Aug 20, 1300 hours, HMC Dockyard Esquimalt.
The Senior Intelligence Officer was attempting to stave off despair. If the glut of reports of suspicious ships and activity had been overwhelming on days previous, it only became more so with each passing day, even discounting the wireless distress calls that were known to be bogus.
CGS Newington had been dispatched to chase down reports from fishermen of a Chilean barque coaling a German cruiser in Belize Inlet, off Queen Charlotte Sound.
CGS Alcedo was investigating an overheard plot that German merchants were provisioning a warship at Minstrel Island in Knight inlet.
CGS Malaspina, sister ship of the missing patrol vessel
Galiano, was responding to reports that a gang of German Americans and Fenian Irishmen were gathering a fleet of expediently armed vessels at Roche Harbour at San Juan Island, and were preparing to mount an invasion of Victoria. The United States Revenue Cutter Service vigorously denied this claim, and had a ship mirroring the
Malaspina’s every move, each on their respective side of the maritime border.
Captain Blake of
CGS Falcon was also having sharp words with the United States Revenue Cutter Service as he tried to confirm the veracity of reports that a cruiser had recently been coaling off Prince of Wales Island in Alaska.
Yes, the USRCS was aware of these reports. Yes, the United States of America took its responsibilities as a neutral very seriously. No, the Falcon cannot enter American waters to investigate herself.
None of these reports were themselves impossible. Recent events had shown that the German Navy was behaving aggressively almost to the point of recklessness. But the local population had become so jumpy that every sea lion head had now become a U-Boat periscope.
So when he received yet another report of suspicious activity, well, it had to take its turn.
CAPE BEALE LIGHTHOUSE TO HMCD ESQUIMALT SIGHTED THREE LARGE OCEAN GOING SHIPS IN CONVOY ENTERING NEWCOMBE CHANNEL STOP
The Intelligence Officer reported this to RNO Trousdale at their now hourly briefing.
“Does Cape Beale Light have its own wireless?” asked Trousdale.
“The light is in close proximity to Bamfield Telegraph Station, sir,” replied the Intelligence Officer, “so they have a telegraph line to the town, then to here by the All Red Line.” The All Red Line was the British Empire’s global telegraph system, with the Pacific terminus of the submarine cable at Bamfield.
“Hmm, so these ships… A German prize fleet finding a sheltered place to coal?” Trousdale floated this as a question.
“Or ships caught at sea running to the first anchorage,” countered the intelligence officer. Then he shrugged.
“What of the lighthouse at Amphitrite Point, at Ucluelet?” asked Trousdale.
“That light was destroyed by a tidal wave in January,” answered the intelligence officer. “Only the most rudimentary temporary light is in place, until the new tower is built.”
“Query the harbour master at Ucluelet, ordered Trousdale, unconcerned. “Their telegraph line is particularly bad, as I recall. But the lifeboat station has some kind of wireless do they not?”
“I believe they do”, answered The Intelligence Officer, already turning the page to the next item.
For the next half hour the Intelligence Officer received updates.
TELEGRAPH LINE TO UCLUELET NOT OPERATIONAL AS OF 1130 HOURS STOP
DOMINION WIRELESS STATION PACHEENA POINT TO HMCD ESQUIMALT UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH UCLUELET STOP WILL CONTINUE AND UPDATE STOP
At 1400 hours the Intelligence Officer received, in the constantly growing pile on his desk, CAPE BEALE LIGHTHOUSE TO HMCD ESQUIMALT SIGHTED ANOTHER LARGE OCEAN GOING VESSEL HEADED INTO NEWCOMBE CHANNEL IN COMPANY WITH SMALL STEAMER STOP THIS OCEAN LINER OF 10000 TONS PLUS STOP
His curiosity was piqued enough to ask for clarification.
HMCD ESQUIMALT TO CAPE BEALE LIGHTHOUSE QUERY ARE ANY OF THESE VESSELS WARSHIPS STOP HOW MANY FUNNELS ON THE BIGGEST LINER STOP
CAPE BEALE LIGHTHOUSE TO HMCD ESQUIMALT NO WARSHIPS STOP SMALLER STEAMER IS PERHAPS WHALER STOP BIG LINER HAS TWO FUNNELS STOP
When the Intelligence Officer next met with Trousdale they lingered on this item.
“What the devil is going on in Barclay Sound all of a sudden?” asked Trousdale.
“Considering the extent of excitement hereabouts, I expect it is nothing. Perhaps, as the latest message suggests, something happening at the Sechart whaling station,” answered the Intelligence Officer. “But it could be the
Nürnberg’s prize fleet. Or if you want me to speculate on a darkest scenario, according to Royal Navy Intelligence, the German East Asiatic Squadron has two armed merchant cruisers. Currently unaccounted for. The
Prinz Eitel Friedrich, and the
Ryazan. Russian and Japanese Intelligence report that the steamer the
Ryazan was captured by a German cruiser off Korea on the 4th of August, and taken back to Tsingtao to be armed.”
“Wonderful.” said Trousdale dryly. “The more the merrier. How large are these German merchant cruisers?”
“The
Prinz Eitel Freidrich is fully 16,000 tons, the
Ryazan is smaller, but I can’t say offhand.”
“Could those ships actually make it to this coast in this time?” asked Trousdale. “We are still waiting for the
Newcastle to arrive from Yokohama.”
“Unknown, sir,” answered the Intelligence Officer. “They are both fast ships, but we don’t know their starting positions.”
“Don’t those biggest German liners all have four funnels?” asked Trousdale.
“Prinz Eitel Freidrich has two sir. I checked,” answered the Intelligence Officer. “Next order of business, sir?”
“Hold on,” said Trousdale, “I suppose we should investigate.” I will order Bamfield telegraph station to put some of their militia garrison in a boat and pop over to see what is going on. What is our closest armed patrol vessel?”
“The
CGS Restless is off Sooke at the moment, patrolling the Strait,” answered the Intelligence Officer.
“Hmph,” snorted Trousdale, “
Restless is too slow. Can we send the
Malaspina?”
“
Malaspina is occupied off the San Juans, but we could dispatch her to Barclay Sound when she is finished there.”
“Yes, I will order her to do that, at the captain’s discretion,” said Trousdale. “And then the
Rainbow will be passing right by. That would be something, if the
Rainbow could bag a whole fleet of German prize ships and merchant cruisers, wouldn’t it? When will she be off Barclay Sound?”
The Intelligence officer did some math. “She is observing wireless silence, but if she has kept to her original timetable
Rainbow should arrive off Barclay Sound around 0500 hours tomorrow morning.”
“First light,” said Trousdale. “Very good. One really does not want to trifle with Barclay Sound in the dark.”
Photographs, history, travel instructions, and GPS coordinates for Cape Beale Lighthouse.
www.lighthousefriends.com
Photographs, history, travel instructions, and GPS coordinates for Amphitrite Point Lighthouse.
www.lighthousefriends.com
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