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

ferdi254

Banned
No matter which ship wins the other will most likely be badly damaged. But even a badly damaged Nürnberg (half the guns gone, one third of the crew dead, max 10 knots) still could do considerable damage to ships, mines and mills because: who is there to oppose her?
And in any case the Leipzig has then a pretty open hunting ground for the next two weeks.
 
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No matter what ship wins the other will most likely be badly damaged. But even a badly damaged Nürnberg (half the guns gone, one third of the crew dead, max 10 knots) still could do considerable damage to ships, mines and mills because: who is there to oppose her?
And in any case the Leipzig has then a pretty open hunting ground for the next two weeks.

Or both could join up and do more damage to the Canadians.
 

Driftless

Donor
A damaged Nurnberg (at least damage that reduces speed or manoeuvrability) might allow the Canadian submarine a decent shot, if they get closer to Victoria. By the accounts we've seen so far, the two subs just purchased aren't exactly top of the line stuff, so any damage to the Germans can only help. To that point, isn't only one of the subs really operational at this point of the story?
 
A damaged Nurnberg (at least damage that reduces speed or manoeuvrability) might allow the Canadian submarine a decent shot, if they get closer to Victoria. By the accounts we've seen so far, the two subs just purchased aren't exactly top of the line stuff, so any damage to the Germans can only help. To that point, isn't only one of the subs really operational at this point of the story?
One sub was in drydock when we last saw it.
 
Into the darkness
Aug 19, 0115, HMCS Rainbow, Johnstone Strait, off Sayward.

Rainbow plodded on, at her reduced speed. Lookouts strained their eyes into the darkness. The sky remained clear and full of stars, but the moon was a sliver of waning crescent with just two days until New, and provided no light. Shooting stars of the Perseid shower drew bright lines overhead every few minutes. The air was pleasant, even in the middle of the night. Rainbow’s bow wave and wake were lit by the green glow of bioluminescence from disturbed tiny sea creatures. The lookouts searched for this tell-tale that would give away the approach of a blacked out ship.

The cruiser had turned to port after rounding Chatham Point Light, and was now steaming due west. The channel was uniformly one nautical mile wide, all unbroken forest on dark hillsides, with frequent channels diverging to starboard. “Just ripe for an ambush,” said the Officer of the Watch, turning his binoculars back up Chancellor Channel, astern and to starboard. “Lookouts keep watch on all quarters!” Shortly, to port appeared the lights of the fishing and logging villages of Sayward and Kelsey Bay, nestled in the estuary of the Salmon River.

At 0215, Rainbow passed the entrance to Port Neville Chanel to starboard. A few lights on shore showed the Indian village and fishing port wharf sheltered inside the deep inlet. “Ship! Dead ahead!” called a lookout. The Officer of the Watch looked through his binoculars and saw that indeed, there was a glowing green V coming towards them, still several miles distant.

“Action Stations!” called the Officer. A dozen pairs of officers’ and lookouts’ eyes tried to make the outline of the ship, but it was black against a black sky. When the guns were all manned and the ship rigged for battle, the Officer ordered signals to challenge.

WHAT SHIP? flashed Rainbow’s Morse light.

PRINCESS ALICE, came the response.

TURN ON YOUR LIGHTS, ordered Rainbow. The forward 6 inch gun, the cruiser’s only gun that could fire directly ahead, was trained dead center on the approaching bow wave.

A coastal steamer with one tall funnel sprang into existence, lit cheerily as for an excursion.

“That is the Princess Alice sir,” said the lookout. “I have sailed on her as crew, back in the day.”

RESUME BLACKOUT GODSPEED, signaled Rainbow. The two ships passed head on, their wakes leaving parallel glowing lines in the channel.

At 0230 hours an engineering rating appeared on the bridge, wearing overalls well splotched with grease. “Sir, the starboard engine is repaired. We are ready to run at regular speed on you orders.” The engine telegraph was operated, and the Rainbow became friskier, and soon worked her way back up to 15 knots.

The lights of Telegraph Cove sawmill became visible to port at 0415. A few handheld lanterns moved along the wharf, as the early-rising loggers got ready for work. After another half hour the first glow of pre-dawn appeared to the east, casting the local hills and distant mountains in silhouette.

Commander Hose came back on watch. At 0445 the lookout called “Ship! Dead astern!” All eyes turned east following their wake, up Johnstone Strait. “Range 6 nautical miles, 12 thousand yards.”

