Under the White Ensign: A Naval Story of the Great War Read online

  CHAPTER IX

  A Midnight Expedition

  "HEIGH-HO! So we are up against Johnny Turk at last," exclaimed JackOsborne. "And a jolly clean fighter too. A foeman one can admire."

  "And treat with all proper respect," added Sub-lieutenant Haynes. "Iremember how in the earlier part of the war people at home used tosneer at the lying Turkish _communiqués_, but, by Jove, they weremighty close on the bull's-eye."

  "Of course I haven't had any experience of Turkish ways," remarkedWebb, "but I know something of the dirty tricks of the Huns in theNorth Sea and elsewhere. I used to be under the impression that theTurks were an effete, lying nation, only permitted to retain a smallslice of Europe by the mutual consent of the Great Powers. See howthe Bulgarians and Serbs made them run only a few years ago. And nowthey're putting up one of the toughest fights that ever figured inhistory."

  A fortnight had elapsed since the _Portchester Castle_ had left Gib.for the second time. She was now cruising on outer patrol duty in theAEgean Sea, her station being on the eastern or Asiatic shore of thatisland-studded expanse of water.

  "I suppose the Germans stiffen the Turks a bit," said Osborne. "Forone thing, the presence of Hun U-boats in these waters has hamperedour movements. I wonder what sort of a job ours will be to-night?"

  The "job" to which the Lieutenant referred was the destruction of ahitherto carefully concealed petrol depot on the shores of AsiaMinor, somewhere in the neighbourhood of Smyrna. It was from a Greekmember of a Turkish coasting vessel, captured a few hours previously,that the information had been obtained of the precise position of thedepot; and, in spite of the fact that it is almost impossible totrust a Greek, Captain M'Bride determined to put the information tothe test. For one thing he held the informer as a hostage, much tothe latter's undisguised alarm.

  The discovery and destruction of these secret lairs of German_unterseebooten_ in the Mediterranean was proceeding systematically,yet there remained a lot of work in that direction. Once the hostilesubmarines were deprived of the means of replenishing their stores offuel, the menace to the merchant shipping of the Allies in thesewaters would cease to exist, and once more the Suez Canal could befully utilized as an artery of commerce. Hitherto the depredations ofmodern pirates had succeeded in diverting a considerable portion ofFar East shipping round the Cape of Good Hope, thus increasing thecost of freightage and the length of a voyage.

  A messenger pattered along the deck and, approaching the threeofficers, smartly saluted.

  "Cap'n's compliments, sir," he said, addressing Lieutenant Osborne."He wants to see commanding officers of boats in his cabin."

  "Now to business," exclaimed Osborne gleefully as, accompanied byWebb and Haynes, he made his way aft. They found Captain M'Brideleaning over the table, his head supported by his hands, and hiselbows planted upon a large-scale map.

  "Good evening, gentlemen!" was his cheery greeting. "We may as wellgo into final details of this little business. You, Mr. Osborne, willbe in charge of the boats. I am sending the steam cutter, the pullingcutter, and the whaler. Now, here is your objective--Akhissareli.According to this chart, there are four fathoms to within fifty yardsof the shore so long as you give that ledge of rocks a wide berth.There is a sandy bottom, so you ought to have no difficulty ingetting ashore. My experience is that one usually finds soft mud inthe inlets in these parts, but this gives emphatic information to thecontrary. We'll take the ship in to within ten miles of the shore.The steam cutter can then tow the other boats to save the men a longand arduous pull. Use your discretion, Mr. Osborne, when to cast offthe tow, but for goodness' sake don't let the Turks have an inklingof your approach. See that the leading stoker does not let even asolitary spark escape through the funnels. By the Greek's accountthere'll be a guard of fifteen men, so everything depends upon acomplete surprise. I'll leave you to make your own arrangements, butat six bells I'll close with the shore and keep a bright look-out foryour signals, so as to pick you up without delay. The Admiral issending a couple of destroyers to keep an eye on the _PortchesterCastle_, so we ought to be fairly safe from submarine attack. Now,Mr. Osborne, suppose you discuss your plans with your twosubordinates, and if I have any criticism to make I'll do so."

  As a matter of fact the skipper listened in silence while Osbornediscussed the operations with the two sub-lieutenants. He had a highopinion of the young officer's sound judgment, and, listening, had nocause to alter his opinion.

  "By the by," remarked Captain M'Bride when the council of war wasabout to break up, "I suppose you'll see that that pet of yours isleft behind? Not that I have any complaint to make against him. He'sturned up trumps more than once; but I think it advisable to mentionthe matter."

  "Of course, sir," replied Osborne. "Laddie was hanging round thecook's galley, so he won't know that we're going."

  But Osborne was mistaken. The dog instinctively knew that somethingwas about to transpire. Possibly when the leading stoker of the steamcutter, who was one of the animal's special pets, proceeded to raisesteam, Laddie spotted a chance of a run ashore.

  So while in the darkness--for night had fallen--the landing partymustered for inspection, the dog slipped quietly up the ladder to thecutter on the booms, and concealed himself under one of the seats inthe cabin.

  By the feeble glimmer of a hand lantern borne by one of thequartermasters, Lieutenant Osborne made a critical inspection of themen's arms and equipment. Then, the landing party having beenreported all correct, they were briefly addressed by the Captain,who, having explained the nature of the operations, bade them goodluck and a safe return.

