The Atlantic Express
by: justjames17
(Copyright 2004 -2007 by the author)
The author retains all rights. No reproductions
are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...
Chapter 42
HMS Fox Hound arrived at Aden and refueled for the
voyage to Colombo in Ceylon, her fuel bunkers topped up she steamed out into the
Indian Ocean for the long leg to her destination where she would join the
Asiatic fleet. The report of the loss of the British base in Singapore along
with the sinking of the HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse by the Japanese had
shaken the British to the core and combined with the threat of Rommell's Afrika
Corpse in Africa along with the Italian forces in the Med and the German
occupation of Europe plus Russia signing a peace pact with the Nazis meant
Britain and her Empire were virtually on their own against Hitler's forces. The
reinforcing of Colombo was a symbol that the British empirical forces, Britain,
Australia and New Zealand along with Canada were prepared to fight to the end.
Fox Hound was two days out of Aden when she received orders to divert south into
the Indian Ocean to search for a merchant ship that had radioed for help after
attack by a German U-boat. Fox Hound made off south at her best speed and her
lookouts scanned the horizon constantly once they reached the reported position.
Back and forth they steamed with no sign of the vessel, the day drew on and the
sun lowered in the west when they spotted something on the horizon.
Fox Hound increased speed her sharp bow knifing thro0ugh the gently heaving sea,
her white bow wave rose till it was almost level with her deck as her engines
pounded at maximum revolutions driving her on. The low shape became more visible
and they saw it was a ship's boat drifting on the current, they slowed as they
neared the low riding boat and stopped alongside as it wallowed full of water
only kept afloat by its buoyancy tanks. They could see its planks gouged and
pierced by machine gun bullets then lolling back and forth in the slopping water
as the boat rolled were three bodies. Fox Hound lowered her sea boat and with
the first lieutenant in command they pulled away to the half sunken lifeboat,
the bodies were retrieved and the boat returned to Fox Hound where they were
taken aboard, the ship's boat was raised back aboard and the crew sharp shooter
took his .303 rifle and fired a few rounds puncturing the buoyancy tanks
allowing the lifeboat to slide beneath the surface on its long trip to the ocean
floor. Charles and the sickbay petty officer inspected the dead sailors and saw
the bullet wounds stitched across their bodies, the boat and her crew had been
machine gunned unmercifully. One of the dead was a young lad no more than 16 or
17, his youthful body shattered by the merciless machine gun fire.
Charles' anger flared that the unarmed seaman had been cut down in such a
despicable manner and he vowed to seek retribution on the perpetrators of this
criminal act. The Fox Hound steamed on her asdic searching the depths
incessantly, Charles knew the chance of locating the submarine was almost
impossible but he had to attempt the task. Darkness cloaked the sea and they
steamed on through the night, the velvet black sky ablaze with the myriad bright
stars above. The balmy tropical air gently caressed the crew on deck while the
steady throbbing of her turbines shivered the hull, on the bridge Charles sat on
his stool leaning on the wind break staring into the night his brain still
seething with anger at the murder of the ship's crew. He planned on a sea burial
for the three dead seamen to be carried out just after dawn action stations in
the morning.
The sky began to lighten in the East as dawn neared, the bells shrilled dragging
the crew from their sleep to hurry to action stations, the thud of running feet
and slamming of hatches showed her readiness as the gunnery officer watched the
indicator lights that showed her guns closed up and ready for action as he
reported their readiness to the bridge and Charles complimented him on their
efficiency. The ship moved on alert and ready for anything but as the golden orb
lifted above the far horizon it showed all was well and the lookouts relaxed a
little at their posts.
The sun soon dried the moisture from her metal upper works as the temperature
climbed, the men stood down and moved off to morning mess leaving just the duty
watch as Fox Hound swept on across the vast sparkling blue sea. Charles clumped
off the bridge to go to his sea cabin and wash up before Bradley served his
breakfast, he stripped off his cap, shirt and under vest then began to wash in
the basin of warm water set out for him. Bradley moved quietly in and placed
Charles' bowl of cereal on the desk along with the milk, sugar and steaming
teapot, he then retired back into his territory to prepare the fresh eggs and
bacon he had purchased in Aden for his captain's breakfasts until they were all
eaten.
Charles sat down his naked torso glistening after his wash and he began eating
his meal, Bradley appeared as he finished his cereal and presented him with the
hot food, the aroma of bacon made Charles' mouth water as he looked up at the
reserved old steward, he grinned up at Bradley and said, "Thanks Bradders, you
really are a gem old friend, I really don't know what I'd do without you
mothering me like this. Sit down and join me in a cup of tea."
Bradley sat down and poured the tea after bringing in a second cup, they drank
tea and Bradley listened to Charles' problems with the burial service and the
hunt for the U-boat. Charles relaxed as he talked it out of his system and soon
they were both at ease, then Charles stood up and picked up a clean shirt laid
out for him he dressed again and placed his cap on his head before going up onto
the bridge to organise the burial. The three corpses were lying side by side on
the scrubbed wooden deck covered in Union Jack flags; they had been sewn into
weighted canvas covers in readiness to being consigned to the sea. The off duty
crew formed up while Charles read the burial service before the three bodies
were tipped overboard to splash down and sink from sight into the dark depths
while the crew stood to attention and the officers saluted their sad departure.
