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[Page 58]
It seemed too good to be true, any way as control officer, I gave the range to the guns and at once opened fire. Only the forecastle gun of all three boats was able to bear on the enemy, but with three well trained crews the splashes around the submarines testified that there was little time lost between the loading and firing of a round. When within about two miles the signal to "cease fire" was hoisted by the S.O., but as a matter of fact it was not necessary, for all three boats recognised almost simultaneously, that we had been doing our best to strafe two of our own M.Ls (motor launches) and the laugh was now on us, as we reluctantly gave the order to "cease fire". It was a big disappointment, for we had all come to the conclusion that we had caught Fritz suffering from engine trouble and unable to submerge. Our dreams of D.S.O.s, and D.S.C.s, etc., were sadly dissolved. Of course the wireless began to talk and signals of a rather bitter nature exchanged between the S.O., M.L's and S.O. Australian T.B.Ds. However when it all came to be sorted out the M.L's were informed that the responsibility rested entirely with them for not informing S.O. T.B.D's, that they were coming out to join in the hunt for the submarine, seen in the fore-noon and also for not hoisting their distinguishing signals. For quite a little time after this, we of the flotilla were not very popular at the M.L. mess, while some of the remarks referring to our marksmanship emanating from the crews of the two M.L's have rankled in the minds of our respective gun layees ever since.
The weather towards the end of the year got very bad indeed. Violent gales accompanied by rain, snow and sleet were our daily portion, and dry clothes were non-existent once we left port.
Whole days were often experienced without the comfort of a hot meal for in such weather your destroyer is a submarine without the advantage of being able to submerge to the extent of getting out of the wet. By day it was not exactly a joy ride, but when night came on and the only break in the blackness was the spume of the sea illuminating the decks as a wave broke over you, then it was that standing on the bridge with your eyes staring out of your head like prawns