Chapter 255

Inside the dim warship, in a narrow corridor, two welders are welding a broken steel bar in the waist level sea water. As long as this place is repaired to isolate the sea water, then the water pump at the back can pump out the water. In this way, the warship can at least drive back to the port with serious injuries.

Damage control personnel are the maintenance workers who are responsible for the rescue and disaster relief of warships. They are like the portable doctors of warships and an indispensable part of a warship. However, it can be said that these damage controllers are one of the most dangerous professions, because they often appear in the underwater parts of warships and work in the damaged areas.

"Hey! George! I heard that we were hit before we saw the enemy at all A damage controller yelled with tools in his hand, and sparks from electric wires burst out from time to time, which looked very frightening.

"Shut up! Frank! Do you still think our situation is not bad enough? The damned airtight door is leaking! It's leaking! " While pounding on the twisted door, George complained loudly: "I only know that just now a thing broke through two decks in one breath and exploded about 20 meters ahead. If you have time for curiosity, why don't you think about how to close the damn door! "

"Here comes the steel! We've got the steel Two damage controllers with helmets and life jackets came over with a steel bar and waist high water, and then said loudly, "it was the German plane that blew us up. I didn't expect that their plane could carry such a big bomb."

"Frank! Come on, this steel bar is on the door. You and I, we have flattened the door with tools! You use these things to plug up the rest of the gap! " George began to assign tasks, and several damage controllers began to get busy.

"George!" A sergeant in the distance yelled: "the lower floor has blocked the gap! The pump starts pumping... The captain asks about the loss. Do you have any questions? "

There was a cheer in the cabin, knowing that their warships could continue to float on the sea. It was really a very exciting thing. Although everyone was still soaking in the cold water, they felt much warmer all of a sudden.

"It's a piece of cake. We can block the door in about 20 minutes... As for the damage, we need to contact the people at the stern of the ship to know how many cabins have been destroyed." George looked at the cheering men and replied loudly, "there is only one boiler cabin left. If the damage outside is not serious, we can probably open seven more sections."

"No faster? George... The Germans are bombing us. We need to speed up or we will be hit again. " The sergeant asked anxiously.

George shook his head: "tell me to the captain! He knows what to do. In addition, tell him that if he is hit by such a bomb again, the warship will sink! "

"I see! Please make sure that the water in the warship is controlled. Let's go home together! " The sergeant nodded and said. With that, he turned back and climbed up the hollowed out iron stairs to the upper deck.

As a senior damage controller who has participated in the repair of the cruiser, George is not as excited as these recruits. He knocked on the pipe beside him with his wrench and gave the order loudly: "according to my arrangement! Hurry up

The speed of the sea water inflow is getting slower and slower. The whole warship's frightening inclination has gradually recovered. It seems that the warship has been preserved. George took a long breath, then held the sea water with oil floating on it and washed his face carelessly.

He leaned against the cold wall and felt the pain of his knee. Having served on a warship for many years, and mostly accompanied by the cold sea, he had severe rheumatism on both legs, and now he may have committed it again.

"Sir! There is no danger here! You go up Frank started the pump and said with a smile, "if there's any problem, I'll call you. We'll start draining later, and the problem won't be too big. "

George nodded, got up from the side of the wall and walked step by step to the hollowed out iron stairs in the cold water. As he walked up, he reached out his greasy palm and grasped the handrail of the stairs. He has served on this warship for nine years. At the age of 50, he has experienced World War I and is one of several old men on this warship.

He went up the stairs, looked at the twisted walls and the ceiling broken by the bomb, and listened to the huge explosion outside. I took off the hanging work clothes from the wall, then took out a cigarette from the pocket of the work clothes, drew out a cigarette and put it on my mouth.

"George! The captain told you to go up when you have time. He wants to know the details of the damage this time! " A sailor came and said to George.

George nodded and went up with the sailor. When they were just outside the bridge, they heard the despairing cry of the lookout post on the mast overhead: "torpedo! Port! Torpedo! There's a torpedo coming towards us on the port side. "

A huge explosion followed. George held the railings on the stairs of the warship in his hand and finally stabilized himself. When he looked back, he found that the sailor who had sent him up had fallen from the bridge more than ten meters high to the deck.

