CHAPTER VIII.
HELIGOLAND.
"Off there," said Lord Hastings, pointing over his shoulder, "liesHeligoland, one of the strongest harbors in the world, and regarded bythe Kaiser and his subjects as impregnable. A raid by an enemy has beendeemed as impossible by strategists."
"Nevertheless," said Frank drily, "it is not impossible, as the Kaiserand his subjects will find out."
"As I understand it," said Jack, "Heligoland is a natural stronghold."
"To a certain extent, yes," replied Lord Hastings. "Heligoland, as youknow, is an island, and nature has done her best to make it immune fromattack. To nature's work has been added the brains and brawn of the bestGerman strategists and workers. An attack by a hostile battle fleetcould have but one result--failure. But, so far as I have been able todetermine, there as yet has been nothing devised that will ward off theattack of a submarine."
"Except mines," said Frank.
"True. But it is certain there can be no mines in the harbor proper, forthey would be an eternal menace to the German fleet. Of course theentrance is strongly guarded by mines and the powerful guns of theforts. But it is our business to get beneath these and torpedo a few ofthe enemy's vessels before we are discovered."
"And then?" asked Jack.
"Why, then," said Lord Hastings, "we shall make off as fast as possibleto return at some future date, perhaps, and pay our respects once more.As I see it, there is but one thing that is likely to cause us anytrouble."
"And that, sir?" asked Frank.
"The enemy's submarines," replied his commander.
"But we have the heels of them, sir," said Jack.
"True," replied Lord Hastings, "but the trouble is we are liable to runinto a net of them, and in that event we would have to fight. To myknowledge, there has never been a battle of under the sea vessels, andwhat the result might be it is impossible to determine."
"Well," said Frank, "we shall have to take a chance. That's all."
"That's all," agreed Lord Hastings.
Lord Hastings turned to the chart of the harbor of Heligoland and bentover it eagerly. The lads peered over his shoulder.
"We are down as deep as it is safe to go," said the commander of thesubmarine. "The chart shows that the water is not so very deep here, andas it is all the guide we have, we must be careful." He turned to Jack."Proceed at five knots," he commanded.
Jack gave the necessary command, and the D-16 slowed down perceptibly.
For many minutes there was intense silence, broken at last by LordHastings.
"I should say," he said, "that we must now be in the harbor. I ampositive we have passed under the mines safely."
"Then shall we go up, sir?" asked Frank eagerly.
Lord Hastings hesitated for a moment, and then replied:
"Yes, we may as well."
Jack took this as a command, and gave the necessary order.
Slowly the D-16 began to rise.
Lord Hastings glanced at his watch.
"Seven o'clock," he said quietly, "and there should be no moon. A goodnight for our work."
With the periscope barely reaching above the surface, the work offorcing water from the tanks was stopped. Lord Hastings stood quietlyviewing the scene about him, and to his eyes was exposed an awesomesight.
Right in the midst of the giant German battle fleet he peered, and as hedid so he could but wonder to himself that so powerful and somagnificent a fighting machine apparently had been afraid to ventureforth and give battle to the fleet of England, powerful as the latterwas.
The D-16, before ascending, had penetrated to the very middle of theharbor, and now that she was close to the surface, the powerfulbinoculars at the bottom of the periscope made clear the many vessels ofthe German fleet in all their majesty.
Clouds of smoke floated from their smokestacks, and this suggestedsomething to Lord Hastings.
"Ready to set forth at any time," he muttered to himself. "Just afraid,that's all."
He stepped away from the periscope, and Jack took a turn.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed, turning away at last. "To think that afleet the size of that should be afraid to give battle."
"It does seem strange," said Lord Hastings.
Frank now peered into the periscope, and as he looked one of the Germandreadnoughts began to move from her moorings.
"One of 'em's coming out," cried Frank. "She's headed for the open sea."
"I thought they might have determined to try a little raid when I sawall that smoke," said Lord Hastings. "We'll stop her, at any rate."
He took Frank's place at the periscope and then commanded:
"Ten knots ahead, Mr. Templeton, and prepare for action!"
