What would be interesting would be the impact of this in Quebec. Most of English Canada was broadly supportive and this would simply heighten that feeling but French Canada had no great loyalty or sympathy for either the UK or France (The "English" were their conquerors and France had not only abandoned them but post-revolutionary France was not their France). I'm intrigued by what the effect of Canadian communities burned and citizens killed would have on those attitudes.
The Rainbow. A World War One on Canada's West Coast Timeline
- Thread starter YYJ
- Start date
What would be interesting would be the impact of this in Quebec. Most of English Canada was broadly supportive and this would simply heighten that feeling but French Canada had no great loyalty or sympathy for either the UK or France (The "English" were their conquerors and France had not only abandoned them but post-revolutionary France was not their France). I'm intrigued by what the effect of Canadian communities burned and citizens killed would have on those attitudes.
jeez I'm really at a loss for how I've somehow missed this timeline up until now. To be honest, I thought this was Remember the Rainbow Redux for a second. Although from what I've read earlier it seems like I'm not the first person to think so. It seems like both timelines are starting to get close to each other but I'm curious how they might differ. I've binged through over thirty charpters I think so far and I'm loving it. The way you write characters seems very down to earth and genuine while also fitting the timeframe excellently. I'm just trying to avoid any spoilers but I did want to comment and express my appreciation. You said earlier that the timeline isn't likely to go past September of 1914 and a quick glance confirms we're into the end of August, I'm definitely curious how this all turns out and I'm going to try and binge as much as I can and get caught up before I comment further.
Seems like a lot of good timelines are coming to an end on this site but between this timeline, Alternate Norwegian Navy TL and the other Rainbow timeline, I'm very much enjoying my time on this site. Please keep up the good work while I get caught up!
Seems like a lot of good timelines are coming to an end on this site but between this timeline, Alternate Norwegian Navy TL and the other Rainbow timeline, I'm very much enjoying my time on this site. Please keep up the good work while I get caught up!
The Battle of Bamfield: Arrival of the Fusiliers
Aug 21, 0635 hours, CGS Malaspina, off Barclay Sound.
Lieutenant McFarlane steeled himself for battle, as CGS Malaspina cut through the swells at full speed, racing south towards Bamfield. The Rainbow was only a few hours away, and eminently more capable than his ship for fighting anything short of a German light cruiser. Perhaps even one of those, if luck fell her way. But Rainbow was off at sea capturing the Saxonia right now. Wireless traffic left McFarlane with an unclear picture, but it sounded to him like something was happening in the Strait of Georgia as well, so Hose may be called away to take care of that.
CGS MALASPINA TO PACHENA POINT WIRELESS STATION WHAT IS SITUATION IN BAMFIELD
PACHENA POINT WIRELESS STATION TO CGS MALASPINA LIFESAVING TELGRAPH LINE TO BAMFIELD BROKEN MINUTES AGO
He knew the Dominion Wireless Station at Pacheena Point Lighthouse, was about 9 miles by boat or 6 by forest trail to Bamfield. The lighthouse at Cape Beale was closer, but was connected by telegraph through Bamfield. If that telegraph line was cut then Cape Beale was isolated and unable to give him any reports of activity, presuming they could see anything. So he would be entering the scene blind.
At the very least, McFarlane reasoned, he could land his force of infantry to reinforce Bamfield’s militia garrison. And he could perform reconnaissance. Any intelligence he gathered could be relayed via Pachena Station up the command chain. Then following units would have some clarity, a commodity that has been exceedingly rare in these parts since the beginning of the war. Depending on what the Germans brought to the fight, Malaspina might even be able tangle with a raider. He had 150 rounds for the 6 pounder in Malaspina’s hold. Commandeered merchant cruisers carried no armour, so Malaspina might even be able to land a lethal blow in these confined waters.
