Iles war diary, 1914-1919 / G. H. Iles - Page 184
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[Page 184]
that shewed a special signal in the form of black balls hanging from their yard arm, - this we learned afterwards was termed the outer gates, and as we passed through these outer gates, still at a good speed we could better understand the meaning and duties of these numberless trawlers, -
they were the pillars upon which were supported the long heavy wire nets, that reached from the surface to the ocean bed, and each worked quite independent to the other, - one extra trawler worked behind the gate so that when it was necessary to open a certain gate, to let a ship or squadron pass thru, this special trawler would haul on a wire hawser by the aid of her capstan, and so the gate, one end being released, she was able thus to slowly haul it open, like an ordinary gateway and as soon as the ship or squadron had passed thru the trawler that released the one end would in turn haul the gate across again and so close the entrance behind the passing or last ship.