Very pleased to learn of it and welcome back :sunny:

no one can remake the horror that was U-571, es ist verboten!

Well said!

We stared down aghast at Willi's cap floating gently along our starboard side.

Venn and Pietmann were already vaunting down the ladder.

Pietmann reached down and hooked Willi's cap as Venn steadied him. Both all the time calling out for their watch officer.

That minute seemed as if it was an hour.

The lads below shouting their boss's name, us on the bridge scanning the surface for any sign of a bobbing head. All thoughts of the convoy battle forgotten.

"What's going on, Sir?"

At that moment, I thought it was a pipe from Otto downstairs. But I turned at the tap on my shoulder.

Willi stood there, dripping wet, and grinning from ear to ear.

"That was close Rollie, who'd ever go to sea eh? And has anyone seen my cap?"

It turns out Willi had managed to throw himself to the leeside of the bridge just as the wave hit, and hung on with his fingers to the grating or any other nut or bolt he could find. Of course it wasn't his own bravery and pluck that saved him. Oh no..

"...The Lucky Swordfish, Rollie, you see! I touched it just before the wave hit!"

Venn and Pietmann scurried up the ladder from the Flak garden, all smiles and plonked Willi's drenched cap back on his head.

Definitely no more high jinks like that again.

We forget that we have been in a torpedo run. At long range we would hope to see a strike very soon now.

"Full ahead both!"

We settle down shivering but looking intently at the distant dark smoky shapes for any impact.

LS

OkayIcanstopholdingmybreathnow! :DL

Willi and Rollie both need a good spanking.





























I volunteer.

popped in to check if these forums are still alive, noticed the Laughing Swordfish is still up here and just read half a post....

immediately drawn back into the thick of it,
now firing up SH3 GWX to get out on patrol while reading up on the forums and, most of all, on this exquisite tale

*doffs cap to you all*

bosje

Welcome back Bosje http://www.psionguild.org/forums/ima...ies/pirate.gif

The reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. :D

Welcome back mate! :sunny:

"Have you still got your stop watch set, Willi?"

Of course he has.

"Anytime now, Kap, it's hard to tell at this range, but those eels will be entering the convoy at this moment".

"Are you all right, Willi? I'm sorry about earlier; it was a childish prank. As a boy, I would have had some sense spanked into me. I suppose on the boats, we never really grow up"....(or never have the chance to...)

Willi looked at me quizzically.

"Don't worry about me, Rollie. I told you, it's the Lucky Swordfish, I'm invincible!"

"Yes! Strike!"

It is Venn who spots it first. A distant plume of water alongside a merchant, that we can see long before the boom of the explosion rolls back across the ocean. A small ship, maybe 3,000 tons, I'm sure that wasn't what we were aiming at, but it will do.

All binos are trained on her, except for 3rd Watch who are keeping their quadrants. We are hoping for her to founder, or at least limp out of the convoy, and distract the escorts and hopefully give Enzel some breathing space.

"First Officer, how are we doing with the reload?" I shouted down the pipe.

"Two in, full reload in 20 minutes, Kap"

"Thanks Christian, have Kuki make up a hot flask, it's got a little wet up here".

We are now pounding away to the east and getting ahead of the convoy, this should work. By the time of our next ambush, we will have four torpedoes ready to go, and a more deliberate attack, also dusk is starting to fall.

There is another explosion muffled and invisible. Maybe one of our salvo with a lucky hit, or hopefully it means one or another of the wolfpack have joined the party.

I patted Willi on the shoulder, and peered through my binoculars again..

LS

Thanks for this amazing story....

When i discovered it i kept reading untill I really had to go to bed...
The next morning i continued with breakfast behind my screen...
Hope the story continues :)

Goodluck wishes with U-46 and Crew during your campaign.

Arrrrr... what a relief, and amazing story indeed.
Cheers to the crew of U-46! :rock:

The sun is slipping down over the horizon behind our wake.

"Darkness is our friend, Christian...".

He turned and grinned his broad smile. His First Watch are up now. Willi's boys are down for a well deserved rest and something to eat. My Navigation Officer himself should be getting his feet up in the ward room or his bunk, but if I know him he will still be poring over the chart table, probably still dripping wet.

We lost sight of the ship we hit, in the race to get ahead again, but we do know the other boats are closing in. And there is one particular radio report we are waiting for...

LS

Great...more fuel :sunny:

"Control to Bridge, Kaleun."

"Yes Reuben?"

"Signal from U-287, Sir"

There is an excited stirring from First Watch, as they hear the pipe. U-287 is Enzel's boat. He must at least have got to the surface.

But even as Christian is growling at his boys to keep looking to their quarters, I am already vaulting down the ladder to the Control Room...

LS