I imagine the hysteria and propaganda resulting from the "Sack of Anyox" will probably lead to a earlier preparedness movement in the US. The US military might get it's shit together a little earlier and if the US still ends up in the war the AEF might be a bit bigger, a bit more well trained, and a bit more well equipped with less need to borrow from the French.
The Rainbow. A World War One on Canada's West Coast Timeline
- Thread starter YYJ
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This is why I love this timeline, so many small details, and us readers learn obscure facts about the history of the Cascadian coast we would have otherwise never heard of. Very interesting, those Coppers!
Minor question: who exactly are the "my people" Zacharias refers to?
Minor question: who exactly are the "my people" Zacharias refers to?
In post 334, The chapter entitled The Brave Boys of Anyox part 1. Port Simpson, now known by its Tsimshian name Lax Kw'alaams, is on the southern side of the entrance to Portland Inlet. A good place for the Nürnberg to avoid in clear weather, because it has both a good view of the entrance to the Inlet, and a telegraph.
Yes, the "Sack of Anyox" seems like a more apt title that the Battle of Anyox.
Eh, don't know about that. "Sack" usually denotes a brutal type of affair, plenty of dead civilians, troops running amok for 3 days, plenty of rapine and robbery. I don't see any of this here. Look at the "Sacking of Badajoz" in the Napoleonic Wars. In fact the usage of the term is quite specific, and this action had none of what would be considered sacking.
Since when did minor things like truth interfere with good propaganda, especially when Anyox is off the beaten track? Once the press starts calling it a "sack," is it likely to be called anything else? The British want terms like "Sack" on the lips of everyone in the USA. I'm sure some convenient witnesses can be found...
Ehh it's just as likely that the affair will end up being known as the "Rape of Anyox" or the "Massacre of Anyox".
Just a shadow
Aug 17, 0715. SMS Nürnberg, Observatory Inlet.
Inside the fog, the air cooled and visibility dropped to near zero. Von Schönberg attempted to keep the Prince Rupert in sight, so that Nürnberg could follow in the path of the experienced pilot, and to avoid the danger of a collision should the ships become separated and then meet again unexpectedly. At times she was just a shadow, a slightly darker patch of fog.
Radl was earning his fee piloting the Prince Rupert. By sounding the foghorn he could judge the distance to the steep walls of the inlet by the time the echo took to return. Four knots was as fast as Radl considered safe in the conditions. The tide added three knots to their progress. Extra lookouts were posted on both ships, and were changed frequently. Staring into fog with no point of reference tired the sailor’s eyes quickly. Von Schönberg noted they had passed the mouth of the Nass when the small circle of ocean surrounding the cruiser turned from dark grey to milky white.
An hour of groping through the fog passed without incident.
With visibility dropping as low as 100 m, Von Schönberg was unable at times to even see the stern of the Nürnberg. The cruiser was travelling dangerously close to Prince Rupert, but he was more concerned with keeping in sight of the ship with the pilot on board than of a collision. Nürnberg was not using her fog horn, so as not to confuse Radl’s echolocation. That might be why Von Schönberg was able to be the first to hear another fog horn, out of synch with that of the Prince Rupert. At first he thought it was an echo, but the horn was noticeably a different pitch.
Von Schönberg had a Morse light message sent to Prince Rupert. ARE THERE SHORE BASED FOGHORNS IN THIS PASSAGE?
The reply came back, NO THAT IS A SHIP.
After 15 minutes, the new foghorn was noticeably louder, even taking into account the vagaries of sound in the fog. Von Schönberg figured they were overtaking a vessel. And despite the hazards of operating in the fog, he intended to take the ship, whoever it was, as a prize. He could not allow his position to be given away. Miraculously, to his estimation, Nürnberg’s position was still unreported. The residents of Anyox would have to send a boat to a settlement with a telegraph or wireless, and that meant most likely sending a boat to the city of Prince Rupert. Von Schönberg intended to arrive first. And he could not let the risk of an errant wireless message spoil his surprise.
