CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE FOILED AIR RAID.
LATE that evening the "Sunderland" brought up in the AdmiraltyHarbour at Dover, in company with three other light cruisers, twomonitors, and a flotilla of destroyers. All night long the men sleptat their guns, while the cruiser's searchlights aided those of theforts both ashore and on the breakwater in sweeping the approach tothe sheltered harbour.
"Nothing to report," announced Barracombe, as Aubyn relieved him asofficer of the watch. "A jolly fine night. I shouldn't wonder if wewere favoured by a visit from a Zeppelin or two."
"A pretty jamb in the harbour," said Terence, giving a quick glanceat the maze of vessels. "Fortunately, I hear, we've several seaplanesat our disposal."
Barracombe wished his relief good-night and descended the ladder toretire to the seclusion of his cabin and sleep the sleep ofexhaustion, for he had had a strenuous time before the cruiser leftDevonport.
During the first hour nothing unusual occurred. The midshipman of thewatch reported "Rounds all correct, sir," to which Aubyn replied withthe stereotyped "Very good." Across the harbour came the faint hailof the Night Guard as the picquet boat studiously visited everyvessel within the limits of the breakwater.
The masthead light of the flagship began to blink. A signalman on the"Sunderland's" bridge snatched up a slate.
"General call, sir," he announced.
Deftly the man took down the message, then hurried to the chart-roomto decipher the code.
"Submarine E27 reports three hostile aeroplanes passing S.W. by W.Position eleven miles N.N.E. of North Goodwin."
The warning was a brief one, for hardly had the ship's company beencalled to their action stations when a faint buzzing, immediatelybecoming louder and louder, announced that the raiders wereapproaching the town and harbour of Dover.
Searchlights flashed skywards, while from beneath the old castle onthe lofty chalk cliffs half a dozen intrepid British airmen ascendedto meet the foe. Already the anti-aerial guns were stabbing thedarkness with lurid spurts of flame, while their shells, burstingperilously close to the hostile aeroplanes, caused the calculatingTeutons to think better of the attempt.
It was an easy matter to steal over an unfortified town or villageand drop explosives; but for once the Germans were to learn thewisdom of discrimination. Higher and higher they banked, untilcatching a glimpse of the British seaplanes as they passed throughthe path of one of the searchlights they precipitately turned tail.
"'Sunderland' and destroyer flotilla to proceed in support ofseaplanes," came the signal.
Hastily the pins of the mooring shackle were knocked out. Steam wasalready raised, and in a very few minutes the light cruiser and herattendant destroyers were slipping between the heads of the detachedbreakwater and the Admiralty Pier.
But swift as were the light cruisers the seaplanes were quicker.Already they were five or six miles out to sea, their position beingrevealed by the flashes of the light guns as they exchanged shotswith the fugitive Taubes.
Suddenly with a dazzling flash a bomb exploded hardly twenty feetfrom the "Sunderland's" starboard quarter. Five seconds later anotherstruck the water almost under the cruiser's bows, and a waft ofevil-smelling gas drifted across the navigation bridge, causingofficers and men to cough and gasp for breath.
The captain tried to give an order, but was unable to utter a sound.Mutely he signed for the helm to be put hard over.
Terence understood. Literally groping his way through the thickvapour, that even in the darkness showed an unmistakable greenishhue, he found the quartermaster, who was clutching his throat andstruggling for breath.
Pushing the man aside Aubyn rapidly revolved the steam steering-gear.Obediently the cruiser swung round, narrowly escaping a highexplosive missile that, had she maintained her course, would haveplayed havoc with her fo'c'sle.
All around the "Sunderland" the destroyers were dodging hither andthither in order to attempt to avoid the hail of bombs that rainedfrom the sky. It was little short of a miracle that collisions didnot take place, for owing to the darkness, the suffocating fumes fromthe missiles, and to the fact that most of the helmsmen weretemporarily blinded and choked, all attempt at formation was out ofthe question.
From the after-bridge of the cruiser a searchlight flashed skywards.For a few seconds even its powerful rays failed to penetrate the pallof smoke, till an eddying gust freed the "Sunderland" from thenoxious fumes.
Then the source of the mysterious missiles was revealed. At a heightof over two thousand feet were a couple of Zeppelins. Takingadvantage of the fact that the attention of the British seaplanes anddestroyers was centred on the fugitive Taubes, these giant airships,by reason of their altitude, were able to manoeuvre immediately abovethe flotilla.
It was an opportunity too good to be missed, for although theobjective of the Zeppelins was a raid on London--they having decidedupon a circuitous course over Kent and Sussex borders in order toavoid the air-stations at the Isle of Grain--the chance of raining ashower of bombs upon the British cruiser and her attendant destroyerswas too tempting.
For once, at least, the German Admiralty had not been kept wellposted as to the details of armament of the cruisers of the "TownClass," for the "Sunderland" and her consorts had recently beenequipped with a couple of 12-pounder anti-aircraft guns. Theseweapons fired a shell of unique character. Somewhat resembling ashrapnel, the missile was packed with short lengths of chain andcharged with a high explosive.
Almost as soon as the Zeppelins were discovered both guns barkedvenomously. From the point of view of the observers on the"Sunderland's" bridge the shells appeared to burst close to the frailtargets. Both airships were observed to pitch violently, while one,with her nose tilted downwards, began to descend.
"She's done for!" exclaimed Terence.
A round of cheering burst from the throats of the crew. It seemed asif nothing could arrest the seaward plunge of one of the Kaiser'sgas-bags. Not only had her bow compartments been holed but thenacelle containing the propelling machinery was completely wrecked.
