There were now only thirty-two of the one hundred and fifty members of
the ship's company left on board, including the captain, officers, and
engineers, and our chances of getting out of our present predicament
certainly looked small.
The second, who had now taken the wheel, was skilfully steering the
ship under the captain's orders. He kept the submarine--which was now
close upon us--almost directly astern, and the position of both father
and son was one of extreme danger, for fragments of the bursting
shells were constantly striking the navigating bridge, and the couple
had frequently to lie prone on the deck to avoid being struck. Their
coolness and courage, however, never forsook them, and they remained at
their posts like heroes, without the slightest sign of fear.
We now noticed--greatly to our relief--the smoke of a steamer on our
starboard side, and this we rightly judged to be the patrol ship
hurrying to our help.
As she gradually came into sight, in response to a request by our
captain over the wireless, she fired at the submarine, but the distance
was too great, and the shot fell short.
We made sure that our pursuer would now give up the chase and submerge
to get out of danger, but instead she crowded on extra speed and drew
up alongside our steamer. She kept carefully under our lee, thus
sheltering herself for the time being from any further shots from the
patrol steamer. From this position she fired shell after shell into us.
It was now an impossibility to keep the submarine any longer astern, as
her superior speed enabled her to keep abreast of us.
We counted thirteen men on her deck, some of them manipulating the gun,
and others armed with rifles, with which they kept up a constant fire,
endeavouring to pick off anyone they could see on our decks.
Those on the approaching patrol steamer, comprehending our position and
expecting every moment to see the ship torpedoed, sent us a wireless
message to throw lines and ropes over the side and try to foul the
submarine's propeller, and thus stop her. If possible we might also
try and ram her. Ramming was out of the question, on account of the
German's superior speed, but, acting on the first suggestion, under
the captain's orders I went along and threw some of our mooring-ropes
overboard, but the scheme was apparently ineffective, as the submarine
still kept her place on our port side.
It was just at this moment, as I was returning from carrying out these
orders, that a shell fired from the submarine, and aimed directly at
the bridge, struck our gallant captain and literally blew him to pieces.
The second officer at the wheel was stunned and almost blinded by the
report, and his escape from death was a miracle, as the captain was
only a few feet away when killed. Fragments of the shell actually tore
away some of the spokes of the wheel which he held at the time.
As I gained the lower bridge he came down smothered in blood, dazed and
stunned by the shock of the explosion, and horrified at witnessing the
death of his brave father.
To remain on either of the bridges now was out of the question, as the
submarine was only fifty yards from us, running abreast. The Hun crew
had clamped a Maxim on the top of their quick-firing gun and, using
this, together with their rifles, they kept up a constant fire fore and
aft.
The patrol steamer was still about two miles away, but coming towards
us at top speed, with smoke pouring from her funnel. But would she
reach us in time before the pirates sent us to the bottom? We were
now in imminent danger of being torpedoed, the submarine being in a
splendid position to launch her deadly missile.
Seeing this, I called the wireless operators away from their posts,
to which they had gamely stuck through the whole of the firing, and
shouted down to the two engineers to come on deck. Gathering together
the remainder of my men, we made our way along the bullet-swept decks,
taking shelter where and when we could. We cut everything floatable
adrift in case the ship went under so as to give us a better chance of
being picked up by our rescuers.