The front rank was checked by a German machine-gun at close quarters. Brooks was in the second rank, but he made his way through the first, rushed towards the gun, killed one of the gunners with his revolver and the other with his bayonet, and so terrified the rest of the crew that they made off without loss of time. Then Brooks turned the German machine-gun on the retreating foe, and used it with good effect for some time. When he had done all the useful work he could do, he carried off the gun to the British lines.
MIDSHIPMAN GYLES AND THE GERMAN BOARDERS
Modern naval guns are of very long range; and in most of the fights on the sea the enemy ships were several miles apart.
In the Battle of the Falklands the fighting was at a range of about nine miles. When the Battle of Jutland Bank began Beatty’s cruisers were about eleven miles from the leading ships of the Germans. When the Queen Elizabeth was at the Dardanelles her gunners said that they could “land on a penny at 15,000 yards.”
But in the little fight off Dover on the night of April 20, 1917, British and German ships came close together, and there was a struggle with a boarding party as in the “good old days” of the story books. Moreover, a brave British boy played a very prominent part in this older type of fighting.
Half an hour after midnight, two British destroyers, Swift and Broke, came up with six German ships of the same kind. The latter opened fire at 600 yards and were instantly answered by the Swift. Then Commander Peck quickly made up his mind to ram the first German destroyer and drove straight for her.
The Germans were steaming at high speed, the night was pitch dark, and the Swift missed her mark. But she torpedoed another enemy boat and then went in hot pursuit of the first. The German got away and without firing another shot made off into the darkness with the Swift after her at full speed.
Meanwhile the Broke (Commander Evans) had launched a torpedo at the second boat, which hit her. Then he swung round and rammed the third boat at full speed. After that the fight was at closest range.
The gunners of the Broke swept the decks of the boat which had been rammed amidships. The two remaining German destroyers opened a heavy fire, and before long the crews of the foremost guns of the Broke were reduced from eighteen men to six. On the forecastle Midshipman Donald A. Gyles was in charge; and though he had been wounded in the eye as soon as he came on deck, he did all he could to keep his guns in action.