Evening star., 1920-01-18
HE next morning another enc
my submarine met her fate at
the hands. of Cant. Campbell.

Kept far enough away not to int err
fere with the action, she had the
honor of escorting the injured mys-
terry ship into port and OF receiving
as a reward for her efforts three rous-
ing cheers from the crew of the Par
gust led by the renowned Campbell
more villainous looking gang of
seamen than the crews OF these ships
never sailed the waves. All men on
board We're naval officers or enlisted
men; they We're all volunteers and
comprised men of all ranks--admi-
rails captains, commanders and mid
shipmen.
All had temporarily abandoned his
majestys uniform for garments pick
ed up in secondhand clothing stores.
had made the somewhat disconcerting
discovery that carefully trained gen
tlemen of the naval forces. when
dressed in cast -off clothing and when
neglectful of their boards, differ little
In appearance from the somewhat
rough and tumble characters OF the
tramp service. To assume this exter-
nal disguise successfully meant that
the volunteers had also to change
almost their personal characteristics
rs well as their clothes Whereas the
conspicuous traits of a naval nan is
neatness and order. these counterfeit
merchant sailors had to train them
selves in, the casual ways OF tramp
seamen.
They. had $50 to accustom them
selves to the conviction that a peri
scope was evcrv moment searching
their vessel from stem to stern. in
an attempt to discover whether there
was anything suspicious :,bou. it,
they. therefore had not only TO dress
the part of merchantmen, bat to act
it. even, in its minor details.
The genius of Capt Campbell con-
sisted in the fact that he had made
minute study Of merchantmen. their
officers and their crews, and was able
to reproduce them so literally on his
vessel that even the expert eye was
deceived. Necessarily such a ship car
ried q larger crew than the merchant
freighter; nearly all. however, We're
kept constantly concealed, the num-
Der appearing on deck always repre-
senting just about the same number
AS w6ssIa ssnormstly have settled upon
tramp steamer. These men had to
train themselves in slouchiness OF be-
hayior.:l they would hang over the.
rails. and even use merchant terms
in conversation with one another;
their officers We're masters" mates
''pursers" and the like. and their
principal gathering place was not a
wardroom. but saloon. That scru-
pulous Difference with which a sub
ordinate, officer in the Navy treats
his superior was laid aside In this
service. 1t was no longer the custom
to salute before addressing the COM
mander: more. frequently the sailor
would slouch up to his SUPERIOR his
hands In his pockets and his pipe in
his mouth.
This attempt to deceive the Hun OBJ
server at the periscope sometimes as
sumed an even more ludicrous form.
When the sailor of a warship dumps
ashes overheard he does it with par
ticular care. so as not to soil the sides
of his immaculate vessel; but a mer-
chant seaman is much less consider
ate; he usually chucks overheard any
ships side take its chances. To have
followed the manner of the Navy
would at once have given the game
away; SO the sailors, In carrying out
this DOMESTIC duty, performed the act
with all the nonchalance OF mer-
chant seaman. To have messed in
naval style would also have been be-
traying themselves.
The ships cook. therefore, In a
: white coat, would come on decks, and
have look around, precisely as is
done on ffeighter. Even when in
port officers and men maintained their
disguise. They never visited hotels or
clubs or private houses: they spent
practically all ,their time. on board; il
they occasionally went ashore, 4their
merchant outfit so disguised them
that even their best friends would
not recognize them on the street.
4 \ X
The warlike character of their ships
was even more cleverly hidden. In the
early days the guns were placed behind
the bulwarks. which. when lever was
pulled, would fall down. thus giving
them an unobstructed range at the sub
marine. In order to make the sides of
the ships collapsible, certain seams were
una avoidaply len in the plates. where