“That puts us just inside the maximum range of a German 4.1 inch naval gun,” said Hose. Action Stations!” Hose studied the ship in his binoculars. The pre-dawn light was still very dim, and at the base of her trial of smoke, the dark shape of the unknown ship was masked against the dark outline of an island. After 10 minutes it could be seen that the ship had closed a bit of the interval between. Rainbow’s aft 6 inch gun trained on the distant ship, even though it was still three thousand yards out of range.

“If that is a German cruiser shadowing us,” said Hose, “we will have to turn broadside to engage. A German light cruiser can fire 4 guns ahead or astern. We can only fire one.” The unknown ship made a minor course correction, and Hose could see through his binoculars that the ship had three tall funnels. As the minutes ticked by, the light gradually improved, and the ship drew slightly closer.

“That is not a cruiser,” said the lookout. “She looks like the Prince George.”

“Or the Prince Rupert,” said Hose. “Which has been reported to be captured by Germans and used as an armed raider.” He drummed his fingers on the rail.

Wait,” said Hose. “I feel like I have been here before. Send a morse light challenge to that ship.”

HMCS RAINBOW ASKS WHAT SHIP?

PRINCE GEORGE HOSPITAL SHIP BOUND FOR SWANSON BAY came the reply.

For the second time since dusk, Commander Hose breathed a deep sigh of relief.


 
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Driftless

Donor
The Rainbow is alert, but those spikes in tension when they meet unknown ships, (not as if they have a choice under the circumstance) would be draining after a while.
 
This is getting good. But the Germans will have a slight advantage if this is a day battle also what other ships is with the German cruiser right now?
 
The Rainbow is alert, but those spikes in tension when they meet unknown ships, (not as if they have a choice under the circumstance) would be draining after a while.
I've been thinking about how drained the German crews might be after several days of continuous action.
The reports of all those German prizes running around is a plus for the Germans. The enemy will now be seen everywhere; and every ship will be suspect.
 
Say a word for Sayward!

Never thought I'd see it get mentioned in a timeline about WW1. Great stuff!
If I take this to print, this gives me an idea for a Kickstarter campaign: At a certain level of sponsorship I will mention your hometown in the story, and at a higher level of sponsorship I will bombard your home town.
 
Best use to the war effort
Aug 19, 0515 hours. HMCS Rainbow, Johnstone Strait, off Port McNeill.

Rainbow continued at her best speed, in the pre dawn light. The channel continued between Vancouver and Malcolm Islands, past the triangle of communities of Alert Bay, with its dugout canoes and canneries, Port McNeill, with its log booms, and the hardscrabble Finnish utopian socialist commune of Sointula, on Malcolm Island. Once the cruiser transited Broughton Strait and passed Pulteney Point Light, they emerged into the much more open waters of Queen Charlotte Strait. The far side of the Strait was just visible on the northern horizon.

Now that there was some light, Hose had his lookouts scouring every inlet and bay for signs of German ambush. He projected a visage of rock solid calm, he hoped, but his heart was really in his throat. Given the time from the last reported sighting, the Germans could be literally anywhere. Furthermore, the Nürnberg was not the only raider. At least three steamers had been reported to be taken as prizes. Many others were not responding to wireless queries. There was nothing preventing these prizes, if they have been armed, from using deception to close to point blank range and then land a free opening salvo on an unprepared Rainbow. The coast needed to implement a secret call-sign regime, that a German prize crew could not bluff their way through. Like most sensible precautions in this theatre of war, he imagined if it was introduced at all, it would be too late to be of any use.

Hose’s duty, it was clear, was to place his ship alongside that of the enemy. The likely outcome would be that Rainbow would soon be another wreck on the bottom of this wreck strewn coast. But before she went down, Rainbow had the opportunity to land some blows, and in the case of a fight with a German cruiser, perhaps damage the enemy enough to make her helpless against the arriving Royal and Japanese naval forces. With a spot of good luck, Rainbow could damage a German cruiser enough to force her to intern or scuttle. But if she could cause enough damage to slow down a German cruiser by a few knots, or even cause her to expend a good portion of her ammunition, then she would have earned her place in the history books. Hose imagined his printed portrait, with the gushing caption. He rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself.

To that end, these close waters would work to his advantage. At 5000 yards Rainbow could give good account of herself, even being able to throw a heavier broadside than a German light cruiser, with its 4.1 inch guns. And the narrow channel could, in the right circumstances, nullify the German speed advantage. Hose again swept the sea with his binoculars.

