Part 29 (1/2)
Investigation at once discovered the reason. We had not proceeded far under the star-shower of sh.e.l.ls when the report was made. The wire was cut! cut by a fluke of the anchor, which had chafed through it. There was no alternative, we must return.
In a few moments the boat was heading back, careless of the meteoric display around us. The skipper sprang up from the wheel-shelter and refastened the wire, unheeding the increasing storm of projectiles, which flew around us and pitted the icy water like hail. But again he was met by failure. The charge refused to ignite, and there was no other chance now save handwork,--that is, by doing it himself, amid the greatest danger of death by shot or sh.e.l.l, or drowning from the boom, or explosion,--and all this in the black darkness, relieved only by the gleams of murderous sh.e.l.ls. The crew worked well and bravely, excited, as one may say, perhaps, by the coolness of their chief. The shot came leaping, ricochetting over the harbour; the sh.e.l.ls screamed most unpleasantly in our ears; fingers were numbed, and our breathing was like steam amid those exertions. But the skipper landed on the boom, fixed three very destructive charges, and resumed his post at the wheel, ready, when the engines were moved full speed ahead. The deed was done!
Then the line was pulled taut, the detonator exploded, the three charges flared, the boom was rent, and the torpedo-boat No. 6 sped away over the sea, past the staring flotilla at a distance, keeping her perilous course, past the narrow entrance, amid such a cannonade as I had had never dreamed of,--a duel now between the victors and the victims of the outrage. But the boat returned, unharmed, in the darkness, and in a short time showed her lights in the offing, out of reach of the hail of shot and flaming sh.e.l.l, to enjoy the rest which the gallant crew had fairly earned when the report had been received.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE DEED WAS DONE! TORPEDO-BOAT NO. 6 SPED AWAY]
This was an expedition conducted with great intrepidity, and crowned with immediate success, the results of which proved most disastrous to the defence. Next night two flotillas penetrated the harbour through the wider breach No. 6 had made, and a fearful engagement ensued. In this two torpedo-boats were lost, and in No. 6 the tubes were frozen, so the torpedoes were not discharged. One of the first two boats referred to was blown up by a sh.e.l.l, but the great man-o'-war, _Ting-yuen_, was scuttled by a torpedo or torpedoes, and next day sank slowly in sight of the fleet. The j.a.panese had had two boats lost and two injured. The latter were sent to Port Arthur to repair. The boat I was in was struck fifty times, once by a sh.e.l.l.
This was ”warm” work, but next night it became warmer still, for the leader of the expedition reported that the admiral, with tears in his eyes, had told him of the necessity of destroying the rest of the fleet, and the danger of it. On that second night, the 4th, we knew that many men had been killed by shot, that many besides had been scalded, and many actually frozen to death in the water, even under comparatively fortunate circ.u.mstances. The admiral and his captains knew the danger, and the latter fully appreciated it when next day a further attack was determined upon.
”You may be unable to return through the breach,” said the admiral.
”The Chinese will be prepared and alive to the danger.”
”I am quite ready,” replied the officer addressed, calmly.
”I am grieved to order the attack. But there is no help for it. It must be done for our country's sake. Do your best, as I am sure you will, and emblazon your name upon the scroll of fame.”
With these words the admiral dismissed the commander of the flotilla, and with a touching farewell. They ”could scarcely have expected to meet again,” says the narrator of the interview.
When the officer rejoined his boat he communicated his orders, and did not hide the danger. Death was almost certain, there were no lanterns, no plans, no orders, no signals. The boats cast off everything not necessary for the attack, as a forlorn hope goes into action unfettered.
”Our boats and our bodies are the enemy's.” This was the signal. But little hope, and less alarm, was displayed. At a quarter to three a.m.
(February 6th) the boats left the fleet to destroy Chinese s.h.i.+ps, but our torpedo-boat came back, having collided with the boom in the dark.
So I returned unharmed.
We, outside, could not see the results until daylight, but the roar of the cannon, the flas.h.i.+ng of the sweeping search-lights, and the bursting of the sh.e.l.ls could be perceived in the darkness. We saw rockets signalling in the harbour, but until the boats returned great anxiety was felt. At daybreak they all returned safely, and reported three s.h.i.+ps sunk. These were the _Wei-yuen_, _Lai-yuen_, and _Pao-Hwa_.
