Winds of Fury

by Peter Duysings

  Together the men agreed to cross the northern Atlantic with the first stop being St. Johns on the island of Newfoundland. It was the shortest distance to the continent but would take longer as a crow flies to their final destination, the Caribbean. Since the crew had yet to sail a long voyage on the schooner, they decided this would be the best decision. Besides, they planned to stop in several American harbors for resupply. As the crewmen adjusted to the ship, they would feel more confident sailing longer routes which meant fewer port calls but would require more supplies for the journey.

  The next stop was Plymouth, England. They reached the harbor late the following day. While they topped off their water supply and stocked up on food, the crew inspected the ship inch-by-inch for any signs of problems; none were found. This was managed under the watchful eyes of the boatswains. The schooner was holding up, as expected. She was proving to be seaworthy. With a short layover of one day, the crew was given passes into town. As inhospitable as some of the local English seamen were toward the Germanic sailors, the crewmembers stayed good to their word and behaved as mandated by their captain, at this juncture of the voyage, they did not want to be sent back home. The standing order was: “Walk away from trouble or face far harsher consequences onboard ship from the old man himself.”

  The old man, meaning Otto, stood firm in his expectation of every sailor’s conduct. As first officer, he was there to enforce the order to the letter. Heinrich had clarified his expectations from the start, and the men knew their captain meant it. Many had seen first-hand his harsh demeanor on the docks with ‘King Karl’ who used to be a rough and tough sailor and now was but a pitiful man.

  Heinrich felt that he treated the crew fairly and by this time they should know the rules of conduct. They knew what their captain was about; the majority of them respected him as a sailor but didn’t necessarily believe he was mature and experienced enough a seaman to be an all-knowing captain just because he owned the ship. That would have to come with time.

  Fortunately, the port call went without a hitch, and the See Wolf was skimming the ocean’s surface in the early morning mist. The wind was strong and the bow sliced through the vast waves of the North Atlantic as they made a beeline for Newfoundland. The journey took the better part of twenty days. Finally, they spotted land. They slipped into St. John’s harbor. They had seen plenty of ocean water in the last three weeks, and it was a delight to see the dense forest carpeting the rolling hills. They docked at the small harbor town that would be their home for the next couple of days. That night the gentle sloshing of water against the hull, the creaking of wood, and the clanging of the metal rigging had a soothing effect on the men as they prepared for sleep.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  MOLDING a CREW

  Heinrich was finishing his first cup of tea of the morning when Klaus slipped into the room. The lad was having a tough time adjusting to his new life onboard. The crewmen were his biggest challenge. They teased him unmercifully. Every culture had their favorite initiation rites for young boys aboard ship; customs going back ages. The crew of the See Wolf was no different; a cabin boy was easy prey.

  “How are things going, mein Junge?” Heinrich asked Klaus, seeing the frown on his face.

  “Things are going just fine, mein Herr,” Klaus answered in a clipped tone while canting his head down to mask his expression.

  The lad’s disheartened demeanor was apparent. “Klaus, what’s the problem?” Heinrich cut to the chase, “Out with it, lad.”

  Without looking up, the boy whimpered, “Captain Drope, sometimes I just don’t know if I am cut out for this life. The crew mocks and teases me relentlessly. It frustrates me to no end.”

  Heinrich sighed; he knew Klaus had a long way to go; he had to acquire fortitude, which Heinrich could not do for him. While Heinrich had committed to be the lad’s guardian, he saw himself more like an older brother; after all, they were only six years apart in age. He had brought Klaus onboard to be groomed as a sailor, and Heinrich hoped as the time went by Klaus’s experiences would help him decide on a career, whether or not the lad chose to stay with the sea. However, it was much too early to tell what he was made of and what he wanted in life. In the meantime, Klaus had much to master; sea life was harsh, but along with hardships came experience.

  Heinrich began, “Well, first of all, don’t be so sensitive. Klaus, they are doing this to you because you are new to this life and also because you are part of the crew. You see how they deride each other; always bantering. Each one of them has gone through the same abuse; they believe it to be a rite of passage. Second, don’t be so mousy about it. The more you cave into their teasing, the more you will receive their irrepressible treatment. Give it right back to them– and laugh along with them. Third, have a backbone. Fight for respect. You have to be patient and stout at the same time, lad.”

  “If I do that, they’ll kick my arse!”

  “No one gets away with that aboard my ship,” Heinrich stated firmly.

  Heinrich had already asked his section heads to keep an eye out for Klaus’s welfare but told them not to fight every battle for him. The lad had to find a way to tough it out.

  “Listen, it would be wise to respond to the sailors who are the most active in ridiculing you when there is at least one section head around to hear the exchange. That way the sailor cannot react forcibly against you while under his boss’s watchful eye. It’s much like acting. Try to respond to what has been thrown at you with a clever statement and all the while smile as if you’re playing along. Do not look at the supervisor while this goes on for it could be misconstrued as using the man as a shield. Roll with the insults and laugh at the remarks. Believe me, lad, doing so will work wonders. The harsh treatment will subside over time. Be patient, Klaus. One day you will be wreaking havoc upon some young recruit.”

