By four o'clock in the afternoon everything was
practically ready ... four "seventy-fives," ten artillery caissons,
two radio outfits, a thousand new rifles, hundreds of cases of shells,
cartridges and grenades and likewise large quantities of harness were
loaded on the trawlers. All the men who were in the town, its
outskirts or on the beach were assembled and embarked on the boats.
Not one was left behind. This time, safe from the rifles in the
distant mountains, everyone was saved.
At four-fifty in the afternoon [writes Ensign Auge] our
little boats cleared the harbor for the last time and made
the open sea. Suddenly we see a trail of foam hastening on
us with a mad rush. It started three or four hundred meters
off on our right. There is a lightning flash and we see the
torpedo cross our bows, too low, fortunately. A submarine
has tried to attack us but has missed. We describe a great
circle in order to avoid a second attack. Fortunately night
falls to end the chase, and we make for the Italian coast.
Although the sea is smooth, the third boat is lurching
terribly. About midnight I hear terrible cries from this
boat. It is dark as pitch and impossible to make out
anything in the darkness.
Pages:
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128