about 2 a.m.
It was blowing about force 4 from the south-west , and a nasty short , lumpy sea was running which caught us just on the port bow . About once every ten seconds she missed her step with the waves and , dipping her nose into it , shovelled up tons of water , which , as the bow lifted , raced aft and , breaking against the gun , flung itself in clouds of spray against the bridge . In a very few minutes every exposed portion of me was streaming with water . At about 2 a.m. I had turned my back to the sea for a moment , and my thoughts were for an instant in Bruges , when , on facing forward once again I saw a sight which effectually brought me back to earth . This was the spectacle of two black shapes , evidently steamers , one on either bow , distant , I should estimate , 600 or 700 metres . I had to make a quick decision , and I decided that to fire a torpedo in that sea with any hope of a hit , especially with the boat on surface , was useless ; furthermore , that at any moment either of the steamers might sight us from their high bridge and turn and ram . These thoughts were the work of an instant , and I at once rang the diving bell , and , pushing the look-out before me , in five seconds I was in the conning tower and had the hatch down .