himself to put it as the
song does, but all the same that quick new kick of the screws told me as
plain as any words, even before I read the signal, that the old _Whack_
was jumping away to seek _something_ that had risen.

"The convoy was dead ahead of us at a distance of about seven miles when
I reached the bridge, and, the visibility being unusually good for that
time of year, I could see all of the ships distinctly, as they steamed
in two columns of three abreast. I was even able to recognise the
_Amperi_ in the centre of the leading line. We were just comforting each
other with the assurance that it was getting too rough for a U-boat to
run a torpedo with any chance of finding its mark, when a huge spout of
water jumped skyward right in the middle of the convoy. When it
subsided, the _Amperi_, with a heavy list to port, could be seen heading
westward, evidently with her engines and steering gear disabled, while
the rest of the convoy, smoke rolling from their funnels, were
'starring' on northerly courses.

"The alarm was rung, and as the men rushed to action stations a signal
was made to the _Smack_ asking what was wrong. She replied, '_Amperi_
torpedoed; join me with all dispatch.' This, of course, we had already
started to do, though the wind and sea were knocking a good many knots
off our best speed. It was evident enough that the _Amperi_ had
received a death-blow, so that we were not surprised to find them
abandoning ship as we began to close her.

"Rotten as the weather was for it, this was being conducted most coolly
and skilfully, and three boats had already left her before we came
driving down to her assistance. _Smack_ had signalled us to pick up
survivors, and we had stood in, at reduced speed, to 250 yards of the
now heavily heeling ship, with the intention of proceeding on down, to
the leeward of her to the aid of two of her boats, when we sighted three
or four feet of periscope sticking out of the water, one point on the
starboard bow and at a distance of about a couple of hundred yards. To
see anything at all in rough water like that, you understand, a
periscope has to be poked well above the slap of the waves, and that
about equalizes the greater difficulty there is in picking up the
'feather' when it's choppy.

"I was at my action station with the 12-pounder batteries at this
juncture, but as it looked like a better chance for the depth-charges
than the guns, no order to open fire was given jus