Jake watched as the distance between the ARIANNA NICHOL and the German destroyer diminish rapidly. He turned to the starboard bridgewing and nodded at the Second Mate to begin sending the signal. Hopefully, in getting this message, the Germans would quickly alter their course a few degrees to port.
“Five degrees to port,” Jake called out his own course change to the Quartermaster. Then went back to watching the destroyer, hoping they would follow suit. At the last possible moment the Germans put their helm over to port. The unspoken message was clear, they wanted Jake to know they were in charge of the situation.
“You might like to think so,” Jake thought to himself as the ARI steamed past the still turning destroyer.
“Big brother is going to have a clean shot here pretty soon.” Dane noted.
“I’m counting on the destroyer keeping big brother apprised of the situation.” Jake replied.
“What did you send them?”
“The truth,” was Jake’s surprising answer. “Only cargo Russian refugees. Two hundred and sixty-two of them, bound for Stockholm. Will allow boarding and inspection there.”
“They are responding, Captain.” The Second Mate reported as Jake spun around and watched as the Germans finished coming around. From the bridge deck of the destroyer the bright white light of the signal lamp was blinking out a message.
“They want us to heave to, and prepare for boarding.” The Second translated the message.
Jake turned to Dane. “You’ve been keeping time?”
“I have,” Dane nodded. “From my estimate, we are still six minutes from safety.”
Jake smiled and shook his head. “You say safety as if it is a sure thing, that once we cross that invisible line, they won’t fire on us.”
“They wouldn’t dare! Would they?”
“We’ll know soon enough,” Jake replied as he turned his attention to the big cruiser. It had put on speed and was currently on a due northerly course. A course that would intersect with the ARI’s course before she could get into Swedish waters.
“They are trying to cut us off,” Dane noted.
“I see that,” Jake agreed. “How close do you figure it’ll be?”
Dane looked at his friend and wondered what he might be planning? He then studied the cruiser for a moment before speaking. “Looks like he has the edge.”
Jake studied the situation for a moment, and then ordered the helm ten degrees to starboard. A move that forced the destroyer to also alter course or risk collision. The slight course change at their current speed should put them across the cruiser’s bow and into Swedish waters with room to spare. Unless of course the cruiser did what Jake expected him to do, either put on more speed, or alter their course to intercept. The cruiser did both.
With the cruiser at his ten o’clock and the destroyer at his four o’clock, Jake realized that the two warships probably couldn’t see each other very well. That probably also explained why the cruiser hadn’t put any shots across his bow.
“Two minutes to territorial waters.” Dane reported.
“What?” Jake teased. “You worried?”
“Pardon?”
“You’re calling it territorial waters now, not safety.”
“Figured you had a point on that score,” Dane said sourly.
Jake looked the Germans over and tried to guess what they were thinking. A plan was forming in his mind, but if it worked, it would be close. It could put the ARI hard into the cruiser’s flank. Figuring he didn’t have many options, he picked up the phone and dialed the engine room. When he had finished talking with Abe, he continued holding the phone in his left hand while turning toward the Quartermaster. “On my signal, I want a hard to port.”
“On your signal, aye Captain. Hard to port.”
“The tricky part is getting the timing right,” Jake sighed while mentally clicking off the time and distance in his mind. “Easy, easy, Now! hard to Port!” Jake ordered the helm put hard over and shouted into the phone, “Execute Now!”
Deep in the bowels of the ship, Abe Irish held the phone to his ear while watching his son Clive quickly spin the handles that first stopped the port side auxiliary screw, then reversed its direction from ‘ahead full’ to ‘astern full’. As the bronze propeller tried to bite into the water flowing fast under the hull it created cavitations that made the entire ship shudder.
“Screw reversing now, Captain.” Abe reported as the heavy hardened steel shaft slowly gained speed in the reverse direction. “She isn’t happy, Captain. I can surely tell you that.”
“Well, if we keep her off the side of that cruiser, she’ll forgive us.”
Dane and Abraham Irish had spent their entire adult lives at sea on a variety of ships. Never in their experiences had they ever seen a Captain like Jacob Johnson. He always had a way about him that amazed them both. He had the uncanny ability to find a solution to impossible situations. If not for Captain Jake being in charge at the moment, Dane would be very worried, even with Jake in control, he was mildly concerned as the two warships closed in on them at an alarming rate.
The ARI’s bow began veering to port, but would it be enough? The Germans had anticipated the ARIANNA NICHOL to attempt a turn one-way or the other. The way she did it and at the speed she did it took both German Captains by surprise. Unfortunately, both German Masters reacted to the unfolding events quite differently.
The big cruiser did two things. First she altered her course to starboard, which should cut off the ARIANNA NICHOL’s route of escape. Then she put on more speed to prevent the ARI from even completing her turn and close the gap quickly. The destroyer intended to stay glued to the starboard flank of the ARIANNA NICHOL.
“Damn it!” Jake cussed the moment he saw the German reactions to his moves. Dane watched the cruiser