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Invasion Literature
THE RAID OF THE LE VENGEUR
BY
GEORGE GRIFFITH
(published 1901)
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William Wallace Tyrell, Captain Leon
Flaubert, and Flaubert's submarine Le Vengeur, were first introduced in "The Raid
of Le Vengeur," by George Griffith, which first appeared in Pearson's
Magazine in its February 1901 issue.
An interesting and well-paced story of
dueling military scientists, with a love story subplot that is not out of place. "The Raid of Le Vengeur" is set at some
undefined point in the late 19th century, when the tension between Britain
and France has risen almost to the point of war. Flaubert, a Captain "of the
Marine Experimental Department of the French Navy," is trying to figure out
some way in which submarines could be made to navigate under water. The
logical thing is head-lights, but when they are turned on their lights were
reflected on the surface, which pinpointed them and made them easy targets.
Flaubert cannot think of any other solution to the puzzle, and he is
desperate to solve this problem. Being brilliant, he does.
Electric threads, balanced so as to be the same weight as water--ten,
twenty, fifty, a hundred metres long, all round the boat, ahead and astern,
to port and to starboard! Steel ships are magnetic, and that is why they
must swing to adjust their compasses. The end of each thread shall be a tiny
electro-magnet. In-board they will connect with indicators, delicately swung
magnetic needles, four of them, ahead, astern, and on each side; and as Le
Vengeur approaches the ships of the enemy, deep hidden under the waters,
these threads, like the tentacles of the octopus, shall spread towards her
prey!
In this fashion will Le Vengeur locate its target and launch its torpedoes.
Delighted with the thought, Flaubert talks himself to sleep: Ah, Albion, my
enemy, you are already conquered! You are only mistress of the seas until Le
Vengeur begins her work. When that is done there will be no more English
navy. The soldiers of France will avenge Waterloo on the soil of England,
and Leon Flaubert will be the greatest name in the world.
Naturally, no French scientist can be allowed to triumph over an English
one, much less give the heathen Continentals the opportunity to wipe out Her
Royal Majesty's glorious fleet, so Wilfred Wallace Tyrrell comes up with a
way to see underwater at the very same time that Flaubert hits on his
discovery. Tyrrell invents a "water-ray" that is "some sort of Roëntgen Ray
or other;" it projects a ray that "does not diffuse itself," is invisible in
daylight and air but perfectly illuminates anything underwater.
So when Le Vengeur makes the mistake of destroying a British warship in
front of a British destroyer armed with Tyrrell's water-rays, the evil
French sub is herded into captivity and the evil Flaubert commits suicide.
Text based on that from
Fantastic,
Mysterious, and Adventurous Victoriana
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George Chetwyn Griffith-Jones (1857–1906) was a British
science fiction writer and noted explorer who wrote during the turn of the
century. His works appeared in magazines such as Pearson's Magazine.
Griffith was never popular in the United States due to his political views,
and though outsellling HG Wells was overshadowed by his fame.
Griffith was an explorer as well as a writer, and broke a record for
travelling around the world; and he helped discover the source of the Amazon
river.
Undeniably the most popular science fiction writer in England between 1893
and 1895.
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