Fox Hound cruised on searching the depths, her asdic pinging monotonously,
pinggggg, pinggggg, pinggggg, and no return to be heard, hour after hour she zig
zagged back and forth relentlessly across the featureless blue surface. The
bright hot sun eased its way down in the west to sink from sight once again and
Charles kept searching, he was totally committed to hunting down the murderers.
The night passed once again and several more as Fox Hound prowled on seeking her
revenge, the morning of the fifth day dawned and the crew closed up at action
stations when the port lookout reported a ship on the horizon.
Charles snatched up his binoculars searching the horizon and located the shape,
it was a good-sized merchant vessel but not under power seemingly drifting with
the wind or current, a faint haze from her forward funnel while the aft was
inert. Charles immediately was on edge, why was the aft funnel not showing
engine exhaust fumes? Was it genuine or a mock up built to disguise the ships
true identity? Why was she stopped out here in the middle of nowhere?
He ordered action stations and the crew closed up quickly as the Fox Hounds
engines began to thunder at full revolutions driving her towards the stationary
vessel. The ship had obviously missed seeing the destroyer appear over the
horizon astern and suddenly there was a flurry of action as her crew spotted the
oncoming warship. The ship began to move and as she did Charles saw the reason
for her being stopped mid ocean the low dark shape of a U-boat became visible as
the ship gathered way.
Charles realised that the vessel was a either a supply ship or maybe even a
surface raider, he immediately sent out a radio message giving their position
and what he was seeing as the enemy vessels moved rapidly apart with the
submarine submerging as fast as possible. The ship suddenly was wreathed in
smoke as she dropped her disguise and began shelling the destroyer, her much
heavier 6 inch guns far outranging the 4.7inch guns on Fox Hound, the shells
straddled the fast moving destroyer attesting to the skill of the enemy and
spray rained down drenching the decks from the near misses. Charles zigzagged to
throw off the enemy gunners hoping he would be able to close enough to fire
torpedos at the slower merchant cruiser, her guns continued to straddle the
small fast warship as she weaved back and forth slewing across the swells.
A barrage of four torpedos arrowed towards the Fox Hound as the hidden submarine
fired emptying her forward tubes, Charles turned towards the new threat trying
to comb between the long white bubble tracks. This opened her whole broadside to
the guns on board the German raider, a shell landed on Y gun on her quarter deck
and exploded destroying the gun and killing its crew. The Fox Hound shuddered
from the impact but steamed on trailing a pall of smoke behind her as the
torpedos flashed past missing her racing hull.
The enemy raider continued to steam at full speed for the horizon leaving the
smoking destroyer for the submarine to finish off. Charles knew he couldn't
fight both vessels so he radioed the course of the enemy ship back to Tricomalee
and the HMAS Sydney, an Australian light cruiser, picked up his message while
steaming south off the Australian west coast, returning to Fremantle after
escorting the troop ship Zealandia to the Sundra Strait. She was under the
command of a relatively inexperienced commander, captain Joseph Burnett. Sydney
immediately altered course in the hope of finding and despatching the armed
merchant cruiser to the depths.
Charles now seeing the enemy had stopped shelling as she steamed over the
horizon slowed the Fox Hound and lowered the asdic dome to search for the
submerged U-boat. Back and forth he steamed while the damage control crew doused
the fire burning in the aft storeroom and removed the shattered bodies lying
scattered about the wrecked gun. Pinggg, pinggg, pinggg the asdic sounded then
pinggg ponggg, pinggg, ponggg a contact had been located. Charles ordered the
depth charge crews to close up and then ordered away charges, the heavy drums
rolled down the rails to splash into her white wake, KABOOM!!! Mounds of water
appeared behind her as the charges reached the set depths, the explosions shook
the submarine frantically twisting away trying to escape heavily. Again and
again the determined destroyed coursed back and forth until finally she ruptured
the hull of the sub which immediately blew all ballast attempting to surface
before the rushing water engulphed her. She heaved above the surface in a
maelstrom of swirling water and froth, lying there glistening evilly in the
sunlight like some denizen of the depths as her gun crew threw open her forward
hatch attempting to reach her 88mm cannon.
Charles ordered the guns to open fire and the ship shook as her remaining
cannons opened fire holing her conning tower and piercing her pressure hull
while the lighter pompom showered the deck with explosive rounds killing the
gunners and throwing their bodies into the sea. All movement ceased on the sub
as it lay wallowing in the gentle swells. Slowly the stern began to sink and
little by little the sub's evil bow rose up the ports of her tubes pouring water
as if crying, no sign of her crew as she slid slowly back until the bow pointed
to the blue sky then she slid down to vanish under the churning water.
Charles steamed back and forth searching for survivors but apart from wreckage
and the dead bodies of her gun crew no sign was seen. Charles altered course to
steam North towards Ceylon leaving the scene but feeling he had repaid the
seamen murdered by the U-boat's crew. The voyage to Tricomalee was uneventful
except for the burial service for the dead gunners.
To be continued...
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Posted: 08/21/07