Perhaps. We did not meet patrol vessels that the Germans missed. Von Schönberg's luck is holding so far. I would not say that he was rolling natural 20s in these last few chapters, but maybe consistent 15s. The thing is, even if Driftless had got a message off that was heard and acted upon, the ability of the Canadians to do anything is pretty limited. All the defences are on full alert already. The submarine CC-2 could possible have scrambled, and attempted a torpedo attack on a blacked out fleet travelling at 18 knots on a moonless night. Otherwise, the Rainbow is on its way, but could not arrive faster than it is already attempting. The alarm could have been raised a few hours earlier, but the Canadian capacity to do more would require a POD years before the start of this timeline. As Ronald Lovatt wrote in Shoot Shoot Shoot, A History of the Victoria Esquimalt Coast Artillery Defences 1878-1956 "Peace time parsimony had crippled (the defences)."
The Rainbow. A World War One on Canada's West Coast Timeline
- Thread starter YYJ
- Start date
And to be completely honest, you'd need such a large deviation from any realistic timeline that I can't see it being very feasible to do. Even Laurier's proposed fleet of six Acorn-class destroyers and four Weymouth-class cruisers was to be built at home starting in later 1911 or 1912 likely would not have been ready for when they were needed at the dawn of WWI, Canadian domestic shipbuilding was not up to task in building these warships fast enough.
Actually, the Royal Navy has responded to Esquimalt a few times that other that HMS Newcastle, due in Esquimalt on Aug 30, they cannot spare any ships to come to the aid of British Columbia because they are busy looking for Von Spee and Scharnorst and Gneisenau. HMAS Australia, Melbourne,Pyramus, and Psyche, the French Armoured Cruiser Montcalm, and HMS Philomel, are looking for the East Asiatic squadron main force, but with so much ocean to cover they are instead being used as convoy escorts for the troopships bringing New Zealand soldiers to occupy the various German colonies in the Pacific. I expect there are other RN and Perhaps Russian ships searching there as well
I may remain coy about where Von Spee senior is right now ITTL, but OTL his ships left Eniwetok Atoll on Aug 22 and arrived at Majuro Island on Aug 26. They are unlikely to be far from those places now, because the Pacific is so damn big.
Genuine Quarry
Aug 21, 0600 hours. HMCS Rainbow, Off Cape Flattery.
Commander Hose was relieved that after a seemingly interminable time spent chasing the phantom German Navy, he now had a genuine quarry with a genuine position. At 0130 he received orders to capture the German auxiliary SS Saxonia, which had slipped out of her neutral port haven of Seattle earlier in the evening. At 0430, the submarine CC-1 had reported spotting the Saxonia at first light, nearing Cape Flattery, travelling on the American side of the Strait. Hose had earlier been ordered to inspect the port of Ucluelet for some irregular civilian vessel activity, but he quite frankly considered this to be below his station. So he was happy when he learned CGS Malaspina would be arriving at the same time as Rainbow. Let the patrol vessel check on the town and free up his cruiser to capture the German auxiliary. He made the call to bypass Ucluelet and not lose an hour or so off his pursuit.
And just as well. At 0510 he had encountered the Malaspina in Imperial Eagle Channel. Malaspina had signalled that they already inspected the town and found nothing amiss, as Hose had suspected. He bid adieu and shaped his course south to intercept Saxonia. Later, he again spotted Malaspina. This time the patrol vessel was close to shore, but outside Barclay Sound, northbound in the direction of Ucluelet at a healthy rate of speed. Then at 0545 he spotted Saxonia’s smoke in the rising light. By 0600 he had the German liner in sight at a range of 10 nautical miles, two tall masts and then a single funnel sitting at the base of her column of smoke. The German liner saw Rainbow as well, and turned to run south, outside the American 3 mile limit. A stern chase ensued, with Rainbow making 15 knots and the Saxonia seeming incapable of more than 10 or 11.
“Let’s see you escape this time,” Hose muttered, referring to his elusive German adversaries collectively. “Keep an extra eye to the south,” he ordered the lookouts. “It is possible this auxiliary may be leading us towards the Leipzig, just over the horizon.” Rainbow was diving into the swells, with green water coming over her bows. At their current differential speeds, Rainbow was gaining a nautical mile on the Saxonia every 12 minutes. The pace of the pursuit was not rapid, but nevertheless Hose was gripped with intensity. This was, after all, actual war. He stood on the bridge wing, watching the distant liner, under its smoke trail.
