Come in U46, I repeat come in U46, this is Bdu requesting communications from U46...do you read?

I'm back guys.
Quick tip: don't go walking over Dartmoor in the British Isles at this time of year. You will actually die of cold, or just think you have, which is worse.
Imagine being on the bridge of your own U-boat in an Atlantic howler, and without the occasional cup of cocoa passed up!

Lt de Bunsen, U-46

I had the usual motley assortment one by one to attention for Captain's Orders each morning.

The first three sent ashore to the doctor in shame. Pubic lice. The deck hands with the laborious task of shipping the new torpedoes in, jeerered and scratched their groins in mock sympathy

A tearfull young lad who missed his Mother, and was worried that the crops might fail, without him back on the farm.

The last two for fighting. With each other. One a stoker, and the other on second watch. Ridiculous tribal differences between the seamen and the engineers.

"Lehmann, you will chip the rust off the deck gun, clean it and oil it to laubching ceremony standard. Franz, you will do the same on the flak gun

"The first to finish will train his gun on the other, and settle it that way"

"But Sir, if you're on the bridge, and even if we could rotate that far, you'd be in the way, stopping us from shooting each other."

"Precisely, Lehman. Now the pair of you, get those guns cleaned"

Lt de Bunsen, U-46

YES! he is alive. :rock:

I thought the Beast of Dartmoor had eaten you!! :o

Good to see you and U-46 back :up: :up: :up:

Or "Komm schnell nach Hause, mein Lieber.", depending on what she's reffering to, to her http://www.world-of-smilies.com/html...e/txtloves.gif or to her "lover". http://www.world-of-smilies.com/html.../love/2151.gif

Great reading, man, great reading.

LOL!!! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I guess this could be called "The Deck Gun Discussion."
Ironic and humorous.

Great to see you surface Laughing Swordfish!

At last! The U-46 is cleared for sea.

A short run to BF17 again. That should give us plenty of diesel to use on station as it is only off the south western approaches to the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel.

The boat is now absolutely seaworthy, and the crew are ready to go, if a little chubbier and more hungover than last time. We were a long time in port getting over the last one.

Freddy and Max, Peter and Stephan in his new Type Nine are forming some sort of screen outside the western end of the Englisch Channel. They were escorted out yesterday with a destroyer air cover. Wolf Packs, we're calling it. Our job is to mop up behind, take any opportunity targets, and reinforce the line if one of my kameraden chance upon a warship trying to steal up from Gibraltar. We also have to relay or produce the neccesary weather reports for BdU. We're still keen to get good Met reports for a Channel crossing.

It sounds like a good plan. Why do I feel both exhiliarated and listless, eager to go, but still feel like I'm sitting on the substitute's bench at the same time?

Damn, I am sitting on the bench! I'm still moping on my bunk when Christian, the First Officer pokes his head beaming through the curtain.

"It's customary for the Captain to take the salute out of port, Sir!"
One look at my face and the grin disappeared, as did he.

His face is replaced moments later by my faithful friend, Otto.
"Why so glum, Sir?
She is up there, you know."

I beat Otto to the bridge ladder. I could hear him laughing behind me.

Keeping a straight face, the 2nd Watch Officer was already handing me my favourite Zeiss binoculars and pointing me towards the edge of the dock.

There was Heidi. Heidi who never saw the boats out, in case they never came back. There she was this time. waving frantically as she saw the white cap being plonked on my forgetfull head by Otto.
Heidi who in that moment, I knew I would swim back across the Atlantic for, if I only knew she would have me...

At that moment in my young life I never felt happier, prouder and more alive. It snapped me out of my reverie.

"Harbour watch below! Patrol Stations for First Watch! Christian, get those charts out again.
Let's sink some ships!"

Lt de Bunsen, U-46

Laughing Swordfish, must you never die! :ping:

I have by-passed this thread until now...for no other reason than because it was so long. I figured it was just an argument going on or something.

I have just spent over 45 minutes reading through the whole thing. Fantastic stuff.

The pig story actually made me laugh out loud...good thing my office is out of earshot of most of my staff.

Now...who on earth am I going to charge that 45 minutes to?

;)

"Ok, that's it. Good shooting, Joachim."

I step back from the voice tube to the Control Room. A good 6 or 7,000 tons, I thought, as I watched the merchant's back break, and it's bow half begin to accelerate downwards.

"Greedy skipper" said Willi.
"Had to make his run or pay late delivery penalties. Couldn't be slowed down to 4 knots in some of the convoys. Tchah! Don't they know there's a war on?"

"We killed some more people tonight, Willi", Otto rebuked gently.

Willi spat again.

"Did you see what was strapped on deck, Otto? Sherman tanks. Brand new, American-built tanks. They're not even supposed to be in the war, and yet they're supplying British ships with military hardware to kill us.
It'd take a month of Sundays for my brother's regiment to see off what we've just done in one torpedo"

"Enough Willi. We've done our job, let's leave it at that."
I send him and his watch below, it was a long stalk anyway and about time they were relieved.

Willi and his tired men troop down the ladder, there's hot coffee laid on for them, as the first watch take over again, some still wearing the infra-red goggles to protect their night vision.

Otto and I stay up. We squat down in the Wintergarten. Backs against the new railing and sea boots braced against the flak gun for the gently rolling sea.

I have already ordered a reciprocal course from the last known position of that C2-classified merchant.

"Let's have good eyes again, First Watch" I order.
"Don't want to be caught red-handed at the scene of the crime, do we?"

A torpedo rating allowed up for a smoke, chuckles as he crouches at the rear end of the bridge opening. His cigarette cupped in his hand. He sizzled it out on the wet bridge plating, before flicking it overboard. Then with one look aft, made himself scarce below.

"Willi's right you know, Otto"
"Yes"
"With every ship we sink we really are defending our country"
"Yes"
"You know that they would sink us without mercy"
"Yes"
"They've tried often enough"
"Christ, yes"
"So we have to see it through"
"Yes, Sir"

There was a long silence. The night sky had cleared, and the stars were out. Shining peacefully.

"Sir?"
"Yes?"
"The reason we have to see this through..."
"Yes?"
"Is for men to return to their families. And children."
"Yes"
"And also other loved ones"
"Yes, Otto...."

Lt de Bunsen, U-46

:rock:

Whoah, you're from Hamburg too?
Na, denn mal Moin Moin :D

Moin Moin Kamerad! ;)

Laughing Swordfish, you rule man, you really do! :yep:

HEAR HEAR!!!! :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: