Terrible as an army with banners

“Terrible as an army with banners” is a biblical allusion placed at the moment the relieving force moves into position around the exhausted Krause. Its elevated image makes the orderly fleet seem formidable even as the scene remains grounded in the practical work of escort and relief.

Occurrence and Context

The phrase appears as the White Ensign flies and James and Dodge wheel around to take station astern of Krause’s ship. The relieving force is moving into screening positions while his message goes out. The line follows the ships’ movement, giving the formation the bearing of a procession beneath banners.

The Flags and the Formation

The passage makes the image concrete through its flags: the Canadian Ensign and the White Ensign follow the Stars and Stripes, while no Polish Ensign is present. The flags mark the multinational formation, but the absent Polish ensign also qualifies the otherwise complete-looking display. The phrase’s grand military cadence thus accompanies a specific, imperfect arrangement of ships and national colors.

Effect in the Scene

The allusion lends the arrival a moment of ceremonial force, but it does not conceal the strain of command. Krause is swaying on his feet and has to fight back his fatigue as he waits; the Commodore winks back at him. The contrast is between the imposing formation outside and the commander’s faltering body within it, making the phrase both a description of collective strength and a measure of the personal exhaustion that the relief has not yet erased.