Commander Ford, watch in hand, was counting the seconds.
“Better close the outer door of the diving compartment,” he told Charlie Gill. “There’s little more than a minute left.”
The Commander of the S-18 hurried back to the control room.
“On the alert,” he told the men. “Everyone be ready for double quick action. There’s thirty seconds left before the bomb explodes.” Tim glanced around the room. Erich Gaunt and Forman Gay were bent over the levers which controlled the ballast tanks. Pat was tense at the diving rudders while back in the motor room George Gadd stood by to help the chief electrician. The crew of the S-18 was ready.
The flying reporter was fascinated as the second hand of his own watch ticked off the precious seconds. It might be ticking life and death for all aboard the S-18, 205 feet below the surface of the sound.
Ten, seven, five, three seconds left.
A muffled explosion shook the hull of the S-18.
“Motors full ahead!” shouted Commander Ford.
The powerful electrics leaped into action. The steel deck beneath them quivered.
They were moving! It was slow at first, but the S-18 was shaking the slime of the bottom off its hull.