this location. It is a great touristy visit. I notice that the Parks Canada website downplays the military history and sells it as family fun with a rare ecosystem. There is more fort stuff (1890s-1940s) than implied by the web site.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/bc/fortroddhill

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Rodd_Hill_National_Historic_Site
 
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A cup of coffee
Aug 5, 0700, Black Rock Coastal Defence Battery, Esquimalt Naval Dockyard

Lieutenant Maxwell Kirkpatrick-Crocket was strolling back from Duntze Head Battery towards his post at Black Rock, the examination battery for Fortress Esquimalt, when he heard the siren. He broke into a run. He had thought these few minutes of the morning would be a good quiet time to borrow a cup of coffee from the thermos of the Duntze Head Battery Commander. The first few sips were just what he needed, considering they had not been fed since mobilizing yesterday afternoon. Now he was losing the rest from his cup onto the path as he ran.

He did not recognize the alarm from any of their drills, but whatever it meant, he figured, it could not be good. Kirkpatrick-Crocket was the Battery Commander for Black Rock. As examination battery they were tasked with firing warning shots across the bow of any ship attempting to enter the harbor without stopping for the examination vessel. And if hostile ships tried to force the harbor entrance, they would fire the first shots that would signal a general barrage.

“Hurry up sir!” called his sergeant. “Two German torpedo boats are coming into the harbor!” Kirkpatrick-Crocket jogged into the battery command post, and set down his coffee cup. A gaggle of men had gathered around the vantage point of the guns to see what was going on.

“Off Duty, clear the terreplain!” he ordered.

Half the men wandered back down the concrete stairs toward the casemate shelter.

“Private, get me the fortress command post.” The private worked the telephone exchange. Kirkpatrick-Crocket put his eye to the tripod-mounted telescope. Indeed there were two boats out there headed for the harbor. And they definitely had the silhouettes of submarines. The heat haze coming off the water blurred their details.

“Load Guns! High Explosive!” called Kirkpatrick-Crocket.

The gun captains shouted out the commands of the loading sequence, shells were produced from the ready ammunition lockers and rammed home in the guns.

“Range 5500 yards!” announced the corporal at the rangefinder.

“Naval Yard says to make sure of the identity of the craft and communicate with the yard commander as soon as identity is established, Sir!” called out the private at the telephone.

Across the harbor at Fort Rodd Hill, the barrels of the 6 inch disappearing guns rose one after the other over their parapets like dipping birds.

An artillery major came to stand beside Kirkpatrick-Crocket.

“What do you make of them?”

“Unclear, sir. Something does not add up to the German Navy though, unless I am much mistaken. The Germans don’t even have submarines in China. And nothing with a range to get here without a tender.”

“Yeesss…” said the Major, drawing out the word as he pondered. “Somehow, they are not acting like this is an attack.”

The submarines adjusted their headings by several points, presenting more of a profile.

Kirkpatrick-Crocket studied these silhouettes in profile. He was, as it turned out, uniquely suited to this moment. In his younger days in England, he had looked at quite a few submarines, while assisting his father, who was an Admiralty photographer. He in fact had as much warship recognition trivia in his memory as the latest edition of Jane’s Fighting Ships.

“Range 5000 yards!” The 12 pounder guns were well in range, the barrels traversed slowly, covering the approaching boats.

“Looks to me like C-Class submarines. Royal Navy.” He said to the major. “Hold Fire!”

“Where have they come from?” asked the major.

“Perhaps from Hong Kong,” replied Kirkpatrick-Crocket keeping his eye to the telescope. Hong Kong reinforcements was one of the stream of rumours that had been bouncing through Victoria society. “Most certainly they are not German.”

“Naval Yard says they’re British subs! Sir!” called the private at the telephone. “They’re flying the White Ensign.”

“So they are,” said Kirkpatrick-Crocket, squinting to make things out in the haze. He kicked himself for not spotting the flags earlier. The higher vantage point of the dockyard signal station must give their lookout a better angle.

“Friendly submarines! Stand Down! Private, relay message to other batteries.”

Kirkpatrick-Crocket looked up and surveyed the situation. A rating on the platform of the signal station was challenging the submarines in semaphore. He put his eye back to the telescope. Men on the two conning towers waved back with their arms. The visibility had cleared slightly, and he recognized one of the faces as Lieutenant Wood, Chief Artificer from the naval yard.

“Well I’ll be…”

“Good call there Lieutenant,” said the Major.

“Yes, well, other than myself, I don’t think there is another individual in the regiment who has even seen a submarine before.”

An odd pair of men burst up onto the firing platform of Black Rock Battery, wild eyed and out of breath. One wore the ceremonial coat of a provincial premier. The other was that excitable young Senior Naval Offier, in dress uniform.

“Don’t worry,” the major consoled them. “They are British submarines.”

