Boy Allies under Two Flags

by Clair W. Hayes

  CHAPTER IV

  ABOARD THE X-9

  There was a hoarse command from aboard the submarine, and amoment later a small boat floated alongside the two Germanofficers who clambered in. Frank and Jack swam toward them asrapidly as their exhausted condition would permit.

  "What are you two lads doing here in the middle of the NorthSea?" asked one of the officers in great surprise, after the boyshad been pulled aboard the small boat.

  "We're here because our ship was sunk by one of your blamedtorpedo boats," replied Jack, with some heat.

  "Only one sunk?" inquired the officer in excellent English.

  "Just one; it seems to me that is enough."

  "Well, I agree that it is better than none," said the Germanofficer. "We'll sink them one at a time. How many of our shipsengaged you?"

  "Four," replied Jack briefly, now beginning to smile to himself,for he saw the German did not know what had happened.

  "Which way did they go?" demanded the German.

  "Straight to the bottom," replied Jack, with a note ofthankfulness in his voice.

  "What!" exclaimed the officer, starting to his feet.

  "To the bottom," Jack repeated.

  "Impossible!" cried the officer. "One British ship couldn't sinkfour German torpedo destroyers."

  "I didn't say there was only one," said Jack. "We someassistance."

  "You must have had," said the German officer heatedly. "Howmany? A dozen?"

  "There were two or three," said Jack briefly,

  He had no mind to tell the German officer the size of the Britishsquadron.

  The German officer was silent for several minutes and then hesaid: "Why didn't you tell me this in the first place?"

  "You didn't ask me," replied Jack, with a tantalizing laugh.

  The German brought his right fist into the palm of his left handwith a resounding smack.

  "You English will pay dearly for every German ship stink," heexclaimed.

  "Maybe so," replied Jack, dryly, "but it won't be a German fleetthat makes us pay."

  "Enough of this!" broke in the second German officer."Lieutenant Stein, you forget yourself, sir. And as for you,sir," turning to Jack, "you show no better taste."

  "I beg your Pardon," said Jack. "I wouldn't have said anythingif he hadn't egged me on."

  Lieutenant Stein was equally repentant.

  "I apologize," he said quietly to Jack. "I should not havespoken as I did."

  "Say no more about it," said Jack. "I was just as much toblame."

  Frank now broke into the conversation.

  "What vessel is this?" he asked, pointing to the low-lying bulkof the submarine, against which the small boat now scraped.

  "German submarine X-9," replied Lieutenant Stein, "where, untilwe put into port again, you will be our prisoners."

  The four now clambered to the top of the submarine. LieutenantStein led the way to the entrance through the combined bridge andconning tower, and all went below. At the foot of the shortflight of steps stood a man in captain's uniform.

  "The sole survivors of a British cruiser, sir," said LieutenantStein to the captain, indicating the two lads. "I have notlearned their names nor rank."

  The two lads hastened to introduce themselves.

  "I am Captain von Cromp, commander of this vessel," said thecaptain gruffly. "You are my prisoners until I put into port andcan turn you over to the proper authorities."

  Jack and Frank bowed in recognition of their fate. The captainturned to Lieutenant Stein.

  "You will see that the prisoners are well cared for," he said."They are in your custody."

  The lads glanced curiously about as they were led along towardthe lieutenant's cabin. It was the first time either had beeninside a submarine vessel, and both felt a trifle squeamish. Theboat was upon the surface of the sea now, however, and a dimlight penetrated below.

  The lieutenant's cabin, well forward, was fitted up luxuriously.There were several bunks in the little room, and the lieutenantmotioned to them.

  "You will sleep there," he said quietly. "Make yourselvesperfectly at home. I guess there is no danger of your attemptingto escape. However, you must remain below and not ascend to thebridge under any circumstances."

  He bowed, and left them.

  "I don't know as I am particularly fond of this kind of travel,"Frank confided to Jack. "It's all right as long as we remain onthe surface, but I'll bet it would feel queer to be moving alongunder the water."

  "Right you are," replied Jack. "However, we are here and weshall have to make the best of a bad situation. Then, too,perhaps we can learn something that may prove of use to us lateron."

  The lads dined that night at the officers' mess and became quitewell acquainted with all of them. They found Captain von Crompnot half so gruff as he had been when they first came aboard.They were questioned about the service they had seen, and theirstory greatly surprised all the officers.

  Upon Lieutenant Stein's request, the commander granted the ladspermission to look over the vessel.

  The lieutenant showed them how the vessel was submerged, byallowing one of the tanks to fill with water; how it rose againby forcing the water from the compartment by means of compressedair; how the air was purified when a lengthy submersion wasnecessary, and how the vessel was handled in times of action.

  He showed them the periscope, and allowed them to peer through,although there was no need to use this, as the vessel was abovewater.

  "When the submarine is submerged," explained Lieutenant Stein,"the periscope is the eye of the vessel. Peering over the waves,it reflects what it sees into the watching human eye in theconning tower. Destroy it, and the submarine is a blind thing,plunging to destruction."

  "Then the periscope is the one weak spot in a submarine?" askedFrank.

