Reporting Aboard (BALZ)
 

Lt. Keller observed the activity on the submarine pen and studied the frog emblem on the conning tower of U 111. It probably reflected the character of the commander. A frog would mean a sober individual with a light sense of humour. Keller took a deep breath and boarded his new home.

In the officer's nook he saw a man in a burgundy smoking jacket and a number of medals, on his head he wore a bunny tea cozy.
Keller cleared his throat. "Mein Herr, excuse me, could you direct me to the Komandant?°
"What for? And anyway I am der Kommandant, see the medals and my commanding form of dress?"
Keller came to attention. ""Leutenant Keller reporting for duty, Herr Kaleun."
Balz stopped reading the article about him published a year ago in Das Tageblat. "Reporting for duty now?"
"Yes,Herr Kaleun."
"That explains why I did not see you during breakfast."
"I had breakfast on the train, Herr Kaleun."
"Good idea to have breakfast on the train when you travel by rail."
Balz handed Keller the newspaper and pointed at the photo of himself shaking hands with Hitler. "How do you like this picture?"
°Very nice," Keller answered still standing at attention. "Which one is you?"
"I am the one without the moustache, looking heroic. Do I still look heroic?"
"Yes, of course, Herr Kaleun, very heroic."
Balz sighed." It is difficult to be a hero full time."
Keller focused on the tea cozy. "It must be."


Another tale of heroic action on the high seas, to be continued.

Oh, crud, the nincompoop is ba...

Ahem! Good to have you back, Herr Kaleun! Alles ready for inspection! :salute:

Welcome back :03:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xQBCml7iMk...sy-pattern.jpg

Ah the return of the Hero! :salute:

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Yes! :yeah:
I want more.
U-111 a type IXB so I guess long range patrols with lots of action.

Jimbuna must have the world's larget tea cozy collection :D

I had to look up nincompoop :oops:...

Well, I'd say all the nincompoops are back and ready to follow the action... :D

Some folk would probably agree with you http://www.psionguild.org/forums/ima...lies/wacko.gif

HEY! I resemble that remark! :doh:

Yay!

I hope I didn't cross the line with that... :O:

I am a nincompoop. How rude of you to point it out. :D

"I am a nincompoop."

Count me in... :woot:

As if!! :o












:O:

Long live the nincompoop!!!

Nincompoops forever :DL:D:haha::salute:

"Beside your normal duties as laid out by BDU and my standing orders, you will conduct daily silent singing practice with the Port Watch," Balz said.
"Silent sinking, Herr Kaleun?"
"Singing, with a g, like tra la la."
Keller could not help but scratch his head. "How does one sing silently?"
"You do it in German." Balz smiled and spread his arms.
"Do what in German?"
"Sing like a Wagnerian opera hero, But silently and make sure no one is silent singing in Japanese. Only I do Japanese arias in German. Silent singing is very inspiring with the background thunder of depth charges. " Balz closed his eyes and swayed his head from side to side for about a minute. "that was my version of Tristan and . . .and...."
"Isolde?" Keller tried to be helpful.
"Aha, you've got it , me boy. You will do well on this submersible."

To be continued

Lt. Keller writes:

Om 17 February our new conning tower was ready and we received orders to patrol off the coast of new Jersey. The captain ordered us all on deck. After five minutes he appeared on what he called his balcony and addressed us.

"Menner! do you have your passports ready and American visas?"

We all looked at each other and shuffled our feet in what Balz calls the submarine shuffle.
"American destroyers depth charges boats without visas."
"Bernaaard! Didn´t I tell you to go to the Anerican consulate and get visas?"

"It was closed, Herr Kaleun."
"What to do, what to do." Balz scratched his chin.
"I can go when the war is over," Bernard said.
Balz banged his fist on the conning tower. In a decisive tone, he said, "We must practice because that is really the only way to get into Carnegie Hall."