HMCS RAINBOW TO HMCD ESQUIMALT HAVE DETAINED SAXONIA AND AM BOARDING STOP AFTER PRIZE CREW IS EMBARKED CAN RENDER ASSISTANCE TO BAMFIELD OR ELSEWHERE PLEASE ADVISE
HMCD ESQUIMALT TO HMCS RAINBOW VANCOUVER COASTAL BATTERIES ARE ENGAGING HOSTILE CRUISER BELIEVED TO BE NURNBERG
“Dear God,” said McFarlane to himself. “So here we are, on our own.”
At 0700 Malaspina was nearing Trevor Channel, the approach to Bamfield. The wireless messages gave him a bit of intelligence to work with. He could expect no help from Rainbow in the coming confrontation. And the Nürnberg seemed to be elsewhere, so at least he would not be encountering her just around the corner. Directly ahead was the tower of Cape Beale light, with a view up Trevor Channel, and with the telegraph line cut, mute. “Send a semaphore message to Cape Beale lighthouse,” McFarlane ordered.
GCS MALASPINA ASKS WHAT IS THE SITUATION AT BAMFIELD
McFarlane watched the lighthouse keeper on the rail by the lantern, through his binoculars.
THOUGHT YOU WERE ALREADY AT BAMFIELD, came the reply. THE WAR HAS ARRIVED MUCH RIFLE FIRE SOME NAVAL GUNFIRE TELEGRAPH OUT DO NOT HAVE LINE OF SIGHT INTO INLET OR EAST SHORE OF CHANNEL
“Thought you were already at Bamfield” said McFarlane as he read the semaphore message out loud. “What does that mean?”
Malaspina rounded the hazardous reefs off Edward King Island and entered Trevor Channel. The lookout up the foremast had a lead of about a minute seeing over the intervening terrain, and called down. “No ships in sight! Lots of smoke to the north!”
A minute later McFarlane could see for himself, all the way up Trevor Channel as far as the entrance to the Alberni Canal. Indeed, lots of smoke was rising from the direction of Bamfield, and no ships were in sight at the moment. “Set course due east,” he ordered the helmsman. “I want to get us to the far shore right away.”
“Lieutenant,” he said to the officer from the 88th Fusiliers. “My first concern is to get you and your men landed. I don’t want to go into a naval battle packed with troops. But I want to get you as close as possible to the fight, so you can have some effect right away.”
“Sir,” said the boatswain on the bridge wing beside McFarlane. “I have spent some time at Bamfield. If the troops land at First Beach Cove, right there,” he pointed at a spot on the coastline ahead, “there is only a thin stretch of land maybe 50 yards across connecting the peninsula. Pretty flat too. Then you are in the water of Grappler Inlet again and it is a strait shot up the inlet, maybe not quite 2 miles to Station Point. The Indians used it as a portage.”
The officers referred to the chart. “I agree,” said McFarlane. “If you land and cross that isthmus, you may be able to find boats to commandeer on the other side.”
“We can do a portage ourselves,” said the Fusiliers lieutenant. “Thirty lads can carry a ship’s boat. Give us your two lightest ones.”
“Very well,” said McFarlane. “Get your men and gear ready. “We will be in position for you to disembark in less than ten minutes, if a warship does not come out of the harbour and sink us before then.” The ship’s officers had their binoculars trained on the mouth of Bamfield Inlet. They could see plenty of smoke, some perhaps from the stack of a steamship. At times they could faintly hear what sounded like rifle shots. Two oar-powered boats were swung out. Boxes of ammunition, a tripod, and machinegun were loaded into the first boat. No enemy ships appeared. The boats were lowered and soon the Fusiliers were leaning on their oars, heading for the cove as fast as they could manage. The militia commander had even refused to have any naval crew aboard, insisting that his men could handle the boats just fine themselves. McFarlane did not argue, he preferred to keep all his men on Malaspina.
With the militia away, McFarlane headed north.
CGS MALASPINA TO HMCD ESQUIMALT SOME KIND OF FIGHTING IN BAMFIELD AM ABOUT TO RENDER ASSISTANCE STOP GOD SAVE THE KING
Sending a wireless message might tip off the Germans that they were close, but McFarlane wanted to make sure the command structure had some information to work with. Especially if he was about to go down fighting. He had had enough of running around in the damn dark. Sure enough, within a minute of sending the wireless message, over the Mills Peninsula he saw a column of smoke increase, and begin heading out towards the entrance of the inlet.
