CHAPTER XIX
Forced to Ascend
There were no signs of confusion on the deck of R19. Only the twoafter quick-firers were available, and these were promptly manned.Those of the crew who, in normal circumstances, were stationed below,threw themselves flat on the deck.
The submarine could not dive without great risk of again courting theperil from which she had so recently emerged. It was even a hazardousbusiness to keep under way, as the forward motion, combined by thefact that she was down by the head, made it a difficult matter toforge either ahead or astern. To all intents and purposes she was amotionless target for the huge battle-seaplane that manoeuvredoverhead, seeking an opportunity to strafe her opponent by means ofher powerful bombs.
"Hoist the ensign! Let her have it, lads!"
Both quick-firers were speedily in action. So rapidly were they firedthat there was a constant clatter as the ejected metal cases werethrown from the breech.
With his head thrown back, and a pair of binoculars to his eyes,Fordyce watched the effect of the bursting shells. Viewed from below,the sea-plane seemed in the very midst of a hollow globe ofmushroom-like clouds of smoke from bursting projectiles. Ahead,astern, above and below, the shells burst. It seemed as if thehostile air-craft could not escape the inferno of flying fragments;yet, seemingly possessing a charmed existence, she swooped onwards totake up a favourable position for releasing her bombs.
A heavy object, hurtling with ever-increasing velocity through theair, struck the surface of the water at less than half a cable'slength on R19's port side. With a terrible din the bomb burst,churning up cascades of spray and hurling minute particles of metalin all directions. A second later another "egg" fell, fortunatelywithout exploding, although several of the submarine's crew were welldoused by the volume of foam that was flung all around.
Back swept the biplane, manoeuvring for the position she had lost byher momentum.
AHEAD, ASTERN, ABOVE, AND BELOW, THE SHELLS BURST]
As she did so, she lurched violently and began a dizzy tail-dive.Twisting and turning in erratic spirals she dropped seawards. Loudcheers from R19's crew greeted her descent, but their jubilation waspremature.
The tail-spin was a "blind" to enable the Hun to avoid a particularlyunhealthy "air-patch". When within five hundred feet of the surfaceof the sea, the air-craft described a semi-loop in a vertical plane,and, flattening out, sped rapidly away until lost in the faint mistthat was banking from the nor'west.
"She's bitten off more than she can chew," declared Macquare. "Now,lads, overboard with that lumber for'ard."
Half a dozen hands, led by the Lieutenant and Fordyce, plungedknee-deep in the water that surged over the forepart of thesubmarine. It was bitterly cold. Even at that time of the year thetemperature of the Baltic was far below the average.
With handspikes and crowbars the men strove to lever the hugeprojectile over the side, "sword-mats" being placed in its path toprotect the exposed edge of the deck plating. All went well until theshell was rolled to within a few inches of the edge. Then came acheck. Something, unnoticed owing to its being under water, preventedfurther progress.
"Slue her round and let her roll for'ard a bit, sir," suggested apetty officer. "Plenty of beef out to do the trick."
Lieutenant Macquare considered the suggestion. It was one thing foran object weighing a ton to fall through several fathoms of water andalight upon the submarine's deck without starting the steel plates,another to roll the same object when its weight in air was enormouslygreater than when immersed in water.
"Round with her, then!" he exclaimed.
"Destroyer broad on the starboard beam, sir," reported a signalman.
The Hon. Derek, standing on the platform in the wake of theconning-tower, was quick to take in the situation. With a thirty-knotdestroyer bearing down at top speed delay would be fatal.
"Diving-stations!" he roared. "Look alive, men!"
Down the sole available hatchway the crew poured, theLieutenant-Commander, Macquare, Fordyce, and the Russian officerstanding by until the last of the "lower-deck ratings" had left thedeck. To dive was R19's only chance if she were to escape theattentions of the destroyer. Badly trimmed, it was a difficult matterto speculate as to how the submarine would behave--whether she woulddive too steeply and ram the mud or roll completely over.
The destroyer had evidently sighted the submarine, for she hadaltered course and was bearing straight down towards her. As the Hon.Derek leapt below and closed the water-tight lid of the hatchway theapproaching craft was less than two miles off.
With the water pouring into her ballast-tanks, and her motors runningfull speed ahead, R19 plunged rather than glided beneath the waves.Never before had the indicator pointed to such an excessive dip. Thelighting dynamo short-circuited, plunging the interior of the vesselinto profound darkness, while various articles of gear, breakingloose, careered noisily across the confined space.
Clutching the hand-rail of one of the ladders, Fordyce felt his feetslip from under him. There he hung, his weight supported solely byhis hands, awaiting what fate had in store for him.
He was surprised at his own calmness. He found himself reasoningthat, after all, one cannot expect to have things all one's own way.Whatever happened, R19 had had more than an ordinary run of goodluck, and, should she be "knocked out", there was some satisfactionin the knowledge that she had already acquitted herself in a mannerworthy of the traditions of the Royal Navy.
Above the turmoil of inanimate objects on board--for amongst the crewstrict silence and discipline were maintained--could be heard therapid threshing of the destroyer's propellers as the long, lean craftpassed almost directly above the diving submarine. Had the destroyermade use of depth charges, nothing could have saved R19 from swiftdestruction. Why she did not was a mystery to every man of thesubmarine's complement.
Suddenly, to the accompaniment of a disconcerting, rasping clamour,R19 jerked violently until she hung on an even keel. For some secondsshe remained thus; then, rolling excessively from side to side, shebobbed up to the surface in spite of the weight of water in theballast-tanks and the action of the depressed diving-rudders.
Groping in the pitch darkness, the Lieutenant-Commander found thelever actuating the hydroplanes. These he brought to a neutralposition, since they were useless for the purpose of submersion. R19,unable to dive, was forging ahead blindly and erratically upon thesurface, an easy prey to the vigilant destroyer.
"Up, every mother's son of you!" roared the Hon. Derek. "We'll fighther while there's a gun left fit for action or a man jack of usremaining to face a Hun."
With a cheer the undaunted seamen followed their gallant captain,ready to face death with the grim determination that is ever theenviable possession of every true Briton when up against desperateodds.