JOANNA AND THE SEA DEVIL (Part 4)


By KATZMAREK(c)


The after gun crew of the Seeteufel waited until the vessel turned and they had a clear field of fire. Firing over their own stern-quarter they risked blowing away the shrouds of the mizzen mast. When they had an uninterrupted view of the French patrol boat they opened fire. The 88mm  Krupp gun cracked, brown smoke erupted from the muzzle, and they all looked to see where the shell went.


Capitaine Krusenbourg of the RFS Chasseur saw the flash from the rear of the German sailing ship and held his breath. An enormous geyser erupted from the sea some 150 metres to starboard of them, too close for comfort. He ordered the helm to be swung to port to place him as near as possible dead astern of the German. He'd decided that was the safest position for his ship until he could get within range for his 3 pounder guns.


Steam was escaping through the ventilators of the patrol boat, from the faulty port engine. It shrouded the boat in a grey haze, merging with the sea foam being thrown up by the pitching vessel. Von Seydlitz's range-takers found it hard to spot the little ship.


The Seeteufel continued to turn, trying to open the arcs so her forward gun could bear as well. The German Skipper knew he was beyond the range of the Frenchman's guns, and within range of his bigger armament, and had no intention of letting the enemy vessel get any closer.


But Krusenbourg was running into trouble. His much-abused port engine was failing and he was running low on boiler feedwater. He felt the torpedo boat start to slow. He shouted frantically at his engineer, but the man just shrugged, he was unable to perform miracles.


Wallowing in the German's wake, he saw the raider come around until both her guns were bearing on his vessel. With two bright flashes, the Seeteufel fired her guns almost simultaneously.


Krusenbourg heard the moan of a shell pass over his ship. The bridge crew ducked instinctively. The forward gun crew of their vessel couldn't contain themselves. With a whoomph they fired at the distant German. Krusenbourg thought they seemed bemused, as if they were surprised the ancient gun fired. Suffice to say, the French shell landed well-short of the German ship.


The Seeteufel continued to circle the Frenchman. The Chasseur tried to keep end on to the sailing ship, to present as smaller target as possible. Krusenbourg threw away his service cap in frustration, his ship was slowing still and he knew he couldn't close the German for the benefit of his gun crews.


Von Seydlitz and Theo Seekt watched the torpedo boat with an air of clinical professionalism. They gave out their orders quietly and calmly and watched his signalmen march off smartly with their messages. They were a well-drilled team, and he took pride in the way the crew were working.


"She is hurt, Captain," Theo told his skipper.


"I do not think we have got that close to her. Perhaps it's a bluff?"


"A strange one, sir.


"Hmm, circle around, I think. Make sure we stay away from her bows in case they launch torpedoes."


The Seeteufel fired another salvo. This time the shells fell closer to the French ship, deluging it with water and splinters. The Patrol boat fired back but were again out of range.


Still Krusenbourg wouldn't give up. Again he tried to turn towards the German and close the range but his speed had dropped to under 10 knots. The Seeteufel, at her full motoring speed of 16 knots, carefully remained out of the Frenchman's reach.


Suddenly, the Chasseur shuddered as a shell landed alongside her stern. Some of the after gun crew were blown over the side, plates were sprung, buckled and bent below the waterline and the aft compartments began to flood.


Grimly Krusenbourg held on, and still his guns fired at the German as well as they could. His crew, he saw, were performing magnificently. They set about their tasks with grim determination and spirit, he thought them heroes all.


Finally, with the ship visibly listing and down at the stern, another shell plunged into the Chasseur amidships and exploded in her boiler room. The patrol boat erupted in steam and smoke, it crashed over on her port beam then slowly righted herself. Krusenbourg, hanging onto the bridge rail saw there were men in the water.


'Crack,' someone fired the forward gun insolently. The French skipper couldn't see his ship past the first funnel, so shrouded as she was in a grey/brown blanket. The ship lurched, Krusenbourg saw the bow begin to rise, then slowly she rolled onto her starboard side. This time she didn't right herself but capsized completely.


"She's gone, sir," remarked Theo to his captain.


"Good," von Seydlitz replied. He didn't feel triumphant. He'd secretly hoped the Frenchman would turn back, but it had kept coming at him. He knew he'd no other option but it gave him no satisfaction. "Let's get out of here," he told Theo.