“Actually” Lieutenant Pilcher panted, doubled over, “They are… British Columbian submarines.”

https://4rfnv3jdfte8qj2229aqgj4h-wp.../12865996_web1_180727-GNG-BelmontBattery1.jpg
 
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Drumhead inquiry
Aug 5, 1000 hours, Esquimalt Naval Dockyard.

TO HMC DOCKYARD ESQUIMALT FROM NSHQ PREPARE TO PURCHASE SUBMARINES STOP TELEGRAPH PRICE

Premier McBride noticed, when he brought his attention up from the back-slapping and frivolity that followed the arrival of the submarines, that Lieutenant Pilcher at times seemed to descend into the blackest of moods.

TO NSHQ FROM HMC DOCKYARD ESQUIMALT HAVE PREPARED STOP PURCHASED SUBMARINES STOP

And then moments later, Pilcher seemed taken with the highest excitation.

TO NSHQ FROM HMC DOCKYARD ESQUIMALT TWO NEW SUBMARINES TO BE NAMED HMCS PATERSON AND HMCS MCBRIDE STOP EXPECTING TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW IN VICTORIA CITY TO DEAL WITH GERMAN AGENTS AND AGITATORS STOP PROMOTIONS TO BE AWARDED AB SEAMAN THOMAS BROWN TO SUBLIEUTENANT… continued in a long list of promotions for almost all involved in the submarine caper, as well as other orders that history does not record, and were not acted upon.

McBride was still at the Dockyard Headquarters at noon when a Major Ogilvie of the Military District Staff arrived in a high dander. Accompanied by a pair of stone faced provost officers, he commenced to hold an immediate drumhead inquiry in Lieutenant Pilcher’s office on the failure of the Premier and Ranking Naval Officer to notify the coastal defence artillery about the arrival of the submarines. McBride noted that Ogilvie held an actual swagger stick.

“Extreme negligence and dereliction of duty is what is accused,” Ogilvie charged. “How could you allow that oversight to happen? Do you realize that the primary naval assets on this coast were seconds away from being destroyed?” As Ogilvie went on, McBride noticed that Pilcher was staring back blankly, then for a moment he seemed to doze off. Then as Ogilvie addressed the young lieutenant with another rhetorical question, Pilcher replied “We won’t do it again,” paused, burst out laughing, caught himself, then put on a serious face.

Before Ogilvie was able to respond, McBride interjected “I’m sorry to interrupt Major, but if it was not for the initiative taken on our part, we would not have these primary naval assets. And as it turns out, everything is fine.”

Ogilvie drew a breath to continue, but McBride did give him space. “Furthermore,” said the Premier, “Please explain to me your jurisdiction in this matter. You are an officer in the Canadian Army. Lieutenant Pilcher here is an officer in the Royal Navy. I am a civilian elected official. So unless you have declared martial law I put it to you that the jurisdiction you have is exactly none.”

The two provost officers looked at each other, and then at the Major.

The room got very quiet as Ogilvie stood stock still looking at McBride.

“Oh, I see,” Ogilvie said, more slowly and quietly. “The bombastic nabob receives his comeuppance. Very good. Firstly, you are incorrect about my jurisdiction. More importantly, the hero of this incident is a very cool-headed inspection battery commander who disobeyed his standing orders on a hunch. We were very lucky.

“Getting back to jurisdiction, Mr. Premier, I notice that you have become accustomed to giving direct orders to military personnel willy-nilly, as if you are a king from before the Magna-Carta. Still, history may well place you on the side of the angels in this matter. I believe we are safer today with those submarines here in the harbour. Now…” Ogilvie paused, “if you have plans to further expand the navy of British Columbia, will you please inform the coastal defence batteries..?”

“Yes,” replied McBride, raising his hands in supplication. “As the Ranking Naval Officer said just now, we won’t do it again.”

“Well then…” Ogilvie took a moment to think. “I suppose it can be said that further proceedings would serve no purpose. And you might consider getting some attention for the RNO. He doesn’t seem very well.”

Ogilvie turned and left, followed by his officers.

“I say, Pilcher,” said McBride after they had gone. “Perhaps you should take some time to rest.”

“Rest,” repeated Pilcher as if it was the first time he had heard the word. “Yes, that sounds very nice.”

McBride summoned one of the office staff to assist the Lieutenant to his quarters.
 

marathag

Banned
The boat was cramped inside, almost every surface of every compartment covered with gauges or controls.
5537e619eab8ea963870cb5e-1136-1349.jpg

From UB-110, a 1918 German sub

More at LINK
 
Cruiser!
Aug 5, 1230, Black Rock Coastal Defence Battery, Esquimalt Naval Dockyard

“Cruiser!” called the lookout, giving everyone a start.

Lieutenant Kirkpatrick-Crocket called “Man the Guns!” and went to the battery command post telescope. Even without the telescope he could see a distant warship with four tall funnels.

