Великий военный синдикат

           ItwasnotknownexactlyhowventilationwassuppliedtothesubmarinevesselsoftheSyndicate,norhowtheoccupantswereenabledtomakethenecessaryobservationsduringaction.Whenunderwaythecrabssailedsomewhatelevatedabovethewater,butwhenengagedwithanenemyonlyasmallportionoftheircoveringarmourcouldbeseen.Itwassurmisedthatunderandbetweensomeofthescalesofthisarmourtherewassomearrangementofthickglasses,throughwhichthenecessaryobservationcouldbemade;anditwasbelievedthat,eveniftheheavyperpendicularshotsdidnotcrushintheroofofacrab,theseglasseswouldbeshatteredbyconcussion.Althoughthismightappearamatterofslightimportance,itwasthoughtamongnavalofficersitwouldnecessitatethewithdrawalofacrabfromaction.Inconsequenceoftheideathatthecrabswerevulnerablebetweentheiroverlappingplates,someoftheAdamant’sboatswerefittedoutwithGatlingandmachineguns,bywhichashowerofballsmightbesentunderthescales,throughtheglasses,andintothebodyofthecrab.Inadditiontotheirguns,theseboatswouldbesuppliedwithothermeansofattackuponthecrab.Ofcourseitwouldbeimpossibletodestroythesesubmergedenemiesbymeansofdynamiteortorpedoes;forwithtwovesselsincloseproximity,theexplosionofatorpedowouldbeasdangeroustothehullofoneastotheother.TheBritishAdmiraltywouldnotalloweventheAdamanttoexplodetorpedoesordynamiteunderherownstern.