[DanBiddle]

Well, here we are with chapter two. I hope it measures up to your expectations!

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As the noise reached its climax and appeared just overhead, the boat filled with nothing but the high pitched whirring of propellers, and Hechler could hear nothing else but one small voice sobbing out “Oh God, oh God!” The navigator looked across the compartment with a grave face and announced, “Six depth charges in the water, sir”.

Amidst the massive detonations echoing through the hull, a rushing whirlpool of water struck the submarine and U-32 was rolled sharply over on her port beam, even as the lights went out in a splintering crash of broken glass. Pipes ruptured and the control room was bathed in an eerie blue glow as powerful jets of water burst into the control room from the piping. A blast hit Hechler right in the face, and he could barely see or hear for a moment before he managed to move out of the painful spray. There was open sobbing coming from one corner of the control room, but Hechler ignored it whilst he tried to sort out his crippled boat.

“Ahead flank, take her down 20 metres and full right rudder!” Hechler shouted out, “Damage control team to the control room, shut off those leaks!” Hechler quickly ordered the change in course whilst the destroyer was directly overhead. The sharp turn to the right would also take the U-boat in amongst the main convoy, and Hechler hoped that the destroyer would lose them amongst the maelstrom of water churned up by multiple propellers. Already the leaks were under control as Krystoflak deployed his team efficiently around the compartment.

The high speed noises from the destroyer were fading, and soon they picked up the unmistakable sounds of large merchant vessels directly overhead. Hechler ordered them to follow the convoy slowly, as they listened out for more signs that they had been detected. As his crew got their breath back, Hechler looked around the control room, his eyes moving to compassion as he saw a young sailor sobbing on the floor in a corner. It was his first patrol, and Hechler understood the reaction to a first depth charge attack. Rahn was sitting in the corner, looking over towards Hechler, and noticing this, Hechler gave a small nod. The sound of depth charges echoed through the hull once more, but there were no violent movements or broken glass this time.

Rahn stood up, “A long way off, Herr Kaleun! It looks like you fooled them that time.”
“Yes, Dietrich, they must have lost us in that last attack. Certainly not an experienced Royal Navy escort yet. Take us up to 100 metres and let us slowly run out of the convoy to the west. We’ll circle round and see if that tanker is still there.” Hechler stood up and walked forward to the Soundroom. “Kreffter, monitor that destroyer for me, I want to know where he is at all times – keep me updated.” He walked back into the control room, pulling his cap off and moving a hand through his hair. He put his cap back on and walked over to his bunk and sat down. Depth charges echoed through the cold water once more, but they were even further away.

“Take it easy, men. They’ve lost us this time.”

Hechler saw relief showing on the faces of his crew. This boat had rarely come into port damaged, except for the previous patrol, and Hechler had heard rumours that Büchel’s breakdown was the result of a particularly savage attack by a pair of destroyers. To all accounts that was the only attack the boat had come under, and would explain the jubilant cheers that echoed through the hull as the Glasgow had broken her back in that final explosion. It was the first victory for U-32, and a cruiser at that, and Hechler was particularly pleased with the crews’ approach to the attack. Even if Büchel had been broken, it seemed the crew was made of sterner stuff. The sound of the convoy was no longer audible through the hull, and Hechler moved forward again before crouching next to Kreffter. The soundman had his eyes shut, and was pouring all his concentration into the headphone he wore around his head. The wheel in front of the dial moved slowly back and forth between 90 degrees and 120 degrees. Another low shudder rang through the hull – more depth charges, far away. Kreffter opened his eyes as he became aware of Hechler crouching next to him.

“Where are they, Kreffter?”

“The depth charges confirm it, Herr Kaleun. The convoy is moving off on 90 degrees, and the destroyer seems to be depth charging the area off to 120 degrees. They’re moving away, but I can’t tell the distance from here.”

“Good work, Kreffter.” Hechler clapped him on the shoulder before standing and looking back at the control room. Faces were peering around the side of the circular hatch, all interested in the dialogue going on between Captain and soundman. He stepped through the hatch and moved over towards the chart table. Taking a quick glance at the plot, he looked over to Rahn, “Take her up to periscope depth, and we can secure from silent running now. Tell the lads forward to get the tubes loaded again.”

“Jawohl, Herr Kaleun!”

Rahn skillfully moved the boat upwards through the dark depths of the Atlantic before the submarine began to rock gently as the surface swell caught her. The control room was a mass of activity now as the watch crew made preparations for surfacing if Hechler ordered it, and other sailors ran up and down the hull as the torpedoes were quickly loaded into the tubes again. Hechler nodded to Rahn as periscope depth was announced and climbed into the tower again. He grabbed hold of the periscope handles as Rahn joined him in the tower. He looked across; “Be ready for a crash dive, but also let me know as soon as the fish are loaded” Hechler looked back into the periscope, sensing rather than seeing Rahn nod back at him.

