Page:America Fallen!.djvu/140

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128
America Fallen

ble, the enemy moved into the Navy Yard and began to embark on the miscellaneous craft which had been gathered there.

Meanwhile the German dreadnoughts had moved in on the outer line of seacoast defences. They anchored at a distance of 17,000 yards, or between 2,000 and 3,000 yards beyond the extreme range to which the guns of the forts could carry. Accompanying the fleet was an aëroplane tender, and by the time the ships were ready to open fire three aëroplanes were circling above the outer forts—Standish, Warren, and Revere.

The calm sea and clear weather which favored the operations of April 1st along the Atlantic Coast prevailed at Boston. Vision was exceptionally good, and the German gunners, being outside the range of the forts and quite unmolested, and being guided by aëroplane observation, quickly got on the target, and placed their