The wireless operator began to bring messages to Hose. The captain was fixated on his quarry such that he was at first only annoyed by the interruptions.
0610 hours PACHEENA POINT TO HMCD ESQUIMALT Bamfield CABLE STATION REPORTS LAND AND SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH CABLES BOTH OUT OF SERVICE TIMING SUGGESTS CABLES WERE INTENTIONALLY CUT STOP LIFESAVING TELEGRAPH VIA PORT RENFREW AND PACHEENA WIRELESS STATION STILL OPERATIONAL AT THE MOMENT STOP
0615 HOURS VANCOUVER HARBOUR MASTER NYK LINER Shidzuoka Maru REPORTS ENCOUNTERING TWO CRUISERS ONE LINER O600 HOURS OFF POINT ROBERTS IN CANADIAN WATERS NORTHBOUND AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED STOP ONE CRUISER FLYING JAPANESE FALSE FLAG
0620 HIS MAJESTY’S CONSUL SEATTLE REPORTS UNITED STATES REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE AS A courtesy informs us that the cutter unalga has been shadowing two cruisers and a three funnelled liner in CANADIAN WATERS IN boundary pass FROM 0445 HOURS STOP SHIPS STEAMING AT 20 KNOTS ESTIMATED AND FLYING JAPANESE FRENCH AND BRITISH ENSIGNS RESPECTIVELY
Were these reports the product of more overactive imaginations? He would hardly call the dour US Revenue Cutter Service excitable. The risky diplomatic position this report put the American sender in, vis-à-vis the Neutrality Act, alone suggested that this was a serious sighting. And yet, if it turned out to be in error, turning away to respond now would mean allowing a bona fide enemy ship to escape. He looked at through his binoculars again at the fleeing Saxonia. She was now 8 nautical miles distant.
HMCS RAINBOW TO HMCD ESQUIMALT AUXILIARY SAXONIA IN SIGHT AND WITHIN REACH TO CAPTURE PLEASE ADVISE STOP
HMCD ESQUIMALT TO HMCS RAINBOW DEFENDING COASTAL CITIES OF UTMOST URGENCY CAPTURING ENEMY AUXILIARIES ALSO HIGH PRIORITY USE YOUR DISCRESSION STOP
At this closing rate, Rainbow would come within range to fire a shot across the Saxonia’s bow in three quarters of an hour. That was a big liner, he noted. She must be 10,000 tons. That would make for a lot of coal to keep German raiders working the coast. He could not spare that much time to catch her.
“Bring us up to 19 knots,” ordered Hose calmly. “We’re going to run that liner down smartly and get back to Esquimalt. Chief Engineer, let’s keep those engines lubricated. I have a feeling we are going to be asking much of them today.” Moving at her maximum practicable speed, her rated speed, Hose could bring Saxonia into range of his forward 6 inch gun in twenty five minutes. If his old ship did not shake itself to pieces first.
0625 CGS MALASPINA TO HMCD ESQUIMALT TOWN OF UCLUELET COMPLETELY DESERTED EMPTY STREETS EMPTY HOUSES STORE SHELVES EMPTY OF SUPPLIES TWO SHIPS SUNKEN IN HARBOUR SUSPECT GERMAN RAIDERS STOP
Hose shook his head in disbelief at this message.
HMCS RAINBOW TO CGS MALASPINA YOU REPORTED UCLUELET FINE AT 0510 HOURS THIS MORNING WHEN WE SIGNALLED YOU IN IMPERIAL EAGLE CHANNEL STOP
MALASPINA TO RAINBOW WE HAVE NOT COMMUNICATED DIRECTLY WITH YOU THIS DAY STOP WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN IMPERIAL EAGLE CHANNEL THIS AM STOP
“Now what is this nonsense?” said Hose. He recalled the captain of the Malaspina. Al McFarlane, now reserve lieutenant. An old salt on this coast, and an eminently sensible fellow in Hose’s recollection. “We exchanged Morse light messages with Malaspina an hour ago. Did we not?”
The bridge crew to a man concurred. “Yes, sir! We saw it with our very eyes.”
Hose had a sudden terrible feeling. If the latest message, ostensibly from Malaspina in Ucluelet was of a kind with those from Dixon Entrance in the past few days, then he was now in a live conversation with a German agent, bent on deception. He was forced into a quick mental inventory of what, if anything he could trust. But… if the messages claiming to be from Malaspina were false, that would mean the agent was using Malaspina’s proper secret call sign, and a current naval code.
