CHAPTER X
ATTACKED FROM THE SKY
On a wonderful September evening, with a crisp autumnal air makingevery fellow feel like a young kitten, the _Dewey_ again glided awayfrom her anchorage in the harbor of Chatham, one of the importantEnglish naval bases, and fell into her position in the convoy of shipsspread out as an escort for a trio of troopships. They were crowdedwith thousands of young chaps, the majority of them Americans andCanadians, on their way to join the armies "somewhere in France."
Bronzed and sturdy as a result of their summer's training in homewaters and their activities aboard the submarine in the North Sea,Jack and Ted stood out on the deck of their craft more eager thanever to get back into active service again, notwithstanding therigors of the service in which they had enlisted.
"Little Mack," now completely recovered from his injuries, was incommand again and smiling good naturedly at "his boys" as they stoodgrouped about on the deck of the _Dewey_.
They were thrilled with the anticipation of marvelous new exploitsin which they were likely to participate, now that the United Stateshad sent a naval commission to cooperate with the London admiraltyand the French naval experts in what was expected to be a campaignto carry the war by naval tactics right home to Germany.
"Ain't no use in expecting that German navy to come out in the openand fight to a finish," commented Bill Witt, as the conversationturned on the likelihood of a big battle between the German highseas fleet and the combined fleets of the United States, Great Britain,and France. "Those fellows would sooner lay back safe in the KielCanal; they know full well we'd make short work of them if they evercame outside."
"Ten to one your Uncle Sam don't wait for them to come outside," putin Jack earnestly. "Now that they have all got together and figuredout what to do as a result of the sessions of that joint naval boardin London, we're likely to be sent right in after them."
Jack's eyes glowed as he thought of the daring feats possible undersuch a naval policy.
"You can bet the _Dewey_ will be in on any such stunts as that,"pursued Ted. "And why shouldn't we go right after them? The UnitedStates Navy never did lie back and wait for the enemy to come out."
Passing along, the deck to the conning tower, Lieutenant McClurestopped to eye the little group.
"You fellows just aching for a scrap again," he said finally. "Well,there's no telling when we might run right into one to-night. ThoseGerman destroyers are likely to make a sortie from Ostend. Besides,you never can tell when some of the Kaiser's air navy is likely to bepopping around."
As he spoke "Little Mack" scanned the sky to the east. Turning to theboys, he remarked laughingly: "You three pretty good chums, aren'tyou?" gazing along the line, from Jack to Ted and then to Bill Witt.
"Just like three peas in a pod," declared Bill Witt. "These twoBrighton boys took me right in---and me a rank outsider! I'm surelucky to have struck two such good friends."
Everybody laughed at Bill's frank avowal of friendship and Jackresponded with a crack on the back that made Bill wince.
"Guess we know good goods when we meet it," he added.
"Little Mack" had been taking it all in with approval.
"That's right, boys," he smiled. "You've got the right spirit.That's the kind of democracy we stand for, and that's why the goodold U.S. Navy is the best in the world---fellows all pulling together.I'm mighty proud of all my boys," continued the little lieutenant."You've made a great record so far, and I only hope you keep up thegood work. Stick together like pals---and be proud of that flagof ours."
With a wave of the hand the ship's commander passed along the deckand into the conning tower.
"There's an ace for you," said Jack, with an admiring glance at theretreating figure.
"Ace! I should say so," sputtered Bill. "Why, if 'Little Mack' toldme to go get von Tirpitz I'd go right after him."
Soon it was dusk and the little fleet had gotten out of sight of landinto the North Sea. Stealing away like shadows into the gloom, thefleet of transports trailed along in battle formation ready to turnback any attack. The crew of the _Dewey_ had retreated into the holdand the vessel was riding awash, with Commander McClure at the wheel,observing the deployment of the fleet from the conning tower.
Down in the torpedo room, bottled up under water where no sound couldescape to attract the attention of the outside world, Mike Mowreyhad tuned up his old banjo and the boys were having an old-fashionedsongfest.
"For it's always fair weather," came the jolly strains that sounded upin the conning tower above the whirr of the ship's engines.
"Everybody's happy to get out again," laughed Executive Officer Clearyto his chief, as he swung the periscope to port for a full sweep ofthe sea.
So far there had been no incident to mar the safe convoy of thetroopships. Plowing straight ahead, the destroyers that flittedhere and there through the filmy darkness danced about the transports,alert to challenge any foe. Another hour and the short trip to theFrench port where the troops were to embark would be concluded andthe _Dewey_ free to dash off to her post along the Belgian coast,where Commander McClure had been ordered on guard against the Germandestroyers that lately had been showing a desire to engage in brusheswith the allied ships.
"Guess we are not going to be molested to-night," said "Little Mack"as he looked at his wrist watch.
"Doesn't seem like it," rejoined Cleary.
But they had reckoned without the two-mile-a-minute birdmen thatcircle the heavens like giant eagles and swoop down on their preyfrom high altitudes to send forth their flaming bombs and death-dealinghand grenades. A lookout on one of the destroyers detected at thismoment an aerial fleet looming out of the north like spectral dotsin the dim light of the skies. From the masthead of the vessel glowedinstantly the light that had been agreed upon as a danger signal.
