Radiogram to Flotilla Adjutant (Balz)
 

J.S. Balz writes:

20 November 1939
To KK Schmitt, Adj. 2te Flotille.

As you must have heard, I sank HMS Rodney the other day. Then sank some other ships to an aggregate tonnage of 72938 BRT. I'm sure the British Admiralty does not appreciate these feats of superior seamanship but I hope that the Kriegsmarine does. After all it was the Kriesmarine who sent me out on patrol. To be specific: BDU.

There have been some rumblings among my crew that going after the Rodney while under attack by one of his Magesty's destroyers was totally irresponsible. I ask, how does a U-boat commander become a hero if not by sinking battleships while the odds are against him? My mother said, I would go far in the Kriegsmarine. I would like to please her by becoming a Kriegsmarine hero.

If you could be so kind to request some medals to be awarded to me on my return to Wilhelmshaven I would greatly appreciate it. It would be rather unsightly for a hero like me to walk the streets of our great naval base without any medals.

Please inform Admiral Doenitz that I wrote a poem in his honour, it is now loaded on tube number 3. It is a nice poem but will only be available for reading if the torpedo I wrote it on is another dud.

Respectfully submitted,

Lt. z.S. Johan Sebastian Balz

Ahhh... so the great Balz is finally falling behind Kaptainleutnant Eckhaart's score, eh?

Finally? It's a new GWX, a newer world. :D

Hmph ! I'd be able to get tonnage like that if my damn torpedoes would actually explode on the target instead of just bouncing off or exploding the minute I shoot them out of the tube. :damn:

My torpedoes have been worthless durring this mission. I've had to do everything with my deck gun this time around. It seems every torpedo they loaded me with is faulty.:damn:

More than one real-life kaleun said exactly the same thing.

In the 'Uncut' 5-hour version of Das Boot there is an extended scene in the nightclub with the 'Old Man' and Thomsen discussing torpedo problems. Thomsen is sure it's sabotage.

Balz reported 5 dud torpedoes out of 14. I'm sure we'll be hearing from him about that.

I can't wait to hear his report as I would like to add to it that so far, 11 out of 11 of my torpedoes have been duds this time out.:damn:

I have four torpedoes left. I'll give my full report once they're out of the tubes.