  Somehow, Klaus could not see himself abusing others in such a way. But he listened to Heinrich and decided to test the theory.

  * * *

  Although using young boys onboard ship was mainly credited to the British, and other countries adopted the practice, but never applied it in quite the same way. Unluckily for the British youth, ruthless and diabolical treatment was the norm. These lads were lambs led to slaughter within the British navy as they were brutalized by the crew, officers alike, which became a horrific record in the annals of naval history.

  The young lads would ultimately learn the art of seamanship, but they would suffer unbearably at the hands of their masters. The youngsters reported to able and ordinary seamen, who assigned them tasks. Many of their duties were tedious; sweeping and scrubbing the decks, coiling up rigging, holding the log reel, and long hours standing watch. They were also given the worse chores on board; disposing of human waste and rinsing the foul-smelling buckets. Besides these duties, they were taught to knot yarns, make foxes, slush masts, and furl and unfurl the sails.

  Typically, they would be younger than Klaus. The youths, between the tender ages of eleven and fourteen, suffered despicable acts of buggery and were sodomized by the men. Not only was the act cruel, but besieged the boy with bouts of mental anguish for years to come. These boys also could face brutal punishment, sometimes leading to death. Besides whipping and hogtying, one punishment was called mast heading where the boy was ordered to the highest part of the mast in blustering winds, and another was to lock him in a dark rat-infested hold. If these methods were meant to produce positive motivation, someone had seriously misjudged the intended outcome of such treatment. If the boys were lucky to be onboard a ship with a restrained captain, the punishment was lighter. Yet, even with a benevolent crew and captain, corporal punishment was still freely administered. The punishment was at the discretion of the shipmaster and at times would be inflicted for very minor infractions.

  These wretched acts were a black mark on the British. It would take major outcries from outside sources, from ranks within the navies and ultimately at the highest political level to control the practice.
It was unthinkable that so many decades had gone by without curtailing such barbaric practices. Heinrich thought the culprits who devised such despicable measures were either malicious men or those bordering on insanity.

  The sailors were not treated much better than the boys, resulting in a fierce hatred of the ship’s captain and officers. British naval vessels had a contingent of Royal Marines onboard; and thankfully for the officers, one of the marine’s duties was protecting them. Mutinies were not uncommon; a blight that the British navy brought upon themselves.

  Fortunately, German crews typically were not subjected to the demoralizing methods of British discipline, although harsh discipline abounded. Heinrich had decided to eliminate the foul practice of flogging. He wanted none of that on his vessel; he had seen and heard enough about this practice to realize its detrimental outcome; how it harmfully affected morale and allegiance. It was teamwork that Heinrich wanted to instill upon them, nurturing an attitude what would be coined years later as unit integrity. Heinrich thought that true integrity came from genuine heart-felt loyalty, not from fear of the whip. Although he was firm and demanding in controlling the ship, he also believed that a kind word and a caring attitude toward his men were worth the weight in gold.

  Heinrich had formulated his own code of conduct; which included regarding each sailors’ privacy as long as it did not affect the ship’s ability to function. That left a lot open to interpretation, but he hoped that over time the crew would learn to respect each other and take responsibility for their actions. However, it would take time for the sailors to adapt to the rules of each new ship they hired onto.

  If there were minor conduct problems, Heinrich established a board of section heads to investigate and settle such issues by discussing the matter with the first officer. Typically, on board a ship, a crewmember found guilty of a minor infraction, would be dealt minute punishments such as more work, a temporary cut in pay, or reduction in shore leave. This type of castigations was meant to hit hard in areas that were important to a sailor and in most cases solved the matter. However, some men required more incentive. After all, the hasty hiring process didn’t prevent undesirable individuals from coming aboard that were accepted after only a cursory assessment of their sailing skills.

  The code of conduct onboard the See Wolf spelled out that if someone in their section were responsible for slight infractions, whether onboard or on land, the entire section would pay retribution for that sailor’s wrong. The point was to use peer pressure in keeping their fellow crewmates in line by holding others to those same expectations. Sooner or later the men would tire of the culprit that forced unpleasant chores on their crewmates, and they would have a heart-to-heart conversation with that particular sailor. The typical outcome resulted in plenty of bruises for the abuser, which hopefully helped to change his wayward behavior. This practice typically worked. And he was hoping it would work during this shore leave as well.

  Heinrich was not an ignorant man; he realized that the experienced seamen were not used to his code, which was very different from other ships. The men would learn over time. Although he put the enforcement of most day-to-day measures in the hands of his section heads, it wasn’t out of the norm for Heinrich to step in when he saw fit. Drope had explained to his leaders that if there ever was a gross violation by any sailor, he would settle the matter himself as master of the ship.

  To foster his perception of order, he did what he had learned from the years he had sailed under the leadership of Captain Fischer. Heinrich interfaced with the crewmembers in a down-to-earth man-to-man approach. He believed, without interactions with the men, he would alienate himself. He had long ago discovered to forge trust and understanding between the captain and the crew; they both must first get to know one another, enabling a bond to form between them. So, it became quite natural to find the See Wolf’s captain mingling with his crew at any given time. To the majority of the crew who were fine sailors, having their captain in their midst was a pleasure, like old times, they appreciated the personable treatment, and it set Heinrich apart from the typical shipmaster who treated his crewmen a cut above indentured servants, but for those that tried their best just to look busy, his presence was not appreciated.

