"Los!"

Tube one is on it's way.

"That's going to hit, Friedrich. Maybe not enough to put her down, but if we can make her limp out of column, well, that's what we have a deck gun for"

"You see now, the tankers have more of a flat deck and the superstructure is further aft. There's one, and there's another. Quick! Two firing solutions, before they start to zig zag. Joachim, up here! My weapons officer cooly makes the data predictions and feeds them down.

Friedrich, take any opportunity target with the last torpedo, we're going to turn about to use tube 5 and reload.

"Zwei und Drei, Los!"

Even as we sent them on their way, the first hit with a huge bang. The 7,000 tonner immediately started to lose speed and list to starboard.

A freighter was coming right across our bow like a duck in a shooting gallery.
"Don't wait for my say so, Friedrich, just go for it. We can always come back for more"

"Nummer Vier! Los!"

"Hard a starboard Otto! Get those slackers reloading right now. As soon as we come round, Friedrich, you've got the hang of it now, throw the stern torpedo at them. There should be some fireworks in a minute.

Sure enough two balls of flame within the convoy only 30 seconds apart confirmed the kill.

"Christ!" Bruno murmured. "You'd never get me to sail on one of those things"

We watched as the last freighter, maybe only 2,000 tons broke in half and sank quickly.

"Good work, men. But the night has just begun. Get that stern torpedo off before the destroyers come back. I'm going to check below."

Viktor has a hastily scribbled message for me.

U-297 (that's von Carnigan's boat) is in the vicinity, and has only just picked up our signals. Andreas should be here within 2 hours.

I look in on Hans' sonar cabin.

"The sound of hulls breaking up, everyone can hear through the water. What he offers me though his headphones is something else.

"Depth charges, Sir"

Bernie Goetz is taking a pounding in U-100 on the other side of the convoy, which allowed us in.

"He'll be ok," although we all know there are no such things as a guarantee under depth charge attack.

Hold on Bernie, before the night is over we'll give the Tommies much more to worry about than one submerged u-boat....

LS

:up: HOOOYAHHH!!!

Sink'em all!!! :up:

I never cease to be impressed whenever I read this thread, very well done!

I passed down through the Boat

Thumbs up and returned in the Control Room.

"Hans, ok? Viktor, ok?"

Met with a mixture of an impatient smile, both are really busy, but are used to me poking my nose in.

Through to the Lordships. The sweaty barracks of the Boat. No place for an officer except maybe Joachim and me.

Now these lads are busy and I want to make sure those torpedoes are getting loaded.

Top naked and oiled with sweat and grease, swearing like the pirates they are, the men were straining at pulleys and the third torpedo with their back to me.

I received no attention until Joachim saw me as I bent through the hatch

"Kapitan!"

Joachim.

"Don't stop Joachim, How long to reload? What's the matter with that one.

"It's just taking longer to go in Sir.

"Why? is it bent or dangerous, is it ready to be armed properly"

"No Sir, the men are exhausted"

"Well thank God it's no more serious than that."

I flung off my jacket and got my shoulder behind the propellors .

Whether they were inspired by their Kapitan actually doing some manual work, or their pride was stung I won't know, but it wasn't my pathetic push that suddenly saw torpedo three slide into it's tube to cheers.

"One more boys. And I promise to make good use of them!"

They were setting to with a new will, as I ducked out back past my cabin and the control room.

"Kurt, (now promoted straight to petty officer with the clasp). Check all valves, seals and tools. You know your job. Then rest your men.

No point waking anyone amidships, they need their sleep, then the Cook.

Hello Kuki, keep those stoves dowsed and watch that hatch above your head. I need you to be Oscar's Assistant.

"But I'm no Doktor, Sir?"

"You know how to use a butcher's knife don't you, Kuki?"

"Yes Sir"

"Then you're the Doc's Assistant in the Atlantic."

"Is it going to come to that, Kap?"

No. No, not ever. But if it does turn nasty, Kuki.. If we are forced down again with the depth charges raining down and all hope seems to be gone..

"Yes, Sir..........

"At least keep that blade clean to cut up all our bacon for breakfast for when we surface the next day, won't you!""