In the background, the telephone rang. “Sir, Fortress Commander asking to identify.”

Kirkpatrick-Crocket surveyed the vessel through the telescope. “Four funnels, so she’s not Leipzig or Nürnberg, unless they have rigged a false one… She’s on the American side… moving at a slow cruise… and not a light cruiser, too big. I would guess she is a St. Louis Class cruiser. The USS Milwaukee is based at Bremerton. I bet that’s her. Yes, there’s her flag. Stars and Stripes”

The telephone operator repeated Kirkpatrick-Crocket’s every word.

“Neutral Vessel! Stand Down!” he ordered the battery. But he kept his eye to the telescope. Some curious officers gathered round.

“This might be the start of the American’s neutrality patrols. Remind us that we are on notice.” He watched the big cruiser for a few more minutes. “Would be nice if we had a few of those on our side. Here. Right about now. Oh, she is coming about.” He watched as the ship’s silhouette shortened, and then lengthened again.

“She is reversing course… Almost looks like she is running a search pattern… Say… You wouldn’t be looking for those submarines, would you? Too late boys, too late.”

http://www.fortwiki.com/File:Fort_Rodd_Hill_Battery_Belmont_1900.jpg
 
Notes for the picture in the previous post. Black Rock, Duntze Head and Belmont Batteries, defending Esquimalt Harbour, were almost identical. Each mounted 2 x 12 pounder quick firing guns. All were modified in World War II. All exist today in one form or other. Belmont Battery is now in a National Park and undergoing major restoration.
 
The USA is not going to be happy about the submarine sales, however if they were concluded prior to the time the neutrality law went in to effect they were legal.
 
We are now wolves
Aug 5, 1600 hours. SMS Leipzig, Magdelena Bay, Baja Peninsula, Mexico.

ATTENTION A STATE OF WAR EXISTS BETWEEN GERMANY AND GREAT BRITAIN STOP OBJECTIVES ONE INITIATE COMMERCE WARFARE STOP TWO JOIN EAST ASIATIC SQUADRON MAIN BODY STOP THREE ENGAGE ENEMY WARSHIPS STOP

“Saturday Russia, Sunday France, Tuesday Britain,” said Friggattenkapitan Haun to his assembled officers. “That should keep us busy for a while. “

The officers nodded. They stood in a group on the boat deck, in the shadow of the third funnel. On either side, the menagerie of ships boats hung on their davits, smelling strongly of fresh paint.

“Now that we are stuck in this for real, we need to turn our minds from exercises to plans.

“You need to revise your crew lists for boarding parties and for prize crews. Every crewman needs to know their place on every boat. The success of these endeavours depends very much on speed. We are now wolves, and we have to think and act like wolves. Boarding parties can practice entries on the after deckhouses. I want one boarding party in turn to act as the hostile crew.

“Within days we will likely be boarding and taking civilian ships of our enemies. I want you to remember at all times that when we are dealing with civilians, we are acting as representatives of the Kaiser, and we are bound to treat all civilians with the courtesies that they deserve. We are at war, and we are just in our actions following the articles of war, but we are taking these sailors and their ships reluctantly. Our quarrel is not with them.

Thusly, when we board a ship, we want to do it as quickly and deliberately as a thunderbolt.” Haun clapped his hands once. “You are ours. If we leave absolutely no doubt about the situation, it is safest for them, and for us.”

“Coxswains, we will be fitting a 3.7 cm pom-pom in the picket boat and the pinnace. The yawls and the cutters will get a Spandau each. Armourer, I also want a Spandau fitted on either side of both the fore and aft searchlight platforms.

“Rifle practice can take place off the fantail. Make sure to notify the bridge before live fire exercises. Officers, if you do not have a personal sidearm, requisition one from the armourer. Wear it at all times.

“Tomorrow we will stop at mid-day and practice boarding exercises. I also want to practice night-time boarding soon. Prepare.

“Those officers who are not engaged with boarding parties or prize crews, you will find your sections smaller. Make sure to allocate men so that you can do more than you are accustomed to. We could very well find ourselves with our crew depleted by a third as prize crews, and treating wounded, and effecting damage control, and fighting a battle all at the same time. Drill, drill, drill.

“Any questions?”

None of the officers spoke up.

“Well then, to the Kaiser!”

