The Naval Review The copyright of this article rests with the author, or the author's estate.

BATTLE OF SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY.

IT is Christmas Day in the Arctic ; and this is my first trip to sea in wartime-as an ordinary seaman in the Belfast protecting a convoy going to Russia. We are at second degree of readiness. My station is in A shell-room.

At about five o'clock we hear the loud-speaker click and everybody stops talking or is told to shut up. We hear the familiar "D'you hear there?" which is always repeated twice before an announcement is made, then we hear the captain's voice. He tells us that the convoy has been picked up by enemy reconnaissance planes; so we have to be in readiness to go into action all to-night and to-morrow. After this announcement everybody settles down in the shell-room to his book or has a doze before supper. After supper we get our heads down. This is a very complicated operation, as it takes at least a quarter of an hour to get in a reasonably comfortable position free from oil drips. The night passes without incident and so also does the early morning.

But at approximately 9.30 a.m. the order "Stand By" comes down from the gunhouse. Everybody gets up, deflates and put on their lifebelts which they have been using as pillows, the shellroom's crew start unshipping the bars which hold the shells in place in the trays. The magazine and handing-room men go down to their respective stations and the hatches are closed on top of them. Every one is tensed for us to open fire. Not many minutes later we hear gunfire to starboard and we can feel our 4-inch guns firing star-shell. We all look at one another and ask, "Why aren't our 6-inch opening up?" or words to this bowlderized effect. The firing lasts a few minutes and we are all very impatient to know what has happened. Then comes the commander's voice: "After a few broadsides from the Norfolk the enemy, whoever she may be, has turned away and we are now chasing her."

This is a sign for everyone to relax and ask each other: "Well I wonder what she is. I hope we aren't up against the Scharnhorst."At twelve o'clock we have a hurried lunch and at 2.30 the "Stand By " is given again. Then there is a most awful crash as our guns go off. I start taking shells from the trays and putting them on the shell ring round the three shell hoists. I repeat this operation every time the guns go off. Conversation starts again. [Bowlderized here as usual.] "This is the first time this ship has fired her guns in anger." "I wish they would tell us what we are firing at; anyway I hope it is nothing larger than a destroyer." "It's a pretty feeble enemy, it's not even firing back." From the gunhouse comes a message, "Well done, A and B turrets; now give X and Y a chance." So we are one up on the Marines. The firing lasts about twenty minutes.

At last we hear the commander's voice again. "The enemy has turned away and is retreating at 28 knots towards the Norwegian coast. The Duke of York and Jamaica are coming up from the south to cut her off;" Everyone is pleased with themselves.

A and B magazines are in need of more flashless cordite. So all the hands available; about 180, form a chain to pass the charges from the other magazines. This task takes over an hour to complete. While we are carrying it out it is announced over the loudspeaker that we are still chasing the Scharnhorst and that the Duke of York and Jamaica are in a good position to cut her off and should make contact in about an hour's time. . This news cheers us up a lot and at last we know who the enemy is.

However, it is not till about 6.30 that it is announced that the Duke of York has contacted the enemy.

We are now back at our stations and the commander speaks again. "The Duke of York has opened fire on the Scharnhorst at long range. We are to the northward of the enemy for the purpose of preventing her breaking away from the Duke of York."

At about 7.30 we hear that the Scharnhorst is coming toward us and we open fire again.

This engagement does not last long. Not many minutes after We heard over the loudspeaker that the destroyers have been sent in. A little later we hear a hollow thud which we think are the torpedoes hitting the Scharnhorst.

We are all very excited and wonder if the Scharnhorst has been slowed up. Then there is a message from the gunhouse that the enemy is on fire. The time by now is nearly 9.30 and the commander speaks again: "The C-in-C has ordered the Jamaica to go in and finish her off." .

This news is really thrilling; but we ask ourselves: "Why wern't we ordered to finish her? After all, we are the flagship and We have been in it all the time." Then comes the great news over the loud-speaker: "The Admiral has ordered the Belfast to finish her off." We listen intently for the thud of the torpedoes and hear quite a number.

Then we cruise round for what seems like hours and everyone is impatient to know what has happened. The commander speaks once more: "We are now looking for any wreck of the Scharnhorst which we can torpedo." Not long after this We are told: "A destroyer has signalled that the Scharnhorst has sunk and the survivors have confirmed it."

This news leaves us stunned, tired and very happy. All of us feel that we have been fortunate in not being hit. We have not felt near misses; so, although we have missed their excitement, we enjoyed the bliss of ignorance. I am specially fortunate with a battle in my first four weeks. One impression left is that it might have been deadly dull without the loud-speaker.

We still have to remain ready because German destroyers may be about, although they seem to have made themselves scarce from the start and it is thought they are in Alten Fiord by now.

We rejoin the convoy and" Up spirits" is piped. Alas! I am under twenty-one and only get lime.

BANDERILLERO.

This article has particular poignancy for the Assistant Editor as the voice on the loudspeaker is his father's!