With Beatty off Jutland: A Romance of the Great Sea Fight

rs previously. She was one of a class of four that marked a new departure in naval architecture--each of her guns being mounted singly and in a separate t

s of heavier calibre and two of the 7.5's. With the exception of the following year's programme of the Minotaur class, the Warrior and her sister ships were the la

r size. Her designed speed of a fraction over 22 knots--a rate that when necessity arose could be exceeded--enabled he

b-lieutenant, a wireless message had been sent to the Calde

f the ship's company, for, almost without exception, the destroyer's officers were voted a "sound lot", and the po

dventures and perils in the Near East, the fact that he had been compelled to abandon Sefton to the vagaries of fate hit him hard. He was even doubtful whether, with the possibilities of hostile submarines cruising around, the armoured cruisers would risk slowing down to

on to be sent back to the destroyer, the rescuing ship replied that, should opportunity occur,

as a youngster had passed out of Dartmouth at the same time as Sefton. "Suppose the trip will do you good. Sort of mar

mild autocrat over the "small fry", and generally voted a rattling good sort by the handful of mids

ment had been their lot. Over and over again Beatty's squadron had swept the North Sea without coming in contact with the enemy, until it was

stward across the North Sea, with the knowledge that the hard-hitting Battle Fleet, together with a formidable array of cruisers and destroyers, was some distance to the nor'ard, read

he undulations caused by the swiftly-moving squadron. Overhead the sun shone fai

entered the gun-room and handed a "chit" to the senior sub. Not until the man had gone did the young office

you fellows," he announced. "Looks

n deck," sugges

German fleet," added a jun

aringly as a bugle rang out, the call being quickly repeat

rack and making a bolt for the door. "If there's anything to be seen of the

alder, since there was a greater possibility of the destroyer flotillas dashing in to co

te, and blue circles--Sefton recognized her as a British one. It afterwards transpired that Sir David Beatty had ordered the Engadine to send up a sea-plane for reconnaissance work, and that wireless reports were received from the daring airmen that they had sighted four hosti

ween the standing-rigging. "A" and "B" water-tight doors were closed, armoured hatchways battened down, and hoses led along the decks in order to quell the fire that would inevitably break out should a hostile shell burst inside the armoured belt. S

acute mental and physical strain, coupled with the acrid fumes that drift into the confined steel spaces, produces an intense dryne

hospital on shore--where perfect quietude reigns and everything is conducive to success--with the conditions on board a war-ship in action. The indifferent light, for the electric lamps are quivering under the vibration of the guns; the deafening concussion overhead as the ship gives and receives punishment; the jerky motion of the vess

"black squad" is perhaps the worst on board. Knowing nothing of what is going on, they have to work in a confined, heated steel box, shovelling coals with a dexterity that is the outcome of months of strenuous training. Besides the risk of torpedoes and shells there is ever the danger of the boilers giving way under the pressure of

ctator--a sort of pariah, dumped from a comparatively insignificant destroyer upon a cruiser mustering a complement of over 700 officers and men. He was aware of the fact th

tes' pipes summoning the ship's company to muster on the quarter-deck. At the double the men romped

at the battle-cruisers were already engaging the enemy at 18,000 yards--a distance of nearly 11 land miles. More than that, the German Battle Squadron was coming from the nor'ard, and there was a grave possibility of the British battle-cruisers being engaged between the enemy battleships and their battle-

mselves all right we'll be in the thick of it before long. And I have not the faintest hesitation in expressing my fi

e going into action for the first time. The majority were laughing and cutting jokes; some could be seen with grey, anxious faces as they thought of their dear ones at home; but amongst the whole complement there

he naval action was developing, although the engaged portions of the rival fleets were fifty or sixt

e cruisers kept station. From time to time hoists of bunting fluttered to the yard-arm of the fla

-bridge passed along the quarter-deck

e've just had another wireless. Our destroyers are givi

feeling ready to kick himsel

," was the repl

gle. Turning on his heels he rushed forward at top speed, fo

o the waist--a crowd of muscular-armed, deep-chested, clean-shaven men in the very pink of condition. Still exchanging banter, they d

who had previously "cottoned on" to Jack Sefton

the starboard guns in their isolated and closely-se

id Sefton's compa

The other sub followed quickly at his heels, squeezed through the narrow aper

he exclaime

sign of life. There was nothing to show that confined within that double-wedge-shaped hull were close upon seven hundred human beings, all with one s

er for'ard pair of 9.2's, quickly follo

ported one of the range-finding

heir muzzles showing like oval-shaped cavities against the dull-grey pain

siles hurtling through the air, while clouds of acrid-smelling smo

er chance--and she was ta