ABOARD THE X-9
There was a hoarse command from aboard the submarine, and a
moment later a small boat floated alongside the two German
officers who clambered in. Frank and Jack swam toward them as
rapidly as their exhausted condition would permit.
"What are you two lads doing here in the middle of the North
Sea?" asked one of the officers in great surprise, after the boys
had been pulled aboard the small boat.
"We're here because our ship was sunk by one of your blamed
torpedo boats," replied Jack, with some heat.
"Only one sunk?" inquired the officer in excellent English.
"Just one; it seems to me that is enough."
"Well, I agree that it is better than none," said the German
officer. "We'll sink them one at a time. How many of our ships
engaged you?"
"Four," replied Jack briefly, now beginning to smile to himself,
for he saw the German did not know what had happened.
"Which way did they go?" demanded the German.
"Straight to the bottom," replied Jack, with a note of
thankfulness in his voice.
"What!" exclaimed the officer, starting to his feet.
"To the bottom," Jack repeated.
"Impossible!" cried the officer. "One British ship couldn't sink
four German torpedo destroyers."
"I didn't say there was only one," said Jack. "We some
assistance."
"You must have had," said the German officer heatedly. "How
many? A dozen?"
"There were two or three," said Jack briefly,
He had no mind to tell the German officer the size of the British
squadron.
The German officer was silent for several minutes and then he
said: "Why didn't you tell me this in the first place?"
"You didn't ask me," replied Jack, with a tantalizing laugh.
The German brought his right fist into the palm of his left hand
with a resounding smack.
"You English will pay dearly for every German ship stink," he
exclaimed.
"Maybe so," replied Jack, dryly, "but it won't be a German fleet
that makes us pay."
"Enough of this!" broke in the second German officer.
"Lieutenant Stein, you forget yourself, sir. And as for you,
sir," turning to Jack, "you show no better taste."
"I beg your Pardon," said Jack. "I wouldn't have said anything
if he hadn't egged me on."
Lieutenant Stein was equally repentant.
"I apologize," he said quietly to Jack. "I should not have
spoken as I did."
"Say no more about it," said Jack. "I was just as much to
blame."
Frank now broke into the conversation.
"What vessel is this?" he asked, pointing to the low-lying bulk
of the submarine, against which the small boat now scraped.
"German submarine X-9," replied Lieutenant Stein, "where, until
we put into port again, you will be our prisoners."
The four now clambered to the top of the submarine. Lieutenant
Stein led the way to the entrance through the combined bridge and
conning tower, and all went below. At the foot of the short
flight of steps stood a man in captain's uniform.
"The sole survivors of a British cruiser, sir," said Lieutenant
Stein to the captain, indicating the two lads. "I have not
learned their names nor rank."
The two lads hastened to introduce themselves.
"I am Captain von Cromp, commander of this vessel," said the
captain gruffly. "You are my prisoners until I put into port and
can turn you over to the proper authorities."
Jack and Frank bowed in recognition of their fate. The captain
turned to Lieutenant Stein.
"You will see that the prisoners are well cared for," he said.
"They are in your custody."
The lads glanced curiously about as they were led along toward
the lieutenant's cabin. It was the first time either had been
inside a submarine vessel, and both felt a trifle squeamish. The
boat was upon the surface of the sea now, however, and a dim
light penetrated below.
The lieutenant's cabin, well forward, was fitted up luxuriously.
There were several bunks in the little room, and the lieutenant
motioned to them.
"You will sleep there," he said quietly. "Make yourselves
perfectly at home. I guess there is no danger of your attempting
to escape. However, you must remain below and not ascend to the
bridge under any circumstances."
He bowed, and left them.
"I don't know as I am particularly fond of this kind of travel,"
Frank confided to Jack. "It's all right as long as we remain on
the surface, but I'll bet it would feel queer to be moving along
under the water."
"Right you are," replied Jack. "However, we are here and we
shall have to make the best of a bad situation. Then, too,
perhaps we can learn something that may prove of use to us later
on."
The lads dined that night at the officers' mess and became quite
well acquainted with all of them. They found Captain von Cromp
not half so gruff as he had been when they first came aboard.
They were questioned about the service they had seen, and their
story greatly surprised all the officers.
Upon Lieutenant Stein's request, the commander granted the lads
permission to look over the vessel.
The lieutenant showed them how the vessel was submerged, by
allowing one of the tanks to fill with water; how it rose again
by forcing the water from the compartment by means of compressed
air; how the air was purified when a lengthy submersion was
necessary, and how the vessel was handled in times of action.
He showed them the periscope, and allowed them to peer through,
although there was no need to use this, as the vessel was above
water.
"When the submarine is submerged," explained Lieutenant Stein,
"the periscope is the eye of the vessel. Peering over the waves,
it reflects what it sees into the watching human eye in the
conning tower. Destroy it, and the submarine is a blind thing,
plunging to destruction."
"Then the periscope is the one weak spot in a submarine?" asked
Frank.
