"I wonder if we could get down there in the oxygen escape masks?" von Stolberg asked.
"Herr Kapitan, no man could endure the heat. The floor plates will be too hot to stand on."
"Pour some water down and see," von Stolberg insisted.
The engineer hurried away to the fore hatch to call for a bucket. Suddenly there was a sharp metallic ping from close at hand. The Kapitan and his Executive Officer looked at each other, "What the devil was that?" von Stolberg asked.
They turned to look at the destroyer, rolling in the swell half a mile away. The cloud of steam and smoke was lighter now, but she still remained immovable, with her bow toward them.
This time they heard the whine in the air before a rifle bullet crumpled, with another metallic ping, against the conning tower. They jumped as one man into the shell-torn hole in the casing.
The engineer was coming back around the side of the conning tower carrying a bucket of sea water. "Careful, Otto," Schwachofer called; "they are firing with rifles." Another bullet whined overhead as Kritz reached them.
"Zum Teufel — he shoots well," von Stolberg remarked.
"It is impossible to get to the engine-room hatch on the protected side because of the fumes," Kritz informed them. "But there is shelter for one in the casing beside die hatch. Herr Kapitan, if you will trust my report, I will go and pour some water down."
"Herr Kapitan, I submit," Schwachofer spoke, "that I should do so. You have only one engineer and if he were to be wounded or killed - "
"You are right. Kritz, let Schwachofer have the bucket."
Gathering himself, the Executive Officer made a dash for the after hatch. A second sufficed to pour the water down the open hatch and to hear the sizzle of steam as it splashed on the deck below. In a minute, Schwachofer had rejoined his companions. "It is quite hopeless. The plates are too hot."
"Then we will go back and torpedo the swine."
One by one they leapt over the edge of the casing and made their way forward. Once past the conning tower they were hidden from the marksmen on the destroyer.
From below, as they descended the ladder, came a heavy rumbling noise, shouts of alarm mingled with cries of pain, and then the sound of voices raised in anger.
The Kapitan stormed into the dark space of the forward torpedo room.
"Silence," he barked. "Stand back, all of you."
Following his commanding officer, Schwachofer could dimly discern the shining bulk of a torpedo lying diagonally across the confined space. The Kapitan's call for silence had been obeyed by everyone except the man who lay prone beneath that great silvery tube. Falling from its grabs, the two-ton monster had pinned one of the handlers to the deck. His agonized whimperings filled the dimly lit cavern — a terrible strain to nerves already stretched to breaking point.
The Kapitan bent to look at the fallen monster. "Both rudders and the propeller damaged. Herr Leutnant Kunz, how did this happen?"
"Petty Officer Muller omitted to see that the after grab was properly secured."
"That is a lie, Herr Kapitan."
"Petty Officer, wait until you are spoken to."
"It is a lie," the man repeated.
"Be quiet, Muller," the Kapitan ordered with fury.
"I cannot be quiet, Herr Kapitan, when this young fool accuses me of something I have never done," Muller answered with considerable dignity.
The probability that he was being forced to back the wrong horse only made the Kapitan more angry. Discipline had to be maintained. The words of this knowledgeable petty officer about an inexperienced young officer might be right, but to let them pass would do incalculable damage.
"Herr Oberleutnant," he said to Schwachofer, and his voice sounded unutterably weary, "Petty Officer Muller is to be placed under open arrest for insulting an officer."
"Jawohl, Herr Kapitan. Petty Officer Muller," Schwachofer called, and turned to lead the way back to the control room. Dazedly Muller stumbled after him. The day, Schwachofer thought, grew more and more awful. Had they not enough with which to contend without this conflict among themselves?
"Now," von Stolberg said, "we will lift the fore end of the torpedo and release Schott. Then we'll chock this torpedo on the deck, and bring out another. And I will take charge of the loading."
The damage to the destroyer was even worse than was at first supposed. The shell, in entering the ship's side, had severed the steering rods that connected the wheel on the bridge with the steering engine right aft and above the rudder head. Even if her crew should get her steaming again, the helm orders would have to be passed by telephone from the bridge to the auxiliary hand-steering compartment in the stern. Only from number-three boiler was there any hope of obtaining steam, and even that boiler had sustained considerable damage, not primarily from the shell itself but from the distortion of the boiler tubes during rapid cooling after the steam had escaped.
The Engineer Officer, going to the bridge to make his report, found the Captain, rifle in hand, taking careful aim at the small target that lolloped lazily over the swell ahead of them.
"Just keeping the enemy awake," the Captain explained. "Well, Chief, what's your report?"
"I can probably get some sort of steam on number three in about an hour, sir. But it won't be much — just enough to move the ship. I can't promise more than that, sir."
"You can't do better than your best, anyway. Let me know when I can move her — then I'm going to ram the ruddy U-boat. That is, if it stays where it is."
The First Lieutenant joined them. He saluted the Captain. "Permission to take away the motorboat and whaler with a boarding party, sir?"
The Captain thought for a moment. "Right, Chief," he dismissed the Engineer. "Ring the telegraphs when you're ready." Then, turning to his Executive Officer: "No, I don't think so. Number One. There are at least forty very angry Herrenvolk in that tin cigar. They'd pick you off as easy as wink. If we could give you any real supporting fire from the ship, it would be a different matter But I'll tell you what you can do — you can put the boats in the water and try to tow our stem around a bit so that the after gun can get a shot or two away. If the Chief can give us steam, I'll not hoist in the boats before I ram the U-boat. They'll be available then, either for picking up survivors or for a boarding party. So take some rifles and revolvers, and good luck to you."
When the First Lieutenant had clattered down the ladder, the Captain thought that never since he had joined the Hecate had there ever been such a deathly hush on the bridge. With the loss of her steam the big dynamos had died; and without them there was no asdic, no radar, no wireless, no pitometer log clicking.
The yeoman came to him. "Johnson has found the signal to Force M, sir." He handed the Captain the message board.
Force M from Admiralty. Detach Acheron, Marabout, Mastiff to join Hecate shadowing U-boat at 0625 in position 06° 35' N. 30° W. Course 210° four knots. Anticipate U-boat may be attempting to rendezvous with Raider S or Raider M. Important to reduce wireless traffic to absolute minimum.
The Captain handed the pad back and said with a smile: "Such a minimum that they did not repeat the signal to us. For all that, I think we'd better call Acheron up now on the emergency transmitter and tell her exactly where we are. Make to Acheron: Have brought U-boat to surface. Am repairing shell damage preparatory to ramming. My position 5° N. 32° W. Be sure it's coded."
"Aye aye, sir." Willis hurried from the bridge.
The next visitor was Robins. "I'm sorry we're a little late today, sir," he said to the astonished Captain, spreading a napkin on the chart table. " 'Fraid it's reconstituted eggs again, sir."