Hechler slowly moved the periscope up until the head just breached the waves. He looked closer through the lens as it cleared and was fully focused. Lying almost directly in front of his eyes about 800 metres away the tanker they had hit early was dead in the water and listing. Her name, S.S. Deer Lodge was blackened and scorched near the stern, and Hechler presume their torpedo had also started a small fire. There was no activity on her decks, and she appeared to be completely deserted. A small oil slick trailed from her starboard quarter and spray burst over the listed side in irregular bursts.

He moved the periscope round to the right, and saw the convoy just merging into the dawn darkness. It was much brighter than earlier, but there was still a dark gloom hanging over the sea to the west. The time was 8 am, and Hechler was surprised that they had been under depth charge attack for over an hour. Looking round again, he saw the distinct shape of a Tribal class destroyer hurrying after the convoy. The convoy only had another destroyer and a small Flower class corvette making up the escort, and they would undoubtedly want to keep the rest of the escorts close together after Glasgow was sunk and the Deer Lodge had dropped out of the line, crippled. After a last check round, Hechler pulled the periscope down and dropped down into the control room. Rahn was already there, apparently having climbed down to check on the readiness of the torpedoes. “Tubes one and two are loaded sir, and tube three is about half done.”

“Thank you Dietrich. Surface the boat. Prepare for a surface torpedo attack on the tanker we hit.” Rahn quickly turned and issued commands to the crew. Whispers soon passed along the boat, and soon every crewman was excited to have another ship to their name.

As the sharply curving bow rose slowly out of the water, Hechler climbed up out of the tower onto the bridge, clad in his oilskins and binoculars to protect him from the swell which still remained. The watch crew climbed up after him, and soon the bridge sight was carried up as well. Hechler bent over the sight and carefully lined the crosshairs up with the tanker. He was aiming well aft, as this was obviously a crude carrier, and he wanted an quick explosion, not a burning wreck to act as a beacon to the rest of the Royal Navy. His orders were relayed down the tower and into the control room as he systematically set the boat up for attack.

“Flood tubes one and two. Open bow caps. Range…750 metres, depth 3 metres, impact pistol. Better make them fast running and get the job done.”

“Jawohl, Herr Kaleun!”

“Set up for surface torpedo attack, Herr Kaleun. Depth 3 metres, range 750, impact pistol, fast. Tube one and two ready sir!” Stein relayed the orders back to Hechler.

Hechler put his eyes back down to the sight before centering it on a spot just forward of the superstructure. Without looking up, he ordered, “Tube one, Fire!” Quickly moving the crosshairs along the hull, he focused on the forward superstructure and announced. “Tube two, Fire!” Taking his eyes away from the sight he quickly detached it and passed it back along the chain until it could be stored back in the control room. He looked back at the tanker. The torpedoes should reach it any second now, he thought.

Two quick detonations rumpled across the water as a sheet of flame roared upwards from the stricken hull. The rapidly building inferno had set the crude alight and was already moving rapidly along the hull. A gathering roar filled the ears of the deck crew as hold after hold exploded in a maelstrom of flames and smoke, wrenching the hull plates apart and allowing the sea to greedily explore the inside of her hull as the deck grew closer and closer to the water. The ship seemed to be breaking up even as they watched, and the typical screaming of bulkheads wasn’t heard because they had literally been blown apart. The smell of burning metal and gasoline fumes drifted across the water towards them, masking the convoy away to the south. The smoke made Hechler’s eyes smart, but he remained motionless watching the death of a once proud ship, now breaking up before his eyes. The largest piece of hull was only about 50 feet long, and within minutes the tanker had completely disappeared beneath the waves. A small amount of burning wreckage was still visible, but that was all. So, it was gasoline rather than crude oil, Hechler thought to himself. There was no other explanation for such a rapid sinking.

Looking back at the watch crew he quickly ordered a change in course, “All ahead flank, come right heading two-two-zero! We’ll run after the convoy and overhaul them before they get too far.” Hechler had a last look round before climbing down the ladder and leaving the watch in the capable hands of Dietrich Rahn, First Watch Officer.

As he entered the control room, there were still jubilant shouts and friendly insults hurling back and forth. There were big grins on the faces of the watch crew as they went about their duties. The only dampening on the happy scene was the grim face of Leonhard Krystoflak, Chief of the Boat. Hechler motioned to him, and with a little grumbling, Krystoflak edged closer.

“I want all the tubes reloaded Chief, even if that means pulling one out of the external storage. Get some good men to help you, and for God’s sake look happier man, we’ve just sunk over 20000 tons of shipping!”

