The Mystery Ship: A Story of the 'Q' Ships During the Great War
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CHAPTER XX
THE END OF U 247
"IT seems as if Old Man Morpeth's keen on taking all the Auldhaigcrush for a joyride," said Meredith, as he shook hands withCumberleigh and was introduced by the latter to the other R.A.F.officers.
Both Wakefield and the R.N.V.R. Sub knew most of the staff atAuldhaig Air Station by sight, while Meredith had met Cumberleigh onseveral occasions, both officially and socially, as they were membersof the same club.
"The world is small," quoth Cumberleigh. "All the same, I hardlyexpected to tumble across you half way across the North Sea. What areyou doing on this hooker?"
"Supernumeraries," replied Wakefield. "Same as you. Unless anythingunforeseen takes place, I fancy we're off to German waters on aparticular stunt."
"Hope there won't be too many underwater stunts," said Blenkinson."I've had enough submarine work during the last twenty-four hours tolast me a lifetime. Give me an old 'bus at five thousand feet anyday."
"There'll be no under-water performances this trip, I hope," remarkedWakefield gravely. "If there is, it will be a case with us."
"Is that so?" asked Cumberleigh. "I thought this was a capturedU-boat."
"So did I once upon a time," said Wakefield, and he briefly explainedQ 171's true rôle.
The five officers were standing aft watching the transhipment of themutineers. Morpeth and Sub-lieutenant Ainslie were far too busy topay any attention to the released captives. The R.N.R. skipper wasalertly watching events, ready to cope with any sinister designs onthe part of Fritz, while Ainslie was superintending the task ofclapping the surrendered Huns under hatches.
With a good knowledge of German--it was mainly on that account thathe was appointed to Q 171--Ainslie soon obtained the mutineers'carefully concocted account of what had happened to merit their tamesurrender; what was more, he literally "knocked the stuffing out ofthem" by informing them that their precious yarn was all eye-wash,and that Ober-leutnant von Preugfeld and Unter-leutnant vonLoringhoven had been picked up and were now on board as prisoners ofwar. Yet with the Hun's typical effrontery Hans Furst coolly told theexamination officer that after the war he proposed to settle inEngland, become naturalised, and make plenty of money.
"The English," he added "will be grateful to me when they learn thatI threw the German officers overboard."
While the cross-questioning of the mutineers was in progress Morpethwas taking steps to destroy the prize.
"You might have a look round before we send her to the bottom," hesaid to Wakefield, who jumped at the suggestion.
So Wakefield, Meredith and three of the Q-boat's crew manned thecollapsible dinghy belonging to the captured submarine and boardedthe prize.
A hasty examination showed that no attempt had been made to playtricks with the sea-cocks, nor had Fritz, according to his usualcustom, placed bombs with time-fuses in the hold. It was anotherexample of the lack of a master. So intent had the Huns been to savetheir own skins that they took not the faintest precaution to preventthe confidential signal-book, log-book and other documents fromfalling into the hands of their enemy.
"It's a pity to have to scuttle her," remarked Meredith regretfully,as he surveyed the complicated array of mechanism. "It would be justmy mark to navigate her to Auldhaig under a prize crew."
"No doubt, Sub," rejoined Wakefield drily. "But unfortunately thereare objections. Morpeth's short-handed although he's choc-a-blockwith useless passengers. We couldn't make the Hun mechanics take onin the engine-room. On the way, even supposing you tackled the job,there's a risk of falling in with a Boche U-boat, or a greater riskof being torpedoed or bombed by our destroyers and aircraft. No doubtCumberleigh and the R.A.F. fellows would bear a hand, but they'reamateurs at the game. We should be if we were called upon to navigatea coastal airship."
"And we should be out of Morpeth's big stunt," added Meredith."Having gone so far I should be sorry to miss it."
"Exactly," agreed the R.N.V.R. lieutenant. "So U 247 must go to DavyJones. I think we've seen everything of importance."
The U-boat was to be scuttled by opening the under-water valves.Destruction by means of explosives was undesirable, as the reportmight bring inquisitive craft upon the scene, and Q 171 was for thenonce a sort of social pariah and liable to be fired upon by Britishpatrol boats, which acted upon the principle of shoot quick and shootstraight at anything resembling a German submarine.
Ordering the boat's crew to stand by, Wakefield went below once more.By the aid of an electric torch, for the internal lightingarrangements had given out, he found the levers that operated the bigvalves. So great was the inrush of water that Wakefield fancied hewould be trapped by the miniature Niagara. Without waiting tomanipulate the second sea-cock, he hastened precipitately on deck andfollowed Meredith into the dinghy.
"Done the trick?" inquired Morpeth, as the two R.N.V.R. officersregained the mystery ship. "She doesn't seem in a hurry."
Nor was she. It seemed quite a long time before the volume of wateradmitted into the U-boat's hull made any visible change in her trim.At length her freeboard diminished. She began to settle by the stern.
"I suppose you made certain that there were no other prisoners of waron board?" inquired Captain Cumberleigh.
"Trust me for that," replied Wakefield. "Why did you ask?"