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On the beach, to Rupert, Joanna and Hiram, the silence was deafening. The rumbling from in the distance had abruptly stopped. As the day stretched into the afternoon, it became obvious no-one was coming back for them.


The two men began constructing an additional shelter for Hiram. Few words were spoken, it was clear what was needed to be done.


That night Joanna lay in her lover's arms while Hiram snored lustily a short distance away. She woke up sometime during the night to find Rupert, his back to her, sobbing. She held him a little tighter.


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Two days later some Marquesan fishermen found 5 sailors floating on wreckage drifting to the East of Hatutu. They were dehydrated and suffering from exposure. The fishermen took them to the Mission on Eiao and the news was immediately radioed to Papeete. The small mail steamer set out from Nuku Hiva to collect them.


A signal was sent to Sussex speeding towards Tahiti for coal. The rescued sailors were able to tell them the direction Seeteufel took after sinking the Chasseur. The Japanese cruiser Takasago had just departed Suva and hurried to intercept. Von Seydlitz, however, had waited until he was out of sight and turned North. The net would be empty.


A new energy was generated around the Naval base at Papeete. The loss of the Chasseur had shocked the Navy and worked sped up on the Dupetit-Trouars to get her ready for sea. Admiral Michelet vowed that the shells that sunk the Seeteufel would be French.


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The day dawned hot and humid. Instead of blue skys, the atmosphere was leaden with an impending storm. Hiram and Rupert gazed at the horizon from the beach at Hatutu like two old Salts.


"Storm!" Rupert said.


"Yep," replied Hiram, "better get ourselves inland." 


"There's rising ground and good shelter about 200 metres that way," Rupert pointed, "I found Native campsite. I think Marquesans had same idea."


"You've got this place surveyed good."


Rupert shrugged, "not much else to do but look around."


"And fish?"


"Ja, of course."


By the time Rupert, Hiram and Joanna had got their belongings inland to the fishermen's campsite the wind had begun to rise. Quickly they set about making a shelter with matting lashed together around a grotto formed by an enormous slab of Basalt rock. Huddled together, they waited for the storm to unleash its full fury.


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Meanwhile, some 400 kilometres to the East of Christmas Island, the Seeteufel came across some easy pickings. It was the SS Mary B, a British flagged tramp steamer engaged in the copra trade. The diminuative Mary B was owned by her Master, her crew owned shares in the cargo. The ship was old, slow and didn't carry any radio.


Von Seydlitz gave the crew 10 minutes to take to their life boats then sunk her with gunfire. Through Theo, he gave the drifting crew directions to Christmas Island, then headed East, then North again.


HMS Connaught Castle was a former passenger steamer of 3,200 Gross Registered Tons. She'd been enlisted in the Royal Navy as an Armed Merchant Cruiser to assist in patrol and escort work. The Conaught Castle was chosen partly because she was new and had a respectable speed thanks to her steam turbine propulsion. The Navy armed her with four 4 inch guns. one each on foredeck and afterdeck and two mounted in the waist of the vessel. This gave her a broadside of three guns, because the remaining gun couldn't be fired over the deck because of the intervening mainmast.


The ship was a day out of Christmas Island, having called to provision, when she spotted a strange ship to the south. She radioed her position and  explained she was investigating an undentified vessel. Her radio operator kept broadcasting more information as the Connaught Castle quickly began to overtake the vessel.


'Strange vessel is a sailing ship of three masts. It appears to be under auxiliary power with sails taken in and heading ENE magnetic. Vessel seems unable or unwilling to answer repeated radio calls for her to hove to. Am using Morse lamp.'


At Papeete, Captain Debenham of HMS Sussex had no doubt it was the Seeteufel. He immediately put to sea and suggested the Edinburgh Castle use her speed advantage to herd the German South.


Von Seydlitz was keeping watch on the rapidly approaching steamer with growing alarm. Still flying the Swedish flag, he read her repeated messages, by radio and Morse lamp, and had no doubt the steamer was an armed auxiliary.


"Conference!" he told his Officers.


"It is a British Royal Mail Steamer," Theo explained, "Castle Line."


"It's 'dazzle painted'," said another Officer, "like their AMCs."


"Are we outgunned?"


"Their AMCs have three or four guns, 4 inchers," Theo continued, "I think they slightly outrange us."


"We can't get into a gunfight with her," the Engineer said, aghast, "our hull will be perforated by even a near miss."


