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For an instant he imagined himself a member of the crew, gazing through the periscope at a giant German battleship -yes, firing a torpedo that leaped away to find its mark against the gray steel hull of the foe! Up in the dormitories some chap was nimbly fingering "Dixie" on the mandolin.
It was not long coming. "Attention!" the signal board read. And a moment later came the next command: "Fire!" A shell sped across the water straight for the third German battleship. Through the periscope Lord Hastings saw the German vessel give a great lurch, then leap almost clear from the water, where it seemed to hang suspended for a full minute, before it came down again.
"I'll have none of that on my boat," the man declared surlily. "An odd fiver for a kindness " "Shut up!" Granet snapped, drawing his revolver from his pocket. "You run the boat and mind your own business, Rowsell. I'm not out here to be fooled with.... My God!" Almost at their side the periscope of a submarine had suddenly appeared. Slowly it rose to the surface.
The heat escaping into the little room was not the comparatively negligible heat of burning hydrogen, but the cosmic energy of matter in creation. Sime slammed the door. The radiated light was so intense that it stung even his hardened skin. Looking through the rear range-finding periscope, he saw that they were about twenty miles from the fort. They had ceased firing.
Ted was at the observation ports in the tower and Officer Cleary at the other periscope. As the storm increased in fury the Dewey was buffeted about like an egg shell. Ted was nursing a severe bump on the head, having been dashed by the rocking of the boat against one of the steel girders.
There were also rumours of big attacks impending on London as soon as the new type of Gothas are delivered. That will shake the smug security of those cursed islanders. Rosa came to tea, and afterwards I told her more about Zoe, and as I expect any day to be appointed to the periscope school at Kiel, I asked Rosa to try and effect an introduction to Zoe, and do what she could for me.
And then up for another peek; and quickly under again, the captain at the periscope taking each time a fresh bearing of the enemy, who is supposed to be at some distance and steaming at good speed. After two or three such quick sights, changing course after each sight, it will be time to discharge a torpedo or two at her.
The "unrestricted submarine war" was not the right way to improve our situation, but was bound inevitably to lead to a new conflict with America. It was absolutely impossible for the submarine captains to ascertain with certainty through the periscope whether an enemy merchant ship was armed or not. Mistakes, therefore, were sure to arise sooner or later.
As it was, he assured us, he hadn't the faintest idea what to do if he should sight a submarine whether to shoot it, or tell the skipper. He was nervous lest in his excitement he should shoot the skipper. At any rate, he had a firing-party of twenty in the bows, and was determined to shoot someone, if he spotted a periscope.
Reports that the periscope of a submarine showed above the water I have reason to reject. English reports were suppressed the admiralty claimed this right, since there was no loss of life in the belief that if the ship was torpedoed by a submarine, the Germans would give out the first report, and thereby be of assistance in determining the cause.
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