0630 BAMFIELD CABLE STATION UNDER ATTACK FROM LAND AND SEA SEND IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE STOP
Or false messages could be coming from other sources. Yet this latest message from the Cable Station was also in proper naval code. Or… alternately, all these messages could be true, and the Morse light exchange an hour ago with the ship he had believed to be the Malaspina could have been with an imposter. Like the captured Galiano. The sun chose this moment to rise over the distant coastal mountains, illuminating all. Of course! Morse light messages are sent in clear. And Hose had wished the German raider Galiano a good day, and left her alone to wreak more havoc. Damn. Damn. Damn.
0635 CGS MALASPINA TO BAMFIELD CABLE STATION ON THE WAY TO RENDER ASSISTANCE STOP
Rainbow had now closed Saxonia’s lead to 6 miles, 12,000 yards. The extreme range of Rainbow’s 6 inch Quick Firing Mark II guns was 10,000 yards. The German liner turned east, perhaps to run into American territorial waters to be interned, but she was too slow. At 0645 Hose ordered the forward 6 inch gun to prepare to fire a warning shot, and several minutes later, when the gunnery officer had the range, Rainbow fired her first shot of the war. The shell landed short, and well off Saxonia’s bow, but it had the desired effect. The gun crew loaded a second shell, but this was not necessary. The liner began losing speed immediately, and soon was hove to. Rainbow covered the remaining distance in 15 minutes.
“Prepare boarding party and prize crew!” ordered Hose. Men assembled, boats were swung out, and at 0700, Rainbow lay alongside the Saxonia, bobbing in the swells, with the wild shores and tall peaks of the Olympic peninsula 7 miles to the east.
HMCS RAINBOW TO HMCD ESQUIMALT HAVE DETAINED SAXONIA AND AM BOARDING STOP AFTER PRIZE CREW IS EMBARKED CAN RENDER ASSISTANCE TO BAMFIELD OR ELSEWHERE PLEASE ADVISE
HMCD ESQUIMALT TO HMCS RAINBOW VANCOUVER COASTAL BATTERIES ARE ENGAGING HOSTILE CRUISER BELIEVED TO BE NURNBERG
navalandmilitarymuseum.org
Commander Hose was relieved that after a seemingly interminable time spent chasing the phantom German Navy, he now had a genuine quarry with a genuine position. At 0130 he received orders to capture the German auxiliary SS Saxonia, which had slipped out of her neutral port haven of Seattle earlier in the evening. At 0430, the submarine CC-1 had reported spotting the Saxonia at first light, nearing Cape Flattery, travelling on the American side of the Strait. Hose had earlier been ordered to inspect the port of Ucluelet for some irregular civilian vessel activity, but he quite frankly considered this to be below his station. So he was happy when he learned CGS Malaspina would be arriving at the same time as Rainbow. Let the patrol vessel check on the town and free up his cruiser to capture the German auxiliary. He made the call to bypass Ucluelet and not lose an hour or so off his pursuit.
And just as well. At 0510 he had encountered the Malaspina in Imperial Eagle Channel. Malaspina had signalled that they already inspected the town and found nothing amiss, as Hose had suspected. He bid adieu and shaped his course south to intercept Saxonia. Later, he again spotted Malaspina. This time the patrol vessel was close to shore, but outside Barclay Sound, northbound in the direction of Ucluelet at a healthy rate of speed. Then at 0545 he spotted Saxonia’s smoke in the rising light. By 0600 he had the German liner in sight at a range of 10 nautical miles, two tall masts and then a single funnel sitting at the base of her column of smoke. The German liner saw Rainbow as well, and turned to run south, outside the American 3 mile limit. A stern chase ensued, with Rainbow making 15 knots and the Saxonia seeming incapable of more than 10 or 11.
“Let’s see you escape this time,” Hose muttered, referring to his elusive German adversaries collectively. “Keep an extra eye to the south,” he ordered the lookouts. “It is possible this auxiliary may be leading us towards the Leipzig, just over the horizon.” Rainbow was diving into the swells, with green water coming over her bows. At their current differential speeds, Rainbow was gaining a nautical mile on the Saxonia every 12 minutes. The pace of the pursuit was not rapid, but nevertheless Hose was gripped with intensity. This was, after all, actual war. He stood on the bridge wing, watching the distant liner, under its smoke trail.
