Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-05-30
CHAPTER w
We Capture the Gladys Royal
and the Lundy Island


Aaff NY boys flew. into the rigging
and up The ratlines like monkeys.
Loose the fore-laups1 |" doomed up
from the quarter deck.
AL gone, the fore-tausp'l." they
sang out.
Loose The ga'ntsls and stays'lsla
The suis were sheeted home and
were filling out. We didn't lose much
time In getting her away. Lying over
on her beam ends and running before
the wind. we set our course for Ma
deira.
We knew that just off Gibraltar
would be one OF our best hunting
grounds, SO we cleared away the re-
mains OF our Norwegian camouflage,
and after few days we were as
spick and clean and orderly as q Ger
man auxiliary cruiser should be. We
were the irma no longer. but the See
adler now, although felt pang OF
regret at letting 80 the name that had
served us so we'll and brought us luck.
There was constant labor on tile
motor. The Iubricating oil we had
was Of poor quality. OIL like many
other things. had become scarce In
Germany. Our enterprise had the en-
thusiastlc support Of only few OF the
officials at the admiralty. The others
thought 1t certainly foredoomed to fall
ure, and did moi want to risk too much
OH 1t. Among these were the heads
OF the department that supplied us
with oil. A sailing vessel under the
pressure of sail nearly always lists to
one side. The work of the motor was
hampered by leaning position. We
sailed most of the time throughout our
under repairs.
We hnd only two guns, and only one
ut time could be brought into action
against an enemy. Our orders were
to attack sailing ships only. Wind
jammer against steamship was con-
sidered ridiculous Idea. We would
not need great broadsides of cannon In
capturing sailing vessels. We tried
to make up for our lack OF gun power
by skill and precision In handling the
guns we had. Our gun crew worked
necessarily at drill and target prnc-
tlce, and schooled themselves to such
quickness and accuracy of fire that
the power OF our armament, In effect,
was doubled.
Our lookout posts were excellent.
I'VE had crows nest with O comfort
able sent high up on the mast Only
O man at ease watches WELL sec
ond lookout was on the foremost,
where a petty officer was perched.
offered ten pounds sterling and bot
tie OF champagne to whoever should
report a ship first A jealous rivalry
grew up between the lookouts. In
each ragged tremendous thirst for
that bottle OF champagne. All day
long eager eyes swept the horizon,
On January 8, off Gibraltar. the
shout rang out:
Snip HhOy.
On our larboard side was q large
steamer heading toward us. Flying
our Norwegian colors, we turned to |
meet her. She flew no flag and car
ried no name. The British were the |
only people who sent their boats OUT
without names. She looked of Brit /
sh build too. Our orders were not |
% tackle steamers. Well, you can
promise a lot We raised the signal:
thermometer time, please"
sailing ship long away from port
-nrely has the correct time. Our re
lucsl WIS reasonable enough. The
steamer signaled that she understood
IS, and cane to the windward so that
We could heave TO. wore my great
'oat to conceal my uniform. Those OF
he crew that had rifles hid themselves
behind the ratings.
The steamer came near. ready to
rive the sleepy old Norwegian the
line.
"Snali we tackle him?" asked one
II my sailors who was crouched next
o me peering through q loophole.
Sure, let's take him. He's an Eng
4