[toryu]

U-806, Type IXC, March 1942. KL Karl Fischer commanding.

It's mid-March now. I've decided to make for home. Thanks for the suggestions, one and all. I've taken them all into consideration. Home is Brest. It's 11,200km to Brest harbour. My range, surfaced, on my one diesel is about 12,000km. But the Nav gives me this estimate in calm seas, with 1mps wind. So I'm keeping an open mind about that one.

Proceeding NW, a short distance from the 250m continental shelf line, we heard the rumblings of destroyers around Capetown fading into the distance. We were at 25m, making a sedate 3 knots. Normally I make 4 knots submerged, but the batteries charge slowly now, and I was at only 3/4 charge.

After the last destroyer faded away, the sonar officer called out a fresh contact. A merchant, medium speed. I was only half interested. Closing. I was more interested. I checked the map. 13km away to the SE. I changed course to NE. Intercept course. The time was 5:15pm. The sun was setting. I might have a chance to come home with some glory after all, not just our lives, I thought. I watched the merchant on the map, and plotted his approximate course. I planned my surface to check the daylight level.

We broke to the surface, me in the conning tower watching the engine gauges. Once our engine cut to diesel power, I climbed on deck. It's a different ballgame when you're the only one up there. I confess, I use the detection gauge. I chanced a glance at it, and it was red. I glued my eyes to the UZO, and scanned around 45 degrees bearing. Could he see us? I certainly couldn't see him. I checked the map. He was 9km away at last measure. And then, on the map, I saw my other enemy. Aircraft. A hurricane, right over me! Here we go again, I thought. I raced back up, and panned all over the sky. Nothing. I couldn't even hear him. He must have been pretty high up. What to do... screw it, I thought. Proceed with the plan. I ran our engine up to full speed, which isn't saying much, and dove to 25m. The lone hurricane seemed to ignroe us.

We closed to 3500m. I surfaced again, quickly, and raced up to the tower. It was twilight now. Calm seas. I checked the UZO. I saw the target! Small merchant. A couple of thousand tons. Stop all engines. Oh right. There's only one. That's what I meant. Open tube 1. Gas torp. Speed to medium. Lock. LOS! Break lock. Select tube 2. Open tube. Electric torp. At the extreme of the torp's range, but... what was that? I disconnected from the UZO and looked around. We were being bombed!!!!! A big water fountain drenched the stern fo the boat. I couldn't believe it. Again with the planes.....

It was another Hurricane. This one with teeth. Like the latest Nine Inch Nails album, but not as crap. I'd really had enough at this point. So I pressed the attack. Now where was I?... ah yes. Tube 2. LOS!! Ok. hurricane bedamned. NOW I will dive, and not a second earlier. Crash dive!!!! And then.. nothing. We just sort of sat there, while the spray and foam of the Hurricane's little bombs fell all over me. We were still at 1 knot. I remembered suddenly what I'd read on another thread here - engine into reverse. And it kicked into life. Quick as a flash, I ran it up to flank speed forward, and we submerged with all the speed we were capable of. Which isn't saying much.

That was 100km ago. We're down to 70m depth, 3knots speed, 3/4 charge on the batteries. That seems to be all I can get time to charge them to lately. But we're alive. We're heading home. And we have a 2000ton coastal merchant to our credit. Despite our damages and difficulties.

I'll keep you all posted as I make for the Bay of Death. Now that should be an interesting stage of the trip.