The note paper is damp and scibbled quickly by Jimbun, Viktor's one-on-one-off side kick in the radio cabin shift.
I think he had some American parentage, and I'm sure Cox has the roster of real names somewhere, but since he joined the boat, like so many others, including me, his nickname has stuck, god knows where it came from, and he has learned well from Viktor, proved a dab hand at morse code. Communication is vital in our game, and even a Kapitan can be waved away impatiently by a lowly seaman when he is concentrating on an incoming message.
I have to squint hard at the soggy sheet of paper.
"U-287 to:
U-46
U-631
U-475
U-119
U-292
FdU
Surfaced away from enemy contact. West and rear of convoy will confirm grid. Heavy depth charge. 10 hours submerged. Pressure hull damage, some flooding, electrical and engine problems. Five severely wounded. Two torpedoes...."
'What does this last bit say, Jimbun?'
"I can remember it Kaleun. He's saying "Permission to break contact and try for home"
He looked at me expectantly. Everyone in 7th Flotilla knows someone or other on another boat.
We are now that lead boat in this wolf pack that is forming. We are in the best position to strike, but our comrades are trying to limp home having done their bit.
"Anything from the other boats Jimbun?"
"Nothing Sir, or from FdU, signals were choppy anyway, and that wasn't the steady hand of Ehrlich that I remember on the morse key".
He looked up again, the other officers and seniors around were silent.
Do we pursue the attack as Uncle Karl would no doubt want, or do we break off and help out Enzel and his crew and get them back to St Nazairre safe....?
LS
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