Krystoflak grumbled away as Hechler moved forward to send off a radio message to BdU. He still didn’t know why Hechler had been put in charge. True, Büchel wasn’t the most aggressive of U-boat commanders, but he’d never got them caught up in an attack like that one. He’d been as frightened as the next man during the depth charge attacks, and as much as he’d loathed the sight of the young sailor, Vogel, sobbing on the floor, he had felt much the same way. Now Hechler was planning to reload and go after the convoy again – sheer madness! He had his victories, didn’t he? Why should he risk all their lives for the sake a few more ships. He still wore a rim expression on his face as detailed a work party to bring one of the externally loaded torpedoes inside the hull.

Hechler watched him go with a wary expression on his face. Krystoflak troubled him, and he could see the same signs he saw in Büchel before he left on his last patrol, and that worried him. It was no time for the Chief’s nerve to break, especially as they we’re about to head in for another convoy attack and were out in the mid-Atlantic in January. He would give him one last chance in the next attack before deciding to ask BdU for a replacement when they next docked.

He had already sent a message off to BdU, relating their attack briefly, the sinking of the Glasgow then the hour long depth charge attack and the sinking of the crippled Deer Lodge before reporting that they were motoring to overhaul the convoy and launch another attack at dusk. The convoy was very fast, Hechler thought, at least 12 knots and he wasn’t sure exactly how far away the convoy was before they set off in chase, but the gathering light would help him out, and he was quite sure that at flank speed, a full 17 knots, they could easily overhaul the convoy before nightfall. He turned around and headed to his bunk. After pulling the green curtain across he hung up his cap and lay back before filling in his personal log.

Hechler’s father had been an infantryman in the Great War, and he had been badly injured in one assault. After recovering from his wounds, he had remained detached and mentally scarred. In moments of clear thought he would chill the family with his tales from the trenches; the machine guns, the mustard gas, and the mud. It had shocked a young Hechler, and he had chosen the Navy for no bad reason. His first cruise had been around the world in the cruise Emden, a typical entry to the Navy. He had been drafted into U-boats in 1938, and promoted to First Watch Officer in Schultze’s boat a few months before the war began.

The whole hull was leaping and bounding now as the submarine crashed over the waves. The torpedoes were steadily being loaded into the tubes, and it wouldn’t be long before they were overhauling the convoy. Reports said that the convoy was in sight on the horizon to port, and they were steadily overhauling them. Krystoflak was still looking nervous, but Hechler put the thought aside. They would attack this evening if nothing went wrong.

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Hechler was just nodding off when the curtain was pulled back. Instantly jolted into wakefulness, he looked across and saw the grave face of Leonhard Krystoflak peering at him.

“We’ve got to reduce speed, Herr Kaleun! The fuel is getting to a critical level. The port propeller bearing is running hot too. We can’t carry on at this pace, I’m sorry Herr Kaleun, but we’ll have to let that convoy go.”

Hechler looked sharply at Krystoflak, a frown settling over his features. His eyes frostily looked over the Chief of the boat, and Hechler noted that Krystoflak had the good grace to look apologetic. Hechler was highly suspicious now, and as he climbed out of his bunk, he saw some crewmen with open disgust on their faces. A sham after all then, Hechler thought. Walking quickly across the compartment, Hechler climbed up the narrow ladder to the bridge, spotting Rahn still on watch. He moved over to him.

“Chief says we’re low on fuel, and need to slow down.” Hechler saw a frown immediately appear on Rahn’s face.

“So you don’t believe it either then? We have to accept his word for it, so where’s the convoy?” Hechler noted that it was 11 am, so they’d had a good three hours of pursuit.

“We’re ahead of the convoy again, sir. I suppose if we cut back to 10 knots and cut in now, we’d have a good chance of making the intercept, and I know we’re fully loaded up on torpedoes. We’ll have to watch him, Herr Kaleun, he and Büchel were thick as thieves most of the time sir. We never went into combat until those destroyers surprised us on the last patrol. At the time, we were all scared ****less, but now, hearing what the Chief’s pulling, I’m starting to wonder sir.”

“Exactly my thoughts, Dietrich. I’ll go down and plot an intercept, but we WILL attack that convoy again, and you’ll have to stand by to take control in case he trys anything funny on us.”

Hechler climbed below and walked over to the chart table. “Striezel!” he yelled, as the Navigator emerged quickly into the control room. “I need you to plot an intercept course for the convoy at 10 knots, the Chief informs me we’re low on fuel.” Another frown of the eyebrows, and Hechler noticed Krystoflak cringing out of the corner of his eye. “Can we make it?”

“Jawohl, Herr Kaleun! We can make it. Expect an intercept in 15 minutes.”