All voices rose in unison to cheer.

https://i1.wp.com/www.militaer-wissen.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/SMS-Leipzig-2.jpg
 
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Remember Nelson
Aug 5, 1800 hours. HMCS Rainbow, Off Race Rocks Lighthouse

NSHQ TO RAINBOW NURNBERG AND LEIPZIG REPORTED AUG 4 OFF MAGDALENA BAY STEERING NORTH STOP DO YOUR UTMOST TO PROTECT HM SHIPS ALGERINE AND SHEARWATER STEERING NORTH IN COMPANY FROM SAN DIEGO STOP REMEMBER NELSON AND THE BRITISH NAVY STOP ALL CANADA IS WATCHING

The sky was clear. The lowering sun lit up the coast of Metchosin in high contrast. Hose could hear the barking of sea lions sunning themselves on the kelp strewn rocks where the black and white striped lighthouse stood guard. He could see Esquimalt Naval Dockyard from his wheelhouse. Just beyond, in Vancouver, waited a trainload of high-explosive shells that might make an encounter with a German cruiser something more than gallant suicide. A two hour steam away. He felt that fate was toying with him. Still, orders were orders. He could not just let the German cruisers devour the two Royal Navy sloops as long as he still drew breath.

“Helm, bring her about. Navigator, set course to take us past Cape Flattery.”

“Coming about,” repeated the helmsman.

That last part of the cable was a bit purple, thought Hose. Clearly they do not expect to see him again. He thought of his inspirational speech, still sitting incomplete down below.

https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca...ea84c3-3e26-4d0e-bf05-7ca08be58a29-A26585.jpg
 
You know why do I get the feeling that in this timeline during the 1930s Canada will get a few Leanders/Arthesuas and name two after the Niad and Rainbow. Canada will probably also enter WW2 with say three destroyer flotillas
 
You know why do I get the feeling that in this timeline during the 1930s Canada will get a few Leanders/Arthesuas and name two after the Niad and Rainbow. Canada will probably also enter WW2 with say three destroyer flotillas
Entirely possible, but not here. This timeline will be concerned with the events of a few weeks in August 1914. And except for a few course changes on the part of the Nürnberg, events have so far been exactly as historical.

If you want to read another timeline of this period that is currently unfolding, and has promised to follow the alternate future path of a Canadian Navy from a similar place as my story into the 21st century, check out:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...w-an-alternate-royal-canadian-navy-tl.469567/

I changed the original title of my timeline because it was too similar and was confusing folks.
 
A grand gesture
Aug 6 Esquimalt Naval Dockyard

“It will be a matter of great satisfaction to the people of British Columbia to learn of the part which Sir Richard McBride has taken during the past few days in placing his personal services and those of his Government at the disposal of the naval and military authorities. What he has done towards securing the two submarines that which arrived here yesterday involved the devotion of more time and energy that can be very well told…

“The southwestern part of the British Columbia coast is now very well provided for in the matter of defence. In deference to the wishes of Ottawa we shall not enter into any details as to the nature of these preparations but we can assure the citizens that nothing has been left undone that ought to be done, or that can be done with the available facilities and that these are quite sufficient for defence against any probable enemy. – The Victoria Daily Colonist, Aug 6, 1914. Page 4.

“Mr. McBride,” said Lieutenant-Commander Jones discretely, “I would like a word with you, on board this submarine, when you have a moment.” The two submarines were drawing a crowd among the military personnel at the dockyard. Local politicians and reporters had managed to talk their way inside the gates, camera flashes were popping, and McBride was doing much handshaking and accepting of compliments. The boats did indeed look quite menacing, with their pointy bows and slim low profiles. McBride concluded his business with the American trials captain who had brought the boats up from Seattle, and they shook hands. Then he went to find Jones. The navy had drawn a line at keeping the curious off the decks of the submarines, and a Jones led McBride past the pair of armed sentries at the gangway.

The men climbed down the Antofagasta’s bow hatch. At the forward end of the torpedo compartment stood Chief Artificer Wood, leaning on an impressive bulbous brass torpedo tube door, standing open.

“There are no torpedoes,” said Jones. Lieutenant Wood made a grand gesture at the empty torpedo tube.

“None?” asked McBride, incredulous.

“We have checked the fore and aft tubes on both boats. The reloads would be stored in these racks right where we are standing. There are no torpedoes on board.”

“ Well I’ll say. That is an oversight.”

“And I thought I was being so thorough,” said Jones.

“Of course Paterson neglected to mention it, the scoundrel. “ growled McBride.
He thought for a moment. “What about torpedoes for the Rainbow?”

“Fourteen inch,” said Wood. “These want eighteen inch.”

“Hmmm. Let’s leave off sharing this bit with Lieutenant Pilcher just now,” said McBride. “This all seems to be becoming a bit much for him.”

“I think you might want to talk with Mr. Paterson before he escapes back to Seattle,” said Jones.

“Yes, and I know where he is. He is depositing his cheque.”

After a somewhat acrimonious meeting between McBride and Paterson, it was decided that Captain Logan and the newly minted Sub-Lieutenant Brown would accompany Paterson back to Seattle, again in plain clothes, to arrange to acquire two torpedoes and related gear that the Chilean navy had purchased for trials.

https://archive.org/stream/dailycolonist56y203uvic#mode/1up
 
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