Winds of Fury Page 4

  “Thank you, Frau Weber,” both men said as they scrambled up from their chairs to bid her farewell.

  She went on her way, and the three men stayed for another hour while old man Weber outlined the plan. When the excited Otto and Heinrich finally left the office, it was as if they were walking on air. While Otto walked back to the warehouse, he was beaming with pride and gratitude for the extra money from the reward. It would help him and Helga tremendously. He was looking forward to surprising her with this happy news later that night. Helga would be so thrilled and proud of him.

  Heinrich also thought about the extra money; perhaps finding a lovely young girl or possibly two of them to court as he now had the means. As they walked up the street, Heinrich couldn’t help but remember the way Frau Weber had looked at him in the office in the office. Her interest in him was flattering. She had an alluring charm about her, and at a younger age, her lovely features must have been very striking as she was still an attractive woman. Otto had told him she was much younger than Herr Weber. How much, he had no idea. Oh, what was his mind’s intention in having thoughts such as this? Shame on me, he thought to himself. This is just my wild oats talking as other young sailors had referred to their own sensual feelings. Let’s just leave it be and feel happy for Weber as he was a very fortunate man to have a wife with her character.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  A COURAGEOUS ACT

  Otto and Heinrich were side-by-side Captain Fischer on the quarterdeck of the small merchant brigantine, the Baltic Swan, watching the crew scurrying about as they performed their daily tasks. It was about nine months into the rigorous training regimen that they were assigned. The two future shipmasters were making splendid progress as they learned the more exceptional points of seamanship on their numerous voyages within the Baltic Sea. Their mastery of navigation and leadership had impressed Captain Fischer, and once they sailed back to their home port, he planned to recommend to Herr Weber they be promoted to apprentice sea captains. He felt they were ready to co-captain the brigantine on her next trip.

  “Always be ready to make snap decisions. That’s why you absolutely must stay on top of everything that’s happening. The men under your command will scrutinize your orders, so be ready to back up your decisions. It’s your discretion how far you want to explain the orders. After all, you are the man in charge and do not need the vote of the crew. It is important to be tough in asserting your orders, the crew needs to feel your certitude and you must, at all times, carry yourself with confidence,” Captain Fischer advised. “Without their respect, it could lead to dire circumstances.”

  “It has been my experience that threat of punishment alone does not produce results. A kind word here and there works wonders, while force has a way of draining a crew of their morale,” were more words of wisdom.

  Nodding his assent of Fisher’s statements, Heinrich reiterated, “Trust and reliance in the captain are some of the most critical factors in commanding a ship.”

  “Jawohl, it is essential to winning acceptance of those under your charge,” Captain Fischer said. “If you know intimate details about what is happening on the ship, you will win the crew’s trust. And it helps to make an effort to get to know each sailor on a personal basis for this strengthens your relationship with each one.”

  It was this sort of insight that Fischer imparted to them that separated him from other ship’s captains. He had the ability to gain unquestionable trust from his crew. His management style had proven successful on countless voyages spanning many years. His leadership skills were legendary not only within the company but throughout Bremerhaven. He was a captain every sailor wanted to sail with.

  The Baltic Swan had just departed a small seaport on the eastern coast of Sweden after unloading the last of their cargo and was heading back to Germany.

  “I will leave the command to you, while I retire to my cabin. Do not hesitate to call me if need be.”

  “Jawohl, Kapitän,” Otto and Heinrich echoed in unison.

  The sea was relatively calm with moderate winds that billowed into the sails. They were averaging between seven to nine knots. They were making a beeline southwest back to their home port. Otto had left momentarily to check with the head boatswain, while Heinrich captained the helm. As he was looking through his scope, he spotted on the horizon between thick fog clouds a five-masted schooner heading towards them. At first, he could not believe his eyes. His mind questioned if a five-masted schooner even existed? It would be substantially large for a schooner class. After viewing it through the eyeglass several times, it held five masts, a schooner of stupendous size. After a while, the ship’s distance had closed considerably. Heinrich ordered a slight change in direction to avoid the other vessel, but also to gauge the other ship’s intention; whether or not it was on a course intentionally intersecting theirs. After several minutes went by, he noticed the massive schooner had changed direction and was again heading straight for them.

