In Mid-Channel

Crebin, Edward Horace. "In Mid-Channel."

There is some question as to whether Crebbin's short story is set during the First or Second World War, but since "In Mid-Channel" was published in his 1942 short story collection Six Bells the short story is included in this bibliography of World War 2 works. As its title implies, the tale is set in the English Channel and opens:

"She was an old, four-thousand-ton cargo ship, the CLARE, and that night she was bucketing up Channel in ballast, rolling, pitching and yawing in the steep beam sea. They were noted for their rolling - those ships."

While the CLARE's "Old Man" worries about the weather, disaster soon comes from another source. Crebbin notes that "the war wasn't going too well just then" (a clue that he's talking about World War 2?) and sure enough, the ship strikes a floating mine with an ear-splitting boom. The tale's observant narrator (the CLARE's cook, relating the story sometime later to the story's unnamed"author) continues with an interesting observation relevant to seamen everywhere, particularly during time of war:

"Have you ever noticed when something happens - some explosion or disaster - that there seems to be a kind of split-second of absolute quiet and stillness packed somewhere in the actual roar - as if for a fraction of time every bally thing: ship, officers, men, even ordinary objects kind of held their breath and waited spell-bound?"

With the CLARE evidently foundering (her bow had been blown off), her skipper soon cries "abandon ship" and in another flash second of time three crewmen are swept overboard to drown when their lifeboat tips while being lowered. The rest of the crew pass the night uncomfortably in stormy seas only to see the CLARE still afloat at daybreak. They retake their ship and with much effort are able to sail her back to the safety of an English port. And after repairs, the CLARE sets back to war service. The story closes with its narrator revealing that the doughty little ship and crew were once again out there,"somewhere in the Channel."