Jack jumped to obey this order, and a moment later the D-16 was infighting trim. The engines throbbed and fussed, the water parted beforethe sharp prow of the vessel with an angry hiss, and the men stood attheir posts.
The signal board flashed its first command, in letters of fire.
"No. 1 torpedo!"
The gunner was ready, and the second command--"attention"--was scarcelynecessary.
Now, through the periscope, Lord Hastings gauged the range, and thesignal board showed:
"Submerge!"
Almost at the same moment a second command showed plainly.
"Fire!"
"Click!"
The first torpedo sped on its way, and at the same moment Lord Hastingsshouted in Jack's ear:
"Due north, Mr. Templeton. Fifteen knots!"
The D-16 leaped ahead, and at the distance of half a mile, rose slowlyto the surface.
Lord Hastings and his two officers ascended to the bridge, where theytook in the scene about them with their night glasses.
In the very center of the German fleet, a huge battleship was sinking.The glare of the searchlights of the others showed her plainly to theeyes of the British. Terrified cries carried over the water. Theconfusion aboard the sinking vessel was terrible to behold.
Men ran hither and thither about the decks, yelling and fighting, sogreat was their fear. From other vessels of the fleet small boats putinto the sea, to pick up those who had jumped from the wounded warship.
Suddenly there was a terrific explosion, and the German warship spranginto flames, lighting up the sky for miles around. But the D-16, in thevery edge of the fiery glare, so far had been unnoticed.
"They evidently think it was an internal explosion," said Lord Hastingsquietly to the two lads.
"Looks like it," replied Jack, "or they would certainly be using theirsearchlights to make out the presence of an enemy."
"They haven't the slightest idea an enemy could have penetrated themined area safely," replied the commander of the submarine. "But look,she is about to go."
He pointed toward the wounded German warship. His words were true.Amidst the flashing searchlights of her sister ships, the dreadnoughtreared high in the air. There she poised herself for a moment; then,slowly, midst a broad circle of brilliancy, she sank, the cries of thoseof her crew still aboard mingling with the shouts and commands from theother ships making the night hideous.
A fierce red flame, from the top of her to the very water's edge, whereit hissed loud and long, enveloped the sinking ship, as the smoke arosein a dense cloud. Came another dull explosion, and the ship split intwain. For a moment there were two distinct sheets of flame, and thenthe fore and aft parts of the vessel disappeared beneath the watersimultaneously.
"Well, she's gone," said Lord Hastings. "Now for the next one."
"We are safe enough here, sir," said Jack, "and we are close enough tohit her. Why not fire without submerging?"
"All right," replied his commander quietly. "Order No. 2 torpedolaunched immediately," and he gave the range.
Jack hastened below, only to hurry back upon the bridge again, which hereached just in time to see the second ship in the German line stagger,and sway drunkenly.
&
nbsp; Again loud cries of fear carried across the water, and the searchlightsof the still unhit German ships played upon the second wounded vessel.
"No. 3 and No. 4 torpedoes right into the midst of them!" cried LordHastings, and Jack jumped below to give the command.
"Click! Click!"
Two more terrible engines of destruction sped on their way.
Jack sprang back to the bridge to watch the effect of these shots.
And the effects were terrible, as the watchers could plainly make out.
Confusion reigned throughout the German fleet. Not a ship but on whichthere was panic, and the officers were having serious trouble with thecrews.
For there could no longer be any doubt in the minds of the Germans as tothe cause of the three terrific explosions that now shattered thestillness of the night.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" they came, and showers of steel, iron, wood anddebris rose high in the air, to be scattered far across the surface ofthe sea.
Now the searchlights of the uninjured German ships left their sinkingsister ships and flashed swiftly across the water. Suddenly the D-16 waslighted up by a circle of light as bright as day.
"We are discovered!" cried Frank, and at the same moment Lord Hastingsgave a command:
"Down, quick!"
He led the way through the conning tower with rapid strides, and thelads hurried after him.
"Submerge!"
A moment more and the D-16 was again beneath the sea, safe from chanceGerman shells, and steaming toward the east.
The Boy Allies with the Terror of the Seas; Or, The Last Shot of Submarine D-16 Page 8
