[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by derstosstrupp

Ok here’s that part in the novel (Das Boot). Keep in mind Kallmann is Topp and Bartel is Endraß. This is in Bar Royal in the beginning.

The band takes a break. I can hear fragments of the conversation again.
“So where is Kallmann?”
“He’s definitely not coming!”
“Well yeah, that’s understandable!”
Kallmann came in yesterday – with three victory pennants on his half-extended periscope: three steamers. He sank the last one in shallow coastal waters with his cannon: “He swallowed over a hundred shots! Had rough seas. Had to turn to and shoot at an angle of 45 degrees to the sea. – We got a shot at him underwater before at 1900 at dusk. Two hits on 12000 tons – one dud. Then they had us. Depth charges for 8 hours. Probably no more left on board by the time they stopped.”
Kallmann looked like Jesus on the cross with his hollow cheeks and blond stringy beard. He was rubbing his hands together as if he needed to do that in order to press the words out.
We listened intently, shielded our uncertainty by overemphasizing our interest: When would he finally ask the question we all feared?
When he finished his report, he also stopped rubbing his hands. He sat there motionless, with his elbows propped up and his hands folded together. And now, staring off above our heads over his fingertips, he asks with forced indifference in his voice: “What’s the story with Bartel?”
No one answered. The flotilla chief let his head nod forward a tiny bit.
“Well – yeah, I kind of thought, when no more radio message came from him.” A minute of silence, then he pressed the question: “So really no one knows?”
“Nope!”
“Is there still a chance?”
“Nope!”
The cigarette smoke hung motionless in front of their mouths.
“We were together the whole refit time. I brought him back out with me”, said Kallmann finally. Helpless, embarrassed. It could make you puke. We all knew how close friends Kallmann and Bartel were. They always managed to leave port together. They attacked the same convoys. Kallmann said once: “Stiffens your backbone to know that you are not alone.”

Great, thanks ! I never knew that was about them until you mentioned it.

But it's obvious now.