BIGGLES' SECOND CASE

 

by Captain W. E. Johns

 

 

XIV.                        THE PACE QUICKENS  (Pages 148 - 156)

 

Algy is taken back to the whaler to stay with them and implement the plan.  Biggles, Bertie and Ginger fly on to the cove and find the U-boat just about to leave.  The water thrown up by the first depth charge causes the U-boat to turn and stops it getting out.  The second depth charge throws her against the rocks and damages the U-boat to such an extent that she has to move towards the landing beach by the depot.  Meanwhile a shell from the anti-aircraft fire thrown up by the U-boat has damaged the tail unit of Biggles' plane forcing him to land on an expanse of moss at the top of the cliffs.  The position becomes a sort of statement so Biggles and Ginger start work on temporary repairs to the plane whilst Bertie covers the submarine with a rife from his cliff top point where he can hear the banging about in the U-boat as they no doubt try to do their own temporary repairs.  The whaler arrives as the tide floats the submarine off the beach and it tries again to get out, but the whaler opens her seacocks and sinks herself in the entrance, trapping the U-boat once and for all.  Biggles runs to the top of the cliff at a point about the whaler and shouts and makes contact with the crew.  Eventually, Algy and the Norwegian crew are able to join him at the top of the cliff.  Biggles sends Algy, Bertie and two wounded Norwegians from the crew to fly back to their base and make radio contact with Air Commodore Raymond to tell him how things stand.  Biggles says the rest of them will stay to keep an eye on things as von Schonbeck may try something.  "A Nazi of his type isn't finished until he's dead".  "To-morrow, I think, should see the showdown," opined Biggles.