CHAPTER III.
THE ENGAGEMENT.
Meanwhile the British fleet, consisting of five first-class battlecruisers, together with a flotilla of perhaps twenty torpedo boatdestroyers, was steaming rapidly in pursuit of the fleeing enemy.
The German fleet, while not as powerful as the British, neverthelesspresented a formidable array of fighting ships. Three first-class battlecruisers and one second-class battle cruiser and a torpedo boat flotillagreater than that of the English were in line, and it seemed to Frankand Jack that the odds were nearly enough equal for the German commanderto give battle.
However, such was not the enemy's plan; for, once having turned tail tothe British, the German ships put on full speed and made as fast aspossible for the protection of the German mine field which protected theentrance to Heligoland. It became evident that the enemy would fightonly as a last resort.
The British fleet was in full chase. First came the _Tiger_, theflagship of Admiral Beatty. Next in line was the _Lion_, a cruiser ofthe same class, and behind these followed three other powerful Englishcruisers.
At a command from the flagship, the British torpedo boats headed in thedirection of the German ships of the same class, which had borne off atrifle to the north.
So far not a shot had been fired, for the British had not yet drawnclose enough to the flying enemy to be within range. Half an hourpassed, an hour, and then the great forward turret guns of the _Tiger_opened upon the rear German ship, which proved to be the _Bluecher_, acruiser of the second class.
The first shot went wide, and the second. But with the third shot theBritish gunners found the range, and a shell dropped squarely upon thebridge of the _Bluecher_. A veritable cloud of steel and debris of allsorts rose high in the air above the _Bluecher_, and, falling, showereddeath among the crew.
A second and a third well-directed shell struck the _Bluecher_ amidshipsand staggered her. She reeled like a drunken man, seemed about to rollover on her side, then righted herself and steamed on, but slower thanbefore.
Now the _Tiger_, the first British ship, was upon her; but the _Tiger_did not stop. She had no time to waste on the _Bluecher_, alreadywounded unto death. As she steamed majestically past, however she poureda broadside into the reeling ship; then sped on in pursuit of the otherenemies.
Now the _Lion_ also came abreast of the _Bluecher_, and she, too, as shepassed, poured in a broadside. It was more than the sinking _Bluecher_could stand. One last shot she hurled toward the _Tiger_, and almostbefore the British vessel had drawn away from her, she reeled once moreand disappeared beneath the sea. As she did so, her crew hurledthemselves into the water.
Now the _Lion_ and _Tiger_ had drawn within range of the other Germancruisers and their huge shells were raining death and ruin upon them.Suddenly the rear German ship burst into flames, and her pace slackened.
Flushed with success, and with victory within their grasp, the Britishsailors raised a loud cheer, and the British guns spoke oftener and withgreater effect than before.
But the Germans had not been idle. Outranged by the British as theywere, they had opened with their great guns the moment the British hadcome within range. One shell raked the forward deck of the _Tiger_, andcarried away a part of the turret, killing several men. A second struckthe _Lion_, wounding several officers and a number of sailors, thoughnone was killed on the second ship.
Now, with victory almost in their hands, the British fleet, at a signalfrom the flagship, gave up the chase and fell back. Only the _Bluecher_had been sunk, though two of the enemy's remaining three cruisers werein flames and the third had been badly damaged.
A cry of dismay went up from the British when the order to slow down wasgiven. For the moment the men were at a loss to account for this action,and the officers of the various ships themselves were, for the moment,disappointed.
But Admiral Beatty had acted wisely. Ten minutes' further steaming andthe Germans had entered the protection of the mine field, where it wouldhave been death for the British to have followed without a map of themined area. Admiral Beatty's action in calling off his fleet was givenat the right moment, for had the British followed the chase would haveended disastrously.
When the German cruiser _Bluecher_ had disappeared beneath the waves,the crew of one of the British cruisers had manned the boats and wasendeavoring to save the lives of the Germans who had leaped into thewater.
