Dave Darrin and the German Submarines
Page 10
CHAPTER IX
WHEN THE ENEMY SCORED
The sun had risen through a haze, which is in favor of a fleet on thedefensive, as there is not so much glare from the water to confuse thevision of lookouts.
However, there was no attack in the next hour. The fleet continued onits way only as swiftly as the slowest transport could move, for it isan axiom at sea that the speed of a fleet is the speed of its slowestship.
Suddenly Dave recalled to mind the prisoner, Jordan, locked in the brigbelow.
"Corporal," he called down, as that noncommissioned officer of marinespassed across the deck, "in case we are hit and are sinking, make ityour duty to remember Jordan, in the brig. Turn him loose before weabandon ship--if the day's work comes to that."
* * * * *
"Humph!" Pete was saying to his soldier comrades forward on one of theleading transports. "The Germans must be hard up when they can send onlyone sub to tackle a fleet like this."
"I don't care if the Huns send fifty or a hundred of their pests," brokein another soldier. "The subs have no show. Did you see that destroyer?Scoot! Pouf! Hm! Where's that submarine now? I tell you, fellows, afterall, submarines are good only for sinking unarmed schooners."
"Still, they've sunk more than a few armed steamers," argued a comrade.
"If they did," maintained the former speaker, warmly, "then it wasbecause the lookouts and gunners were asleep. You wait! If we meet adozen of these Hun submarines to-day you'll find that they won't get anyof our ships."
"I'm going to do my bragging after we land," interjected an old sergeantdryly. "I always enjoy my bragging best after I get over my scare."
But the long quiet proved too good to last. The almost simultaneousbarking of guns from three troopships and from two destroyers calledswift attention to the fact that the fusillade was aimed at a periscopeoff starboard. Nearly a dozen shells struck the water all around thespot where the periscope had vanished. From about the same point a lightstreak appeared on the water.
Signalling back instructions to the transports as to their course, adestroyer darted out of line to go after the submarine after the fashionthat Darrin had employed. Ere long the destroyer swerved in a sharpcurve and headed back for her place in the escort line, signalling atthe same time:
"Nothing left for us to do. A shell from one of the guns engaged hit thepest under water and poured oil on the troubled waters."
In the meantime, the endangered transport, which had promptly andintelligently obeyed the steering order, had barely escaped the torpedofired at her.
Spirits now ran high in the troopship fleet. Uncle Sam's soldiers hadseen the threatened ships saved, and had also seen Uncle Sam's sailorsshow how easily a submarine may be fought--sometimes.
After that the fleet proceeded on its uninterrupted way for so long atime that the noon meal had been eaten calmly by the voyaging soldiers.Few of them thought it worth while to cut that meal short in order to goon deck again.
Especially did Pete and his friends feel indifferent to the best thatthe Huns could do out here on the water. Just then there came a terrificshock. It was an explosion, followed by a crash that caused the ship tostagger over to starboard, though she quickly righted herself.
"They've got us!" yelled Pete, jumping up from the table, overturninghis coffee and starting for the upper deck on a run.
Then, ashamed of his nervousness, Pete stopped running and tuned down toa slow walk toward the companionway stairs from the mess deck. Otherswere running, with a resulting jam on the stairs.
"What are we going to do?" one soldier asked Pete.
"Do the same thing that we've been doing ever since we came into theService, I guess," drawled Pete. "And that is, we're going to listen andobey orders. Stop shoving, you fellows. We won't get up any faster forcrowding."
Soon staff and line officers appeared at the head of the stairs, issuingsharp, steady commands that stopped all signs of a possible panic.
"Keep your wits, men, and the last of you will reach shore all right,"called an officer who was forcing his way down the stairs. "Some of youmen turn aside and give me a chance to get to the deck below."
His coolness, and his willingness to be on the mess deck calmed theexcitement of many a young soldier who was eager to get up to the spardeck. From a deck rail in front of the chart-house a major with a lustyvoice shouted down:
"No excitement, men! This ship, if she sinks, will be a long time doingit. There will be time to get every man off, and it will be done if youlisten to orders and obey them."
That torpedo had struck deep into the ship's vitals, stopping theengines instantly.
Only here and there was there a soldier who did not have his life belton. These now scrambled for their belts.
From the flagship of the destroyers at the head of the line swiftsignals were wigwagged and repeated down the lines. One of them read:
"'Logan' stand by 'Castle City' for rescue work."
Instantly Dave ordered the full-speed signal telegraphed to the engineroom, then added, as the destroyer raced down the line:
"Keep all gunners and lookouts at their stations, Mr. Dalzell. Mr.Briggs will take charge of manning and lowering our two launches and thecutters, and will stand by to lower away."
The destroyer "Adams" had already caught a hawse-line from the "CastleCity" by the time Dave's craft reached the scene. With the hawser madefast the destroyer was towing the stricken transport out of the fleetline.
"Lower away," Dave commanded, after he had dashed past the "Castle City"and had lain to. Overboard went the launches and cutters, and LieutenantBriggs was soon alongside the transport, which was also loweringwell-filled lifeboats.
His own boats and the ship's boats Briggs had towed in strings. Onorders from the commander of the destroyer flotilla, other troopshipshalted long enough to take on the rescued ones.
Still another destroyer had to hasten to the assistance of the "Logan,"for the "Castle City" was rapidly settling lower in the water.
Never had naval small craft worked at greater speed, yet necessity movedfaster. The transport had by now heeled well over to port. She could notkeep afloat much longer.
"Those who cannot get into the boats now will have to jump," shoutedDave Darrin.
So excellent was the control by the regimental officers on the "CastleCity" that even now there was no panic. Soldiers gathered at the pointsindicated, and sprang overboard when ordered to do so. The ship's crew,too, were now jumping.
Among them crept the destroyer "Logan," her sailors throwing lines,while a side gangway was also lowered for the use of those who couldswim to it.
Scores of soldiers were soon on the "Logan's" deck. These were directedto seek warm quarters below where they could dry their clothing. Many ofthe soldiers preferred to remain on deck to aid in the rescue of theircomrades. Having cast off after finishing her job of towing, the "Adams"was now busy, too, in rescue work.
At last, when no more heads appeared on the water, and no more men werein evidence on the decks of the sinking transport, the order wassignalled for the rescue-work destroyers to stand clear.
"She'll plunge by the head within five minutes," Dalzell declared, asthe "Logan" steamed clear.
Bang! bang! bang! Destroyer and troopship guns, up near the head of theline, had suddenly begun blazing away.
Half a dozen periscopes showed short lengths, briefly, above the water,but the number of faint streaks across the sea showed that other enemysubmarines were attacking without first taking periscope sights.
"It's the general attack on the fleet, that we expected!" Dave Darrinshouted from the bridge. "Stand by! Remember that fractions of secondscount in carrying out orders now."
Then Lieutenant Beatty caught sight of a periscope above the water, someeight hundred yards away. One of the "Logan's" forward guns spoke insharp challenge. The biggest submarine sea fight of all was now on!