Deep Seas War 7.1

7.

The Surface

“Tell me Captain Claude. Did you get the windows washed lately?” Sergeant Major frowned at the lack of quality on the cleaning. “There seem to be some dirt on it? Pesky ones though.”  

“Another mongool...” In Dutch it meant retard. “Of course I cleaned it daily.”

The Dutch Captain leaned over to examine the nuisance that described on the window. He then jumped back and screeched general alert before scrambling for the communication line.

“Bewegen de verdoemden motoren maximal…” The Dutch Captain not pulling any punches there for the dirigible creaked and then lurched forward from the extra thrust of the engines. His Lordship peeked at the window and saw the threat. It was the flying contraption again and there were two of them climbing up to meet the dirigible.

“My Lord, I doubt the Captain Claude have any military serving time? Jones was at this usual self to compliment on everyone possible short comings.

“As a matter of fact he was part of the elite ‘.Les vliegende knjgers’. Am I not right, Claude?”

“Yes but I was the engineer to their flying boxes. I only flew dirigibles later.” Captain Claude smiled. “Good days they were.”

“Well if you are to tell your grandchildren that, may I suggest we sprout wings?” It was the infallible Jones again. “I wished I had more bullets for my Whitworth rifle.”

Captain Claude checked on his crew and he got the affirmative. He then leaned back on his Captain seat and smiled. His Lordship then looked at the approaching flying boxes. He was to tell them to throw the bags or anything not affixed at it but Claude was doing some mental calculations. He then jumped up from his seat and rushed to the window.

“Now” Claude called out his command. The soaring flying contraptions were still climbing when the sound of the machine gun was heard. The first flying contraption was hit on the left wing towards the centre before it went diving down. The second flying contraption veered off and went under the dirigible.

“Jolly good show, old chap. I am sure the Lewis gun done justice again.” Lord Henry was all excited on the kill.

“Lewis? No, it was the Chauchat. It was made in France but we are good neighbours…. At times. I got two of it mounted below for such events.”

The Chauchat was a light machine gun designed by a French inventor. It had yet to enter into full service but it was a favoured weapon like the Lewis. The gun weighed twenty pounds and fires 7.65 x 53 mm ammo at over two hundred and forty rounds per minute. It could reach over two thousand yards but it was effective at two hundred. That was why Captain was mentally calculating the climbing speed of the flying contraption before he gave the command.

“It also scared the pesky pigeons off the mountings.”

“Those are eagles. They are back with mom and pop.” Jones called out. “Do you happen to have any .forty five cartridges?”

 “Does the Dutchman fly?” The Captain beamed with his wide smile. He saw the expression on the Welsh and shook his shoulders. “Never mind I do as I served many guests.”

The Dutch Captain pulled out the side drawer to display the rows of guns and ammo. There was the Webley, the 

Winchester, the Remington and also the Thompson. Alongside of it was the ammo clips.

“Mint and it comes with an impact.” Again the Welsh did not appreciate the dry sense of humour. “Pick your choice.”  

Jones made his choice while the Sergeant picked up the forty nine inches in length Martini-Henry. It weighed eight pounds and seven ounces with a sliding ramp and was a single shot rifle. Its cartridge was a .five seven with a range of nearly two thousand yards. He also picked up a pocket full of it.

“I say, old boy. I had not seen one of this for over ten years now since the one my paddy gave me give way when I rolled the boulder over it.” The Sergeant Major was rarely seen emotional over a four feet long metal piece. He loaded in the cartridge and aimed it at the window.

“I would…” The Captain cut in but he was too late. The Sergeant Major had cocked and fired the rifle. The cartridge went through the window and at five hundred yards it killed the pilot in the head. That was only one of the five which were aiming for the dirigible.

That started the battle.

Jones was at the shattered window shooting with the Whitworth rifle. The flying contraption have kept their distance and used their superior speed to weave near the dirigible. The Sergeant Major was laying fire on the other side when the flying contraption appeared below. He was shooting holes in the frame but his score was not getting them down. The machine guns were doing their bit but the Captain noticed the direction they were heading.

“We are being herded to the hills.” Captain Claude called out. “I am trying to steer back to the sea. There we stand a chance if we crashed. Hopefully the sharks had their supper before we arrive.”

“Aye, I hear Dutch livermush are good.” Lord Henry quipped in. “What do you call them there?”

“Goetta.” The Dutch Captain sighed. These bloody islanders are mad. They think of food when they are near death.

“I can see why they are heading us there.” Jones called out. “It’s freaking ambush. They are two dirigibles out there.”

Lord Henry peeked out and saw the two dirigibles hovering there. It was not any dirigibles but these were Army issued ones. They came with cannons on them or at least, more machine guns. 

“Damn the traitors which we hold in our office.” Lord Henry screamed out. He then told the Dutch Captain to ditch the dirigible. “If I am going to die, let me on the ground of my choice.”

“I’ll be damned. No, Lordship. I am landing to drop you off and then take to my own flight.” The Dutch Captain replied. With that, the Captain gave the command to land the dirigible. At that moment the flying contraptions were pulling up and not shooting at the dirigible.

“It’s working.” Lord Henry smiled while he walked to the bar counter. He poured himself a stiff one there. The Sergeant Major was grabbing the cartridges alongside with Jones. It was then Dutch Captain handed over a shoulder slung bag to his Lordship.

“You may need this. I called it my survival kit. It contains medicine and some food. There is also a compass.”

“And you do deliver this for me.” Lord Henry passed the message to the Dutch Captain.