"Because I'm rather mystified about a fellow who called himselfCaptain Fennelburt. He was with us when von Preugfeld collared us.One of the mutineers pitched me a yarn to the effect that vonPreugfeld set him ashore. If so, what was the motive?"
"I'll see Morpeth about it," decided Wakefield.
"Ask von Preugfeld," suggested the skipper. "I can't do so myselfjust at present. Make him own up, and don't stand any nonsense."
Cumberleigh, Wakefield and Blenkinson went below to interview theprisoner. They acted on Morpeth's tip and stood on no ceremony. Timewas a consideration, as the U-boat was sinking and they wanted to seethe end.
Wakefield came straight to the point.
"I understand, Kapitan von Preugfeld," he said sternly, "that you hadon board another prisoner, a Captain Fennelburt of the R.A.F. He wasnot found when we searched U 247. Now where is he?"
"You ask him," replied von Preugfeld, indicating von Loringhoven.
"I do not know," protested the unter-leutnant, "but he does."
Evidently von Loringhoven was getting pretty sick of being made aconvenience of by his egotistical skipper.
Wakefield's brows lowered. There was an ominous glint in his eye.
"I give you five seconds," he said darkly. "Otherwise, if you refuseto tell me, back you go on board U 247. I might add that she issinking. Now: one... two... three... four---"
"I tell you!" exclaimed von Preugfeld. "All I tell you. Der offizierhe try to escape. He vos shot. It is der rules of der war."
"Unfortunately for the statement," interposed Captain Cumberleigh, "Iheard from one of your men that you landed him early this morning."
"In dat case," rejoined von Preugfeld, shrugging his shoulders, "whyyou ask me? You take der word of a common sailor instead of aPrussian offizier--a von Preugfeld? I tell you he lie."
Wakefield turned his back upon the bullying Prussian.
"It's evident that there was no other British officer on board," heremarked to his companions. "We'll go into the matter later. Comealong, if we are to see the last of U 247."
The door was locked upon the prisoners, and the three officershurried on deck. Q 171 was forging ahead, moving in wide circlesaround the sinking pirate craft.
By this time the U-boat had dipped her stern. Waves were lappingalong her deck as far as the after quick-firer. Her stem wascorrespondingly raised until the bow tubes were visible above water.
Higher and higher rose the submarine's bows. Tons of water were flunginto her hull through the open after-hatch. Compressed air washissing loudly. Little rivulets of iridescent oil were forming on thesurface. Occasionally interior fittings, giving way under theever-increasing pressure, creake
d and groaned to add to thediscordant noises of the sinking craft.
Then, with a shuddering movement, the U-boat slithered under thewater. For a brief instant her bows stood almost on end. A column ofwater, forced by the terrific pressure through the fore-hatch,spurted a good fifty feet, ejecting with it a quantity of debris andoil.
"_Bon voyage!_" exclaimed Wakefield.
A turmoil of agitated water marked the spot where the submarinedisappeared. For a full minute the maelstrom surged and swirled,then, overcome by the liberation of tons of heavy oil, the disturbedwater died down, leaving in its place an ever-increasing patch ofmulti-hued colours. Forty fathoms down the submarine had made apermanent acquaintance with the bed of the North Sea.
"Well, any luck?" inquired Morpeth, who, having left Ainslie incharge, had rejoined his unofficial guests in the ward-room. "Whatdid you get out of von Preugfeld?"
"Precious little," admitted Wakefield. "He tried to hedge. We'll haveto confront him with some of his mutineering men."
"I'll find out if there's any reference to the mysterious captain inthis," said the R.N.R. skipper, holding up U 247's log-book. "Any ofyou fellows read the lingo?"
"Sorry," replied Meredith.
"You needn't be, old son," rejoined Morpeth. "I can't an' don't wantto, although just now it would come in mighty handy. Some years backthe Foul Anchor Line turned me down when I wanted a job as SecondOfficer on one of their crack boats because I couldn't speak German.They were carrying a lot of German passengers and South Americans atthat time. Another fellow--Campbell was his name--got the billet'cause he'd gained a first prize for German on a cadet training-ship.First trip he piled the old hooker aground off the entrance to RioHarbour, 'and a dozen or more Huns got drowned."
"So you were glad you didn't get the appointment after all?" askedCumberleigh.
"Rather," agreed Morpeth, with a laugh. "Not that I'd have put theship aground. Guess I know that part of the South American coast toowell. But, looking back on it, young Campbell was a patriot, only hedidn't know it. We might have had another dozen Huns to fight. But toget back to business: here's this log wants looking into, and it'syoung Ainslie's trick. He's the Hun lingoist."
"I'll have a shot at it," volunteered Captain Cumberleigh. "I was inGermany. ...Long before the war," he added apologetically, speakingwith the weight of experience of twenty-two years.
He opened the log-book at the last-written page.
"'Fraid it won't help us much," he announced. "Apparently it doesn'tgo beyond 8 A.M. of the 15th--that is the morning of the day theycollared us. By Jove! Morpeth, you've caught a much-wanted specimen.Von Preugfeld's the fellow who torpedoed the hospital ship_Columbine_ and the _Camperdown Castle_."
"The Lord have mercy on his soul, then!" said Morpeth solemnly.