LS

WOOHOO!!! 'lets go a hunting' :lol:

"Kapitan to Control Room!"

I'm bowling back forward.

"U-297, Sir engaging!". It's a way off but that was definitely a torpedo strike.

Good old Andreas here already.

"Thank you Hans. Viktor get a short one off to U-297 and U-100, and any of the other boats coming in .

Willi, get us up to flank speed and converge, can we do that Otto?" Otto turns and smiles "You have 16 surface knots in this sea, Sir. We can still outrun them.. the merchants at least."

"Joachim?"

"All done Sir. Every torpedo loaded and the boys would very much like to see them on their way.."

LS

keep em coming LS damm good writing:up: :up: :rock:

good writing. i think we like it so much cause we can relate to the story so much. i am interested to see how you handle the writing if you ever sink. not that i am wishing that, but i am sure it would be entertaining.lol :)

Hi Gord96 and all.

If U-46 does sink, and I'm realistic enough to realise there's a fair chance of that happening at some point, then the story will end with one last chapter.

But I ain't going to allow that to happen, not now and not tomorrow!

Besides, Willi says we're a lucky boat!

LS

Willi and me have looked over the charts.

It's his Third Watch and so now we're both on the Bridge.

We're thrashing ahead. There is the smoke still visible in the pale night sky of a freighter settling gently on it's keel. The work of U-297, I'd expect.

"Lucky Four Leaf Clover, Cap!"

Willi is not only supersticious, but an expert on u-boat emblems.

"Can you see her, Willi?"

"Away to starboard"

"Damn!"

"What, Sir?"

"He's taken our water, and I have to say making fair use of it. Now we have to either disengage and leapfrog him, or go straight in.

Willi just turned and grinned.

I grinned back.

"Flank speed Otto, steer starboard 30! Everyone back to battle stations."

"We're going to worry this convoy to death"

"Get the second officer and Joachim up here."

We're going in again.

LS

"Now hard to port"

"Ok Joachim line us up That big transport there, two in her. You see that tanker just on the edge, only small but worth it. Wait till the smaller fry aren't masking the targets.

"Yes, we're very selective shoppers, Sir!"

"Ok! Now tube four for that one."

I pointed at a 4000 tonner who happened to give the simplest solution for our salvo. Such are the vagaries of war.

"Ok Friedrich, that's how it's done. By good seamanship, not by Nazi doctrine.
So what exactly did you do when I left you to my stern torpedo.

Joachim is competently relaying a stream of target data downstairs. Willi has his watch on their toes.

"What happened to that stern torpedo that I ordered you to fire at the end of our last attack?"

"No discernible results, Sir, but..."

"No 'Buts'! Those ships were overlapping, you could have shut your eyes and stood a fair chance of hitting something"

"Ok go down, I'm assigning you to Otto (and he'll be really pleased) before you can take command of your own boat, whatever your connections, you won't last a day in the Atlantic unless you know the boat, it's many mechanics and the crew.

Now if your Uncle will excuse me, I have some enemy ships to sink...

LS

Is Friedrich related to Bernard er chance? :hmm:

"It's not that I have anything against Friedrich, Willi, it's just that we're not risking our lives every moment for Hitler, and Friedrich's politics, we're doing it for Germany, and above all...."

"To bring everyone home safe from the war, is that what you mean , Sir"

"We can't use the words war and safe in the same sentence, Willi".

"Tonight people are going to die, some already have, and you know it could be us or them or both."

"Now lets bring us to bear..."

LS

Keep 'em coming LS.

Thanks for the fuel!!!

"Viktor, 'Send U-46 to U-297. Four torpedoes away to your East. U-46 Breaking off. Get yours off soon, expecting company to my East. Wait for my strike, and then pick out some of your own. Don't hang about, we have faint fast screws but gaining.'"

"Ok Sir!"

Spin us around Otto, and lets's drop a little deeper, be ready to cut speed on my word. Joachim put everything we have left up the tubes. Quickly now; the destroyers will be back soon and I'm going to want some peace and quiet round about then.

LS