



Produced by Al Haines










[Illustration: Cover art]





[Frontispiece: "FLOATING SERENELY ON THE SURFACE WAS A SUBMARINE; ONE
OF THE MOST MODERN OF THE GERMAN _UNTERSEEBOOTEN_"]





The Fight for Constantinople

A Story of the Gallipoli Peninsula



BY

PERCY F. WESTERMAN

Author of "The Dispatch-Riders" "The Sea-girt Fortress" "When East
Meets West" "Captured at Tripoli" &c. &c.




_Illustrated by W. E. Wigfull_




BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED

LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY




Contents


CHAP.

     I. Under Sealed Orders
    II. Cleared for Action
   III. The Demolition Party
    IV. Trapped in The Magazine
     V. A Dash up The Narrows
    VI. To The Rescue
   VII. The "Hammerer's" Whaler
  VIII. A Prisoner of War
    IX. In Captivity
     X. A Bid for Freedom
    XI. A Modern Odyssey
   XII. The German Submarine
  XIII. Torpedoed
   XIV. Through Unseen Perils
    XV. Disabled
   XVI. A Daring Stroke
  XVII. Within Sight of Constantinople
 XVIII. A Midnight Encounter
   XIX. The Sub to the Rescue
    XX. Saving the Old "Hammerer"




Illustrations


"Floating serenely on the surface was a submarine; one of
  the most modern of the German _Unterseebooten_... _Frontispiece_

"The '_Calder_' held grimly and swiftly on her way"

"With a well-directed blow Dick planted his clenched fist squarely
  upon the point of the Major's chin"

"Before the Turkish irregulars could penetrate the deception the
  two British officers were through"

"The two seamen hauled him into safety"




THE FIGHT FOR CONSTANTINOPLE




CHAPTER I

Under Sealed Orders

"Dick, my boy, here are your marching orders," announced Colonel
Crosthwaite, holding up a telegram for his son's inspection.

"Marching orders, eh?" queried Sub-lieutenant Richard Crosthwaite with
a breezy laugh.  "Hope it's something good."

"Can't get out of the old routine, Dick.  I suppose I ought to call it
your appointment.  It's to the _Hammerer_.  Why, my boy, you don't look
very happy about it: what's up?"

"Nothing much, pater," replied the Sub, as he strove to conceal the
shade of disappointment that flitted over his features.  "I must take
whatever is given me without demur----"

"Of course," promptly interposed his parent.  "That's duty all the
world over."

"But at the same time I had hoped to get something, well--something not
altogether approaching the scrap-iron stage."

"Yes, the _Hammerer_ is a fairly old craft, I'll admit," said Colonel
Crosthwaite.  "I've just looked her up in Brassey's----"

"Launched in 1895, completed during the following year; of 14,900 tons;
has a principal armament of four 12-inch guns, and a secondary battery
of twelve 6-inch," added Dick, who had the details of most vessels of
H.M. Navy and many foreign Powers at his fingers' ends.  "She's a
weatherly old craft, but it isn't likely she'll take part in an action
with the German High Seas Fleet, when it does come out of the Kiel
Canal.  Things are fairly quiet in the North Sea, except for a few
isolated destroyer actions, and, of course, the _Blücher_ business.
Aboard the _Hammerer_--one of the last line of defence--the chance of
smelling powder will be a rotten one."

"In the opinion of those in authority, Dick, these ships are wanted,
and officers and men must be found to man them.  Everyone cannot be in
the firing-line."

"I'm not grumbling exactly," explained Dick.  "Only----"

"Grumbling just a little," added his father.  "Well, my boy, you may
get your chance yet.  War was ever a strange thing for placing unknowns
in the limelight, and this war in particular.  Now buck up and get your
kit together.  It will mean an all-night railway journey, since you've
to join your ship at Portsmouth at 9 a.m. to-morrow."

Dick Crosthwaite was on ten days' leave, after "paying off" the old
_Seasprite_.  The outbreak of war had been responsible for his fairly
rapid promotion, and having put in seven months as a midshipman on
board the light cruiser _Seasprite_--which had been engaged in patrol
work in the North Sea--he found himself promoted to Acting
Sub-lieutenant.

His work on the cruiser was, in spite of the dreary and bleak climatic
conditions, interesting and not devoid of incident.  He had not taken
part in any action; his ship had