The wireless operator began to bring messages to Hose. The captain was fixated on his quarry such that he was at first only annoyed by the interruptions.
0610 hours PACHEENA POINT TO HMCD ESQUIMALT Bamfield CABLE STATION REPORTS LAND AND SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH CABLES BOTH OUT OF SERVICE TIMING SUGGESTS CABLES WERE INTENTIONALLY CUT STOP LIFESAVING TELEGRAPH VIA PORT RENFREW AND PACHEENA WIRELESS STATION STILL OPERATIONAL AT THE MOMENT STOP
0615 HOURS VANCOUVER HARBOUR MASTER NYK LINER Shidzuoka Maru REPORTS ENCOUNTERING TWO CRUISERS ONE LINER O600 HOURS OFF POINT ROBERTS IN CANADIAN WATERS NORTHBOUND AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED STOP ONE CRUISER FLYING JAPANESE FALSE FLAG
0620 HIS MAJESTY’S CONSUL SEATTLE REPORTS UNITED STATES REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE AS A courtesy informs us that the cutter unalga has been shadowing two cruisers and a three funnelled liner in CANADIAN WATERS IN boundary pass FROM 0445 HOURS STOP SHIPS STEAMING AT 20 KNOTS ESTIMATED AND FLYING JAPANESE FRENCH AND BRITISH ENSIGNS RESPECTIVELY
Were these reports the product of more overactive imaginations? He would hardly call the dour US Revenue Cutter Service excitable. The risky diplomatic position this report put the American sender in, vis-à-vis the Neutrality Act, alone suggested that this was a serious sighting. And yet, if it turned out to be in error, turning away to respond now would mean allowing a bona fide enemy ship to escape. He looked at through his binoculars again at the fleeing Saxonia. She was now 8 nautical miles distant.
HMCS RAINBOW TO HMCD ESQUIMALT AUXILIARY SAXONIA IN SIGHT AND WITHIN REACH TO CAPTURE PLEASE ADVISE STOP
HMCD ESQUIMALT TO HMCS RAINBOW DEFENDING COASTAL CITIES OF UTMOST URGENCY CAPTURING ENEMY AUXILIARIES ALSO HIGH PRIORITY USE YOUR DISCRESSION STOP
At this closing rate, Rainbow would come within range to fire a shot across the Saxonia’s bow in three quarters of an hour. That was a big liner, he noted. She must be 10,000 tons. That would make for a lot of coal to keep German raiders working the coast. He could not spare that much time to catch her.
“Bring us up to 19 knots,” ordered Hose calmly. “We’re going to run that liner down smartly and get back to Esquimalt. Chief Engineer, let’s keep those engines lubricated. I have a feeling we are going to be asking much of them today.” Moving at her maximum practicable speed, her rated speed, Hose could bring Saxonia into range of his forward 6 inch gun in twenty five minutes. If his old ship did not shake itself to pieces first.
0625 CGS MALASPINA TO HMCD ESQUIMALT TOWN OF UCLUELET COMPLETELY DESERTED EMPTY STREETS EMPTY HOUSES STORE SHELVES EMPTY OF SUPPLIES TWO SHIPS SUNKEN IN HARBOUR SUSPECT GERMAN RAIDERS STOP
Hose shook his head in disbelief at this message.
HMCS RAINBOW TO CGS MALASPINA YOU REPORTED UCLUELET FINE AT 0510 HOURS THIS MORNING WHEN WE SIGNALLED YOU IN IMPERIAL EAGLE CHANNEL STOP
MALASPINA TO RAINBOW WE HAVE NOT COMMUNICATED DIRECTLY WITH YOU THIS DAY STOP WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN IMPERIAL EAGLE CHANNEL THIS AM STOP
“Now what is this nonsense?” said Hose. He recalled the captain of the Malaspina. Al McFarlane, now reserve lieutenant. An old salt on this coast, and an eminently sensible fellow in Hose’s recollection. “We exchanged Morse light messages with Malaspina an hour ago. Did we not?”
The bridge crew to a man concurred. “Yes, sir! We saw it with our very eyes.”
Hose had a sudden terrible feeling. If the latest message, ostensibly from Malaspina in Ucluelet was of a kind with those from Dixon Entrance in the past few days, then he was now in a live conversation with a German agent, bent on deception. He was forced into a quick mental inventory of what, if anything he could trust. But… if the messages claiming to be from Malaspina were false, that would mean the agent was using Malaspina’s proper secret call sign, and a current naval code.
