238
THE YPRES TIMES
affording protection to the vital parts of the ship. They each carried two 6-in. guns
mounted in an armoured turret on the upper deck, capable of firing projectiles of
loo lb. in weight calculated to penetrate 25 inches of iron. Eight or nine projec
tiles could be discharged a minute. In addition to these heavy guns, they had two
4.7 howitzers which could throw projectiles of 35 lb., four 3-pdrs. which could fire
at the rate of 30 rounds a minute, and numerous smaller rifle calibre guns.
Such ships as these were the first to appear on the Belgian coast, and it was
not surprising, owing to their peculiar appearance, that German reports stated that
British Dreadnoughts had arrived off the coast.
On October nth the monitors were lying in the estuary of the Thames,
carrying out guard duties, when orders were received from the Admiralty for the
ships to be held in readiness, with steam up, to cover a re-embarkation of
troops at Ostend or Zeebrugge should it become necessary. That night the
monitors, under the orders of Commander E. J. Fullerton, R.N.,* of H.M.S.
Severn, were on their way to Ostend, and on arrival were placed at the disposal of
the G.O.C., Lieut.-General Sir H. Rawlinson.f
An examination of the coast by the monitors was immediately ordered, and
small mark buoys were laid indicating positions from which approximate ranges
were obtained in case a bombardment from the sea became necessary. The possi
bility of navigating the inshore canals was also explored, but the enemy by this
time were advancing on Bruges and the evacuation of Ostend was imminent. The
position of Rawlinson's troops in the presence of vastly superior forces was
precarious, and their retreat and the removal of Headquarters to Dixmude became
inevitable. Forty-eight hours and the enemy would be in Ostend. The distant
booming of the guns was already heard; enemy aircraft were active overhead; the
streets became crowded with an anxious populace. Transports and every available
craft were being rapidly filled with wounded and refugees. Pitiful scenes were
manifest everywhere, husbands parting from their wives, sons from mothers and
sweethearts from sweethearts, and then the last of the transports had gone.
Finally, the Belgian Government embarked in their yacht and steamed away,
escorted by the monitors. Crowds still lined the dock walls and quays and watched
the rapidly disappearing ships, and then, resigned to their fate, waited for the
advancing German hordes.
The monitors proceeded to Dunkirk and then to Dover. The Mersey's recep
tion off Dunkirk was hardly what was expected; seeing the monitor approach, under
conditions of bad visibility, she was mistaken by the shore batteries for an enemy
submarine, and firing was opened on her; the mistake, however, was discovered in
time. An enemy submarine had been observed off the harbour in the morning,
and it was apparently this same craft which attacked the Severn later in the day, on
her way to Dover; fortunately the torpedo missedan unpleasant surprise, no
doubt, to the enemy, to find the ship was of such shallow draft.
First Zeebrugge, then Ostend, and then mile by mile the sand dunes and gay
villas were devoured by the invading armiesnight by night by flare light they
were busy digging trenches along the coast behind the dunes, between Ostend
and Nieuport, apparently quite contemptuous of the power of the British Navy.
The Belgians, sorely pressed, stubbornly fought on in defence of the last of
their ports, but hour by hour the situation became more desperate, and then, on
October 16th, not a moment too soon, the Allied commanders requested the assist
ance of the Navy. A flotilla of ships was immediately organized and put under
Now Rear-Admiral E. J. Fullerton, C.B., D.S.O., etc., and Commander-in-Chief (Designate) East
Indies Station.
f Afterwards General The Lord Rawlinson, G.C.B., etc.
