A little time after the action began to heat up between our
battle-cruisers and the enemy's, eight or ten of our destroyers opened
the ball for their branch of the service by breaking up the attack of
an enemy light cruiser and fifteen destroyers. Of these they accounted
for at least two destroyers--some think more--and drove the others
back on their battle-cruisers. This scattered that fight a good deal
over the sea. Three of our destroyers held on for the enemy's
battle-fleet, who came down on them at ranges which eventually grew
less than 3000 yards. Our people ought to have been lifted off the
seas bodily, but they managed to fire a couple of torpedoes apiece
while the range was diminishing. They had no illusions. Says one of
the three, speaking of her second shot, which she loosed at fairly
close range, "This torpedo was fired because it was considered very
unlikely that the ship would escape disablement before another
opportunity offered." But still they lived--three destroyers against
all a battle-cruiser fleet's quick-firers, as well as the fire of a
batch of enemy destroyers at 600 yards. And they were thankful for
small mercies. "The position being favourable," a third torpedo was
fired from each while they yet floated.
At 2500 yards, one destroyer was hit somewhere in the vitals and
swerved badly across her next astern, who "was obliged to alter course
to avoid a collision, thereby failing to fire a fourth torpedo." Then
that next astern "observed signal for destroyers' recall," and went
back to report to her flotilla captain--alone. Of her two companions,
one was "badly hit and remained stopped between the lines." The other
"remained stopped, but was afloat when last seen." Ships that "remain
stopped" are liable to be rammed or sunk by methodical gun-fire. That
was, perhaps, fifty minutes' work put in before there was any really
vicious "edge" to the action, and it did not steady the nerves of the
enemy battle-cruisers any more than another attack made by another
detachment of ours.
"What does one do when one passes a ship that 'remains stopped'?" I
asked of a youth who had had experience.
"Nothing special. They cheer, and you cheer back. One doesn't think
about it till afterwards. You see, it may be your luck in another
minute."