  Once again, he had the helmsman change course to a heading that would take their smaller ship to the west of the other vessel. And again, the schooner made an adjustment; one so abrupt that it put them at a course heading straight for the Baltic Swan’s starboard side.

  Having come back to the helm and noticing Heinrich was focused on something beyond the starboard lee, Otto wondered what was attracting his attention. Otto worriedly inquired, “Is everything all right?”

  “Nein, … not at all. Otto, see that schooner at our two o’clock?”

  Otto swung his head into the direction and saw the large ship in the distance. “Ja, of course, I see it! Who could miss something that large? Do you also see the cannon slats she has? She’s coming straight for us and vigorously at that.”

  “She sure is. And I think she means trouble. She’s been shadowing every course change we make. I think we better ready the cannons because we certainly can’t outrun her.”

  “We’ll have a problem outgunning her as well!” Otto stated with great concern.

  “That’s right, but we may have one advantage – the ability to make quick turns with our much smaller vessel. We can head for the thick banks of fog and use it in our favor. That’s the only chance for us to take her down.”

  “Take the schooner down, you say? Are you daft, man! You seem so confident my young friend. I’m not at all sure we stand a chance against that behemoth with the number of cannons she holds. And how do you propose to use the fog in our favor; both ships will be at a disadvantage sailing blindly in it.”

  “Otto, right now we have no other choice unless you’re ready to simply hand over our ship without a fight. We don’t have much time! Here’s what I propose. After we enter the fog, wear the sails immediately and tack to starboard bringing the ship out of the fog aft of where she entered, with her starboard cannons facing the mist. I am hoping the schooner will come out of the fog bank, close to where we did with her bow toward us. It will be searching for us, for it surely cannot do so in that blind environment. If they do follow in our direction, we need to be ready for action.

  “By that time, she will be very close. We will not fire; instead, we will hold off and act as if they have us trapped. Let them come alongside, and just before they try to board us, we will open our slats and fire all eight eighteen-pounders at point-blank range. If indeed they want our ship, I do not think they will fire on us. They want it intact. I need you to ensure that once the cannons fire you must be able to pivot the ship as expeditiously as you can, to fire the portside guns. The Baltic Swan is going to be ours soon, and I refuse to yield so easily. We must at least try.”

  Otto listened impatiently, with a questioning look. “It’s a plan, Heinrich, but a very weak one at that,” said Otto with an expression of calamity. He did not believe they would have the ability to go up against such a potent vessel. He had a mental image of tossing rocks at a charging steer to get it to back down. “You do realize our eighteen-pounders are no match for the larger and number of guns our opponent has?�
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  “I do,” Heinrich demurred. “But I am counting on them to hold their fire because they do not want to sink our ship. What other choice do we have? We cannot outrun her.”

  The Baltic Swan had guns, but nothing compared to what most likely hid behind the cannon slats on the schooner ship. Otto reasoned going up against a vessel much more superior to theirs was lunacy. He did not want to gamble whether or not the other ship would not fire on them. The thought of not only losing out on the captaincy of this ship but possibly being blown to bits was overwhelming his ability to reason. Still glaring at Heinrich, who glared right back with deviance, his mind fought for an answer that did not materialize. Otto thought they had only a fleeting chance at survival, but succumbed to Heinrich’s insistence on going forward with his plan.

  “We need to get Kapitän Fischer up on deck. I’ll have him hailed at once,” Otto stated.

  “Ja, I sure hope he goes along with the plan because we are already committed at this point.”

  There’ll be hell to pay if he isn’t told – he still is master of this ship,” Otto declared.

  “I know that. Get it done. I will have the men prep the guns. There isn’t time for discussion; only time for action.”

