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[Page 51]
Enemy's Superiority
In addition to enemy submarines we were informed that the enemy surface craft were "more numerous, more heavily armed, and of greater speed than ourselves". "We were likely to be worried by enemy aircraft, when C.O.'s must use their own discretion in avoiding this menace." (The flotilla possessed no anti-aircraft guns.)
The flotilla was further cautioned to keep a vigilant look out for drifting mines. The Austrians had a penchant for setting these adrift during North East gales when they would be blown down toward the Italian Coast. Altogether it seemed the flotilla was in for a particularly busy time and after events proved this to be not far short of the truth.
Oct. 14th saw the first division of the flotilla on the patrol ground already mentioned above, and on arriving there came in contact for the first time with the evidence of Fritz's dark work. This took the shape of countless numbers of corpses - men, women and children - floating about a flat calm sea. It was anything but an edifying spectacle, and had Fritz shown himself thereabouts at the time he would have had a short shrift, and I venture to think the prisoners would not have been many. However, he had done his work seven days before and his hapless victims (refugees from Albania) were but now coming to the surface.
Exciting Incidents
During the next twelve months many exciting incidents befell the flotilla.