Then, from between the tree covered promontories on either side of Bamfield Inlet, emerged a ship. A ship identical to his own, except for the German naval ensign flying from the mainmast. The Galiano. “Well, how about that!” McFarlane declared.
“Fire!”
Lieutenant McFarlane steeled himself for battle, as CGS Malaspina cut through the swells at full speed, racing south towards Bamfield. The Rainbow was only a few hours away, and eminently more capable than his ship for fighting anything short of a German light cruiser. Perhaps even one of those, if luck fell her way. But Rainbow was off at sea capturing the Saxonia right now. Wireless traffic left McFarlane with an unclear picture, but it sounded to him like something was happening in the Strait of Georgia as well, so Hose may be called away to take care of that.
CGS MALASPINA TO PACHENA POINT WIRELESS STATION WHAT IS SITUATION IN BAMFIELD
PACHENA POINT WIRELESS STATION TO CGS MALASPINA LIFESAVING TELGRAPH LINE TO BAMFIELD BROKEN MINUTES AGO
He knew the Dominion Wireless Station at Pacheena Point Lighthouse, was about 9 miles by boat or 6 by forest trail to Bamfield. The lighthouse at Cape Beale was closer, but was connected by telegraph through Bamfield. If that telegraph line was cut then Cape Beale was isolated and unable to give him any reports of activity, presuming they could see anything. So he would be entering the scene blind.
At the very least, McFarlane reasoned, he could land his force of infantry to reinforce Bamfield’s militia garrison. And he could perform reconnaissance. Any intelligence he gathered could be relayed via Pachena Station up the command chain. Then following units would have some clarity, a commodity that has been exceedingly rare in these parts since the beginning of the war. Depending on what the Germans brought to the fight, Malaspina might even be able tangle with a raider. He had 150 rounds for the 6 pounder in Malaspina’s hold. Commandeered merchant cruisers carried no armour, so Malaspina might even be able to land a lethal blow in these confined waters.
HMCS RAINBOW TO HMCD ESQUIMALT HAVE DETAINED SAXONIA AND AM BOARDING STOP AFTER PRIZE CREW IS EMBARKED CAN RENDER ASSISTANCE TO BAMFIELD OR ELSEWHERE PLEASE ADVISE
HMCD ESQUIMALT TO HMCS RAINBOW VANCOUVER COASTAL BATTERIES ARE ENGAGING HOSTILE CRUISER BELIEVED TO BE NURNBERG
“Dear God,” said McFarlane to himself. “So here we are, on our own.”
At 0700 Malaspina was nearing Trevor Channel, the approach to Bamfield. The wireless messages gave him a bit of intelligence to work with. He could expect no help from Rainbow in the coming confrontation. And the Nürnberg seemed to be elsewhere, so at least he would not be encountering her just around the corner. Directly ahead was the tower of Cape Beale light, with a view up Trevor Channel, and with the telegraph line cut, mute. “Send a semaphore message to Cape Beale lighthouse,” McFarlane ordered.
GCS MALASPINA ASKS WHAT IS THE SITUATION AT BAMFIELD
McFarlane watched the lighthouse keeper on the rail by the lantern, through his binoculars.
THOUGHT YOU WERE ALREADY AT BAMFIELD, came the reply. THE WAR HAS ARRIVED MUCH RIFLE FIRE SOME NAVAL GUNFIRE TELEGRAPH OUT DO NOT HAVE LINE OF SIGHT INTO INLET OR EAST SHORE OF CHANNEL
“Thought you were already at Bamfield” said McFarlane as he read the semaphore message out loud. “What does that mean?”
Malaspina rounded the hazardous reefs off Edward King Island and entered Trevor Channel. The lookout up the foremast had a lead of about a minute seeing over the intervening terrain, and called down. “No ships in sight! Lots of smoke to the north!”
