Thunder at Dawn

Начало книги

Off Jutland.

A wheeling darkness cut by the white wings of Sabre’s bow-wave. The Coxswain seemed to float like a wraith on the little open bridge as he shouted wide-mouthed at Smith. “Black as the hob o’ hell, sir! But there’s summat out there!”

Smith grinned at him, cool. Cold. They were not good enough at this night-fighting and a destroyer was a fragile craft. They’d had a taste of it an hour before, been hit and hurt and fired all their torpedoes. They raced on through the night, trailing the pin-point of red that marked Swordsman ahead, and ahead of her was the flotilla leader, Sentinel. While outside in the darkness …

Young Gillies, the Sub, yelled, “Ship! Red four-five! Challenge, sir?”

Smith heard himself answer, “No!” He saw the looming black bulk of two big cruisers and just from that glimpse he knew them. But Sentinel challenged, signal-lamp blinking, only to be washed in the converging cones of searchlight beams and smashed as the cruisers’ guns opened up. The little ships, Swordsman and Sentintel, exploded in flame.

Читать дальше →