Capes and Supermen

The human body can perform miraculous feats under conditions where adrenalin and a survival instinct kick in. 

These can be in circumstances of extreme peril to ourselves or others and fortunately most of us would be pleased that we have never been in such a situation and would hope that this would always be the case. 

So, imagine how you would feel when, after having done something that no one thought was possible and lived to tell the tale you find that there are those whose doubts and whispers question the credibility and truthfulness of your story for the rest of your life. 

This was the fate of an Englishman, John Capes. 

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and yet by skill, strength, good luck or judgement he managed to extricate himself so as to be the only survivor in a wartime tragedy. 

In December 1941 Capes, a 31 year old Royal Navy Stoker, was aboard the submarine HMS Perseus. 

It is not clear how he happened to be there as he is not thought to have been an actual crew member. Perhaps he was hitching a ride after being stranded after another maritime incident, for example his own ship may have been sunk or damaged in the Mediterranean theatre of war. Some speculated that he was on a secret mission. He may simply have been taken on as relief crew. 

The Perseus left the besieged island of Malta bound for Alexandria which involved navigating through a sea corridor patrolled and aggressively controlled by the Italian and German naval and air forces. 

Capes was an unusual character. He was from a privileged family background being the son of a diplomat and had been well educated. It was therefore surprising that he was an engine room operative and not of higher rank, particularly as he was already into middle age and not very far progressed in a military career. 

The hazardous voyage involved being submerged as much as possible in daylight hours but with some respite under cover of darkness when surface running was possible to refresh the crew, air supply and charge up the batteries. Although destined for Egypt HMS Perseus made a rather exaggerated course and on that December night was just off the coast of the Ionian Island of Kefalonia, itself under occupation by Italy as one of the axis powers. 

The vessel hit a mine and the damage proved to be catastrophic. 

Capes stated that at the time of the violent explosion he had been resting in a makeshift bunk converted from a torpedo tube, undoubtedly additional accommodation for any guests in addition to the standard 50 or so crew. 

There were instant fatalities from the impact, the power had failed and the effect of the submarine plummeting downward will have been enough to disorientate and panic the best trained of mariners. 

He was trapped in the area of the engine room. Bulkhead doors were jammed shut from rising water and the noise from the distortion of the increasing pressure on the hull must have been terrifying. 

His first thoughts were for those around him in the same predicament and he dragged those still alive towards the escape hatch. 

The Escape Apparatus was crude and largely untested under actual emergency situations. In all of the years of the second world war only around 28 crew had successfully escaped from stricken craft using the apparatus. It comprised a rubber lung with oxygen bottle, mouthpiece and goggles. It was equipment that had only been tested to a depth of 100 feet and the likelihood was that this had been in fairly safe and predictable practice sessions. 

Capes had seen the depth gauge showing that Perseus was sinking beyond 270 feet. 

Showing a great calmness and strength he had to flood the escape compartment and release bolts on the hatch which were also damaged. The crew he had helped were first to be pushed through the hatch followed by Capes who, before leaving , took a swig of rum from his water bottle which he then abandoned. 

It was a slow ascent to the surface with only the oxygen bottle for additional buoyancy and Capes felt that his lungs would burst before he made it to the outside air. 

He found himself alone on the surface. None of his would be escapees had made it. 

The Mediterranean will have been cold in the winter months and the effect of shock and fatigue could be a fatal combination. The shoreline of Kefalonia was just in sight and in the daylight of 7^th December Capes was found washed up , unconscious by island fishermen.

In an occupied area and at great personal risk the locals took in and hid the navy man for the next 18 months before, in a special operation, the Royal Navy picked him up. 

In a very roundabout route, via Turkey, Capes eventually made it back to his originally intended destination of Alexandria. 

His exploits were awarded with a medal but soon the doubters emerged. 

His actual presence on Perseus was questioned and also his escape method as submarine commanders had been ordered to bolt down hatches from the outside to prevent them being ripped off in depth charge attacks. The rarity of surviving a submarine sinking and a violent one produced the main controversy. 

There were of course no witnesses and even Capes' own post war recollections showed some inconsistency on frequent re-telling. 

It must have been a difficult enough time adapting to peacetime but add to that the constant slurs on character and reputation and you can perceive that Capes suffered from rumour and innuendo until he died in 1985. 

Some 12 years after his death commercial divers found the wreck of HMS Perseus.  

It was preserved enough to investigate the bare facts of the fantastic escape story. 

The depth gauge was found to be broken but it was adjudged that the submarine had still been at about 170 feet at about the time of exiting under duress. This was well beyond the design parameters for the operation of the Apparatus. 

In the engine compartment the diving team found everything as Capes had described from the makeshift torpedo tube bed to the actual discarded water bottle below the gaping hole of the escape hatch.