THE LAST SEA BATTLE
The cannonading became terrific.
Now that assistance arrived, Jack ordered the Essex, which still was the
nearest British vessel to the enemy, back into the fray.
"The big fellows will look out for us," he confided to Frank.
The revolving turrets of the Essex were kept on the move and guns crashed
as fast as they could be brought to bear. Shells struck on all sides of
the destroyer and occasionally one came aboard. But thanks to Jack's
maneuvering of the vessel, so far she had not been struck in a vital part.
The main British fleet bore down on the enemy from two sides, and to
protect themselves against these new foes, the Germans were forced to turn
their attention elsewhere than the Essex. Already big shells from the
British warships were striking aboard the enemy. The range had been found
almost with the first fire from the approaching war vessels and the
Germans were replying as fast as they were able.
The fighting was at such close range now that Jack was able to distinguish
the names of the German battleships. In the center, flying the flag of
Admiral Krauss, was the Bismarck. On the right of the flagship were the
Hamburg and the Potsdam, while on the left the flagship was flanked by the
Baden and the Wilhelm II.
The fire of all five German vessels, at order of the admiral, was now
directed upon the Lion, which bore down swiftly and was perhaps a quarter
of a mile closer to the enemy than any other British craft except the
destroyer Essex, commanded by Jack.
The forward guns of the Lion roared angrily and spat fire in the darkness
as she bore down on the Germans at full speed. As yet no enemy shell had
struck the Lion, but she had put several shells aboard the nearest German
battleship--the Baden.
Now that the German fire had been momentarily lifted from the Essex, Jack
ordered his ship in closer; and a veritable hail of shells were dropped on
the Potsdam. For a moment or so the Germans paid no attention to the
destroyer, but the fire from Jack's men became so accurate that the
captain of the German ship found it necessary to disregard the admiral's
orders and turn his attention to the Essex in self-defense.
The first shell from the Potsdam flew screaming over the bridge of the
destroyer, but did no damage. The second was aimed better. It struck the
bow of the destroyer on the port side and plowed through. The destroyer
quivered through her entire length.
"Go below and report, Mr. Chadwick," Jack commanded.
Upon investigation, Frank learned that the shell had plowed through the
forward bulkheads and that the outside compartments were awash. But the
inner compartments had not been penetrated. He rounded up the ship's
carpenter, who announced that the damage could be repaired in half an
hour. There had been no casualties.
Jack accepted Frank's report with a brief nod; then gave his attention
again to fighting his ship.
Forward and to the right of the Essex there sounded a terrific explosion,
followed by a blinding glare. The Baden, one of the largest of the German
warships, sprang into a mighty sheet of flame. A shell from the Lion had
penetrated the engine room and exploded her boilers. Came wild cries from
aboard the vessel and escaping steam and boiling water poured on the crew
and scalded them.
With the searchlights of the British ships playing on her, the Baden
reared high out of the water, and as men jumped into the sea for safety,
she settled by the head, and sank.
This left only four of the enemy to continue the struggle and opposed to
these the British offered eight unwounded vessels. Admiral Krauss gazed in
every direction, seeking a possible avenue of escape. And at last he
believed he saw it.
To the east--back in the direction from which he had come--the space
between the British battleships Peerless and Falcon seemed to offer a
chance. The German admiral calculated rapidly. To the eye it appeared that
the German ships could pass through that opening before the British could
close in.
The wireless aboard the German flagship sputtered excitedly. Instantly the
four remaining German ships turned and dashed after the flagship, which
was showing the way.
Instantly the commander of every British ship realized the purpose of the
enemy. Even the distant Falcon and Peerless seemed to know what was
expected of them. Their speed increased and they dashed forward in an
effort to intercept the enemy.
It was nip and tuck. The Lion was the first to dash in pursuit, followed
by the Tiger and the White Hawk. The Brewster and Southampton, closely
followed by the more or less crippled Essex, brought up the rear, each
doing its utmost to pass the other in order to get another chance at the
enemy.
Slowly the Lion, the Tiger and the White Hawk gained on the enemy; and it
became apparent now that the Germans would be unable to get through the
space between the Peerless and Falcon without a fight.
