This is quite a good book if you like sinking in a hurricane force storm.
The story concerns the sinking of two ships, the damage done to two others, and the response of the islanders on Islay.
It is 1918, the war is heading towards its end, and US troops (called 'doughboys' far too often in this book) are crammed into ships crossing the Atlantic. One, the Tuscania is sunk by U B-77 with a successful torpedo strike in February 1918. The other is the larger ex-liner Otranto which in a heavy sea was struck by another convoy ship, the Kashmir.
The Tuscania attempted to lower lifeboats, some went into the sea, others were badly handled by young, inexperienced and frightened crewmen, often on their first voyage. The gale force winds, rearing seas high and violently did not help the escape pattern. Eventually a destroyer arrived and with difficulty took many men of the ship. Others in lifeboats were picked up, sometimes hours later, by trawlers working as minesweepers. However, in spite of the rescue attempts a great many lifeboats made it to the coast of Islay and were dashed against the rocks. Smashed lifeboats, raging seas, rocky shore and high cliffs led to many perishing on the coastline.
On shore the locals rallied round in a rescue attempt. Some risked their lives in the water hauling men from the waves, others climbed the cliffs to rescue stranded survivors, all took part in reclaiming the bodies washing up on the shore line.
Survivors were tended in farmhouses, school buildings, and sheds. The local women spent many hours baking scones for the survivors and tending them in their beds. Locals, who had already lost many men in the fighting in France and Flanders were keen to aid the US wounded lying before them. It cost the all they had, but they would not ask for recompense. These islanders knew the sea, and knew the cost of sailing on it in storms.
Graves were dug in several places and the dead buried in solemn fashion.
During September 1918 another convoy of green US soldiers set sail. The convoy followed orders by zig-zagging along the route to lessen the opportunity for passing U-Boats. However, by the time the convoy rounded the north of Ireland with Scotland to the east a gale blew up. A force 11 gale, that is hurricane force, lifted the seas to 40 feet heights. Soon the ships in the dark lost what little sight they had of one another and it was up to the experience of the captains to make for their port. It was not inevitable but accidents were likely, and by misjudging their position one turned to port while the other turned to starboard. Neither noticed the other until it was too late.
The Kashmir hit the Otranto midships, cutting a huge V-shaped wedge into her side. The shock, in such waves was enormous. The ships were disentangled, the Kashmir then made for her port desperate to avoid her damaged front taking in water. She survived just.
The Otranto was badly damaged and attempts to lower lifeboats were hindered by inexperience, high seas, and boats turning over in the waves. Eventually, one destroyer did make a foolhardy attempt to rescue men. HMS Mounsey, who had seen action at the Battle of Jutland, attempted to come alongside. The Otranto's mster demanded the Royal Navy back off before losing their ship also, but Lieutenant Craven, the man in charge, replied that he would take survivors or both go down together.
So began a frantic rescue operation in the dark, with high waves, a gale force wind, amid a rescue only a desperate man would attempt. Craven attempted it.
Eight times he crashed his destroyer into the side of the liner, each time men tried to jump onto the Navy vessel. Many fell between the ships and were crushed, others made it on board and were grabbed inside by the crew, held on tight to anything nearby, or were washed overboard by the sea.
This mad effort did rescue several hundred men, while others who had got into lifeboats made for the Islay coast. So, several months after the last disaster Islay folk were once again finding bodies on the shore. Once again they tended what survivors there were, very few this time, and once again they gave what they had to feed the living and bury the dead. Some bodies, in dreadful state, did not land for several months.
Of course once the need was known help came from the mainland eventually. The second time they were better prepared and supported by the UK and US army. The US Red Cross provided much support and material, replacing what the locals had lost. A connection between the Islanders and the USA began that lasted for manty years, survivors returning long after the event to see again the Island people and the severe coastland.
This is worth reading because of the response of the islanders alone. They gave all they had to support the men who landed alive. Such an example of giving that we possibly could not match. They would have done the same for a German ship also if a submarine had floundered I suspect.
Well worth a read, but it is harrowing reading during the rescue attempts.