  Heinrich couldn’t but think that gathering unmediated knowledge was crucial for executing his leadership; even though he considered himself a sailor first, he wanted to keep a pulse on the operations, and besides, he liked being among the crew. After all, he was the sole owner of this ship and that meant he could do whatever it took to make sure things were done to his liking. During these excursions, he found that he was able to observe firsthand all that was happening aboard. He went so far as to climb the rigging to feast his eyes from high above on the happenings below.

  He went about the ship encountering crewmen where they lived and worked. It also served to instill the attitude that every man would back each other in not just their daily work assignments, but also support each other in case something threatened their welfare. Heinrich needed to be sure that when it came time to depend on their utmost loyalty, they could be counted on.

  Most merchant vessels ran under entirely different standards than military vessels. While naval crewmen were typically trained through a methodical process and advanced through the ranks after years in their areas of expertise, privately-owned ships had much more flexibility in managing crewmembers.

  Heinrich planned to manage his business much as Herr Weber ran his; fairly, making sure all crewmembers were taken care of. This, however, did not mean his ship was a pleasure cruise. Running a ship was not a matter of fiat by majority vote. The vessel was his and justice would be dispensed by an iron fist if need be. The final decision was his. Ultimately, the plight of each sailor would be determined by him. Those that adapted to his way of doing things and excelled in their performance were noted, the others were deemed unacceptable.

  * * *

  The See Wolf sailed out of St. John’s harbor on a southerly route that would take them parallel to the American coastline. Heinrich planned to stop at New York, Charleston, and Savannah to purchase goods and supplies before continuing to the Caribbean.

  They sailed into New York twelve days later. As they navigated the immense port, the crew stood at the rails taking in the spellbinding view. What a menagerie of ships they found within the large harbor, actually, a maze of numerous harbors. They had never seen such a collection of ships in one location; every type of boat imaginable as far as the eye could see. The bustling activities of New York harbor easily overshadowed that of Bremerhaven. This was indeed the New World.

  Surrounding the harbor, hilly slopes were punctuated with hundreds of randomly placed wooden shanties, seemingly constructed wherever there was open space; these hastily-built structures intermingled with established edifices. In other parts of the city, classical European architecture predominated while in other sections ghastly hovels were ubiquitous. Lines of social and financial demarcations were starkly delineated. The city was rapidly outgrowing itself, and that resulted in terrible living conditions. It was partly due to the growing pains caused by the mass exodus of people from Europe.

  As they traversed the expansive port, it was difficult to find a good place to berth. Günter finally docked the schooner amid a slew of other ships alongside a dock that seemed to stretch for a mile. While the crew moored the ship, Heinrich met with his section heads in the captain’s quarters to discuss purchasing supplies. Otto led the way, followed by Günter Dietz, Peter Albrecht, and Siegfried Strobel. Fritz Huber and Ernst Mayer, the two boatswains, came through the doorway. Next came Conrad Geiger with the newest master gunner, Manfred Rhine. Although some of these men’s jobs had nothing at all to do with ship supplies, they were all included, after all, each one had a stake in the business and Heinrich valued their opinion.

  “Herren, please take a seat,” Heinrich stated. The men sat down around the large desk in the spacious cabin. It was the only cabin large enough to hold a group
conference.

  “Well, well, we made it to New York. It was a long, uneventful voyage and now delightful to conclude.”

  “It’s been a very good run so far indeed,” Günter, the sailing master expressed. “The ship is as sound as she will ever be, captain. She is a delight to sail.”

  “Ja, I agree wholeheartedly, although there are plenty of tight knots to loosen within the crew,” Otto stated. No one commented, he surmised they wanted him to elaborate. “It is my conclusion that overall the crew has performed well – up to this point. All of the crewmembers are experienced sailors, but there are a few areas that need improvement. Also, several individuals continue to need extra monitoring; they have shown a propensity for laxness and for lack of a better word … tossing the shit around. Now I think that -”

  “Excuse me, Otto,” Fritz interjected. “Which sailors are we talking about?”

  Otto didn’t have to read their names from a list; he knew the entire crew by name. He named the men. Both boatswains’ heads nodded in acknowledgment.

  “Do you want them off the ship?” Ernst asked Otto. “Fritz and I can do that, but aren’t we being too harsh on them? Maybe our standards are too strict.”

  Before Otto answered, Fritz, spoke. “Too strict? Nonsense! We are more than fair. These men are slackers. And if you ask me, there must be plenty of sailors in this port that we can hire as replacements, if needed.”

  “Nein, let’s allow them one more chance to straighten out. If they don’t, they are getting off immediately, and I do not much care where that may be. If it’s at sea; well they best be strong swimmers. I want you two to have a heart-to-heart talk with them one last time and make sure that they understand the seriousness of their offenses and the reality of the consequences.”

  “Ja, we realize well the grievances you speak of,” Fritz stated.