The Boy Allies with the Victorious Fleets

Boy Allies with the Victorious
Fleets, The

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Title: The Boy Allies with the Victorious Fleets The Fall of the German
Navy
Author: Robert L. Drake
Release Date: January 7, 2005 [EBook #14626]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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The Boy Allies With the Victorious Fleets

OR The Fall of the German Navy
By ENSIGN ROBERT L. DRAKE
AUTHOR OF
"The Boy Allies With the Navy Series"
[Illustration: A.L. BURT COMPANY NEW YORK]
The Boy Allies
(Registered in the United States Patent Office)
With the Navy Series
* * * * *
By Ensign ROBERT L. DRAKE
* * * * *
The Boy Allies on the North Sea Patrol or, Striking the First Blow at
the German Fleet
The Boy Allies Under Two Flags or, Sweeping the Enemy from the
Sea.
The Boy Allies with the Flying Squadron or, The Naval Raiders of the
Great War.
The Boy Allies with the Terror of the Seas or, The Last Shot of the
Submarine D-16.
The Boy Allies in the Baltic or, Through Fields of Ice to Aid the Czar.
The Boy Allies at Jutland or, The Greatest Naval Battle in History.
The Boys Allies Under the Sea or, The Vanishing Submarine.

The Boy Allies with Uncle Sam's Cruisers or, Convoying the American
Army Across the Atlantic.
The Boy Allies with the Submarine D-32 or, The Fall of the Russian
Empire.
The Boy Allies with the Victorious Fleet or, The Fall of the German
Navy.
Copyright, 1919
By A.L. BURT COMPANY
* * * * *

THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE VICTORIOUS FLEET
CHAPTER I
ABOARD U.S.S. PLYMOUTH
"Sail at 4 a.m.," said Captain Jack Templeton of the U.S.S. Plymouth,
laying down the long manila envelope marked "Secret." "Acknowledge
by signal," he directed the ship's messenger, and then looked
inquiringly about the wardroom table.
"Aye, aye, sir," said the first officer, Lieutenant Frank Chadwick.
"Ready at four, sir," said the engineer officer, Thomas; and left his
dinner for a short trip to the engine room to push some belated repairs.
"Send a patrol ashore to round up the liberty party," continued Captain
Templeton, this time addressing the junior watch officer. "Tell them to
be aboard at midnight instead of eight in the morning."
"Aye, aye, sir," said the junior watch officer, and departed in haste.

There was none of the bustle and confusion aboard the U.S.S.
Plymouth, at that moment lying idle in a British port, that the landsman
would commonly associate with sailing orders to a great destroyer.
Blowers began to hum in the fire rooms. The torpedo gunner's mates
slipped detonators in the warheads and looked to the rack load of depth
charges. The steward made a last trip across to the depot ship.
Otherwise, things ran on very much as before.
At midnight the junior watch officer called the captain, who had turned
in several hours earlier, and reported:
"Liberty party all on board, sir."
Then he turned in for a few hours' rest himself.
The junior watch was astir again at three o'clock. He routed out a
sleepy crew to hoist boats and secure for sea. Seven bells struck on the
Plymouth.
Captain Templeton appeared on the bridge. Lieutenant Chadwick was
at his side, as were Lieutenants Shinnick and Craib, second and third
officers respectively. Captain Templeton gave a command. The cable
was slipped from the mooring buoy. Ports were darkened and the
Plymouth slipped out. A bit inside the protection of the submarine nets,
but just outside the channel, she lay to, breasting the flood tide. There
she lay for almost an hour.
"Coffee for the men," said Captain Templeton.
The morning coffee was served on deck in the darkness.
Lights appeared in the distance, and presently another destroyer joined
the Plymouth. Running lights of two more appeared as the clock struck
4 a.m.
Captain Templeton signalled the engine room for two-thirds speed
ahead. Running lights were blanketed on the four destroyers, and the
ships fell into column.

Lieutenant Chadwick felt a drop on his face. He held out a hand.
"Rain," he said briefly.
Jack--Captain Templeton--nodded.
"So much the better, Frank," he replied.
The four destroyers cleared the channel light and spread out like a fan
into line formation.
"Full speed ahead!" came Jack's next command.
The Plymouth leaped ahead, as did her