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Letter from Lieutenant T.B. Fellows - Commander of H.M.S.Mosquito |
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10th January 1918 H.M.S. Mosquito Sir, I have the honour to submit herewith a report on the movements of H.M. Ship under my command on the night of 8 - 9th January, in connection with the loss of H.M.S. Racoon. Having left Liverpool in company with Racoon at 10am on the 8th, I was stationed on his port beam during daylight and took station astern at 4.55pm. Altacarry light was passed abeam at 10.30pm on a Northerly course 2miles off and course was altered at 10.40pm to N 60 W. Inishtrahull light was sighted at about midnight bearing N58W, ie. just on the starboard bow. The weather at the time was clear although at times there had been heavy snow squalls but up to the time of passing Inishtrahull the light was clearly visible the whole time. Course was altered at 1.15am to N80W and Inishtrahull light was abeam at 1.40am, distance between 2.5 and 3 miles, obtained from a 4 point bearing. Had course now been altered to about N 50 W we should have passed through the Sound in safety, and I was momentarily expecting Racoon, having obtained his fix from Inishtrahull light, would alter course, it was obvious that to hold on much longer on the N 80 W course would be dangerous; visibility was now low as it had recommenced to snow and a minute or two later Racoon was lost sight of in a thick snow squall and thinking that he had probably altered course without signal or that we had missed the signal I altered course to N40W, Inishtrahull light was becoming obscured I considered it hazardous to proceed further through the Sound and endeavoured to get Racoon with searchlight to say so, and that I was altering course to the eastward. For 5 minutes after I first lost sight of him I was calling him up but it was apparently snowing too hard for him to see me. At 1.50am I altered course to S 70 E intending to get clear of Inishtrahull Sound and proceed north about. The snow soon afterwards cleared a little and I got another fix from Inishtrahull light. Soon after 2am I got a report from W/T Officer that Malin Head reported a ship ashore requiring immediate assistance. Being somewhat preoccupied with the safe navigation of Mosquito it never occurred to me that Racoon was the ship ashore, and owing to the fact that the R.N.V.R. ordinary telegraphist was on watch and that he apparently got excited and confused; so that the signals he received were fragmented and that he did not report them all, the possibility of Racoon being ashore did not occur to me for a few minutes. When it did I altered course to N 60 W to again pass through Inishtrahull Sound. I think what first made me realise that Racoon was ashore was the fact that I got a signal from him to point my searchlight on him, and that I could get no answer to my repeated W/T calls. I proceeded through Inishtrahull Sound at slow speed and passing 1.5miles off the light called Racoon continuously by searchlight and W/T and could get no reply. It was snowing continuously at the time very hard, so that the light was sometimes obscured. The shore was not visible at anytime, and the searchlight did not illuminate the water for more than a short distance. If Racoon was in fact, ashore, I hoped to locate him, though I should have been quite unable to render any assistance. Nothing was seen however and eventually, the weather at the time being very thick, and the sea getting up I judged it was unjustifiable and useless to remain longer in the vicinity during the dark hours and having made a signal to this effect I shaped course to return to base, arriving off Fanad Head at 4.50am subsequently proceeding to sea again as ordered when course and speed were so adjusted as to arrive off Inishtrahull at daylight. I would add that the safe navigation of Inishtrahull Sound depending only on observations of one light, this had being of little use, the passage through the Sound at night especially and navigation in its vicinity when the weather is thick and the light liable to become obscured at any moment, must always be attended by some risk, which is increased in a heavy sea with a resulting large set. I have the honour to be Sir your obedient servant T.B. Fellows. Lieutenant in Command |