The Boy Allies with the Terror of the Seas; Or, The Last Shot of Submarine D-16

by Clair W. Hayes

The British fleet was in full chase. First came the Tiger, the flagship of Admiral Beatty. Next in line was the Lion, a cruiser of the same class, and behind these followed three other powerful English cruisers.

At a command from the flagship, the British torpedo boats headed in the direction of the German ships of the same class, which had borne off a trifle to the north.

So far not a shot had been fired, for the British had not yet drawn close enough to the flying enemy to be within range. Half an hour passed, an hour, and then the great forward turret guns of the Tiger opened upon the rear German ship, which proved to be the Bluecher, a cruiser of the second class.

The first shot went wide, and the second. But with the third shot the British gunners found the range, and a shell dropped squarely upon the bridge of the Bluecher. A veritable cloud of steel and débris of all sorts rose high in the air above the Bluecher, and, falling, showered death among the crew.

A second and a third well-directed shell struck the Bluecher amidships and staggered her. She reeled like a drunken man, seemed about to roll over on her side, then righted herself and steamed on, but slower than before.

Now the Tiger, the first British ship, was upon her; but the Tiger did not stop. She had no time to waste on the Bluecher, already wounded unto death. As she steamed majestically past, however she poured a broadside into the reeling ship; then sped on in pursuit of the other enemies.

Now the Lion also came abreast of the Bluecher, and she, too, as she passed, poured in a broadside. It was more than the sinking Bluecher could stand. One last shot she hurled toward the Tiger, and almost before the British vessel had drawn away from her, she reeled once more and disappeared beneath the sea. As she did so, her crew hurled themselves into the water.

Now the Lion and Tiger had drawn within range of the other German cruisers and their huge shells were raining death and ruin upon them. Suddenly the rear German ship burst into flames, and her pace slackened.

Flushed with success, and with victory within their grasp, the British sailors raised a loud cheer, and the British guns spoke oftener and with greater effect than before.

But the Germans had not been idle. Outranged by the British as they were, they had opened with their great guns the moment the British had come within range. One shell raked the forward deck of the Tiger, and carried away a part of the turret, killing several men. A second struck the Lion, wounding several officers and a number of sailors, though none was killed on the second ship.