“Action Stations,” ordered Von Schönberg. The foghorn continued to get closer. Ten minutes later, a ship loomed out of the fog directly in front of Nürnberg. The ship had one funnel and was clearly not the Prince Rupert. The First Lieutenant sounded the collision alarm and ordered engines full astern.
“Belay that! Ram!” Von Schönberg ordered. “Continue to sound collision alarm. Brace for impact!” The other vessel began blasting a collision warning with its horn. In a few seconds, the ship’s courses intersected and Nürnberg’s ram bow struck the other ship just forward of the bridge. The Nürnberg’s bridge crew held onto any nearby fixture, as the cruiser came violently to a halt. As per training, the sailor at the engine telegraph had applied extra power just before the ramming maneuver, and then gone to Stop.
Nürnberg’s bow was embedded 3 meters into the other vessel, buried almost to her anchors, the entangled ships forming a V with at a 45 degree angle between their sterns.
“Engines Ahead Dead Slow,” ordered Von Schönberg. “Keep the ships together. Jam their wireless. Boarding Party away. Prepare to launch rescue boats on my order.” He read the name Camosun on the ships bow and saw that she carried the livery of the Union Steamship Line. The Camosun displaced maybe 1000 tons, and was about half the length of the cruiser. She continued to sound a collision warning on her horn, a steady series of blasts.
https://www.gent.name/_media/bc:ships:steamships:ss_camosun_at_anyox_dock.jpg?cache=
Inside the fog, the air cooled and visibility dropped to near zero. Von Schönberg attempted to keep the Prince Rupert in sight, so that Nürnberg could follow in the path of the experienced pilot, and to avoid the danger of a collision should the ships become separated and then meet again unexpectedly. At times she was just a shadow, a slightly darker patch of fog.
Radl was earning his fee piloting the Prince Rupert. By sounding the foghorn he could judge the distance to the steep walls of the inlet by the time the echo took to return. Four knots was as fast as Radl considered safe in the conditions. The tide added three knots to their progress. Extra lookouts were posted on both ships, and were changed frequently. Staring into fog with no point of reference tired the sailor’s eyes quickly. Von Schönberg noted they had passed the mouth of the Nass when the small circle of ocean surrounding the cruiser turned from dark grey to milky white.
An hour of groping through the fog passed without incident.
With visibility dropping as low as 100 m, Von Schönberg was unable at times to even see the stern of the Nürnberg. The cruiser was travelling dangerously close to Prince Rupert, but he was more concerned with keeping in sight of the ship with the pilot on board than of a collision. Nürnberg was not using her fog horn, so as not to confuse Radl’s echolocation. That might be why Von Schönberg was able to be the first to hear another fog horn, out of synch with that of the Prince Rupert. At first he thought it was an echo, but the horn was noticeably a different pitch.
Von Schönberg had a Morse light message sent to Prince Rupert. ARE THERE SHORE BASED FOGHORNS IN THIS PASSAGE?
The reply came back, NO THAT IS A SHIP.
After 15 minutes, the new foghorn was noticeably louder, even taking into account the vagaries of sound in the fog. Von Schönberg figured they were overtaking a vessel. And despite the hazards of operating in the fog, he intended to take the ship, whoever it was, as a prize. He could not allow his position to be given away. Miraculously, to his estimation, Nürnberg’s position was still unreported. The residents of Anyox would have to send a boat to a settlement with a telegraph or wireless, and that meant most likely sending a boat to the city of Prince Rupert. Von Schönberg intended to arrive first. And he could not let the risk of an errant wireless message spoil his surprise.
“Action Stations,” ordered Von Schönberg. The foghorn continued to get closer. Ten minutes later, a ship loomed out of the fog directly in front of Nürnberg. The ship had one funnel and was clearly not the Prince Rupert. The First Lieutenant sounded the collision alarm and ordered engines full astern.
