Aug 21, 0145 hours. CGS Malaspina, Near Port Renfrew, BC.
Lieutenant Allen McFarlane, CGS
Malaspina’s Naval Reserve captain, noticed the distant sound of explosions and a play of lights on the water, perhaps 10 nautical miles astern in his wake.
RMS NIAGARA BLACKED OUT IN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA COLLIDED WITH SMALL PATROL VESSEL STOP VESSEL CAPSIZED AND SANK WITH BOILER EXPLOSION STOP RENDERED ASSISTANCE BUT AFRAID ALL HANDS LOST STOP
The message included a position, actually 8 miles to the east.
Malaspina had been within 2 miles of that position, just half an hour ago. So they had passed the
Restless in the dark. That was no surprise, on a night like this. Even missing a liner like the
Niagara, which he knew to be a giant of the New Zealand Union Steamship Line, was not at all unexpected, given the new moon and the shipping blackout.
Crikey, he thought, a collision with a ship like that would be sudden and final. Far too many similar tragedies had happened in these waters, in the fog.
HMC DOCKYARD ESQUIMALT TO RMS NIAGARA ACKNOWLEDGE STOP MAINTAIN WARTIME BLACKOUT AND WIRELESS SILENCE STOP
“Helm,” ordered McFarlane, “reverse course, bring us about.” He ordered a heading to the reported position of the
Niagara’s collision with
Restless.
CGS MALASPINA RESPONDING TO EFFECT SEACH AND RESCUE STOP
McFarlane had been ordered to proceed to Ucluelet to investigate reports of mystery ships lurking, earlier in the afternoon. But he had been caught up in reconnaissance of a presumed invasion of Canada massing at Roche Harbour on American San Juan Island. It sounded absurd, but it seemed that with the declaration of war all previous points of reference had been lost, and anything was possible. The
Malaspina had ended up toe-to-toe with the United States Revenue Cutter
Unalga, staring at each other across the maritime boundary.
McFarlane had been briefed by Captain Trousdale, the Ranking Naval Officer, on the role of His Majesty’s naval forces on the West Coast of Canada, vis-à-vis neutral American authorities. On the one hand, it was important to make clear to the Yanks that despite the current paucity of forces in British Columbia’s waters, this was still the Royal Navy, and there would be absolutely no tolerance of American territory being used to marshal attacks against the Empire. On the other hand, the United States was Canada’s natural trading partner, and the friendship, family, and commercial relationships had evolved in place here since frontier days.
If the war went on for any length, it was likely that the US would come aboard on Britain’s side at some point sooner or later. This relationship was to be maintained and all incidents were to be avoided. It was a difficult tightrope to walk, and McFarlane was satisfied that he had given a credible performance. As he and the American Revenue Service captain had barked at each other, stone faced, through their loud hailers, he could tell that the Yank was irritated that shenanigans were being perpetrated on his soil, on his watch. So message successfully delivered, then!
And all most likely a wild goose chase. These mystery ships lurking were likely another one. After steaming away from San Juan Island at 1000 hours, he had put in at Esquimalt Harbour to embark part of a militia platoon, 30 men from the 88th Fusiliers, in case a landing force was needed in Ucluelet. This had set back his timetable so that
Malaspina would be arriving off Barclay Sound no sooner than first light. Even later now that they were engaged in search and rescue.
Within the next few minutes,
Malaspina received a number of messages, encrypted in either Merchant Marine or Naval code.
HMC DOCKYARD ESQUIMALT TO CGS RESTLESS PLEASE REPORT STOP
This message was repeated a number of times.
HMC DOCKYARD ESQUIMALT TO CGS MALASPINA SHERINGHAM POINT LIGHTHOUSE REPORTS LIGHTS AND APPARENT NAVAL GUNFIRE 8 MILES WEST OF THEIR LOCATION STOP
The claim of naval gunfire was familiar to McFarlane. The Authorities had prohibited all blasting for the first few days after war was declared, but had rescinded the ban. Since then every construction blast along the new Otter Point road and every farmer dynamiting stumps in Metchosin had elicited storms of reports of naval gunfire. There had even been a report of a Zeppelin attack in the hills of Colwood. The report had proved to be false.
On the other hand, this was the middle of the night. McFarlane had just heard explosions with his own ears, moments ago, even if they were far off and indistinct over
Malaspina's engines. Could it have been the sound of a collision, followed by a boiler explosion? This description of the sounds did not quite ring true, but he could not testify. And the suggestive effect of the
Niagara’s wireless report had him reviewing his fresh memory over and over.
HMC DOCKYARD ESQUIMALT TO CGS MALASPINA CAPE FLATTERY LIGHTHOUSE REPORTS SEEING LIGHTS AND HEARING SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS STOP
HMC DOCKYARD ESQUIMALT TO CGS MALASPINA JORDAN RIVER WORK CAMP REPORTS LIGHTS AND MUFFLED EXPLOSIONS DUE SOUTH STOP
Muffled explosions, agreed McFarlane. That was all
he could really say for sure. He consulted with the navigator. Jordan River would be the closest report to the transmitted position, save for the liner
Niagara herself. So he settled his mind on believing the Jordan River report to be the definitive one.
HMC DOCKYARD ESQUIMALT TO CGS MALASPINA CGS RESTLESS NOT RESPONDING TO WIRELESS QUERIES STOP FEARED SUNK IN COLLISSION STOP
Victoria was a small town, socially, and the Naval Reserve was a small cohort within. McFarlane knew almost every man on the
Restless. The chief engineer was his estranged brother in law. The liner
Niagara had reported performing a search, but had been ordered by the Navy back to blackout and silence.
What had they missed? As the
Malaspina settled into her new eastward course, retracing her last hours passage, he vowed that if any overlooked survivors were floating in the Strait, by God he would find them. “Give me every revolution you have!” he called down to the engine room.
Malaspina had recently passed the surfaced and blacked out
HMCS CC-1 to the north at a distance of 2 miles westbound, as the submarine ran a north-south patrol circuit at 8 knots. Neither Canadian vessel noticed the other. Then as she turned back eastward,
Malaspina passed CC-1 again to the south, this time at a range of only 500 yards.
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