Brighton Boys with the Submarine Fleet Read online

  Produced by Jim Ludwig

  THE BRIGHTON BOYS WITH THE SUBMARINE FLEETbyLieutenant James R. Driscoll

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTERS I. Good-by, Brighton II. Down in a Submarine III. Sealed Orders IV. Somewhere in the North Sea V. The German Raiders VI. Rammed by a Destroyer VII. In a Mine Field VIII. A Rescue IX. Vive La France! X. Attacked from the Sky XI. In the Fog XII. Yankee Camouflage XIII. The Survivors XIV. On the Bottom of the Sea XV. The Human Torpedo XVI. In the Wireless Station XVII. Up from the DepthsXVIII. In the Rat's Nest XIX. Capturing a U-Boat XX. The Mother Ship XXI. Trapped XXII. Yankee IngenuityXXIII. Out of the Net XXIV. Into Zeebrugge XXV. Chlorine Gas XXVI. The Stars and Stripes

  CHAPTER I

  GOOD-BY, BRIGHTON

  "Wanted: young men to enlist in Uncle Sam's submarine fleet for servicein European waters."

  The magic words stood out in bold type from the newspaper that JackHammond held spread out over his knees. Underneath the caption rana detailed statement setting forth the desire of the United StatesGovernment to recruit at once a great force of young Americans to manthe undersea ships that were to be sent abroad for service againstGermany.

  Stirred by the appeal, Jack snatched the paper closer and read everyword of the advertisement, his eyes dancing with interest.

  "Your country needs you _now_!" it ran; and further on:

  "The only way to win the war is to carry it right home to the foe!"

  Below, in more of the bold type, it concluded:

  "Don't delay a moment---while you hesitate your country waits!"

  From beginning to end Jack read the appeal again. Before his eyesin fancy flashed the picture of a long, lithe steel vessel skimmingthe ocean, captain and crew on the lookout for the enemy, the Starsand Stripes flapping from the tailrail. For an instant he imaginedhimself a member of the crew, gazing through the periscope at agiant German battleship---yes, firing a torpedo that leaped away tofind its mark against the gray steel hull of the foe!

  Up in the dormitories some chap was nimbly fingering "Dixie" on themandolin. The strains came down to the youth on the campus throughthe giant oak trees that half obscured the facade of "old Brighton."Over on the athletic field a bunch of freshmen "rookies" of theschool battalion were being put through the manual of arms by aninstructor. Jack could hear the command: "Present arms!"

  "I guess that means me," he said to himself. And why not? Hadn'tJoe Little and Harry Corwin and Jimmy Hill left school to join theaviation service? Weren't Jed Flarris and Phil Martin and a bunchof Brighton boys in Uncle Sam's navy? And hadn't Herb Whitcomb andRoy Flynn made history in the first-line trenches? Yes, the boys ofBrighton were doing their bit.

  In another moment Jack had crushed the newspaper into his pocket---hisdecision made---jumped from the bench under the old oak tree and wasspeeding across the campus in the direction of the main dormitoryentrance. Without waiting for the elevator he leaped the steps, threeat a time, running up to the third floor, and thence down the corridorto No. 63---his "home," and that of his chum, Ted Wainwright.

  Out of breath, he hurled himself into the room. Ted was crouched overthe study table, algebra in front of him, cramming for an examination.

  "There you are! Hip, hurrah!" Jack cried excitedly, thrusting thefolded newspaper under Ted's eyes and pointing to the bold typedappeal for recruits, all the while keeping up a running fire ofchatter.

  Ted was in the midst of a tantalizing equation. He was accustomed,however, to such invasions on the part of his chum, the two havinglived together now for nearly three school years---ever since theyhad come to Brighton.

