“Sandwiches and sauerkraut!” Pudge was heard to gasp, as though his breath were almost taken away by the magnitude of this assertion; for he had never as yet seen as many as thirty aëroplanes assembled together, and certainly not in action.
“Is that the only motive of the raid, Major Nixon?” Frank asked, for he invariably made it a point to acquire all the information possible.
“Well,” continued the soldier, “to be perfectly frank with you, there are a number of other objects which such a sudden attack is likely to influence. It is aimed to destroy the railway station at Ostend so as to greatly hinder the movement of troop trains and those carrying ammunition and supplies. Then, at Bruges, other damage may be done.”
“But isn’t there still another big object in it?” insisted Frank.
“I suppose you are referring to the great submarine blockade of the coasts of Great Britain which Germany proposes to inaugurate next week?” said Major Nixon. “Yes, although I have not been so informed, I can guess readily enough that by means of this raid it is hoped to extensively damage their submarine base at Zeebrugge, and injure the movement in the beginning.”
“In other words,” said Frank, “Great Britain means to throw down the gage of battle, and warn Germany she can make just as dashing raids as anyone. No one nation is mistress of the air in this world war—as yet.”
Major Nixon smiled as he heard those last two words, and saw the quick look of pride which the young aviator threw toward the monster seaplane that was housed in that hangar.
“It’s plain that you have the utmost confidence in the ability of your machine to wrest that supremacy from the Germans, if once France secures the right to manufacture a fleet of Sea Eagles,” he remarked, as he laid a hand upon the shoulder of Frank Chester, of whom the bluff soldier had become quite fond in the short time they had known each other.
“Then it is understood, Major, that we keep ourselves in readiness to start out so as to be on the move at dawn, for I don’t imagine such a great fleet of aëroplanes would wish to make a start in the darkness of night.”
“No, there is no necessity of such a thing,” came the quick reply. “In fact, one of the objects of this raid is publicity. We do not aim to creep up and damage the enemy in the dark. We want him to see the astonishing sight of such a mass of darting seaplanes descending on his coast towns like a flock of eagles, and destroying military property, not citizens’ private homes, mind you.”