  Otto grabbed the wheel from the helmsman and ordered him to immediately get the captain as Heinrich began to bark out a barrage of orders to surrounding crewmen. Many of the men were puzzled why they had to arm the cannons and why the ship began to maneuver erratically; they knew something was not right. Nevertheless, the men toiled feverishly to carry out the orders, their expressions of perplexity changed to dread when they spotted the massive schooner heading headlong for their ship and realized something was gravely amiss.

  Heinrich saw their fear, knowing it could quickly turn into frozen terror; he too felt it and in turn raised his voice even louder with firm commands, for the leaders to hurry their crews. These men, in turn, began shouting orders to those under their immediate control. The entire ship appeared to be in frenzied disarray. Many crewmembers went about in random directions, disoriented and bewildered, not sure what to do. Heinrich vigorously called out more detailed orders for his section heads to get the men armed and staged at critical areas of the ship. Instead of crisp organization, the scene was one of chaos due to the men’s bewilderment, primarily because of their inexperience; they never had to respond in such a manner and were ill-prepared for an emergency, especially one of this magnitude.

  Suddenly, the Baltic Swan slid into the misty gloom and a dense blanket of fog enclosed around her. Heinrich’s concerns were on the men’s abilities to fulfill the task of readying the cannons in this dark mist. He kept telling himself they had practiced enough times to be able to complete their assigned tasks even in the darkness of night, so a little bit of fog should not be a hindrance. He was wondering if this was just wishful thinking out of sheer fright. There was nothing more he could do but depend on the men’s skills. He could only hope the schooner’s crew was just as hampered by the fog as his men.

  Heinrich knew that urgency was at a premium and as much as he was frustrated with how things were progressing, he somehow maintained his composure and continued barking out commands. Thankfully, the flurry of activity produced results. The crew had manned their stations, and the cannons were being readied.

  Captain Fischer came on deck with the helmsman and immediately sought out Heinrich near the helm. Drope explained his plan in haste. Fischer stroked his chin with one hand as he mulled over the strategy. Heinrich looked extremely anxious awaiting the captain’s reply hoping his plan was not looked upon as a mere child’s scheme.

  “Lad, I must say your idea is as sound as could be devised under the circumstances. I see no other way to approach this issue other than simply capitulating to those aboard the schooner if indeed they are after us, of which we still do not know as yet. I do know we cannot outrun her.”

  “Kapitän, I have a strong sense that they are a foe and not friend. I have watched their vessel, and it has been maneuvering at a constant speed to catch up with us. What other intention could they have?”

  “That I do not know. Perhaps they are in need of medical assistance, or they are low on drinking water. It could be various things, lad.”

  “I have avoided them every which way trying to show that we have no interest in making contact, but they continue to pursue us; that only tells me they have something else up their sleeves, Kapitän. They have not raised a flag for assistance. It’s a strong sense telling me they are a danger.”

  Fischer looked into Heinrich’s eyes trying to measure the young man’s wisdom. There were plenty of times when, at best, only snippets of information were available to decipher the unknown. The young man had taken the little information available and reached an intelligent conclusion based on the other ship’s actions, as any captain would – and for that matter should.

  “Men, I stand by your decision for I gather it to be a wise one under the circumstances,” he told Heinrich and Otto.

  “I am not in the habit of having my ship plundered by any scoundrels. Go ahead with the plan you have initiated and have as many men armed as possible just in case we are forced to keep them from boarding.”

  “Ja, Kapitän! I have already instructed that to be done,” answered Heinrich, who was experiencing a surge of excitement upon the captain’s support of his plan.

  The huge five-masted vessel carved through the water like a knife cutting through butter, racing toward the smaller Baltic Swan. The large vessel jibed with much more ease than anyone thought it could. She was coming on strong and quick. As the schooner entered the fog, it drastically cut its speed. Also, not wanting to precipitate a collision, the ship gingerly sought out its prey to avoid ramming into it.

  Otto directed the brigantine out of the fog, rotating the large wheel, positioning the starboard to lee. It felt like the brig’s stern was gliding on ice more than sailing on water. As instructed, he swung her starboard facing the darkened mist as she came out into the clear. The crew stood by, as ordered, acting out as cargo sailors, which they were. Those armed did their best to hide that posture by laying the weapons at their feet. Beneath their calm exterior, their hearts were pounding, and their legs felt like pastry dough from fear. Although seasoned sailors, their physical toughness was born within the confines of a tavern; knowing how to carry themselves in a barroom brawl was not, however, the same as standing up to a pirate ship with cannons.

  Captain Fischer, Otto, and Heinrich stood on the upper deck and eyed the thick fog for signs of the schooner. As precipitous unluckiness would have it, the fog bank was receding away from their vessel, allowing more distance of open sea. Suddenly the massive bow of the fearful apparition emerged from the mist some three hundred yards off the Baltic Swan’s starboard. She had enough room to maneuver to direct her guns at the smaller ship. The German ship could only assume that all the schooner’s cannons were manned and ready to fire upon their much smaller ship.

  Fischer stole a worried glance at his two staunch first mates-in-training standing beside him but narrowed his eyes with determination when he turned back to look at his adversaries. Accompanying his expression was a nod while pointing his chin at the vessel. Heinrich understood and quickly slid down the ladder to the main deck to personally lead the men into action.

  To the Baltic Swan crew, time seemed to stand still as they impatiently waited for the dreaded confrontation to become an extreme torment. The waiting was unbearable. Heinrich instructed his men to casually wave at the schooner’s sailors to project peaceful intentions. Although some sailors from the other ship waved back, it did little to settle down fears. Scanning the decks of the schooner for any telltale signs of danger; they now saw sailors armed with swords and muskets. There was no doubt now what the schooner crew had in mind; Heinrich had called it correctly. The schooner’s starboard was still coming around to present it broadside to the brigantine.

  The schooner made its way closer ever so slowly un
til the distance seemed close enough to spit across; then Heinrich gave the order to fire. Eight wooden slats were snapped open, and the cannon muzzles were pushed outward. They fired at point blank range in staggered order. Their ordinance left the barrels aimed at the sleek schooner’s main deck sending grapeshot smashing into any unfortunate soul that happened to be in its path. Screams of agonizing pain followed the booming roars of the cannonade; only to be faintly heard as the wind carried the sounds off into open air.

  More armed men across the way quickly filled the empty spaces cleared by the cannon shots. As the massive ship came broadside, a line of fully armed men on the schooner, ran to the railing preparing to jump the narrow expanse between the two ships. Otto already had the brigantine moving with the power of the blustering wind. A fusillade of musket fire barked out, and a handful of the schooner’s men were cut down by lead balls as they attempted to leap across to the Baltic Swan. Only a few made it, while others fell into the cold water of the Baltic. The scoundrels that had boarded were quickly outnumbered and given a nasty welcome. They were pummeled by club-wielding, and musket-swinging sailors then tossed overboard.

  None of the cannons on the schooner had yet fired, and the Baltic Swan’s crew were surprised by that fact. The only thought that made sense to Captain Fischer was that the other ship did not want to chance sinking his ship and have their prey disappear under the sea along with its cargo. They intended to board the vessel and capture it intact. Fischer pushed out of his mind the nonsensical thought that perhaps the schooner’s crew had been so stunned by his crew’s action that no one had commanded the firing order. That made no sense. No one on the small vessel complained that they had not been fired on, as their ship lurched turning to port after clearing the schooner’s stern. With the turn completed and her portside guns ready, Heinrich again shouted the command to fire. Another eight cannons spoke with authority with four directed to the schooner’s rudder section just as he had instructed the gunners to do. The cannonade smashed the rudder mechanism. Heinrich was thrilled with the accuracy; it left the schooner without the means to steer. They could now only use their sails to maneuver and to accomplish that was a difficult chore, even to an experienced helmsman and crew. Amazingly, the Baltic Swan seemed to have found the advantage it needed. The other four guns again racked deck sections with grapeshot hoping to find more human targets.