Full Speed Ahead; Tales from the Log of a Correspondent with Our Navy
About this book
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1919 edition. Excerpt: ... running submerged it was breakfast time, and the officers of the submarines then in port had gathered round one end of the long dining table in the wardroom of the mother ship. Two or three who had breakfasted early had taken places on a bench along the nearer wall and were examining a disintegrating heap of English and American magazines, whilst pushed back from the table and smoking an ancient briar, the senior of the group read the wireless news which had just arrived that morning. The news was not of great importance. The lecture done with, the tinkle of cutlery and silver, which had been politely hushed, broke forth again. "What are you doing this morning, Bill?" said one of the young captains to another who had appeared in old clothes. "Going out at about half past nine with the X10. (The XlO was a British submarine.) Just joing to take a couple of shots at each other. What are you up to?" "Oh, I've got to give a bearing the once over, and then I've got to write a bunch of letters." "Wouldn't you like to come with us?" said the first speaker, pausing over a steaming dish of breakfast porridge. "Be mighty glad to take you." "Indeed I would," I replied with joy in my heart. "All my life long I have wanted to take a trip in a submarine." "That's fine! We'll get you some dungarees. Can't fool round a submarine in good clothes." The whole table began to take a friendly interest, and a dispute arose as to whose clothes would best fit me. I am a large person. "Give him my extra set, they're on the side of my locker." "Don't you want a cap or something?" "Hey, that's too small, wait and I'll get Tom's coat." "Try these on." They are a wonderful lot, the submarine officers. I felt frightfully submarinish in my outfit. We must have made a...