Sea-Hounds
Sea-Hounds
Lieutenant Freeman was at the front for more than four years, part of the time on land as a freelance correspondent, and for a year and a half as the official writer-up for the British navy. In the latter capacity, the British navy sent him all over the world, and gave him a wonderful opportunity to learn things at first hand. He tells the best story yet written about the sinking of the Emden. He lived on battleships, destroyers, Hush ships, U-boats and mine sweepers, and spent a good deal of time on American destroyers. He has had better opportunities for writing about the British navy than any other man. For example, the Admiralty turned over only a few of the reports about the battle of Jutland to the public, but they gave all the reports to Lieutenant Freeman —an American who lived in Pasadena, California.
Book Excerpt
line of some big lumping ships--some kind of cruisers. All of the flotilla must have thought they was our own ships, for no one challenged or fired all the time they came drawing up past us, making four or five knots more than the seventeen we were doing.
"When the leader was about abreast the Killarney and inside of half a mile range, she flashed on some red and green lights, switched on her searchlights and opened fire. Ship for ship, the Huns were just about even with our line now, and the Firebrand and Seagull must have launched mouldies at the second and third cruisers at near the same moment. Hitting at that range ships running on parallel courses was a cinch, and both slugs slipped home. It was some sight, those two spouts of fire and smoke shooting up together, and by the light of 'em I could see that the Firebrand's bag was a four-funneller, and ours a three. The first one keeled right over and began to sink at once, but the one our mouldie hit went stagger
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