"I agree," von Seydlitz said, "then we must rely on the element of doubt. Theo, send a message to her identifying ourselves as the SV Viggen, then hove to. I want torpedoes loaded and ready to fire. I want the gun crews at their stations. Point blank, Gentleman, we will fight her point blank, like the sailing ships of old."


"Sir, is this wise?" asked the Engineer.


"No, but can you give me four more knots?" The engineer shook his head, "then I don't have any other idea at the moment."


'SV Viggen,' the Morse lamp flashed from the Seeteufel, 'Stockholm, in ballast to Honolulu.'


'Hove to,' the Connaught Castle signalled, 'and be prepared for inspection.'


The Seetuefel came into the wind and stopped her engines. The gun crews crept into their disguised positions and loaded the two Krupp 88s. Silently the Germans watched with growing tension as the the British Auxilliary approached.


"Engines dead slow," called von Seydlitz, "I want some steerage way." The only way he could aim his beam torpedo was by turning the ship. Von Seydlitz remembered the incident with the Northampton and didn't want to be caught like that again, unable to maneuvre.


Debenham read the stream of signals from the chatty operator of the Connaught Castle with growing unease. 'Vessel has stopped, am preparing to carry out inspection.'


"Inspection?" he told his Exec in frustration, "don't inspect the bastard, shoot him! Why doesn't that man do as he's told? Crowd him South, for Christ's sake."


At the same time, Theo Seekt and von Seydlitz watched the steamer come to a halt. They saw the AMC had her guns manned and bearing on the Seeteufel. Both ships were rolling in the swell. Seeteufel was slowly moving, ostensibly to keep her nose into the wind but, in reality, von Seydlitz was trying to aim his beam tube at the Englishman.


'We protest,' von Seydlitz signalled, 'this interference in the right of free passage of a Neutral vessel.'


'Free passage,' the Britisher sent back, 'in that the Neutral does not carry the contraband of an enemy nation.'


"Keep him talking," von Seydlitz told Theo, "keep him guessing."


'We are in ballast,' Theo signalled, 'and have never carried Government or private goods for the Central Powers.'


'Notwithstanding, I'm obliged and empowered by His Majesty's Government to inspect the papers of any Neutral suspected of breeching the Hague Convention.'


The Connaught Castle's signaller was growing tired, her Captain exasperated. "Lower the boat!" he ordered, "and tell that Swede to drop a ladder!"


"Wait until that boat's rowed out from their ship," von Seydlitz said, "everything ready?"


"Yes, sir. We have a clean shot." 


The German Skipper nodded. "Wait for my signal. They may hesitate to fire with their boat in the way. That's our best chance." He counted down the seconds. "Theo, another signal, now, if you please."


"What shall I say?"


"Anything, make something up."


'British boat, come to midships ladder.'


"Brilliant!" von Seydlitz smiled. He waited a few more seconds while the boat with the boarding party made for the non-existant midships ladder. "Fire one!" the Skipper said, "load tube and pressurise, fire two when ready. Drop masks, fire guns. Raise the flag, now Theo!"


Everything happened in quick succession. The boat's crew were surprised by a sudden burst of bubbles from alongside the sailing ship. Something passed underneath them. Perhaps the sharpest of them had figured out what was happening before a burst of machine gun fire emptied the rowing boat of its crew.


The gun crews of the British ship watched in fascination as the masks on the sailing ship fell away to reveal naval guns already swivelling in their direction. They had just recovered from this surprise when their ship shuddered and a plume of water and smoke erupted below the passenger saloon.


A quick-witted gun captain on the British ship's foredeck ordered his crew to fire. The shell, on a flat trajectory, whistled over the deck of the Seeteufel and burst in the sea. Their midships gun had been swamped with water and debris and the crew thrown off their feet. The after gun crew finally fired at the stern of the fleeing German. That shot missed also.


The Krupp 88s fired in reply and, at point blank at the tall mercantile hull of the Auxilliary, could hardly miss. Both shells struck forward, disabling her gun. Von Seydlitz turned for the benefit of his torpedo crew and launched another fish. That struck the ship forward, also, shattering her hull below the waterline.


The Connaught Castle began to list to starboard. The midships gun crew recovered sufficiently to bring their weapon into action. On the gradually sloping deck, the crew managed to aim with a degree of deliberation. This time, the shell struck home, landing on the after deck of the Seeteufel, just astern of her mizzen mast.


