climbed in and got set in their cramped quarters. Seated very close
together, with Stan a bit lower than O'Malley, who was at the controls,
they pulled up their belts. O'Malley jerked his hatch cover shut and
Stan closed his. The Irishman revved up, pinched one brake and gave the
throttle a kick. The Hawk spun around with a roar. Stan noted the look
of surprise on the Irishman's face. He hoped O'Malley didn't ground loop
her before they got off.

O'Malley didn't. He was a born flier and a lover of engines. Before they
got the starter's signal, he had the feel of the big Double-Wasp motor.
He took her off with a rush and a zoom, falling easily into place
between a flight of Spitfires and Hurricanes. Later a spread of Defiants
joined them and still later they overtook a squadron of Hampdens moving
steadily out toward the channel. The bombers were loaded heavily and
making no attempt to climb up.

"Don't ye forget we're pickin' a target and unloading the bombs."
O'Malley was speaking through the "intercom" telephone.

"Wait until we spot a good target. I want to see what we can do with our
sticks of bombs," Stan answered.

O'Malley began to hum a snatch of an Irish melody. He wasn't in the
least disturbed. For that matter the whole flight was slipping along as
smoothly as though on parade.

Then everything changed in a flash. "Naval battle! Naval battle!"
O'Malley was bellowing into his mike.

The Hampdens were moving into formation for action against something
below and the fighters were peeling off and going down to see them
through. Up ahead shells were bursting in the sky and the thunder of big
guns rolled up to them.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The big fellows weren't tossing their shells aloft. They were lobbing
them at targets below. Stan shouted to O'Malley:

"Follow the Hampdens down so we can unload!"

"Sure, an' the quicker the better," O'Malley bellowed back. He depressed
the nose of the Hawk and they went screaming down the chute. In a moment
they had a good look at the sea below.

Four cruisers and a string of light destroyers were fighting a running
battle with several pocket battleships and a fleet of coastal torpedo
boats. An aircraft carrier wallowed alongside the formation of cruisers.

The scene below was a wild mixture of foaming water, smoke and flame
from belching guns, and the roll of thunder as the turret batteries
fired. The British Navy dogs were trying to get at the pocket
battleships.