A minute later McFarlane could see for himself, all the way up Trevor Channel as far as the entrance to the Alberni Canal. Indeed, lots of smoke was rising from the direction of Bamfield, and no ships were in sight at the moment. “Set course due east,” he ordered the helmsman. “I want to get us to the far shore right away.”
“Lieutenant,” he said to the officer from the 88th Fusiliers. “My first concern is to get you and your men landed. I don’t want to go into a naval battle packed with troops. But I want to get you as close as possible to the fight, so you can have some effect right away.”
“Sir,” said the boatswain on the bridge wing beside McFarlane. “I have spent some time at Bamfield. If the troops land at First Beach Cove, right there,” he pointed at a spot on the coastline ahead, “there is only a thin stretch of land maybe 50 yards across connecting the peninsula. Pretty flat too. Then you are in the water of Grappler Inlet again and it is a strait shot up the inlet, maybe not quite 2 miles to Station Point. The Indians used it as a portage.”
The officers referred to the chart. “I agree,” said McFarlane. “If you land and cross that isthmus, you may be able to find boats to commandeer on the other side.”
“We can do a portage ourselves,” said the Fusiliers lieutenant. “Thirty lads can carry a ship’s boat. Give us your two lightest ones.”
“Very well,” said McFarlane. “Get your men and gear ready. “We will be in position for you to disembark in less than ten minutes, if a warship does not come out of the harbour and sink us before then.” The ship’s officers had their binoculars trained on the mouth of Bamfield Inlet. They could see plenty of smoke, some perhaps from the stack of a steamship. At times they could faintly hear what sounded like rifle shots. Two oar-powered boats were swung out. Boxes of ammunition, a tripod, and machinegun were loaded into the first boat. No enemy ships appeared. The boats were lowered and soon the Fusiliers were leaning on their oars, heading for the cove as fast as they could manage. The militia commander had even refused to have any naval crew aboard, insisting that his men could handle the boats just fine themselves. McFarlane did not argue, he preferred to keep all his men on Malaspina.
With the militia away, McFarlane headed north.
CGS MALASPINA TO HMCD ESQUIMALT SOME KIND OF FIGHTING IN BAMFIELD AM ABOUT TO RENDER ASSISTANCE STOP GOD SAVE THE KING
Sending a wireless message might tip off the Germans that they were close, but McFarlane wanted to make sure the command structure had some information to work with. Especially if he was about to go down fighting. He had had enough of running around in the damn dark. Sure enough, within a minute of sending the wireless message, over the Mills Peninsula he saw a column of smoke increase, and begin heading out towards the entrance of the inlet.
Then, from between the tree covered promontories on either side of Bamfield Inlet, emerged a ship. A ship identical to his own, except for the German naval ensign flying from the mainmast. The Galiano. “Well, how about that!” McFarlane declared.
“Fire!”
i-Boating : Free Marine Navigation Charts & Fishing Maps
fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com
Yeah shotguns and or revolvers might have been helpful for the Canadians. IOTL the Germans were unhappy when the American subsequently used shotguns in the trenches. It doesn't seem entirely out of the question to me that an enterprising militia unit might end up with a few sentries armed with shotguns and buck shot. Maybe a few Winchester 1897's could be found ?
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Definitely so, I don't think the Germans are going to get out of this scuffle the better this time.
Yeah Canada didn't have much for small arms going into WWI, especially for the relatively remote backwater units of British Columbia. Between the Colt M1878 and the
Colt "New Service" Revolvers purchased for the Boer War, there wasn't a lot. I'd imagine shotguns would have to come from personal collections although out in the bush of BC, I'd imagine shotguns were relatively common place.
It does help that Rainbow and potentially even the shores batteries are joining into the action finally, unless this is a classic YYJ fakeout lol. Plenty going on now.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the germans have ~6-8 effective shooters held up in the station. These are besieged by a platoon+ of militia equipped with at least one serviceable crew operated weapon.
The Germans already lost one landing boat, and the other was damaged before it ever landed. Said boat is probably taken/destroyed by the Canadians.