  Both boys were completing their junior year in the select littleschool for which the town of Winchester was famous. They livedat remote corners of the state and had met during the first weekof their freshman year. They had found themselves together thatfirst night when the "freshies" were lined up before the gymnasiumto withstand the attack of the "sophs" in the annual fall cane rush.Together they had fought in that melee, and after it was all over,anointed each other with liniment and bandaged each other's battlescars.

  Jack was a spirited lad, ready always for a fight or a frolic, impetuousand temperamental; Ted had inherited his father's quiet tastes andphilosophical views of life, looking always before he leaped, cautiousand conservative. So, when Jack came bouncing in, gasping withexcitement, Ted accepted the outburst as "just another one of chum'sfits."

  "What's all the grand shebang about this time?" he queried, shoving thealgebra aside and taking up the newspaper that had been thrust upon him.

  "I'm going---I'm not going to wait another minute---all the otherfellows are going---my grandfather fought through the Civil War---it'sme for the submarine fleet---I'm off this very-----"

  But before he could ramble any farther Ted took a hand in the oratory.

  "What's the matter, chum? Flunked in anything, or been out to see anew movie show, have you?"

  Jack ran his finger down the newspaper column to the advertisement forrecruits.

  "There you are!" he shouted. "And what's more, I'm going to sign upthis very afternoon. What's the use of waiting any longer? Here's agreat chance to get out with the submarines---think of it!---and, gee,wouldn't that be bully? Look! Look! What do you say, old boy; areyou going with me?"

  Jack's enthusiasm "got" Ted. Taking up the newspaper he read every wordof the appeal, slowly, deliberately. Then he looked up at his chum.

  "Do you mean it, Jack; are you in earnest?" he asked, after a long pause.

  "Never meant anything so much in all my life," was Jack's quickrejoinder.

  For an instant the two boys faced each other. Then out shot Ted's hand,clasping that of his room-mate in a firm grasp.

  "Well, chum, I guess we've been pretty good pals now for nearly threeyears. You and I have always stuck together. That means that if youare going in, I'm going too!"

  "Great!" bellowed Jack with a whack on the back that made Ted wince."Let's beat it quick for the recruiting station. Are you on?"

  Hat in hand he bolted for the door, but stopped short as Ted interrupted:

  "Don't you think we'd better tell the home folks first?"

  The impetuous Jack turned. "I hadn't thought of that."

  "Of course we will," answered his chum. "We'll send them a telegramright away, telling them we are going to enlist tomorrow."

  It was agreed, and no sooner said than done.

  There was not much sleep in 63 that night. Long after lights were outthe two boys were huddled together in their den, gazing out at the starsand speculating on the new adventure for which they were heading.

  The morning train into Winchester brought among its passengers two verymuch perturbed mothers and two rather anxious fathers. The Hammondsand Wainwrights had met in the spring during commencement weekfestivities and had much in common this morning as they came togetherin the Winchester terminal. Ted and Jack were at breakfast when wordwas brought to them of the presence of their parents in the president'sreception room.

  It was a joyful little reunion. Only a few minutes' conversation wasnecessary, however, to prove to the parents that each of the boys wasdead in earnest in his announced intention to enlist in the navy.

  "I don't suppose there is much to be said here," concluded Ted'sfather after listening to the son's impassioned appeal for parentalsanction. "You seem to have decided that you owe allegiance to yourcountry above all other interests. I shall not interfere. As a matterof fact, my boy, I'm proud of you, and so---here's God bless you!"

  Jack's father felt the same and so expressed himself. Only the twolittle "maters," their eyes dimmed
with mist, held back; but they,too, eventually were won over by the arguments of the eager lads.

  It was decided that the party should have dinner together in townand that in the afternoon the boys would present themselves forexamination at the recruiting station. The remainder of the morningwas spent in packing up belongings in 63 and preparing to vacatethe "dorms." The boys decided to wait until after they had beenaccepted before breaking the news to their school chums. Each feltconfident of passing the necessary requirements. They had madethe football team together in their freshman year. Jack had played,too, on the varsity basket-ball team for two seasons, while Tedexcelled on the track in the sprints.

