“If only those big bombers would come!” Sally echoed his words as she returned to the tower.
Now, once again, a large sub, apparently assigned to the task, slipped in close to the aircraft carrier, and life on board became tense indeed. Two additional airplanes were thrown into the battle. One of these brought the sub to the surface with a depth charge. Sally drew in a deep breath as she saw the sub’s size. “Big as a regular ship,” she murmured to herself.
“And twice as dangerous,” said the young lieutenant who stood at her side.
The truth of this was not long in proving itself, for suddenly a shell went screaming past them and a second tore bits of the tower away.
But the sub was not having things all her own way. A daring young flier swooped low to pour a deadly fire across her bow. For a moment her guns were silenced, but no longer. This time she directed her fire skyward and with deadly effect. A fighter, some three thousand feet in the air, was hit and all but cut in two.
“Oh!” Sally exclaimed. “They got that plane.” She knew the plane and the boys who flew her. Now her eyes were glued on the sky. Her lips parted with a sigh of relief as a parachute blossomed in the sky. But where was the other one? It never blossomed. The plane came hurtling down to vanish instantly.
“If only those big bombers would come!” Sally’s cry was one of anguish. She could not stand seeing those fine boys go down to death.
Another shell sped across their deck. At the same time there came again the cry, “Torpedo off the port bow.”
Once more, with terror in her eyes, Sally watched a torpedo speed toward the broad side of their ship. This time it seemed it could not miss. But again came that strange hum, as the gun crew began to sing, “I got shoes, you got shoes.”
There was a splash close to the speeding torpedo, and another and yet another. It seemed impossible that any gun could fire so fast. And then an explosion rocked the ship. What had happened? Sally had looked away for the moment.