Both Zeppelins began to throw out ballast with frantic haste. Theyalso released the whole of their remaining supply of bombs, whichfell with a rapid series of deafening detonations more than half amile from the nearest destroyer.
With the release of the ballast the undamaged Zeppelin shot skywardsuntil her altitude was not less than ten thousand feet. Comparativelysafe for the time being from the effect of the anti-aircraft shells,she floated, a mere speck in the concentrated yet diminished glare ofa dozen searchlights, and awaited events.
Meanwhile, the damaged Zeppelin had checked her plunge, and, in spiteof a hot fire, was slowly rising. By dint of strenuous efforts hercrew succeeded in shifting aft the travelling weight that served totrim the unwieldy craft. Even then her longitudinal axis was sharplyinclined to the horizontal.
Everything that could be jettisoned was thrown overboard. Guns,ammunition, stores, and the metal framework of the wrecked car weresacrificed, till without being hit by the British guns, she rose to aterrific height.
"We've lost her!" exclaimed Oswestry savagely.
"One thing, she won't trouble us again," added the commander. "AndI'm not so certain that she will get clear. We've wirelessed theseaplanes, and they'll have a chip in. Hullo! What's the game now?"
A searchlight flashed from the undamaged Zeppelin and played inever-widening circles until it picked up her damaged consort. Thelatter was consequently more plainly discernible to the crew of the"Sunderland" than it had hitherto been, since the distance betweenthe two airships was less than a thousand yards and was visiblydecreasing.
"They're going to take her in tow, by Jove!" ejaculated Aubyn, whohad brought his binoculars to play upon the scene.
Oswestry gave a snort that implied disbelief in his brother-officer'sassertion, but presently he exclaimed:--
"Well, blest if you aren't right, old man. And a deuced smart move,"he added, with a true sailor's admiration fo
r a smart manoeuvre,whether executed by friend or foe.
"What a chance for our seaplanes!" said the torpedo lieutenant."They ought to have been on the spot before this."
"They're on the way all right, Torps," declared the commander. "Iwouldn't mind betting a month's pay that they've spotted theirquarry. By Jove, they've established communication!"
The undamaged Zeppelin had circled round her consort and was nowforging gently ahead. An upward jerk of the other's bows announcedthat the strain on the towing hawser was beginning to be felt.Gradually the hitherto uncontrollable airship began to gather way,both vessels rolling sluggishly in the light air-currents.
The aerial searchlight had now been switched off, but by means of therays directed from the British ships the progress of the twoZeppelins could be followed as their huge shapes, showing ghost-likein the silvery light, moved slowly in a north-easterly direction.
Having resumed their respective stations the cruiser and thedestroyer flotilla followed. Owing to the greatly reduced speed ofthe hostile aircraft it was an easy matter to maintain a fixedrelative distance between them and the British vessels, whoseattention was divided between the prospect of an aerial meeting withseaplanes and the risk of being intercepted by the torpedo of aGerman submarine, to say nothing of floating mines.
"She's cast off!" shouted a dozen voices.
Such was the case. The two Zeppelins had parted company, one flyingoff at a terrific speed, rising rapidly as she did so, while theother, being without means of propulsion, drifted at the mercy of thewinds.
It was now dawn. The grey light of morning was already overcoming thestrength of the searchlights and it was already possible to discernthe outlines of the abandoned Zeppelin by the natural light of day.
Pelting up from the eastward came the air squadron of seaplanes. Halfa dozen circled and started off in pursuit of the fugitive airship,which, travelling at high speed, was now but a faint speck againstthe ruddy sky.
The rest advanced boldly upon the disabled Zeppelin, althoughignorant of the fact that she had jettisoned her guns, and, save fora few rifles, was without means of defence.
The seaplanes' automatic guns spat viciously, and as the rangedecreased almost every shot began to tell. The huge fabric once morebegan to drop, as the small projectile ripped through the flimsyaluminium envelope.
Presently the seaplanes ceased firing and circled triumphantly overtheir vanquished foe. They knew that the Zeppelin was doomed, andinstincts of humanity forbade them to take undue advantage of theplight of her crew.
"Away, boats!" ordered the "Sunderland's" captain.
Instantly there was a rush to man the boats and to stand by thefalls. With an alacrity that was part of his nature, Jack Tarprepared to rescue his enemy, in spite of the fact that that enemyhad sallied forth with the deliberate intention of hurling bombs withthe utmost indiscrimination upon combatants and non-combatants alike,not excepting helpless women and children.
Before the boats could be lowered a lurid blaze of light rolled out,rivalling the rays of the rising sun. Where the Zeppelin had beenonly a cloud of flame-tinged smoke remained, while from themushroomed pall of vapour that marked a funereal pyre of yet anotherunit of the Kaiser's air-fleet, scorched and twisted girders andother débris streamed seawards.
Whether by accident or design the only remaining petrol tank hadexploded, and the flames instantly igniting the huge volume ofhydrogen had in the twinkling of an eye completed the work ofdestruction.
For ten minutes the destroyers cruised over the spot where thedébris had disappeared, but there were no signs of survivors, noteven of wreckage. The remains of the Zeppelin had been swallowed upby the insatiable sea, and no visible trophy remained in the hands ofthe men who had baulked an attempted raid on the largest city of theworld.
Before the flotilla regained Dover Harbour the remaining seaplanescame in sight. Unfortunately their efforts at pursuit were futile.The Zeppelin developing a turn of speed far in excess of which shehad been credited by her detractors, had shaken off the Britishaircraft, and when last seen she was high over the Belgian coast.
Nevertheless, her wings had been clipped, although she survived totell the tale that the hated English were still able vigorously andsuccessfully to dispute the mastery of the air.