Aboard the Bismarck, the German admiral gritted his teeth.
"It will have to be fight now," he muttered, "and the odds are all against
me."
The Falcon and the Peerless, from either side and forward of the Germans,
now opened with their big guns almost simultaneously. Every available gun
aboard the German vessels replied. From astern, the guns of the Lion were
pounding the sterns of the fleeing enemy battleships. The Brewster and the
Southampton, together with the Tiger and the White Hawk, also were hurling
shells after the Germans, although with little effect, for they were
trailing too far behind.
Jack urged the Essex forward in the wake of the others. He was far behind
and was rapidly being outdistanced by the larger ships, but he determined
to see the thing through if possible.
The last German ship in line, struck by a shell from the pursuing Lion,
staggered and fell to one side. The Lion darted on, pouring a broadside
into the crippled enemy as she passed, then dashed after the vessels
ahead.
The Tiger, White Hawk, Brewster and Southampton, also poured broadsides
into the Wilhelm II as they passed, but they did not even slacken their
pace.
But the Wilhelm II apparently had not received her death blow. Her crew
continued to fight the ship heroically, and as the Essex approached she
was greeted with a heavy fire from the German.
"The big fellows don't seem to have made a very good job of this," said
Jack to Frank. "We'll finish it for them."
The Essex slowed down and turned sharply toward the Wilhelm II. Her guns
still in condition to fight burst forth anew. The British showed
excellent marksmanship. Shell after shell was poured into the crippled
foe. Jack ordered "cease firing."
Taking a megaphone that lay nearby, he put it to his mouth and called:
"Surrender!"
His answer was a shell that came crashing aboard aft from one of the
Wilhelm II's big guns. Jack turned quietly to Frank.
"Sink her!" he said.
Frank dashed across the deck to where the crew of the forward gun turret
was anxiously awaiting some command. He addressed the captain of the crew.
"See if you can put a shell into her engine room," he said. "Take your
time."
The latter did so; and it was several seconds before the big gun spoke,
but when it did Frank uttered an exclamation of satisfaction.
The shell had gone true. Watching eyes aboard the Essex saw it plow its
way through the side of the Wilhelm II. Then came the explosion and the
Wilhelm II seemed to part in the middle. She sank in less than five
minutes.
Meanwhile, the Peerless and Falcon had headed off the other three German
ships, which, forced to fight, now stood at bay, with every gun pounding.
The Lion, Tiger and the other vessels bore down on them rapidly from
astern.
For the space of half an hour the view of those aboard the Essex was
obscured by the smoke from the big guns, which could not be penetrated
even by the bright lights of the searchlights. They could hear the boom of
the big guns, the crash of the shells as they struck home and occasional
sharp explosions that told of irrepairable damage aboard the enemy
vessels, but they could see nothing.
"This will be the last of the enemy," was Frank's comment.
Jack nodded.
"I should think so," he agreed. "If they let one of those fellows get away
now they should be court-martialed."
"Don't fret," said Frank, "they won't get away."
They didn't get away.
Firing ceased just as the first streak of light appeared in the eastern
sky, and when the smoke of battle cleared away, Jack and Frank saw that
the British victory had been complete.
Only two German ships were still above water. These were the Bismarck,
flagship of Admiral Krauss, and the Hamburg. The others had all been sunk.
The Hamburg, the lads could see, was slowly sinking by the head. She was
being abandoned by her crew, who, in small boats, some even swimming, were
hurrying to the side of the Bismarck, where they were lifted aboard.
"Why didn't they sink her, too?" demanded Frank pointing to the German
flagship.
"Why?" repeated Jack. "Why should they? Can't you see that white flag
flying at the masthead?"
"By George! I hadn't noticed that."
"And there," said Jack, pointing, "goes a prize crew from the Lion to take
over the vessel."
A launch loaded with British tars had put off from the Lion and was making
toward the German flagship.
Admiral Krauss and his officers and men were soon transferred to the Lion
and a British crew was in possession of the Bismarck.
Thus ended the last sea battle of the great war. In all the times that
Germany had tested the naval power of Great Britain and her allies, she
had found it great--too much for German naval tactics to overcome. And now
that the great war was drawing to an end, she did not test it again.