an important part
of the vast anti-submarine and anti-mine navy.

In the Mediterranean also there were a number of patrol gunboats and
minesweepers similar to the fighting sloops. Their principal base in
this region was on Italian soil.

ARMED YACHTS

We now come to that portion of the auxiliary fleet whose special care
was the seas around the United Kingdom and the Colonies. First came the
armed yachts, over 50 in number, with tonnages varying from one to five
hundred. These were obtained from the owners, armed as heavily as their
size and strength permitted, and mostly became the flag-ships of patrol
flotillas. They were nearly always equipped with wireless, hydrophone
listening apparatus, depth charges and all the appliances for
anti-submarine warfare.

Their losses were not heavy considering the dangerous nature of their
work and could almost be counted on the fingers of both hands. This was
due mainly to their good speed and manoeuvring qualities. They made
wonderfully efficient auxiliary warships, maintaining the sea in almost
all weathers and accounting for quite a number of U-boats. These vessels
were, of course, never used for the rougher work of minesweeping.

WHALERS

The whalers were few in number and resembled small destroyers. They were
powerful craft and well armed, but their sea-keeping qualities left
much to be desired. In fact, to use a naval term, they were dirty boats
even in a "lop." It was said that if an officer or man had been for long
in one of these ships he was proof against all forms of sea-sickness. A
big assertion, as even old sailors will admit--but they call it "liver."

MINESWEEPERS

About the screw and paddle minesweepers little can be said beyond the
fact that they numbered about 200 and performed some of the most
dangerous work in the war. Many of them were old passenger steamers from
the Clyde, Bristol Channel, Thames and south and east coast resorts, the
famous _Brighton Queen_ being, until her untimely end on a mine off the
Belgian coast, one of their number. The loss among this class of ship
was about 10 per cent.

TRAWLERS

By far the largest portion of the auxiliary patrol units consisted of
armed and commissioned trawlers. Their numbers far exceeded 1000, and
nearly half were used for the dangerous work of minesweeping. About a
trawler little need be said, for beyond what can be seen in the
accompanying illustrations there is little of interest until we co