Even worse, their trump card of an AMC with heavy weapons is not only unable to provide fire support, but is almost certain to be heavily damaged at best. While I'll bet on the German gunners being more accurate, this seems to be a close range fight that'll leave both twin ships burning and with heavy casualties. At best. I mean, the Malaspina may have caught her sister ship at unawares...
Anyway, the German landing party is in a really poor situation. The Canadians should be hesitant to attempt to storm the building until they have massed together and inflicted a couple more casualties, but the Germans aren't going to shoot down the numbers their fighting, despite how cool the luger carbine is.
How important is the station with the line already cut? If it is not critical, the militias really ought to just wait out the Germans. There's no way that landing party brought enough ammo to hold out for long. The absolute worst case for the Canadians is a poorly planned attempt to rush the station running into methodical and veteran German interior positions. The thing about guard or militia units, especially hot blooded ones fighting among their homes, is that they are unpredictable.
The Germans already lost one landing boat, and the other was damaged before it ever landed. Said boat is probably taken/destroyed by the Canadians.
Even worse, their trump card of an AMC with heavy weapons is not only unable to provide fire support, but is almost certain to be heavily damaged at best. While I'll bet on the German gunners being more accurate, this seems to be a close range fight that'll leave both twin ships burning and with heavy casualties. At best. I mean, the Malaspina may have caught her sister ship at unawares...
Anyway, the German landing party is in a really poor situation. The Canadians should be hesitant to attempt to storm the building until they have massed together and inflicted a couple more casualties, but the Germans aren't going to shoot down the numbers their fighting, despite how cool the luger carbine is.
How important is the station with the line already cut? If it is not critical, the militias really ought to just wait out the Germans. There's no way that landing party brought enough ammo to hold out for long. The absolute worst case for the Canadians is a poorly planned attempt to rush the station running into methodical and veteran German interior positions. The thing about guard or militia units, especially hot blooded ones fighting among their homes, is that they are unpredictable.
I missed this part...
"
The men returned from rigging the basement with explosives. “Sir, we discovered a large amount of rifle ammunition downstairs, in a bowling alley.”
“That will burn up with the rest of the building when we leave,” said Lange. “Prepare some bonfires out of furniture and what have you, one on each end of the building. It is soon time to retire.” His watch read 0700 hours."
We may have a long standoff yet. The only real hope Lange has is that Galiano knocks out Malaspina quickly, maybe a lucky hit on the 6lber.
"
The men returned from rigging the basement with explosives. “Sir, we discovered a large amount of rifle ammunition downstairs, in a bowling alley.”
“That will burn up with the rest of the building when we leave,” said Lange. “Prepare some bonfires out of furniture and what have you, one on each end of the building. It is soon time to retire.” His watch read 0700 hours."
We may have a long standoff yet. The only real hope Lange has is that Galiano knocks out Malaspina quickly, maybe a lucky hit on the 6lber.
Keep on mind that ammunition is likely .303, meaning the Germans can’t use it unless they swap out of the militias left behind Ross Rifles.
Driftless
Donor
I went back and re-read the passage outlining the initial storming and clearing of the telegraph building. My first thought was the mention of the bowling alley, my second thought was the ammunition will add to the "boom", but RelativeGalaxy7's comment about the left behind Ross Rifles got me looking again. I don't see any reference to what was done with those Ross rifles after the POW's were disarmed. Were they just set aside in a pile, or were they in-activated by removing and discarding the bolts?
Nick P
Donor
They had a cinema too! https://atlantic-cable.com/CableCos/Bamfield/
The Cable Station was a very remote posting for the staff, and they were provided with such amenities as a movie theatre, bowling alley and tennis court.
How well would the Ross rifles be expected to work if un familiar users tried to fire them rapidly ? I seem to recall at least some Ross rifles had to be reloaded round by round ?
At close range a well trained user with a shotgun and Buck shot might have an advantage ?
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I’d imagine they just kicked the empty rifles aside and dealt with the more pressing issue of prisoners and destroying the building. If they threw away all the bolts, they are essentially screwed for ammunition supplies in the long run given they have already expended a bit.