With a great
roar and the upheaval of a mighty column of water the torpedo exploded
against the side of the warship. One carefully aimed shot from the
leading American submarine had laid low a ten-thousand-ton cruiser!
"Quick, down we go!" shouted McClure to his navigating officer. The
_Monitor_ shot down now out of sight, and the helm was thrown hard to
starboard. That one shot was sufficient to apprise the Germans of
the presence of submarines and McClure realized full well he would be
a marked man next time he showed his periscopes above water.
It was in mid-channel that the _Monitor_ ventured to the surface
again. The periscopes showed another vessel, a second line battleship
of the pre-dreadnought type, off the starboard beam. Undaunted by
the hail of lead slugs that splashed the sea all around, the _Monitor_
swerved and ran straight for the battleship's bows.
"This one ought to settle scores for that poor old mine sweeper!"
yelled the Yankee skipper as he sighted through the periscope glass
on the wide target in front of him not more than six hundred yards
away.
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