"Exactly," was the reply. "Of course, if it were destroyed, the
vessel might rise immediately to the surface and so gain its
bearings. But in the midst of battle it would probably mean
certain destruction; for when it rose the submarine would
naturally be so close to the enemy that a single big shell would
put it out of business."
The boys looked long at this strange mechanical eye. Shaped like
a small pipe, it ran up from the conning tower and protruded
above the vessel. A large lens at the top turned off as does an
elbow in a stove pipe. This portion, when necessary, moved in
all directions. When raised to its maximum height everything
within a radius of ten miles is reflected in it.
"The shaft can be lowered to within a few inches of the top of
the water," the lieutenant explained, "thus guarding against the
danger of being hit. The officer in the conning tower peers into
the binoculars and sees just what the periscope sees."
"Will you explain just how it works?" asked Jack. I
"Certainly. The periscope consists, as you may see, of a slender
tubular shaft extending up through the conning tower of the
submarine. Each submarine is equipped with a pair--thus if one
is shot away the other can be put in immediate use. At the upper
end of the shaft is a mirror lens. Upon this mirror lens is
reflected the surrounding surface of the ocean. The image
reflected there is carried down the tube to other lenses and then
conveyed to enlarging binoculars. Now do you understand?"
"Perfectly," replied Jack; "and now as to the manner in which a
submarine fights. It is by torpedoes, as I understand it."
"Exactly," replied the lieutenant, "and the torpedo is the most
deadly, effective and, it may be also said, intelligent of modern
warfare. One torpedo, striking the right kind of a blow, can
destroy a battleship. The submarine has no other effective,
weapon than the torpedo, which is delivered from a small tube.
There is this advantage in favor of the battleship, however: the
submarine is a slow craft. It is slower than the slowest
battleship when it proceeds under water. When it gets to the
surface its speed is doubled, but then it is an easy target for
the guns of the threatened battleship and also for the swift
torpedo boats and torpedo destroyers which are always thrown out
as escorts when a submarine attack is anticipated. Some
submarines are equipped with light rapid-firing guns, but these
are of no more use in attacking on-water boats than would be a
popgun. Do I make myself clear?"
"Perfectly," said Jack.
"It is indeed interesting," said Frank. "Can you tell us more?"
The lieutenant continued: "Beyond these factors--the superior
speed, the protection of torpedo boats and the weakness of the
periscope--there has been no protection yet devised against the
attack of a submarine."
"But the torpedo nets--?" interrupted Frank.
"There is of course," the lieutenant went on, "a crudely
defensive measure called the torpedo net. These are meshes of
strong steel which are dropped down from the side of the warship
and are supposed to catch the torpedo before it hits the side of
the ship."
"Well, don't they?" asked Frank.
"In theory," said the lieutenant, "the torpedo explodes within
the net and the force of its attack is more or less diminished.
As a matter of fact, however, torpedo nets are not dependable.
Why, most of our submarines are equipped with a formidable device
for cutting these nets. This device, in one form, resembles an
enormous pair of sheers which cut through the nets like paper.
In another form they are equipped with powerful tearing arms
which drag the net away and expose the sides of the battleship to
the deadly messenger from the torpedo tube. Am I tiring you?"
"I should say not," replied both lads in one breath, and Frank
added: "I don't just understand how a submarine sinks and rises."
"It's very simple," said the lieutenant, "and at the same time
I'll tell you something else. The submarine is unaffected by
tempests, and for this reason also is more deadly than a
battleship. The submarine can dive down into the depths where
there is no movement of the waves, and it can remain under water
for fourteen hours continuously. This is accomplished by tanks
which can be filled with water and, overcoming what is known as
the 'margin of buoyancy,' submerge the vessel. The air is
replenished by special purifying devices and by tanks of oxygen.
When the vessel wants to rise, it simply pumps out the water from
the tanks."
"It certainly is a wonderful invention," said Frank, when the
lieutenant had concluded his explanation.
"Indeed it is," agreed Jack.
"You should be aboard when we are in action," smiled the
lieutenant. "I am sure you would be greatly interested."
"I don't doubt it," said Jack, "although from what you have told
us regarding the deadliness of submarines, I believe that I
should rather witness action on a British submarine."
"Nevertheless," said the lieutenant, "you are likely to see
action aboard the X-9, for I do not believe Captain Von Cromp
will return to port until he has at least tried the effect of his
torpedoes, on a ship or so of your countrymen."
"May he go to defeat if he tries it!" said Jack fervently.
"In which case," said the lieutenant with good natured tolerance,
"you would undoubtedly go with us."
"Even so," replied Jack, "I still could not wish to see you get
away."
The lieutenant glanced at him admiringly.
"I believe you mean it," he said. "You are a brave lad. But
come, we had all better turn in now."
"I guess you are right," said Frank; "and thanks for the trouble
you have taken to explain all this to us."
"It was a pleasure, I am sure," was the lieutenant's reply, and
they all made their way to the officer's cabin, where they
prepared to retire for the night.