A Cuckoo In The Nest

SS Black Sprite was an ocean liner originally capable of carrying 850 passengers. With its sturdy hull, high sides, and three thick, round smokestacks, it could reach a speed of 18 knots when its boilers were running at full capacity. When it was first built, it was considered a famous fast ship plying the routes between Britain and the Americas—though that was nearly 40 years ago, during the era of King George V, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Tsar Nicholas II, and Emperor Franz Joseph I.

"Major, to be honest, this ship has only been suitable for coastal operations in Europe for the past decade. In the summer of 1936, it officially became a maritime messenger between Britain and France—essentially, a ferry in the English Channel! You're Scottish, so it's no surprise you haven't heard of it."

The elderly man in a dark blue suit and a flat cap had the deep eyes and weathered face of a seasoned captain. He introduced himself as Harold Moses, a sailor who had spent over 40 years at sea, witnessing the entirety of the last great war. As for this new, rapidly escalating conflict, he felt both anxious and pessimistic about Britain's prospects. Yet, he remained determined to contribute his all to the nation.

Standing in front of the wheelhouse, Logan could now make out the faint outline of Dunkirk's outer harbor breakwater. The port area was filled with thick smoke, and the lighthouse, breakwater, drawbridge, warehouses, and even the city itself seemed to have been scorched by fire.

"To you and your crew, I feel deeply sorry and regretful, but..." Logan turned to face the captain, his peripheral vision catching Tobias at the wheelhouse door giving him a signal. They were ready to act.

"This is war! I'm sorry!" Logan said, drawing his pistol in what he thought was a cool, dramatic motion.

The British-made Webley & Scott revolver, with its 11.18 mm caliber and six-round capacity, was heavy and lacked aesthetic appeal. However, it was powerful and easy to operate, capable of easily penetrating a human body at close range and leaving a terrifying wound.

"You..." The old captain's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the handsome, youthful officer before him. In Britain, few men in their early thirties could rise to the rank of major in the Army. Unless they came from a prominent family, they had to be exceptionally shrewd. Yet, this man turned out to be an enemy in disguise!

"Hands up, turn around!" Logan said coldly in his Scottish-accented English—a skill he owed to his aunt, who had studied in Glasgow.

Still four to five nautical miles from shore, the sporadic gunfire on the cargo ship didn't seem to attract much attention. The well-prepared German paratroopers quickly took control of the Black Sprite. The nine British sailors in the wheelhouse and on the deck all surrendered, though the stokers, wielding shovels, displayed the toughness of the Anglo-Saxons. Their resistance ended with four dead and seven wounded. In the end, aside from four stokers, a first mate, and a sailor who continued to operate the ship under the watchful eyes of the German paratroopers, the rest were locked in the lower holds.

As Dunkirk's silhouette grew clearer, Logan turned his attention to the port's entrance channel. He remembered the aerial photos provided by the Luftwaffe 12 hours earlier. Despite a British destroyer and three civilian ships being sunk near the channel, many British vessels were still navigating in and out of Dunkirk through it. Over the past two days, Göring's pilots had tried everything to block the channel, but the British fighters flying in from across the Channel and the tenacious British sailors had thwarted their efforts.

Logan called over Tino Grote, the only paratrooper who had been a sailor, and asked, "Is there a way to scuttle this ship in the channel, preferably sideways to completely block it?"

"Sir, I was just a sailor back then. Besides cleaning, I never entered the wheelhouse. But I know ships usually have a big plug at the bottom. If you open it, the ship will sink like a leaking dinghy, gurgling down to the seabed!"

"You're talking about the sea valve!" Logan said, surprising himself with the technical term. Most TV shows were mindless, but it seemed there were occasional exceptions.

The sea valve, also known as the sea chest, was located at the bottom of the ship, connecting to the seawater outside. It was used to draw water for cooling the engines, adjusting the ship's balance, firefighting, and other purposes. It could also be opened for maintenance when the ship was docked. Scuttling wasn't its intended use, but it could effectively achieve that goal.

Grote lit a cigarette and said, "Yeah, something like that. Once the ship enters the channel, we can open the valve and let it sink slowly. To make it more convincing, I think we could set a fire or stage a few explosions! But... we haven't seen any high explosives on board, and the ammunition we've brought isn't enough to create that kind of spectacle."

Not a bad idea, Logan thought. "Then let's set a fire! When our air force comes to bomb the area, it might even help guide the pilots!"

"Great idea!" Grote said. "Should I get started?"

"Yes, go ahead."

A few minutes later, a small dinghy approached from the shore, attempting to communicate with signal lights. Logan quickly called for Grote, who ran up to the deck, sweating profusely. After a glance, he grinned and said, "Heh, Major, they're telling us to enter the channel directly. There'll be people guiding us on both sides. See those little lights?"

Logan picked up his binoculars and saw faint lights on both sides of the channel, likely people holding lamps on the shore.

"Tell them we've received their message."

As Grote replied with the signal lamp, Logan turned to another paratrooper and ordered, "Lower two lifeboats from the starboard side! We need to leave before the ship sinks."

The cargo ship smoothly entered the channel leading to the inner harbor. Tobias and a few paratroopers set fire to the boiler room and fuel tanks. Feeling it wasn't enough, they used kerosene from the kitchen to ignite the dining area. In no time, the large Channel ferry was engulfed in flames. Meanwhile, Grote found and opened the ship's sea valve—though the rusted knob required them to use the explosives they had brought along.

Before the Allied troops on shore could react, Logan and his 19 paratroopers had already left the Black Sprite in two lifeboats. As for Captain Moses and his crew, they remained locked in the lower holds. It was a cruel decision, but for the sake of the operation, Logan could only silently say to them, "I'm really sorry!"