  "Exactly," was the reply. "Of course, if it were destroyed, thevessel might rise immediately to the surface and so gain itsbearings. But in the midst of battle it would probably meancertain destruction; for when it rose the submarine wouldnaturally be so close to the enemy that a single big shell wouldput it out of business."

  The boys looked long at this strange mechanical eye. Shaped likea small pipe, it ran up from the conning tower and protrudedabove the vessel. A large lens at the top turned off as does anelbow in a stove pipe. This portion, when necessary, moved inall directions. When raised to its maximum height everythingwithin a radius of ten miles is reflected in it.

  "The shaft can be lowered to within a few inches of the top ofthe water," the lieutenant explained, "thus guarding against thedanger of being hit. The officer in the conning tower peers intothe binoculars and sees just what the periscope sees."

  "Will you explain just how it works?" asked Jack. I

  "Certainly. The periscope consists, as you may see, of a slendertubular shaft extending up through the conning tower of thesubmarine. Each submarine is equipped with a pair--thus if oneis shot away the other can be put in immediate use. At the upperend of the shaft is a mirror lens. Upon this mirror lens isreflected the surrounding surface of the ocean. The imagereflected there is carried down the tube to other lenses and thenconveyed to enlarging binoculars. Now do you understand?"

  "Perfectly," replied Jack; "and now as to the manner in which asubmarine fights. It is by torpedoes, as I understand it."

  "Exactly," replied the lieutenant, "and the torpedo is the mostdeadly, effective and, it may be also said, intelligent of modernwarfare. One torpedo, striking the right kind of a blow, candestroy a battleship. The submarine has no other effective,weapon than the torpedo, which is delivered from a small tube.There is this advantage in favor of the battleship, however: thesubmarine is a slow craft. It is slower than the slowestbattleship when it proceeds under water. When it gets to thesurface its speed is doubled, but then it is an easy target forthe guns of the threatened battleship and also for the swifttorpedo boats and torpedo destroyers which are always thrown outas escort
s when a submarine attack is anticipated. Somesubmarines are equipped with light rapid-firing guns, but theseare of no more use in attacking on-water boats than would be apopgun. Do I make myself clear?"

  "Perfectly," said Jack.

  "It is indeed interesting," said Frank. "Can you tell us more?"

  The lieutenant continued: "Beyond these factors--the superiorspeed, the protection of torpedo boats and the weakness of theperiscope--there has been no protection yet devised against theattack of a submarine."

  "But the torpedo nets--?" interrupted Frank.

  "There is of course," the lieutenant went on, "a crudelydefensive measure called the torpedo net. These are meshes ofstrong steel which are dropped down from the side of the warshipand are supposed to catch the torpedo before it hits the side ofthe ship."

  "Well, don't they?" asked Frank.

  "In theory," said the lieutenant, "the torpedo explodes withinthe net and the force of its attack is more or less diminished.As a matter of fact, however, torpedo nets are not dependable.Why, most of our submarines are equipped with a formidable devicefor cutting these nets. This device, in one form, resembles anenormous pair of sheers which cut through the nets like paper.In another form they are equipped with powerful tearing armswhich drag the net away and expose the sides of the battleship tothe deadly messenger from the torpedo tube. Am I tiring you?"

  "I should say not," replied both lads in one breath, and Frankadded: "I don't just understand how a submarine sinks and rises."

  "It's very simple," said the lieutenant, "and at the same timeI'll tell you something else. The submarine is unaffected bytempests, and for this reason also is more deadly than abattleship. The submarine can dive down into the depths wherethere is no movement of the waves, and it can remain under waterfor fourteen hours continuously. This is accomplished by tankswhich can be filled with water and, overcoming what is known asthe 'margin of buoyancy,' submerge the vessel. The air isreplenished by special purifying devices and by tanks of oxygen.When the vessel wants to rise, it simply pumps out the water fromthe tanks."

  "It certainly is a wonderful invention," said Frank, when thelieutenant had concluded his explanation.

  "Indeed it is," agreed Jack.

  "You should be aboard when we are in action," smiled thelieutenant. "I am sure you would be greatly interested."

  "I don't doubt it," said Jack, "although from what you have toldus regarding the deadliness of submarines, I believe that Ishould rather witness action on a British submarine."

  "Nevertheless," said the lieutenant, "you are likely to seeaction aboard the X-9, for I do not believe Captain Von Crompwill return to port until he has at least tried the effect of historpedoes, on a ship or so of your countrymen."

  "May he go to defeat if he tries it!" said Jack fervently.

  "In which case," said the lieutenant with good natured tolerance,"you would undoubtedly go with us."

  "Even so," replied Jack, "I still could not wish to see you getaway."

  The lieutenant glanced at him admiringly.

  "I believe you mean it," he said. "You are a brave lad. Butcome, we had all better turn in now."

  "I guess you are right," said Frank; "and thanks for the troubleyou have taken to explain all this to us."

  "It was a pleasure, I am sure," was the lieutenant's reply, andthey all made their way to the officer's cabin, where theyprepared to retire for the night.