The ship whipped with the impact, shrapnel and wood-shards shrieked in a deadly hail over the rear deck of the German raider. Everyone lay flattened to the deck, the wounded and unwounded, until the fire-party chief began to kick his crew into action.


Von Seydlitz and Theo picked themselves off the deck where they were thrown, and briefly examined each other for injury. Looking aft, they saw that the helm had gone and was replaced with dense smoke. Below was an emergency wheel in a compartment above the rudder. The German Skipper ordered some men down there to regain control of the ship. A team was organised to shout orders down from topside.


Only when the Connaught Castle was a smudge of smoke on the horizon did the German Officers begin to congratulate themselves. It had been a good fight, they thought, and, all things considered, got out of it a lot lighter than they feared.


Two men had been killed outright, both stationed on the after deck. Of the 6 wounded, 1 was expected to die of his wounds. It saddened von Seydlitz, but it could've been a lot worse, a lot worse indeed. He thanked the men for their professionalism and dedication then went down below to speak to the wounded.


Despite frantic efforts at counter-flooding by the crew of the British Auxiliary, the ship broke its back just forward of the saloon some two hours after being torpedoed. In that time, the radio operator, the Marconi set running on batteries, broadcast a precise description of their attacker and its weapons to Debenham hurrying up in the Sussex. It would be a good 8 hours before the cruiser reached the AMC's position. By then, however, the Connaught Castle would be at the bottom of the Pacific.


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Joanna was in wonder how this tranqil island could suddenly become wild and frightening. The wind screamed overhead and roared through the trees that thrashed alarmingly in reponse. Rain thundered on the frail walls of their storm shelter sending in a driving mist as the heavy droplets smashed themselves against the woven matting. Their clothes were soaking wet. She shivered against Rupert in cold and in fear.


Hiram bent to make running repairs to a loose lashing. He dared to take a peek outside, then recoiled, shaking the water from his face.


"Sure's wild out there," he said over the noise.


Joanna wondered whether this was the end of everything. She tried to think of the good times, of her and Rupert in each other's arms, of his strong body and of her locked together with him. She thought of those evenings when they made love spontaneously, when they communicated their thoughts with a touch or an expression. She thought of Rupert strolling up the beach with an armful of fish, bare-chested and in those brief shorts. Despite their current predicament, she smiled and hugged her lover a little more fiercely.


The wind dropped all of a sudden. The men looked at each other. "The eye's passing," Hiram said casually, Rupert nodded. "Say, Hiram continued, "do you think your ship will be back?" 


The German shook his head, "no," he replied, "is gone, must keep moving, hide in ocean. Is too dangerous to come back."


"Who thought of a sailing ship?" he asked, shaking his head, "I guess it's romantic and all that, but.."


"Many Neutrals still use sail," Rupert explained, "Scandinavia, the Dutch. Is good disguise."


"I just think it's cheating," Hiram told him, "I don't like it. Like them submarines. It don't give anyone a chance."


Rupert shrugged. "The British have Germany under blockade," he said, "is no different. Both sides try to starve the other. The British started commerce war by driving German merchantmen off the ocean in first weeks. With stalemate in France, is no other way to break deadlock."


"I guess so," Hiram considered, rubbing his chin, "still..."


The following night the storm abated. The morning broke clear and warm. But for the debris on the beach, the uprooted and broken trees, and the rivers of dirty brown water rushing at points along the beach to the sea, it was as if nothing had happened.


The castaways began to restore the remnants of their campsite in the bush. Around mid-morning, however, canoes were spotted coming around the point. The Marquesans were on a scavenging expedition after the storm.


"Come you two," Hiram said, "we're going home!"


"No!" Rupert said, shaking his head firmly, "will be prisoner!"


"Well, ok then," Hiram said after a lengthy pause, "then I guess it's us two, Joanna." 


Joanna looked wildly from Hiram to Rupert, now fleeing into the bush. She knew what her decision was going to be, she only needed Hiram's assurance he'd say nothing.


Her choice hadn't been hard at all. She'd often envisaged this moment. The time when she'd be forced to decide on rescue and the comforts of civilisation and home. To live in security while her heart dwelt on an isolated island in the middle of the Pacific.


"I'm staying too," she told Hiram.


