Chapter I: Front Matter

{Illustration: cover & spine}

THE FRITZ STRAFERS

{Illustration:
"DEFIANTLY DISPLAYED THE EMBLEM OF FREEDOM." [_p. 284_}

THE FRITZ STRAFERS
A STORY OF THE GREAT WAR

BY
PERCY F. WESTERMAN
AUTHOR OF
"BILLY BARCROFT, R.N.A.S.," "A WATCHDOG OF THE NORTH SEA"
"A SUB OF THE R.N.R."
ETC. ETC.

LONDON
S. W. PARTRIDGE & CO. LTD.
OLD BAILEY

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I. "COMING EVENTS...". . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
II. THE DANGER SIGNAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
III. THE OBER-LEUTNANT'S JAUNT . . . . . . . . . 34
IV. FOILED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
V. THE PURSUIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
VI. VON LORINGHOVEN LEARNS NEWS . . . . . . . . 62
VII. BRUNO'S ESCAPADE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
VIII. TORPEDOED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
IX. THE SKIPPER OF THE "GUIDING STAR" . . . . . 95
X. THE BLIMP TO THE RESCUE . . . . . . . . . . 106
XI. THE STRAFING OF U 254 . . . . . . . . . . . 118
XII. PRISONERS OF WAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
XIII. THE END OF THE "TANTALUS" . . . . . . . . . 135
XIV. A CHANCE SHOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
XV. LAID BY THE HEELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
XVI. THE STRUGGLE IN THE LONELY COTTAGE . . . . 168
XVII. THE BURNING MUNITION SHIP . . . . . . . . . 176
XVIII. THE FUGITIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
XIX. BILLY'S FLYING-BOAT . . . . . . . . . . . 201
XX. RAMMED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
XXI. THE LAST VOYAGE OF S.S. "ANDROMEDA" . . . . 221
XXII. FARRAR'S FIRST BAG . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
XVIII. THE STORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
XXIV. THE SINKING TRANSPORT . . . . . . . . . . . 254
XXV. HOLCOMBE'S SURPRISE . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
XXVI. A FIGHT TO A FINISH . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
XXVII. IN THE HANDS OF THE HUNS . . . . . . . . . 291
XXVIII. "A SECOND KOPENICK HOAX" . . . . . . . . . 304
XXIX. A SURPRISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
XXX. COMRADES IN A STRANGE LAND . . . . . . . . 326
XXXI. A DASH FOR FREEDOM . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
XXXII. TOUCH AND GO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
XXXIII. THE GREAT STRAFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
XXXIV. AND LAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"DEFIANTLY DISPLAYED THE EMBLEM OF
FREEDOM" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_
FACING
PAGE
"A COUPLE OF BLUEJACKETS BURST
THROUGH THE UNDERGROWTH" . . . . . . . . . . . 52
"SEIZING FARRAR, BEGAN TO HAUL HIM OUT OF THE
COTTAGE, DESPITE A STRENUOUS RESISTANCE" . . . 172
"'GOOD HEAVENS! IT'S OLD SLOGGER!'" . . . . . . . 324

THE FRITZ STRAFERS