Another night passed but as the day
dawned, a sudden warning call sounded through the ship, and
peering through his porthole, the Colonel saw the long, slim
shape of a torpedo whizzing toward the great ship. It was badly
aimed and as it passed harmlessly on, a thunder of guns shattered
the peace of the morning. The Colonel rushed on deck. As he did
so, he saw the turret of a U-boat between the transport and her
nearest convoy sink out of sight. Again the guns spoke as the
boat went down. The periscope of the sub wavered and leaned far
out of true. Another torpedo cut the water and struck the
transport a glancing blow, doing but little damage. The two
convoys were now busy with another U-boat that had attacked them.
One of the convoys, a destroyer of the latest and finest type,
threw a smoke screen between the U-boat and the transport, but
the U-boat, evidently under orders to get the transport with its
crowds of men at any cost, came to the surface in the midst of
the smoke and, using the screen to her own advantage, slipped
close to the transport. As she did so there was another clamor
of guns from both the convoys. The Colonel could not see the
result of the firing. The guns on the transport were aimed at
the nearest U-boat which had come so, close to her intended
victim.
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