The Boy Allies under Two FlagsHayes, Clair W. (Clair Wallace)
General
The Boy Allies under Two Flags
Hayes, Clair W. (Clair Wallace)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations -- Juvenile fiction
The Nurnberg came about suddenly and dashed straight at the
Sylph. In fact, so sudden was this maneuver that the Sylph was
caught unprepared, and for a moment was at a disadvantage.
However, this disadvantage did not last long.
Lord Hastings ordered the Sylph put about, and turned to flee.
"What on earth are we running for?" demanded Jack.
"Why," replied Lord Hastings, "if the Nurnberg will chase us,
we'll run her right up to the Glasgow. And, if she puts about
and makes off again, we have gained just that much time."
"I see," said Jack.
The Nurnberg refused to chase the Sylph. Instead, she put about
and continued her flight. Immediately the Sylph was after her
again. Once more the Nurnberg came about and made a dash at the
Sylph, and again the Sylph turned and ran.
But this time the Nurnberg did not turn to run again. Lord
Hastings' maneuver had succeeded so well that the Glasgow was now
within striking distance, and a shell fired at long range dropped
close to the Nurnberg. The Sylph came about again and dashed
forward, hurling her instruments of death at her opponent as
rapidly as her crippled condition would permit.
From the Glasgow came a command for the Nurnberg to surrender,
but the commander of the German ship did not even take the
trouble to reply to this message. The Sylph and her enemy came
close together rapidly.
Shells were dropping aboard both vessels, and it seemed
miraculous that both did not go to the bottom. The blood of both
commanders was up and neither would give an inch. It all
depended now upon which ship was struck in a vital spot first.
Fortunately for those aboard the Sylph it was the German who
suffered. A shell pierced the Nurnberg's side and penetrated the
engine-room, where it exploded the Nurnberg's boilers with, a
thundering roar. On the instant the Nurnberg seemed to turn into
a sheet of flame.
Another explosion followed, and still another, and almost quicker
than it takes to tell it, the German cruiser Nurnberg, the fourth
of Admiral von Spee's fleet, disappeared beneath the waves.
While the Sylph lay waiting for the Glasgow to come up a hasty
examination was made. One man had been killed and two injured
That was, the extent of the damage to the Sylph. Every man of
the German crew of 300 men had gone to the bottom.
"Nothing serious the matter with us, sir," Jack reported, after
an investigation.
"Good!" replied Lord Hasting.
"Nothing broken that cannot be fixed in two hours, sir," Frank
reported.
"Good!" exclaimed Lord Hastings again.
Half an hour later the commander of the Glasgow came aboard the
Sylph, and was speedily closeted with Lord Hastings in the
latter's cabin. Soon, however, the two emerged on deck, and
approached where Frank and Jack were standing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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