  The men having embarked, the steam cutter took the two boats in towand steered solely on a compass course shaped in the direction of theinvisible Akhissareli. An hour later, for progress was slow, the loomof the land became visible, while shortly afterwards the ruggedoutlines of the mountains could be discerned silhouetted against thestarlit sky.

  "Stop her," ordered Osborne.

  Still carrying way the two pulling boats ran close alongside, whiletheir crews silently dropped the heavy ash oars into the muffledrowlocks. For the time being the steamboat was to "stand by", readyto proceed to the assistance of her consorts, should aid benecessary. It was upon the cutter and the whaler that the brunt ofthe operations was to fall.

  Armed with a pair of powerful night-glasses Osborne took up his poston the cabin top and swept the distant shore. Everything appeared tobe quiet. Not a sound was to be heard save the distant roar of thesurf on a ledge of rocks well to windward of the inlet. Not a lightwas visible on shore. The place seemed as deserted as the polarregions.

  "Sir," whispered a petty officer; "here's this dog of yours."

  "How came he on board?" asked Osborne sternly.

  "Dunno, sir; he's just come out of the cabin."

  Osborne realized that he was on the horns of a dilemma. Unwittinglyhe had disobeyed an indirect order from his skipper, since he wasresponsible for the dog. Should Laddie bark or make a sound thesuccess of the enterprise would be jeopardized. Briefly, thesituation was this: everything depended upon the animal's behaviour.In one scale of the balance were the lives and liberties of, perhaps,fifty men; in the other the life of a dog.

  Quickly the Lieutenant decided how to act.

  "Now, Laddie," he said earnestly, "lie down and don't make a sounduntil I give you permission. Be a good dog."

  Then addressing one of the steamboat's crew he continued: "Get amarline-spike from the tool-chest, Walters; that's right. Now listen.I want you to stand by Laddie. Keep one hand in his collar. At thefirst sign he makes of barking, hit him as hard as you can over thehead. You understand?"

  "Yes, sir," replied the man. He was a trustworthy and thoroughlysteady-nerved bluejacket, who would not be likely to become "jumpy".Laddie's life, then, was safe in his charge, provided Osborne's petobeyed his master's instructions.

  The Lieutenant resumed his watch. By this time both pulling boatswere out of sight, swallowed up in the intense darkness. At i
ntervalshe glanced at the luminous dial of his watch. The minutes seemed todrag with a persistency hitherto unknown. Surely the two boats wereby this time close to their objective?

  Suddenly a flash of reddish light stabbed the darkness, then a galaxyof others--a regular blaze of rifle fires. As the report of the firstshot reached the Lieutenant's ears, Osborne leant over the edge ofthe cabin top.

  "You can put that marline-spike down, Walters," he said quietly.Then, leaping into the stern-sheets and snatching up the voice-tube,he gave the order "Full speed ahead".

  Even as the steamboat gathered way, half a dozen search-lights wereunmasked ashore. Two of the giant beams swung seawards, the restbeing directed upon the enclosed water of the creek. At the same timethe rattle of musketry was augmented by the deeper bark ofquick-firers and the ominous tap-tap-tap of machine-guns.

  Instinctively Osborne realized that, far from being a surprise, thelanding expedition had been properly ambushed. Treachery had been atwork. The Greek who, fortunately, was still detained on board the_Portchester Castle_ had deliberately misled the British. Instead ofthe operations being directed against a secret petrol depot, theboats found themselves up against a powerful and well-organizedsystem of shore batteries and a strong force of troops to opposetheir landing.

  Clearly Osborne knew his duty. At all costs the steamboat must dashin and rescue her consorts or perish in the attempt.

  Suddenly one of the seaward-directed searchlights swung rapidly pastthe steam cutter and, hesitating, played fairly upon the hull of alarge torpedo-boat that was making at full speed in the direction ofAkhissareli.

  For a brief instant Osborne hesitated. He knew that Britishdestroyers were in the vicinity, and possibly this was one tearing tothe assistance of the _Portchester Castle's_ boats. He dare not makea private signal lest the shore batteries should spot the steamboat'spresence. On the other hand, there were two factors that tended toupset the friendly destroyer theory. The Turks ashore had made noattempt to fire upon the approaching craft; her outlines, as shown upby the search-lights, were unfamiliar. As she drew nearer, Osborneknew conclusively that it was a Turkish torpedo-boat, no doubtattempting to run the gauntlet of the Allied fleets.

  "Let her have it," shouted Osborne, at the same time ordering thehelm to be ported ten degrees, in order to bring the steamboat on aslightly converging course with that of the Ottoman torpedo craft,which, by reason of superior speed, was rapidly overtaking theBritish boat.

  The gun-layer of the quick-firer obeyed instantly. With a luridflash, accompanied by an ear-splitting detonation, the first shellsped on its errand of destruction. Well and truly laid was the gun,for the projectile, striking the lightly armoured conning-tower ofthe torpedo-boat, literally pulverized it. Five seconds later asecond shell, hitting the Turkish craft just abaft the second funnel,played havoc in the engine-room. Columns of steam, gleaming liketarnished silver in the glare of the search-light, poured through theshattered deck, as, listing heavily, the torpedo-boat circled tostarboard. Feebly she replied to the steamboat's fire. Momentarilyshe lost way, for the lucky shot had crippled her engines; while thesurvivors of her crew on deck, imagining that she was about tofounder, or else panic-stricken by the destruction wrought by theshell, threw themselves overboard and began to swim for the shore.

  That particular piece of work accomplished--the action had lastedless than a minute--Osborne again steadied the steam cutter on hercourse to the rescue of the trapped landing party.