  Dinner over, the entire party repaired to the recruiting station. Itdid not take long to get through the formalities there and, needlessto say, each lad passed with flying colors.

  "All I want to make sure of," ventured Jack, "is that we get into thesubmarine service. I'm strong for that, and so is chum."

  There was a twinkle in the eye of Chief Boatswain's Mate Dunn, in chargeof the recruiting station.

  "I reckon Uncle Sam might be able to fix it for you," chuckled thebronzed veteran. "He's fitting out a great submarine fleet to get rightin after the Prussians, and, since you fellows seem so dead set ongetting there, I guess maybe it'll be arranged."

  Jack and Ted were in high spirits, and eager to be off for the navalbase at once. Officer Dunn had informed them they might be forwardedto the nearest navy yard that night with a batch of recruits signed upduring the week. He told them to report back to the recruiting stationat seven o'clock "ready to go."

  The boys were anxious, too, to get back to Brighton and break the news.It was arranged they should spend the dinner hour at the school biddingfarewell and later meet their mothers and fathers at the recruitingstation.

  There was a great buzz of excitement in the mess hall at dinner whenthe news spread that Jack Hammond and Ted Wainwright had enlisted inthe navy and were soon to leave. As the bell sounded dismissing thestudent body from dinner, Cheer Leader Jimmy Deakyne jumped up on achair and proposed three cheers for the new recruits. And the cheerswere given amid a wild demonstration.

  Out on the campus the boys had to mount the dormitory steps and makeimpromptu speeches, and then submit to a general handshaking andleave-taking all around. "Fair Brighton" was sung, and the familiarold Brighton yell chorused over and over, with three long 'rahs forJack Hammond and three for Ted Wainwright.

  "Makes a fellow feel kinda chokey, don't it, chum?" stammered Ted as heand Jack finally grabbed their bags and edged out through the campusgate.

  They turned for another look at old Brighton. The boys were stillassembled on the dormitory steps singing "Fair Brighton." Up in thedormitory windows lights were twinkling and the hour hand on the chapelclock was nearing seven.

  "Come on, chum, let's hurry," suggested Jack. They walked in silencefor a moment.

  "Pretty nice send-off, Jack," sniffed Ted, finally. "We'll not forgetold Brighton in a hurry."

  "And you bet we'll do our best for Uncle Sam and make old Brighton proudof us," added Jack.

  At the recruiting station all was lively. The boys were told they mustbe at the depot ready to leave on the seven-thirty express. A score ormore lads were waiting for the word to move, some of them taking leaveof their loved ones, others writing postcards home. Ted's folks werewaiting; Jack's came along in a few minutes.

  A special car awaited the recruits at the railway terminal. The girlsof the Winchester Home Guard had decked it in flags and bunting andstored it with sandwiches and fruit. In another ten minutes theexpress came hustling in from the west. A shifting engine tugged thespecial car over onto the main line, where it was coupled to theexpress. All was ready for the train-master's signal to go.

  "Good-by, mother; good-by, dad," the boys shouted in unison as thewheels began to turn and the train drew out of the train shed. A throngfilled the station, and everyone in the crowd seemed to be wavingfarewell to some one on the train. The Winchester Harmonic Band hadturned out for the send-off to the town's boys and it was bravelytooting "Stars and Stripes Forever."

  Soon the train was creeping out into the darkness, threading its wayover the maze of switches and leaping out into the cool country air.All the boys were in high spirits, mingling boisterously in jollycompanionship, the car ringing with their songs and chatter.

  Jack and Ted lounged together in their seat, chatting for a while; andfinally, when the tumult had abated and the boys were getting tired,dozing away into slumber to dream about the new world into which theywere being carried.

  Behind them, Winchester and Brighton! Before them, the stirring life of"jackies" aboard one of Uncle Sam's warships---bound for the war zone!