Some high cloud was being lit up pink by the rising sun. Despite Rainbow’s recently repaired engine, the Prince George caught up to her and began to overtake. The Grand Trunk Pacific steamer looked sharp, painted white with a green stripe for her length, and a red cross in a white circle on her centre funnel.

WE CAN ESCORT YOU TO OCEAN FALLS OR PRINCE RUPERT, signalled Rainbow.

WE ARE A HOSPITAL SHIP WE ARE SAFER ALONE THAN WITH YOU ALSO WE HAVE 3 KNOT SPEED ADVANTAGE AND NEED IS URGENT Prince George replied.

“Good points all”, said Hose. On the bridge wing, out of earshot of the enlisted crew, Hose confided in sub lieutenant Brown. “It’s no wonder we are scorned and left behind by a hospital ship. Half of Rainbow’s class has already been scrapped. Most of the rest are giving their best use to the war effort as depot ships or floating barracks.”

“Wireless, contact the CGS Newington,” ordered Hose. “Have her ready for us when we arrive at Port Hardy. As well, see if you can contact the Fisheries launch Merlin at River’s Inlet. We have armament to deliver to her. We can leave the ordinance at Addenbroke Light. The launch can meet us there or pick up later at their convenience.”

Still, upon consideration, Hose decided that the time saved by attempting the transfer of the 3 pounder Hotchkiss on its mount in the ocean swells of Queen Charlotte Sound was not worth the risk, and the cruiser met Newington in the sheltered waters of the outer harbour of Hardy Bay. The Fisheries trawler also received her 100 rounds of ammunition and a tripod mounted Colt-Browning machinegun. Two naval reservist gunners and two militia machine gunners joined Newington’s crew.

When they were done, the disk of the sun had risen over the coastal mountains and was shining down the length of the Sound, causing Brown to squint at his station on the after bridge. He backed the cruiser out into the bay, and they steamed north towards Ocean Falls.



 
If I take this to print, this gives me an idea for a Kickstarter campaign: At a certain level of sponsorship I will mention your hometown in the story, and at a higher level of sponsorship I will bombard your home town.
Sacremento, California would be tough to bombard. :);):D I'll take you up on that challenge though.
 
Where in the hell are they going to mount the 3 pdr on the Newington? Looking at the picture it doesn't appear to have enough free deck space to mount something that size with the appropriate 'arc/range of fire'.
 
Where in the hell are they going to mount the 3 pdr on the Newington? Looking at the picture it doesn't appear to have enough free deck space to mount something that size with the appropriate 'arc/range of fire'.

that photo is rather poor to show the front of the ship, that photo is also before the ship was taken into RCN service where she would have a lot of deck clutter cut away. Here she is in WWII, not exactly the same as her WWI configuration but a better showcase.
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Coulsdon Eagle

Monthly Donor
If I take this to print, this gives me an idea for a Kickstarter campaign: At a certain level of sponsorship I will mention your hometown in the story, and at a higher level of sponsorship I will bombard your home town.

If you can sail down the Wandle and then the Bourne... good luck as both are mostly underground, the Bourne almost entirely so.
 
Mout the 3pdr on a band stand forward of the fore mast just high enough to fire over the stem. Move main mast forward of the towing bitts and set it up for the radio arials. In the earlier picture remove the deckhouse on the stern and mount a second gun there if you can get it. If they are available a couple of 2pdr pom poms either side of the main cargo hatch would be good as well.
 
Where in the hell are they going to mount the 3 pdr on the Newington? Looking at the picture it doesn't appear to have enough free deck space to mount something that size with the appropriate 'arc/range of fire'.
Tunnicliffe says: "The Apollos also carried a single 3-pounder, for use in the ship’s boat presumably as support to landing party operations. The typical 3-pounder of the day was the Hotchkiss Mark 1 on a low angle mounting, which fired a 47mm 3.3 pound shell out to about 6500 yards."

So the 3 pounder in question to be fitted to the Newington was also of the type carried by the Rainbow to be mounted in a ships boat.

You are correct that in the first photo the Newington's deck layout makes it look like a floating squatter's shantytown, and there is no good spot for a deck gun. But if the gun's usual application is to be tossed into a rowboat, I expect the fisheries officers of the West Coast could find somewhere on the Newington to stick it. They are resourceful people after all. On the aft deckhouse roof? I don't get the feeling that this consideration is front of mind for the fictional Commander Hose at this point in the story.
 
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