Великий военный синдикат

           Thisvesselwasverymuchinadvanceoftheothers,forknowingthatwhenshewasreallyinactionandthegreatcylinderwhichformedherstern-guardwasloweredintothewaterherspeedwouldbemuchretarded,shehadputonallsteam,andbeingtheswiftestwar-shipofherclass,shehaddistancedallherconsorts.Itwashighlyimportantthatsheshouldbeginthefight,andengagetheattentionofasmanycrabsaspossible,whilecertainoftheothershipsattackedtherepellerwiththeirrams.Althoughitwasnowgenerallybelievedthatmotor-bombsfromarepellermightdestroyaman-of-war,itwasalsoconsideredprobablethattheaccuratecalculationswhichappearedtobenecessarytoprecisionofaimcouldnotbemadewhentheobjectoftheaimwasinrapidmotion.Butwhetherornotoneormoremotor-bombsdidstrikethemark,orwhetherornotoneormorevesselswereblownintofineparticles,therewereadozenironcladsinthatfleet,eachofwhosecommandersandofficersweredeterminedtorunintothatrepellerandcrushher,ifsobetheyheldtogetherlongenoughtoreachher.Thecommandersofthetorpedo-boatshadorderstodirecttheirswiftmessengersofdestructionfirstagainstthecrabs,forthesevesselswerefarinadvanceoftherepeller,andcomingonwitharapiditywhichshowedthattheyweredetermineduponmischief.Ifatorpedo,shotfromatorpedo-boat,andspeedingswiftlybyitsownpowersbeneaththewaves,shouldstrikethesubmergedhullofacrab,therewouldbeonecrabthelessintheEnglishChannel.