The Dreadnought of the Air

by Percy F. Westerman

In less than a week events had moved rapidly. As soon as it was definitely known that Admiral Maynebrace's squadron was actually on its way to Zandovar, the fighting nature of the Valderians showed itself. They were not without a considerable reserve or cunning; for, realizing the impossibility of their one Super-Dreadnought making a stand against the predominant ships of the "Royal Sovereign" class, they promptly sold the battleship to Peru.

Peru had for years past sought to purchase a Super-Dreadnought, with the idea of forming a fleet superior to that of Chili. She was only too glad of the chance to buy the Valderian battleship at a remarkably low price.

The destroyers and submarines upon which President Zaypuru relied proved to be a broken reed. The Valderian crews—never seamen by choice or instinct—refused to put to sea when they were ordered to make a surprise attack upon the British fleet. The destroyers, manned by skeleton crews, were thereupon sent to Callao, there to be interned till the hostilities ended; while the submarines were kept in the harbour of Zandovar in the hope that they might be able to inflict damage upon the ships under Admiral Maynebrace's command.

On the morning of the 21st of July, corresponding to the second day of the "Meteor's" vigil at Salto Augusto, the British fleet came in sight of Zandovar. The battleships were in two columns in "line ahead" formation, led respectively by the "Repulse" and "Royal Oak." Overhead flew the six seaplanes attached to the squadron, their duty being to watch for the presence of hostile submarines, whose movements could be easily discerned in the clear waters of the Pacific.

At first the British tars were under the impression that the Valderians would not fight, but when a shell from one of the batteries whizzed past one of the seaplanes the delight of the crews of the warships showed itself in three hearty cheers. The signal to open fire was hoisted on the flagship, and without further ado the eight battleships began the bombardment.

Grimly workmanlike looked the floating monsters. Stripped for the fray, the top-hamper sent down, boats and combustible gear dropped overboard, they showed no dash of colour except the White Ensigns, of which each ship displayed three flown in positions where they would not effect the training of guns. Everything else that was visible on these modern leviathans was painted a dull grey; and in a very short time from the opening of the bombardment that grey was merged into a shapeless blurr by the haze from the cordite.

The noise was deafening. Punctuating the loud detonations of the fourteen-inch guns could be heard the sharp bark of the quick-firers, the scream of the hurtling projectiles, and not unfrequently the appalling crash as the Valderian shells struck the steel plating of the British warships.

For a quarter of an hour the batteries replied vigorously. Generally speaking the aim of the Valderian gunners was erratic, but one unlucky hit brought the aftermast of the "Renown" crashing down on the deck, completely putting out of action the guns on the two after turrets. The flagship had her bridge shot away and the foremost funnel demolished early in the action, while the "Royal Oak" was considerably damaged by a twelve-inch projectile that, finding its way into one of the nine-inch-gun casemates on the starboard side, disabled every man of the gun's crew.

At the end of half an hour the Valderian fire was very feeble. The earthworks of the forts were practically levelled. Wherever one of the huge shells struck the ground it burst and tore a deep pit, into which, as often as not, the nearmost gun and its mountings promptly tumbled. Many of the projectiles, flying high, dropped into the town and did enormous damage. The submarines, lying in the inner harbour, were quickly sunk by gun-fire; and within an hour of firing the first shot the resistance on the part of the garrison of Zandovar ceased.

Admiral Maynebrace promptly gave the order to cease fire, and before the haze had cleared away, the seaplanes dashed forward to investigate. Soon they returned with the information that the batteries were completely knocked out of action and that a stream of fugitives were observed making towards Naocuanha by road and rail.