"Shoot," the Gunnery Officer repeated into the curved mouthpiece that hung on his chest.
The Hecate shook to the dual crash as both the 4.7 guns fired within a split second of each other. Watching through steady binoculars the Gunnery Officer saw the shells land just over the target. "Down one hundred, shoot," he ordered.
The other officers were leaning over the starboard side of the bridge looking down at their own vessel's side. Somewhere under the curve of the bow an enemy shell had hit with a ship-shaking explosion. Clouds of acrid smoke were already eddying from the open ammunition hatch of B Gun.
"Quick, Number One! Get down below and see what the damage is. I'll take her," the Captain said.
The First Lieutenant hurried from the bridge.
The guns fired again. A flash of orange that was not the U-boat's gun flared momentarily in the smoke.
"Nice shooting, Guns."
Again the guns fired. The Hecate at a steady speed was overhauling the U-boat.
"Down one hundred," the Gunnery Officer said.
The next moment an ear-splitting racket broke from the starboard side between the funnels where the twin-barrel Oerlikon could just be brought to bear, firing at extreme range. The little red dots of its tracer bullets disappeared into the U-boat's smoke screen.
The Hecate's 4.7 guns fired again. Then once more she shuddered as an enemy shell tore into her delicate superstructure. Entering above the level of the upper deck, it passed through the bo'sun's locker and the coxswain's cabin before it exploded against the strong trunk of B Gun.
The shock threw most of the gun crew to the deck. X Gun, aft, fired the next salvo alone. B Gun reported "training jammed."
The First Lieutenant, his cap missing and his face bathed in sweat, climbed onto the bridge. "I've had to flood the for'rard magazine," he said. "The deck above was red hot. It was touch and go."
X Gun fired again.
"Much damage?"
"The blasted shell exploded in the naval stores. Coils of burning ropes, small fires from the emergency lighting all over the place. Under control soon, sir."
The Captain stroked his unshaven chin. "This fellow is even more of a problem up here than he was down below."
As THE LAST of the U-boat's gun crew tumbled up the conning-tower ladder, the First Lieutenant approached the Kapitan, who stood staring up the open hatch at the circle of blue sky above.
"Shall we man the antiaircraft guns as well?" he asked.
"No, it is not worth exposing the men for the little damage a machine gun could do at such extreme range."
Otto Kritz, the engineer, was next.
"Permission to open the after hatch, Herr Kapitan. The fumes from the burning battery will make a good smoke screen."
"Excellent, Herr Engineer. At once."
The engineer climbed the ladder and von Stolberg turned to Schwachofer. "Run up the attack periscope so that I can see."
The periscope rose smoothly. The Kapitan trained the instrument. "Ha! We are up-sun of the enemy. Schwachofer, raise the small periscope and conn the quartermaster so that he steers to keep us between the Britisher and the sun. The fool is signaling. I suppose he hopes we will surrender."
At that moment the gun fired, the explosion shaking the U-boat.
Kritz scrambled down the ladder. "The fumes are perfect, Herr Kapitan. Our own crew can see through them, but they will make it very hard for the destroyer."
The gun fired — and again. "A hit," von Stolberg exclaimed delightedly. "Beneath her bridge somewhere — she is on fire."
The U-boat shuddered with an explosion that was not made by its own gun. The engineer ran up the ladder and reported, "Only part of the after casing blown away. It is nothing, Herr Kapitan."
"Ha! — another hit," exclaimed von Stolberg. "The destroyer's forward gun is out of action. Oh, von Holem, von Holem, that is good shooting indeed. Kunz, tell Herr Oberleutnant von Holem to aim no longer at the bridge, but between the funnels."
"Jawohl, Herr Kapitan."
Another shuddering crash came from just outside the hatch. Quick as a flash the engineer was up the ladder and a moment later down again. "Well?" von Stolberg asked.
"The after end of the conning tower. There is much mess but no damage except to the A.A. gun."
"What is the charge in number-one battery?"
"Very low, Herr Kapitan. We cannot run the motors much longer. We are barely making steerageway."
It was obvious to von Stolberg that the destroyer would soon overtake him. But with one of her guns out of action, the destroyer's speed was now her only superiority. Every other advantage lay with the U-boat. He would, he thought, begin a slow turn to starboard, for the destroyer was coming up on his port side. By so doing he would give her the much larger outside circle to steam, while he would continually present the smallest possible target consistent with keeping his own gun bearing on the enemy.
"Starboard five," he told the quartermaster.
Kunz returned to the control room, elated and excited. "Von Holem has made two hits. I gave him your message. He says that he will sink the destroyer."
"Stand to attention when you address your commanding officer," von Stolberg snapped, taking his eyes from the periscope.
The gun fired again.
Greatly deflated, Kunz slunk back to his action position beside the now useless attack table. The Kapitan favored him with a baleful glance and so failed to observe the arrival on the destroyer of the shell that had just been fired.
The Captain or the Hecate was now faced with a problem of some magnitude. His ship had already received serious damage, and his effective gun power was now no greater than that of his opponent. To withdraw out of range of the enemy's fire, while still remaining within the range of his own more powerful gun, would so reduce the size of his target as to make the chances of a hit most unlikely. With his forward gun out of action, he could fire his after gun only if he kept his ship at a considerable angle to the enemy, and this would offer his adversary a large and highly vulnerable target. To turn away, and so reduce the target he made for the German, while still keeping his after gun in action, was not only against his nature but would set his gunnery officer the very difficult problem of hitting while the range was continually opening.
The yeoman was at his side. "Signal from Admiralty, sir. Message reads: Acheron, Marabout, Mastiff diverted to your support oh-nine-oh-two yesterday. Anticipate arrive your position noon today. My oh-eight-five-eight of the eighth to Force M refers."
Dragging his tired brain back from the immediate gunnery problem, the Captain considered this information and all it implied. So the Admiralty, too, thought something was afoot in this neglected quarter of the great ocean. The very make-up of the ships sent to join him was sufficient indication of that. A six-inch-gun cruiser, and two fleet destroyers — it was a force quite out of proportion to deal with one U-boat. To the yeoman he said: "Willis, tell Johnson to locate and decode Admiralty's oh-eight-five-eight of yesterday. Pity they didn't put our call signals in the heading."
The exchange with his yeoman had taken but a few minutes. But they were vital minutes indeed. Steering a steady course and moving much faster than the U-boat, the destroyer had almost drawn level with the enemy and, although she had opened the range, her whole silhouette was available as a target.
"Starboard ten," the Captain ordered as soon as he appreciated the position. He had no knowledge of conditions aboard the U-boat, but it seemed that for some reason, probably connected with the smoke that was rising from her, she was temporarily unable to use her Diesels. Her uncharacteristic fierceness after being forced to the surface could only be due to confidence — confidence that she could repair herself sufficiently if given time, or that, if she could hold out long enough, help would come to her from some quarter about which the Hecate's Captain knew nothing.