0630 BAMFIELD CABLE STATION UNDER ATTACK FROM LAND AND SEA SEND IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE STOP
Or false messages could be coming from other sources. Yet this latest message from the Cable Station was also in proper naval code. Or… alternately, all these messages could be true, and the Morse light exchange an hour ago with the ship he had believed to be the Malaspina could have been with an imposter. Like the captured Galiano. The sun chose this moment to rise over the distant coastal mountains, illuminating all. Of course! Morse light messages are sent in clear. And Hose had wished the German raider Galiano a good day, and left her alone to wreak more havoc. Damn. Damn. Damn.
0635 CGS MALASPINA TO BAMFIELD CABLE STATION ON THE WAY TO RENDER ASSISTANCE STOP
Rainbow had now closed Saxonia’s lead to 6 miles, 12,000 yards. The extreme range of Rainbow’s 6 inch Quick Firing Mark II guns was 10,000 yards. The German liner turned east, perhaps to run into American territorial waters to be interned, but she was too slow. At 0645 Hose ordered the forward 6 inch gun to prepare to fire a warning shot, and several minutes later, when the gunnery officer had the range, Rainbow fired her first shot of the war. The shell landed short, and well off Saxonia’s bow, but it had the desired effect. The gun crew loaded a second shell, but this was not necessary. The liner began losing speed immediately, and soon was hove to. Rainbow covered the remaining distance in 15 minutes.
“Prepare boarding party and prize crew!” ordered Hose. Men assembled, boats were swung out, and at 0700, Rainbow lay alongside the Saxonia, bobbing in the swells, with the wild shores and tall peaks of the Olympic peninsula 7 miles to the east.
HMCS RAINBOW TO HMCD ESQUIMALT HAVE DETAINED SAXONIA AND AM BOARDING STOP AFTER PRIZE CREW IS EMBARKED CAN RENDER ASSISTANCE TO BAMFIELD OR ELSEWHERE PLEASE ADVISE
HMCD ESQUIMALT TO HMCS RAINBOW VANCOUVER COASTAL BATTERIES ARE ENGAGING HOSTILE CRUISER BELIEVED TO BE NURNBERG
HMCS RAINBOW - CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum
navalandmilitarymuseum.org
Last edited:
Good to see the action finally kicking off for real this time. As for Saxonia, I tend to agree given the fact that Rainbow is already not exactly running at 100% crew wise. As much as a big juicy prize as Saxonia is, hopefully Hose can see what is potentially at stake and make the right decision.
As an aside, excellent linked article regarding Rainbows armament. I've used that in my own research personally so I can vouch for it's value!
As an aside, excellent linked article regarding Rainbows armament. I've used that in my own research personally so I can vouch for it's value!
That's what they SHOULD do, but will the captain think that way with the chance to take a prize in?
Saxonia is a ship registered to a belligerent power, carrying a cargo that is absolute contraband, and that the German Consul has declared in an affidavit to the US Customs Collector to be bound for a warship. Therefore, Saxonia is effectively a warship. Rainbow could fire to sink Saxonia as soon as it comes within range. Once Saxonia surrenders, Rainbow is bound to treat her like a surrendered enemy ship. Not sure exactly what that entails. Below is a list of contraband and conditionally contraband cargoes, and contemporary naval laws of war.
Coulsdon Eagle
Monthly Donor
From reading about the 10th Cruiser Squadron, it was divvied up in shares of 1/8th, with the admiral or C-in-C, captain, officers, wardroom, junior warrant officers and the crew taking 1 or 2/8ths - details here
Prize money - Wikipedia
It was changed before the end of the war in 1918 to go to a central fund.
To be clear, Saxonia has no armament.
Edit: ...and has observed a 9 knot differential between their top speed and their pursuer's speed.
Last edited:
Might come down to the individual mettle of the captain. Perhaps he is a nervous nellie?
The Battle of Bamfield is underway, including a possible fight between sister ships. Will it be known as a part of the greater Ucluelet campaign? Or First and Second Ucluelet? Bamfield seems like a good name for a battle. I need mindless humor this evening.
A good update, YYJ. Rainbow is still in position to intercept the Germans on their return to the Pacific. Maybe with the mighty Malaspina as consort.
A good update, YYJ. Rainbow is still in position to intercept the Germans on their return to the Pacific. Maybe with the mighty Malaspina as consort.
I sometimes get the eerie feeling that folks are looking through my notes and unpublished chapters.