War at Sea
Tracey Curtis has written several poems dedicated to the heroes of the First World War. This is one of them …
World War One … The War at Sea … 100 Years
God bless all the men, that served in the war at sea
For all the men that suffered to protect their family
For all the men that lived and died although they’ve now all gone
I wrote this poem in Honour, for the sailors of World War One
This story is about the men that fought the war at sea
They sailed the ocean waves, to destroy the enemy
Their aim was to protect the sea, so we could get supplies
But the enemy had their U boats with the element of surprise
The British had the biggest fleet, the world had ever seen
They called their men The Navy they were mighty & supreme
Their uniforms were blue and white, they stood out from the rest
They were the Pride of Britain on the seas they were the best
Their ships were run on steam, enormous in there size
With funnels for the smoke, choking up the skies
They didn’t have the power, that we have on ships today
Yet they played their part so well, to keep the world at bay
The enemy they were strong, they had their war ships too
With mighty guns, submarines, and a deadly pugnacious crew
Both sides were given orders, too seek and then to kill
Destroy the enemy’s warships, on both sides the blood would spill
Two thousand tons of coal was used, to keep the blades rotated
A tonne of coal for every mile, this job was really hated
With every shovel lifted, the coal dust filled the air
It got into their eyes, on their chest & in their hair
The men worked hard, side-by-side, down in the boiler rooms,
They would Suffer from the heat, and the smell of engine fumes..
But still they had a job to do , so they just carried on
These were the sailors of the sea, that served in world war one
The British built The Dreadnought a mighty impressive sight
The biggest ship, to sail the seas, was armed, and ready to fight
And then the race began, these ships were in demand
Both sides were building furiously, to protect their mother land
Although these ships were powerful, and effective out at sea
They stood against the odds with a weapon they couldn’t see
It lurked beneath the waves, concealed, hidden, and unseen
The enemy’s deadliest weapon of all, the dreaded Submarine
But The Dreadnought had the power, with the speed the engines gave
They rammed the enemy’s submarine, and sent it to its grave
The first two years of the war, the seas were quite controlled
Although both sides were eager, for a battle to unfold
Then the rules all changed, as the enemy would sink on sight
They didn’t care what they sank, or who they had to fight
They said they would sink any ship, any vessel, at any cost
They sank The British Lusitania almost 1200 lives were lost
The Navy sailed their war ships, across the open sea
Their orders were to find and destroy their enemy
They were soon joined by other ships such a puissant sight
They were strong ready & well equipped to take on any fight
The Battle of Jutland – 31st May 1916
And soon they got their chance to see what they could do
As they came across the enemy another compelling crew
They fired their mighty guns, And then they fired some more
Then the enemy fired back to even up the score
As the ships sailed closer the battle got more intense
But the enemy had a plan to trick them in defense
They tried to guide the navy towards their subs below
So they could fire torpedoes and watch the ships all blow
The Indefatigable was destroyed The British were dismayed
One thousand men had lost their lives on that dreadful day
Then they took another hit,
As the The Queen Mary became their grave
1,266 men lost their lives so sad they were so brave
The Queen Mary sank in seconds it was awful what they faced
As the ship became their tomb in their final resting place
Her wreckage still remains today way down in the waters deep
Rest in peace brave gentlemen God bless you where you sleep
The battle rages on with the enemy ships ahead
There’s bodies in the water but most of them were dead
The guns go off, BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! it makes the ship vibrate
Another blast, BOOM!! BOOM!! the power is so great
The British lose another as The Invincible gets blown away
With the loss of 1,026 lives the enemy had to pay
Men were clinging to the wreckage grabbing on to wood
Trying to stay afloat the best way that they could
The men were swallowing water as they struggled to get their breath
There was panic & confusion with choking drowning & death
They were pulling each other under fighting hard to stay alive
1,026 souls were lost that day, …..but five men did survive
The enemy heads for home in their mighty ships they sail
But the British ships were fast, off in pursuit & on their tail
The British fleet head south to block the enemy’s route
As the ships come face to face both sides start to shoot
With their big guns firing and no where else to go
The British sink their enemy’s ship to the darkest depths below
Men jumping in the water from blazing decks so high
Their clothes are still on fire as dead bodies float on by
The Lutzow was sunk the British were getting wise
Then they hit two more as black smoke filled the skies
Derfflinger was badly damaged yet it took some powerful hits
And also badly damaged was the enemy’s ship Seydlitz
Both side’s were claiming victory the enemy said they’d won
For sinking ships & men they killed for all the things they’d done
The British claimed they had won as they had the strongest fleet
Even at the end neither side admitted defeat,
The British lost the most 14 ships & over 6,000 lives lost on the seas
The enemy suffered less, losing 9 ships that day & 2,500 casualties
But never again would the enemy be strong enough to stand
Against the British Navy on the seas after Jutland
© written by me….Tracey Curtis…..6\4\14
Tracey Curtis
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