This warship is finished! George's mind flashed this idea, he quickly opened the bridge door, saw a blood on the face of the captain is being bandaged by the military doctor. On the messy command bridge, it can be described as a mess. These officers have just got up from the ground, and the explosion paralyzed the newly restored command again“ captain! The ship is sinking! You have to get people out of here now! Organize the soldiers to board the lifeboat, or it will be too late! " George said aloud as soon as he came in. He didn't want to die. He had to go back to Britain to see his little grandson, whom he hadn't seen in years. Just as he was talking, dozens of meters away from his feet, sea water poured into one cabin after another. The soldiers in the cabin were immersed in the cold water before they could escape. The desperate soldiers knocked on the twisted sealed doors. They could not open the iron doors damaged by the vibration. They could only watch the sea water pouring in and slowly wait for death. The sea water with blood and broken parts collides in the body of the warship and submerges any place it passes. The damage controller has no time to plug the cracks and gaps, and is poured into the new cabin by the sea water. More soldiers and damage controllers are directly submerged by the sea water and have no time to escape. Frank, who was still talking and laughing with George just now, was directly smashed by the collapsed steel bar, and the other two damage controllers beside him also cracked again because of the place just blocked, so much sea water suddenly poured in and drowned in the cabin, and they didn't even have time to run to the stairs less than 5 meters away from them“ Now! right off! Abandon the ship! Captain George looked at the stunned captain of the battleship Malaya and said, "if you hesitate for a while, hundreds of people will die in vain."“ The explosion just now may be a suicide explosion! Not necessarily underwater! I have no right to order the abandonment of such an important battleship in such an unknown situation! " Said the captain, pushing away the doctor“ Whatever explosion it is! The damage to the ship is enough for it to sink! I just came up from below! It hasn't been repaired. Now there's such a big shock. It should be completely over there! " George cried hysterically, "I beg you! To the soldiers below... "Before he finished his words, a pen on the chart table rolled down to the ground, and everyone looked at the pen, shocked and speechless. Just a few minutes ago, the warship released water to the other side and stabilized the warship's roll. But now the roll appears again, which shows that the efforts just made are in vain and the whole warship is in danger of sinking“ Send message to all posts! Get them out of here! Order the boiler bay to shut down power, all personnel on deck! Air defense weapons continue to fight back. Everyone must wear life jackets. " The captain finally took a look at George: "you lead the damage management personnel to go down again to have a look at the damage. If... I mean if there is still a possibility of rescue, please try your best." Then he turned to his first mate: "send a signal to the aircraft carrier eagle, saying that our ship is sinking. Please organize rescue work."“ captain! Shot in the middle of the ship, there are a lot of cabin pipes and telephone lines have been damaged! Many people in the cabins may not get orders to abandon the ship and escape. " George did not go, but loudly reminded his captain“ Send someone to every cabin immediately! If there is water in it, shout for 3 minutes! Make sure most people are rescued. " The captain had no choice but to close his eyes, because he had already seen that his command bridge had tilted to a very serious point. Several officers ran out of the bridge crazily. They were ordered to find the people who could not be contacted and lead them to escape together. George also rushed downstairs. When he just returned to the main deck, he saw the sea of sailors abandoning the ship and jumping into the sea. More and more people crowded around the lifeboats in a hurry, and from time to time they heard gunshots and warnings from the gendarmerie. George wants to go down to the inside of the ship to find frank and others, but he finds that his stairs are full of sea water. He looked around, trying to find his colleagues from the crowd, but he found that all this was futile, because there was a mess around, it was not the time to find people. He was pushed to the side rail by the crowd. He saw that the side rail, which was once very far away from the sea, is now less than three meters away. There are oil spills and British sailors floating on the sea. Just as he wanted to turn back, he was pushed off the boat by the crowd and hit on the head of the people below. He choked on the salty, cold water and struggled to surface. Suddenly, he saw the top of the high mast and the flag of the British navy flying down.