AN OCEAN DUEL
MIDWAY between the coasts of Norway and Iceland and at less than
three degrees south of the Arctic Circle the British light cruiser
"Heracles" was on patrol duty. She was one of a chain of swift
vessels spread out betwixt Iceland and Cape Wrath in order to tighten
the net that was being cast about Germany's sea-borne trade.
Germany's mercantile fleet had long since been swept off the five
oceans, but her sea-borne trade still continued. Thanks to the
incapacity of a certain section of the British Government to grasp
the necessity for a stringent blockade, neutrals, bought by Teuton
gold, were actively engaged in importing enormous quantities of
goods, more than ten times the amount needed for their own
consumption, and were waxing rich by means of the inflated prices
that the Huns were forced to pay in order to obtain the necessaries
for carrying on the war.
But at last, owing to popular clamour rather than to the inclination
of the civil authorities, the British Government had been forced to
action. The great silent navy, that for months past had had to
overhaul ship after ship without being allowed to detain what were
obviously supplies intended for Germany, was now unfettered.
"Stop everything," was the order. The "rights" of petty neutral
States--parasites upon the belligerent nations--had to be waived if
the Great War was to be won by the Entente Powers.
The "Heracles" was a vessel of 4,300 tons, mounting two 6-in. guns
and eight 4.7's. Her speed was nineteen knots--sufficient to overhaul
any merchant craft likely to be met with in high latitudes. She was
manned by the officers and crew of the late cruiser "Pompey."
Six weeks had elapsed since Sub-lieutenant Tressidar was within an
ace of bringing a Zeppelin into Auldhaig Firth. It was now late in
February. A spell of comparatively fine weather had succeeded a month
of continual blizzards. The sea, encumbered by drift-ice, was
practically calm. The cold was intense. The vessel's masts and
funnels, and in fact every part not readily to be swept clear, were
outlined in dazzling white, the snow having frozen into a hard coat.
Morning after morning the hoses had to be connected up and hot water
played upon the muzzles of the guns in order to remove the ice from
the bore. Officers and men, clad in thick woollen and fur garments,
were faced with the problem of drawing the line between bodily warmth
and activity. If, on the one hand, they wore sufficient to withstand
the morning cold, the free use of their limbs was seriously impeded;
if, on the other hand, they had to shed their super-coats in order to
tackle a job that required agility, they were in danger of being
"nipped" by the icy blast.
Yet week after week the monotonous patrol work was maintained.
Frequently days passed without a strange sail being sighted, until
the monotony became almost appalling.
Nor did the long nights tend to improve matters. Daylight, frequently
little more than a pale twilight, lasted only four hours in the
twenty-four. The remaining twenty consisted of intense blackness,
without even the stars to cheer the men in the long night-watches.
"Sail on the starboard bow."
A wave of subdued interest swept over the ship's company. Anything in
the nature of a strange craft was sufficient to break the deadly
tediousness. Of course she would only be one of those Norwegian
traders outward bound. It was too much to hope otherwise.
The stranger came up rapidly. Upon sighting the "Heracles" she made
no attempt to alter her helm, but stood doggedly on her course. She
was a large vessel, bordering on 10,000 tons. On her sides were
painted the Norwegian colours, while the mercantile ensign of that
nation was displayed aft.
A shot fired across her bows had the desired effect. She backed her
engines and, gradually losing way, brought up within two cables'
lengths of the British cruiser.
"What ship is that?" was the peremptory signal from the "Heracles."
"The 'Frijick' of Bergen," was the reply. "Why are we detained? We
are neutrals."
"Must examine your papers," rejoined the British cruiser. "Stand by
to receive a boat."
"Away cutter."
The pipes of the bos'n's mates trilled in the keen air as the boat's
crew, armed in case of emergency, rushed to their duty. Quickly the
falls were manned and the boats swung outboard, Tressidar being in
charge.
With a loud splash the boat struck the water. Dexterously the falls
were disengaged, the lower blocks swinging with a sharp crack against
the cruiser's side.
"Give way, lads!"
As one the double line of blades dipped and the boat drew away from
her parent, for the "Heracles" had now circled slightly to starboard
and had almost bows on to the Norwegian.
At that moment half a dozen port-lids, cunningly concealed in the
stranger's side, were lowered, and a line of flashes leapt from the
quick-firers hitherto concealed. Simultaneously two torpedoes
shimmered in the dull light on their brief journey through the air
before they took to the water and headed at the rate of an express
train towards the British cruiser.
Taken completely by surprise, the sub. gave an order to "Back all."
The cutter was on the point of entering the direct line of fire. To
attempt to return to the "Heracles" was to court disaster, for
already shells were bursting against her unarmoured bows.
With the discharge of the torpedoes the disguised German cruiser, for
such she was, began to forge ahead. Under a false flag she had
attempted to deal a knock-out blow at her more heavily armed
antagonist, and she all but succeeded.
Well it was that the British cruiser was pretty well bows on to her
antagonist, for the first torpedo, passing almost underneath the
cutter's keel, missed the "Heracles'" port quarter by a few yards.
The other seemed as if it were making straight for the almost
motionless ship when, with a terrific report, a column of water was
thrown up a couple of hundred feet in the air at less than half a
cable's length from the boat under Tressidar's command.
By sheer good luck as far as the "Heracles" was concerned, the
powerful locomotive weapon had struck a huge block of almost
submerged drift-ice, sending fragments in all directions. Several of
the men in the cutter were slightly injured by pieces of falling ice,
while for six minutes the boat rocked violently in the confused water
churned up by the explosion.
Meanwhile both ships were rapidly drawing away from the cutter, and
were firing furiously. Already the superior gunnery of the "Heracles"
was beginning to tell, for several gaping holes were visible in the
German cruiser's sides, through which volumes of smoke were pouring.
The Hun, unable to score by a coward blow, was showing her heels, and
although it was impossible at the present juncture to ascertain which
craft had the advantage of speed, she had perceptibly increased her
distance before the British cruiser had got into her stride.
Nor had the "Heracles" come off lightly. The first hostile broadside
had played havoc with her upper deck. Huge rents appeared in her
funnels, thereby decreasing her forced draught, while--which was to
be particularly deplored--both her fore and after topmasts had been
shot away and with them the wireless aerials.
Keeping slightly out of the wake of the German cruiser lest she
should drop a chain of mines in the track of her pursuer, the
"Heracles" held grimly in chase, giving and receiving punishment as
she did so. Her antagonist's guns were not to be despised, although
not equal in calibre to those of the British cruiser; but since the
"Heracles" could only bring her bow 6-in. and the two foremost
broadside 4.7's to bear against the German's four 5-in. guns mounted
aft, the chances were, until the "Heracles" drew broad abaft her
foeman's beam, fairly even on both sides.
[Illustration: AN OCEAN DUEL]
It was modern warfare with the "Nelson touch." Theoretically the
naval battle of the present day is fought at long range, but here
were two well-armed vessels fighting each other at point-blank
distance.
In spite of their underhand tactics, the Germans fought gamely.
Undeterred by the accurately placed shells that rained upon her
quarter-deck, the Huns stuck to their guns.
Still exchanging shots, the two vessels were lost to sight in the
haze of the northern seas, and Tressidar and his eleven men found
themselves alone upon the deserted ocean.