"Airplanes!" shouted the _Dewey's_ commander, as he strained his eyesthrough the portholes of the conning tower in a vain effort to searchthe skies. In another moment, after giving the "wheel" over to hisflag officer, the lieutenant had thrown open the conning tower and wasgazing into the heavens with his binoculars.
"Yes, there they come," he announced, after a short pause."Two---three---four; there's a half dozen or more of them," hecontinued after a careful survey of the sky.
The singing down in the hold abated when the reported approach of theair fleet became known throughout the ship.
"What's up?" queried Ted, as he joined his chum outside the wirelessroom.
"The Kaiser's imperial flying corps is out for a little eveningexercise," answered Jack, as he hurried along to keep within call ofhis commander.
For the men in the _Dewey_ there was nothing to do but take thereports from the conning tower as to what was going on outside thesubmarine. Their impatience, however, was short-lived, for there camevery quickly an order to man the anti-aircraft guns on deck. Thehatches fore and aft were thrown open and the gun crews scrambled ondeck.
"Not afraid of 'em, are we?" chuckled Ted, as he followed Bill Witt upthe ladder.
"Chances are they can't see us in the twilight," answered Bill. "Andthis is a real chance for us to give the 'twins' a little tuning up."
From the conning tower came the order to unlimber the guns, load andstand by.
"Wait until they come within range, and then fire away!" directed the_Dewey's_ commander.
From a height of five thousand feet the leader of the "air cavalry"suddenly turned the nose of his craft downward, and came volplaningtoward the sea at a dizzy pace. Following suit, the remaining unitsof the attacking squadron dived to get within better range.
"Now, boys!" shouted Lieutenant McClure.
Time-fuse shells had been inserted in the "Twins," the breeches closedand the muzzles elevated to point at the fast-flying airships. At theaft gun Ted gripped the trigger ready to fire, while Mike Mowrey jammedhis good right eye into the telescopic sight to make sure of his aim.
"Fire!" he yelled, and
Ted, let her go. The shot sped away into thesky while the crew gazed eagerly upward to watch for the explosion.Soon the shell burst with a white puff of smoke.
"Little too far to the right," said the observer.
Now the aft gun spoke. From every vessel of the protecting fleet cameanswering shots as they belched their fury at the armada of the air.The dull gray of the night sky was lighted at intervals by the burstingof shells as the German air fleet soared forward over the allied navalfleet. Observers were hurling bombs from above and they were splashinginto the sea on every side. One of them striking the hull of the_Dewey_ would blow the ship into atoms!
"Keep it up, boys! Make every shot count!" sang out Commander McClure.
Mike Mowrey was growling because he was unable to make a hit. "Let'sget one of 'em---just one of 'em!" he bellowed in rage.
One of the winged fleet was circling almost overhead at this momentand seemed tantalizing near. With a twist of the wheel Mowrey swungthe muzzle of his gun up a couple of inches and gave the signal againto fire. Following the shot for a moment the frenzied gunner waselated to note that the machine just above sagged suddenly to one side.Like a bird with a broken pinion it swerved drunkenly in its courseand began slowly to come down. Sustaining wires had been cut by theshell fire from the _Dewey_ and the airplane was out of commission.
"Guess that fellow is done for," said Mowrey.
It was soon evident that the machine was badly crippled, for it cameon downward like a feather floating in the still air. Only a fewminutes elapsed until it had settled on the water.
"Hydro-aeroplane," announced Commander McClure as he stood in theconning tower observing the wounded airship. The other planes wereengaged over the remainder of the allied fleet and the _Dewey_ wasfree to take care of the craft in front of it.
There was now a chance that the American submarine might move alongsideand take prisoner the German birdmen in the damaged machine. Theship's course was altered toward the floating plane and the _Dewey_crept up on her foe.
"Train your forward gun right on that fellow; he is apt to shoot unlessboth pilot and observer are injured," cautioned McClure.
And that was just what happened, for the words had hardly escaped thelips of the Yankee skipper before a gun rang out from under the canvaswings of the airplane and a shell came whizzing over the _Dewey_.
"There's another machine almost directly overhead," bawled Mowrey, ashe spied a second flying craft near at hand.
Having witnessed the fall of the crippled airship, another member ofthe attacking squadron had put back to the rescue. As it soared nowwithin range of the American submarine a bomb came splashing into thewater not two hundred feet away.
Commander McClure began to figure that it was getting too dangerouslonger to risk his thin-skinned vessel before the rain of the lydditebombs, and accordingly gave orders to submerge. Jamming their gunsback into their deck casings, the crews melted away through thehatches into the hold of the _Dewey_. Ballast poured in throughthe valves and the ship began to submerge.
And then, just as the submarine began settling in the water, a shellcame whizzing over the water from the wounded airplane and burstdirectly over the conning tower. There was a crash of rending steeland then a great clatter on the forward deck of the submarine thatreechoed through the interior with an ominous sound.
"Great Scott!" ejaculated McClure. "They've torn away both ourperiscopes!"