On the 5th I had rejoined the _Naniwa_, by permission, and saw that the contest could only end in one way soon. When the news came on the 6th February that the three s.h.i.+ps had been sunk there was great rejoicing, and many congratulations were exchanged in the squadron. On the 7th we all took part in ”the ball,” sh.e.l.ling the forts and firing for a couple of hours until my head seemed splitting, and I was perfectly deaf for a while after.
We were in the middle of the smoke and din when a signal was made high above the vapour that the Chinese torpedo-boats were escaping by the western pa.s.sage in the direction of Chefoo. The First Flying Squadron was ordered to pursue them--the _Yos.h.i.+no_ leading us. She is a very fast cruiser, her speed being twenty-three knots, the rest being not much more than eighteen. We spun along, full speed, and some alarm was caused in the _Naniwa_ by a sh.e.l.l which plumped into the coal-bunker.
Fortunately the protection afforded by the coal prevented any serious damage being done, and the Chinese boats were all destroyed save two, which managed to elude the pursuers, though crippled, and to reach the treaty port--Chefoo.
I was anxious to go there too, as I believed I could find protection, but of course the _Naniwa_ could not land me at that time. The s.h.i.+p returned to the blockade; the attack and bombardment was resumed on the 8th February, when the combined squadrons, having silenced the fort on Sih Island, destroyed some hundreds of yards of the terrible boom, and cut it up.
These tactics were continued during the next three days, when the s.h.i.+ps attacked with flags flying as if in antic.i.p.ation of victory. The severe bombardment was continued, the Chinese pluckily replied; they did considerable damage to the enemy; and the attack was continued until night. Still the Chinese admiral resisted, though the losses he had sustained in s.h.i.+ps and boats were most serious. The once large and formidable Peiyang Fleet had dwindled away, and now only four s.h.i.+ps and a few gunboats represented the former powerful array. The end was at hand.
We heard afterwards some particulars of the concluding days of the contest, which must have been severely trying for the Celestials. In our fleet the termination of the war was everywhere discussed. Port Arthur captured, its forts denuded of guns, Kinchow, and other places inland in j.a.panese hands; Wei-hai-Wei on the brink of destruction--what chance had the Chinese admiral and generals? Better had they accepted the offer of the j.a.panese and surrendered at first.
We were all awake early in the morning of the 12th February, because experience told us that the enemy must either resist to the death that day or capitulate. The blockade was so close, the odds against the Chinese so great, that we had already wondered at the sustained resistance, The extreme limit of Celestial endurance had been reached, though we did not antic.i.p.ate the result as it actually happened.
As the grey winter day rose out of the sea to port, all eyes were fixed upon the batteries and the s.h.i.+ps in harbour. Telescopes swept the hills and platforms, the traces of the wrecked boom, the almost deserted islands, the shattered forts. As men gazed in silence, broken only at intervals by duty orders, a sense of depression fell upon me, as if something unpleasant awaited us. Yet precautions had been taken--nothing could harm us. Nevertheless one _felt_ something was approaching. The snowclad hills lay silent and cold over all--a shroud spread over dying Wei-hai-Wei. Surely that small Chinese gunboat cleaving the lumpy water had nothing to do with the _denouement_. One boat amongst so many ironclads and torpedo-boats could not do any harm.
It was only eight o'clock then. ”What do you say, Tomi? A _white flag_! Surrender! Never! never!”
”Yes it is,” said Tomi, laughing. ”Hurrah! you would say in England.
The admiral has surrendered. There goes the message of peace. He is making for the _Matsus.h.i.+ma_. We win! we win!”
We looked again. All the s.h.i.+ps' companies were on the alert, but though every mind had at once grasped the position, scarce a mouth yet betrayed the feelings of delight and satisfaction that must have been experienced. What would the admiral's reply be? Three torpedo-boats at once came to escort the stranger, and to make inquiry concerning her business--at least so we interpreted the conversation which seemed, judging from gestures, to be proceeding. A boat left the Chinese vessel, and the messenger was carried on board the j.a.panese flags.h.i.+p.