BIGGLES' SECOND CASE

by Captain W. E. Johns

XIII. VON SCHONBECK TRIES AGAIN (Pages 137 - 147)

Whilst the Norwegians are following in their own time in the whaler, Biggles conducts an air reconnaissance for any oil being leaked by the submarine, but the sea is too rough to show any. Landing in harsh winds at the cove at Kerguelen, the plane is immediately refueled. Our heroes have a meal by which time howling gales rage outside. It is not until the morning of the third day that the storm blows itself out. Biggles sets of with Ginger to look for the submarine. The 'Tarpon' flies almost to the limit of its range but the U-boat is not found. Returning and refueling, Biggles is concerned that the whaler hasn't arrived. Algy and Bertie fly out and find the whaler but she appears badly damaged. Axel waves them down and tells them that the whaler had slipped into a cove at the southern end of Kerguelen to shelter from the storm and found the submarine there taking on oil and it had promptly shelled them. Reporting back to Biggles, Biggles thinks they can trap the submarine in the cove. He intends to drop Algy back at the whaler and to get Axel and his men to scuttle the whaler at the entrance to the cover. Biggles intends to use depth charges against the submarine if it tries to get out. They have got to get the U-boat bottled up.