"Dammit, Joanna, you can't..."


"I can," she said firmly, "and I need you to tell them this island's uninhabited."


"I can't..."


"I'm not leaving! Not without Rupert!"


"Aw shit... What am I going to tell your folks?"


"Tell them I'm fine. That I'm being well looked after." She grinned at him before speeding off into hiding.


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Debenham arrived at the site of the sinking of the Connaught Castle and picked up the survivors. Otherwise the sea was empty.


Meanwhile, the Seeteufel, her stern badly damaged and her shells depleted, made for South America, choosing internment over surrender. She dodged Arthur's cruiser squadron by a day and arrived in Santiago in Chile a week later. There, the crew went ashore to await the end of the war while the sailing ship was tied up and put under guard by Chilean Authorities.


Debenham followed her there, stayed 24 hours, as was permitted under the laws of Neutrality, and met the German Officers. He found he liked von Seydlitz. The two, as career Officers, had a great deal in common.


Poor old Admiral Michelet did get the Dupetit-Trouars to sea, but only after the Seeteufel was safe in Chile. He steamed aimlessly about for some days, laid a reef at the site of the sinking of the Chasseur, then headed back to port to wait for peace. In any event, the flagship's only other voyage was to the breakers yard in Singapore in 1920, along with Linois.


Meanwhile, Robert and Margaret Begg travelled back to Los Angeles after being deposited in Chile by the Dutch freighter. There, they continually harrassed the US Naval authorities to mount an expedition to rescue their daughter. The Navy was adamant, however, they had rather more important tasks for their ships and would get around to it when they had time.


Hiram arrived home some 6 months later to be called up into the Navy. He was able to assure the Beggs that Joanna was in good hands. He was able to arrange supplies to be left for them on Hatutu, thanks to the Missionary Brothers, and even suggested Joanna was under their care. Margaret accepted this assurance. It had an element of truth in any case.


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The Armistice was declared on November the 11th 1918 and the news broadcast around the World. Several days later, Brother Paul travelled to Hatutu to inform Joanna and Rupert. He also checked up on their daughter, Lottie Margaret Sachsenburger.


It troubled him that he couldn't baptise the child because her parents were living out of wedlock. He'd broached the subject before but Joanna had wanted her family there for the marriage. 


Rupert had steadily improved their home, with the assistance of some building supplies from the Jesuits. It could now withstand the tropical storms, had two floors and a balcony from which they had majestic views of the beach.


Brother Paul saw that Joanna was pregnant again and tutted. He asked them again to come and live at the Mission on Eiao but they refused. Eventually, he deposited the supplies and left, shaking his head.


Joanna and Rupert walked back to their home with mixed feelings. No-longer need they fear the arrival of the French Colonial Authorities. They didn't have to hide when they spotted a steamship or wait anxiously for the canoes from Eiao to discharge before walking down the beach, in case a Uniformed Officer climbed out of the boat. They were free, now, but that freedom meant they would need to make choices. 


There was nothing to stop them regaining civilisation, now. They could sail from this place, legitimise themselves and their small family, and live openly in Germany, America, wherever. But did they want to?


Life, although far from easy on this small island, had given them the freedom to do whatever they wanted, whenever, without neighbours or family to tell them they couldn't. Clothes, for instance, had been optional, and they frequently went naked. They made love whenever the urge took them and Joanna delighted in playing with Rupert's balls during dinner.


Occasionally visitors came, Brother Paul or some Marquesan fishermen, and they enjoyed the company for a while and enjoyed it when they left.


The crunch came in late December 1918 when a small American steamer anchored in the bay under the cliffs. They knew who was aboard even before the ship lowered its boat.


Margaret and Robert Begg greeted their Granddaughter for the first time. The girl's Grandmother sniffed back tears in a not unexpected fashion. She glowered at the guilty pair before accepting Joanna into her arms for a hug.


They had stopped at Eiao on the way and uplifted the Priest, Brother Paul. In short order they had a ceremony on the beach in front of the house. Afterwards, the Priest baptised their daughter.


They returned to America but a year later were back on Hatutu. There, Rupert constructed an artesian well powered by a windmill. With the water problem solved, they successfully populated the island with 6 of their offspring.


Some years later, in partnership with a French couple, they established a resort on Hatutu, for those Westerners seeking adventure and isolation.


KATZMAREK(C)
