Breverton's Phantasmagoria: A Compendium of Monsters, Myths and Legends by Breverton Terry

Author:Breverton, Terry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: epubor.com

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Recent Sightings of the Flying Dutchman

The ensign on watch on the iron-clad screw frigate HMS Inconstant made an entry in the ship’s log on the night of 11 July 1881, of a sighting in the south Atlantic: ‘At 4.00 A.M. “The Flying Dutchman” crossed our bows. She emitted a strange phosphorescent light as of a phantom ship all aglow, in the midst of which light the masts, spars and sails of a brig 200 yards distant stood out in strong relief as she came up on the port bow where also the officer of the watch saw her, as did also the quarterdeck midshipman, who was sent forward at once to the forecastle, but on arriving there was no vestige nor any sign whatever of any material ship to be seen either near or right away to the horizon, the night being clear and the sea calm.’ That writer later became King George V. She was also seen that night by the warships Tourmaline and Cleopatra. There have been dozens of sightings in the 20th century alone. Toward the end of the Second World War, Admiral Doenitz, the commander of Germany’s U-Boat fleet, complained about the superstitious fright of his submariners after their encounters with the Dutchman: ‘They said on their return to base they much preferred facing allied depth charges than know the terror of a second meeting with the phantom vessel.’ US Navy ships had the same problem. In 1942 the destroyer USS Kennison twice spotted the apparition at close range and though neither time was it picked up by radar, it was visible to the entire frightened crew. A typical Second World War sighting by the British Navy occurred near Cape Town, South Africa. HMS Jubilee had to rapidly change course to avoid hitting the phantom ship and the captain reported the Flying Dutchman was last seen ‘moving quickly away under full sail though there was absolutely no wind!’

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