Almost two hundred of them had been picked up. Suddenly, right in thespot where the British sailors were engaged in the work of rescue, atorpedo flashed by with a sharp hiss. Had it struck one of the boats,all near must have been killed. A second followed closely after thefirst, and the British were forced to give up the work of rescue, for tohave remained in the spot would have been to invite certain death.
Thus, by firing at British sailors engaged in the task of savingsurviving German sailors, a German submarine had been the means oflosing several score of German lives.
Meanwhile what of the British submarine D-16, which, before the battlecommenced, was bearing Frank and Jack swiftly toward the German fleet?
Beneath the water, Lord Hastings had no way of determining what wasgoing on above. The D-16 had submerged until her periscope was of novalue, but Lord Hastings had deemed this advisable, because, had theperiscope been allowed to protrude above water, it might have beencarried away by a German shell.
Now the D-16, besides being able to remain under water indefinitely, hadas before stated an added superiority over other under-the-sea-fighters,for she was able, when pushed to the limit, to make a speed of thirtyknots--a speed much greater even than that of any of the cruisers aboveher.
Therefore, when the British fleet came within range of the enemy, theD-16 was far in advance of her fellows, under the water.
"We'll leave the big fellows to settle with the German cruisers," saidLord Hastings calmly. "We'll try our luck with the torpedo boats."
Jack and Frank nodded that they understood and approved of the plan.
"I guess the big fellows can take care of them all right," replied Frankdryly.
"They always have been able to," agreed Jack.
When, finally, Lord Hastings judged that they must be in close proximityto the German torpedo flotilla, he ordered that the D-16 rise until herperiscope showed them their surroundings. Then, as he viewed the sceneabout him, he stepped quickly back and ordered:
"Submerge!"
Instantly the D-16 dived, and Lord Hastings turned to the two lads.
"I didn't calculate just right," he told them. "We went up right in themidst of the enemy."
"Did they see us?" asked Jack anxiously.
"I don't know. However, I have the range. Have the men stand by thetorpedoes."
The men sprang quickly to their posts at Jack's command, and then LordHastings gave the order to rise slowly.
Slowly the water was forced from the tanks once more, and gradually thesubmarine arose, until her periscope once more protruded just above thewater.
"No. 2 torpedo!" ordered Lord Hastings. "Ready?"
"Aye, aye, sir," came the reply of the man, who stood almost at hiscommander's elbow, and therefore could plainly hear the command.
For the others, further away, it would be necessary to use the signalboard.
"Fire!" cried Lord Hastings.
A sharp metallic click was the only answer, and all on board stoodquiet. Lord Hastings kept his eye glued to the periscope.
Then those on board saw him throw up his hand with a gesture ofsatisfaction, and none needed to be told that the torpedo had gone true.
Now the attention of all was given to the signal board, at LordHastings' side. The men stood at their posts, as did Frank and Jack,awaiting the signal that would mean the firing of another torpedo.
There was not a sound to break the stillness other than the purr of theengine. But the stillness could only be termed such because there wereno regular noises. In spite of th
is a voice could be heard but a fewfeet away, because of the heavy pressure of the water above.
Suddenly the signal board flashed red. The men read:
"No. 3 torpedo! No. 4 torpedo!"
Lord Hastings had decided upon a bold stroke. He had determined todeliver a double blow to the enemy before he was forced to submerge, toescape the fire of the enemy.
He gauged the range for each torpedo, and this was flashed upon thesignal board. Then came the next command:
"Attention!"
Eagerly, though quietly, the men awaited the next command. There was nota nervous hand aboard. All bore themselves with the easy nonchalancethat has been the character of the British sailor through all the ages;but their fingers twitched with impatience.
And then the signal board again glowed in burning letters:
"Fire!"
"Click! Click!"
Not another sound, and even these only audible to the men who hadlaunched the torpedoes, and two powerful engines of destruction, aimedtrue, sped on the errand of death and disaster.
At the same moment the signal board flashed:
"Submerge!"