Submariner Sinclair: A thrilling WW2 military adventure story (The Submariner Sinclair Naval Thriller Series Book 1)
Page 21
Little groups of Maltese, old men, women and jumping children had gathered on the Valetta side and were yelling themselves hoarse from the causeway. They danced up and down with joy, though they knew not why.
There was many a moist eye when the grey whaler bumped alongside and the dishevelled men jumped out of the sternsheets on to the sandstone steps of the island.
The first figure stood to attention and held out his hand to Captain ‘S’.
“Reporting back, sir,” the man said.
“Good to have you back, Harry,” ‘S’ said huskily.
A second figure stood behind Lieutenant Arkwright, D.S.C., Royal Navy.
“Hullo, Sub!” Joe croaked, shaking Peter by the hand. “You’ve been a heck of a long time coming!”
Peter’s eyes met those of his Captain.
“Sorry to be adrift, sir,” he replied, smiling broadly, “but we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Bill — sorry, sir, I mean Able Seaman Hawkins.”
Bill blushed beneath his blond hair, shuffling his feet awkwardly in the background.
Arkwright turned about and dragged him before Captain ‘S’. “Well done, Hawkins,” ‘S’ smiled. “Well done!” He shook Bill warmly by the hand.
Bill was dumb, but his merry eyes twinkled. Captain ‘S’ threw his fatherly arms around them. He was laughing now, great gusts of laughter rolling across the Creek.
“How livid the Wops and Huns must be with each other,” he chuckled. “Whose Mare Nostrum is it now?”
By the King’s Order the names of Sub-Lieutenant Sinclair, Royal Navy, and of Able Seaman W. Hawkins, Royal Navy, were published in the London Gazette on 11th June, 1942, as Mentioned in Dispatches for distinguished service in His Majesty’s Submarines.
— Extract from The National Press of 12th June, 1942.
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ALSO BY JOHN WINGATE
THE SUBMARINER SINCLAIR SERIES:
Jimmy-The-One
Sinclair In Command
Nuclear Captain
Sub-zero
Full Fathom Five
GLOSSARY
ASDIC — The device by which submarines are detected. Submarines are also fitted with this device, when it is used as a hydrophone.
BEARING — The direction of an object.
BLOWERS — Machines with which to blow out the water in the tanks by using low-pressure air.
CORTICENE — A type of heavy linoleum used to cover the steel deck.
CRACK — To open a valve quickly, and to shut it again immediately.
E-BOAT — The fast enemy motor torpedo boat.
E.T.A. — Expected Time of Arrival.
FOCKE-WOLFE — German long-range reconnaissance aircraft.
FREE FLOOD — The open holes in the casing and tanks through which the water enters.
FRUIT MACHINE —A metal box into which all relevant attack data is fed, and from which the necessary information is extracted with which to carry out an attack.
GROUP DOWN — Low speed on the main electric motors, thus using up little electric power.
GROUP UP — High speed on the main electric motors, thus using up the battery power quickly.
H.E. — High Explosive.
H.E. — Hydrophone Effect, i.e. propeller noise.
HEAT — Slang for a submarine at the receiving end of a severe depth-charge attack.
H.P. — High Pressure.
HYDROPHONE — Underwater listening device.
JOLLY ROGER — Skull-and-crossbones flag, upon which emblems of sinkings are sewn. Flown to denote successes.
LAYER — A difference of temperature gradients in the ocean.
MAIN BALLAST KINGSTON — Water into the internal tanks amidships is allowed to enter through the Kingston Valves.
MAIN BALLAST TANKS — The tanks which give a submarine its buoyancy. All are fitted with main vents, numbers 1 and 6 being external, the remainder internal.
MESSERSCHMITT — Single-seater German fighter.
OLD MAN — Slang for Captain.
OUTSIDE E.R.A. — The Engine Room Artificer whose duty is at the panel in the Control Room, and who is therefore ‘outside’ the Engine Room.
PANEL — The conglomeration of valves, etc., all centralised at one position.
‘Q’ TANK — The emergency tank for quick diving. When flooded, the tank makes the submarine ten tons heavier than her normal dived trim. After diving, this extra water is blown out of ‘Q’ tank by high-pressure air. If this tank is required to be flooded when dived, its vent has merely to be opened, either into the submarine or outboard, and the sea will rush into ‘Q’ tank. In wartime, for obvious reasons, ‘Q’ tank is always kept flooded when the submarine is on the surface.
STICK — A salvo of aircraft bombs, falling in a straight line.
STICK — Slang for ‘periscope’.
THIRD HAND — The Third Officer in a submarine.
U-BOAT — Enemy submarine.
URSULA SUIT — Waterproof overalls in general use, designed by the Commanding Officer of H.M. Submarine Ursula.
WIMPEY —Wellington medium bomber, British.
WOP — Slang for ‘Italian’.
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Copyright © John Wingate, 1959
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eBook ISBN: 978-1-80055-208-1