Tides of War

I am working on a piece of fiction about a Royal Navy Lieutenant who takes command of a minesweeper. Among other things, is the following accurate?

FROM: ADMIRALTY

TO: C/O HMS ZEPHYR

CLASSIFIED

MISSION ORDERS:

UNION STEAMSHIP CO. VESSEL S.S. NIAGRA DAMAGED BY MINE STOP FORCED TO BEACH ON ISLAND OF PALAWAN STOP CARRIES SENSITIVE CARGO STOP

ORDERS ARE:

1: LINK UP WITH LIGHT CRUISER HMS CARNFORTH STOP

2: PROCEED WITH CARNFORTH TO ISLAND OF PALAWAN GRID REFERENCE 10? 0?N 119? 0?E STOP

3: ASSIST CARNFORTH IN RESCUE OF PASSENGERS CREW AND SPECIAL CARGO STOP

4: CLEAR ANY MINES THAT COULD PREVENT SALVAGE OF S.S. NIAGRA AT LATER DATE STOP

5: BRING CARGO AND SURVIVORS TO NEAREST LEAGUE BASE OR PORT STOP

TRANSMISSION ENDS.

Hello? Am I being ignored? I have made some quite good suggestions here. Am I now to be sent to Coventry? If so, would you at least have the decency to tell me why?

First you have to explain your impatience, Second you should define who you want feedback from.

Mines and their acompanying ships are already a part of the Enigma design - I think it's critical to have them - it's just a matter of resources and time now.

--East

I dont think you got any replies yet cause no one can tell you if its the correct way m8.

Sorry. Here is the outline:

Lt. Robert Porter, RNE, takes command of minesweeper HMS Zephyr at Saigon. They sail when a NZ steamship, SS Niagra (an actual cargo liner) is beached after being mined whilst carrying gold bullion. Zephyr, accompanying the light cruiser HMS Carnforth, sail to the rescue. For the purposes of narrative, there is a substantial US Navy base in Manila.

Since its a fictive story youre writing, I would say that you can pretty much just make the orders looks like you want it.

If you ask me it looks ok, but I have no clue how they look in real life.

If you want some hints on the operation of minesweepers.

They would usually operate in groups, a flotilla in a port would work in shifts to keep the channels clear and as most of the work was done in the channel in WW2 they would often have skirmishes with E-boats.

It is certainly unlikely that an area which was not in the usual shipping lanes would be mined. If a shipping lane was mined then the local flottilla would be required to work round the clock to enusre it was safe for the next convoy. I wouldn't expect the minesweeper to be involved in rescuing survivors - they aren't too big and passengers would compromise their minesweeping ability. It is also very hard for them to act on their own.

I would be very interested in any story you write on minesweepers. I read a brilliant fiction book on minesweepers in the channel called Proud Waters but haven't sen much oelse

I think we need to move this topic to a more approprite location

dont hope you mind

No, I don't mind.

Also, I'm in half a mind about the Zephyr. Officially, she is a minesweeper, but, now that I've read your posts, I'm thinking of redesignating her a Heavy Corvette.

I get it (fragger slaps head *dud*) hes not talking to us hes writting a story u silly ppls