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How was time in port really spent?
Spending about an average of a month in port between patrol, I wondered what the real crews did. Were they required to stay on base or were they allowed free roam around Germany/France to see their families and do other fun stuff?
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Some officers had the oppurtunity to go home but lower ranks had to stay in port because they still had duties aboard the submarine. When they were off duty they spended their time in the bars and brothels of the city. Many gave out their whole earnings to hookers which were plentyfull in the harbours of those times.
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Officers (chief officers like engineer, radioman, torpedo and so on) had to stay for a couple of days. Their duty was to write repair orders for dockyard crew, monitioring the work progress as well. Other crewmen could be called up for advanced training courses or something like that (learn new tactics, new technical things) or courses for to climb up a rank (maybe from .
Vacation was arranged in shifts. Around 50% of the whole crew had to stay, the others can do what they want - stay in port with all the bars and hookers, leave france to visit family at home... By the way i don´t know if the vacation at home had to be requested or something. At least |
Good part of the time was spent in WC. He, he, not what you think (in the head, loo, potty room. :roll: But W (whoring) C (carousing). :rotfl: :|\\ :rotfl:
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So how did they find the time to attend church services and choir practice http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/621/thinkbigsw1.gif
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http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1...hpiratekm4.gif <--singing and twirling ---> preparing to go to church--->http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/7...svillagaw5.gif (Smileys pilfered from Jimbuna) |
I would highly recommend the book "Steel Boats, Iron Hearts" by Hans Goebeler. He tells some great stories relating to your question.
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"Wolfgang Hirschfeld - Secret diary of a U-Boat"
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Hi out there!
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The U-Boot crews have had 12 days holiday after a patrol. The Lion (Dönitz) has "ordered" a special train for his U-Boot men, which transport them to their "home" harbour, from were they take a train to hometown. And normally you have to request for the holiday, only with Soldbuch and Urlaubsschein (ID-papers and holiday-sheet) you could proof that you not were away from troop without permisen! And the Urlaubsschein function like a train card ... they only haven´t to pay. In diesem Sinne Gott mit Uns Frank B. aus K |
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Jim, I think you should change your sub-title to 'King of the Smileys'.
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Ballerinas! Let's turn around and go back to port! :o
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