“Belay that! Ram!” Von Schönberg ordered. “Continue to sound collision alarm. Brace for impact!” The other vessel began blasting a collision warning with its horn. In a few seconds, the ship’s courses intersected and Nürnberg’s ram bow struck the other ship just forward of the bridge. The Nürnberg’s bridge crew held onto any nearby fixture, as the cruiser came violently to a halt. As per training, the sailor at the engine telegraph had applied extra power just before the ramming maneuver, and then gone to Stop.
Nürnberg’s bow was embedded 3 meters into the other vessel, buried almost to her anchors, the entangled ships forming a V with at a 45 degree angle between their sterns.
“Engines Ahead Dead Slow,” ordered Von Schönberg. “Keep the ships together. Jam their wireless. Boarding Party away. Prepare to launch rescue boats on my order.” He read the name Camosun on the ships bow and saw that she carried the livery of the Union Steamship Line. The Camosun displaced maybe 1000 tons, and was about half the length of the cruiser. She continued to sound a collision warning on her horn, a steady series of blasts.
https://www.gent.name/_media/bc:ships:steamships:ss_camosun_at_anyox_dock.jpg?cache=
It seems strange that the miners couldn't have wrangled up more long arms. Seems like hunting for food would be pretty popular in the area to supplement their incomes.
Also it occurs to me that Radl has signed his death warrant by joining in with the Germans. When inevitably the German cruiser is sunk if Radl is captured he's likely to be hung as a traitor since he apparently had Canadian citizenship.
Also it occurs to me that Radl has signed his death warrant by joining in with the Germans. When inevitably the German cruiser is sunk if Radl is captured he's likely to be hung as a traitor since he apparently had Canadian citizenship.
I suspect even if he didn't have Canadian citizenship he would likely face the gallows if captured by the British Empire in that era.
Not really. I believe that generally raider crews were treated as POWs. If he was simply a Hungarian citizen the German captain could have offered him a Brevet rank and commission him a member of the crew. But as a Canadian citizen siding with and aiding the Nurmberg is treason.
With a name like 'Union Steamship Lines', I was afraid it was going to be a US vessel. But no.
However, it had a radio, and has had it for 8 years or so, so they probably got a message off.
However, it had a radio, and has had it for 8 years or so, so they probably got a message off.
Well that got interesting. At I was worried the Germans might still escape since they had the help of the Prince Rupert to navigate, but this is sure to delay them!
What is the rage of the Camosun's radio broadcast?
What is the rage of the Camosun's radio broadcast?
I suspect that his being lawfully present in Canada and working for a Canadian company prior to him switching sides so to speak would not bode well for him escaping the gallows.
I seem to recall another case I n the UK where it was argued that non citizens citizens they couldn't be guilty of treason. It was not successful, my recollection is that the courts decided that civilian visitors owed a certain duty of allegiance to the country they were visiting or words to that effect. In any event I supspect the authorities would have found something else to charge him with even if a treason charge wasn't possible for some reason.
Edit to add:
Maybe if he was captured in uniform and he can make a convincing case that he was a legitimate member of a foreign armed forces he might escape a quick trip to the gallows, but I suspect his conduct as a civilian while in Canada who subsequently switched sides and volunteered to aid the enemy using information he obtained while lawfully in Canada is going to cause him a lot of issues.
Perhaps he gets tried for treason or perhaps espionage after the war ends (assuming the allies still win in this time line) so that the Central powers can't use his execution as an excuse for executing an allied POW in reprisal ? Maybe once the war is over and tempers have cooled a bit he might escape the gallows and does some jail time ?
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Probably not much IMHO. While the U.S. is neutral I expect He would be interred with the rest of the crew. If the U.S. joins the war on the allied side in this time line I doubt the U.S. is going to want to hand him over to the UK / Canada during the war for fear of reprisal, after the war I suspect the U.S. and the UK / Canada will have bigger issues to worry about. He might also have some recourse to the U.S. court system to attempt to block being handed over ?