“Very well, thank you Striezel, that was very prompt.” Hechler looked around and ordered the change in course and speed. As he moved across the control room he passed Krystoflak, still standing motionless in the middle of the compartment, next to the periscope tube. “Well, Chief, I hope those orders will alleviate our fuel situation. Send the crew to Battle-stations if you please!” On that note Hechler donned his cap and jacket before swiftly climbing the ladder back up to the bridge. Rahn was already turning towards him, a questioning look on his face. Hechler moved over to him and spoke in his ear.

“We’re closed up at battle-stations. The Navigator doesn’t agree with the Chief’s fuel outlook either. We’re going to be attacking the convoy in broad daylight, and I’m almost certain that we’ll be discovered at some point, so be prepared to take care of the Chief if we get a bad time of it.”

“Will do, sir. It’ll only be another 10 minutes before we’re in visual range. We can already make out the individual ships in the convoy.”

“Excellent Dietrich. Stand by to dive, we’ll attack the centre column as before and try to get another tanker.”

“Jawohl, Herr Kaleun!”

A few minutes later the bridge cleared and the submarine disappeared beneath the waves, leaving a foaming white wake on the surface, the only mark of where she had been. Hechler was in the command room, with most of the crew not needed elsewhere, and Hechler grinned round at the gathered faces. “We’ll finish what we started, eh?” Grins answered him back as he turned and climbed up into the tower. Rahn soon followed, and Hechler turned to speak with him about the attack.

“I want you to set the computer up now. We won’t have much time, so I’ll target a four fish salvo at two large tankers and a stern shot at one of the cargos on the outer screen. Set all the torpedoes to 3 metres, impact firing and fast speed. They’ll be able to see the trails clearly with this light and it won’t take a genius to work out where we are. Fire and dive deep. How’s that sound?”

“Excellent, Herr Kaleun. Setting up now.”

Hechler slowly raised the attack periscope above the waves, and once it was focused, the view took his breath away. Under a gently undulating sea, row upon row of merchantmen greeted his eye. All were keeping the same rigid formation, thick black smoke rising into the air. Each had a large bow wave foaming from the stem and now he could see the convoy clearly, it really astounded him. He had never seen an attack through the periscope prior to earlier that morning, as Schultze had always attacked submerged. Most of the ships had been grey, amorphous shapes in the dawn twilight, but they were clearly visible now as U-32 crept through the outer column, barely a couple of inches of periscope showing above the waves.

They quickly slipped inside the second column, still undetected, and Hechler quickly snapped a large tanker into the crosshairs. “Flood tube one to five an open bow caps!”

A moment later Rahn replied, “Tubes one to five flooded and open. Ready to fire on your order.”

Making a last check on the tanker, now steaming 500 metres away, Hechler ordered U-32 to attack. “Tubes one and two, FIRE!” He quickly spun the periscope around and targeted the stern tube onto a medium sized cargo ship in the second column. “Tube five, FIRE!” He spun the periscope back round towards the tanker, and as it rotated on it’s mount, he spotted a destroyer charging down the column towards him, much further way than earlier that morning, but still a sight that mad his blood chill. Reacting quickly, Hechler spun the periscope back towards the row of tankers in the middle of the convoy. Quickly selecting the large tanker behind the one he had already aimed at, he quickly shouted “Tubes three and four, FIRE!”

Before even waiting to see the results of his handiwork, Hechler dropped down the ladder and shouted out “ALARM! Take her down to 100 metres, Chief, quickly! All ahead flank and bring her round to port!”

As the U-boat plunged into the dark depths of the Atlantic, aimed at the next column of merchantmen, the hull echoed to the sound of high speed propellers racing towards them. Yet again, the crews’ faces showed fear, terror even as there was little they could do to stop the impending doom. Just before the noise reached a crescendo, Hechler ordered the sub to make a sharp turn to starboard, and drop down even deeper to 130 metres. The roaring of depth charges going off close to the submarine rocked the hull as the lights smashed yet again. Pipes burst and water was sprayed around the control room.

“Quickly, up to 90 metres, slow ahead!” Hechler looked around at his crew. Rahn was holding up well, a grim expression was on his face, but he was determined and trusted the skill of his new commander. Hechler noted the terror on Krystoflak’s face, and instantly knew that he would have to be dismissed once they reached Wilhelmshaven again. The sailors standing near the Chief were all noting his reaction, and it was doing little to help theirs’.

“Easy men, there’s been nothing yet. They only got us that time because they could see out wake. Keep calm”

Suddenly more explosions echoed through the hull, different, high pitched explosions accompanied by an endless screaming, tearing and roaring of water as bulkheads collapsed and the torpedoes slammed into the ships Hechler had targeted. He looked over to Rahn, “Two I reckon. That last shot on the tanker was poorly aimed, but I think we got the other one and the car..”

Hechler was cut off mid sentence as the soundman, Kreffter announced that there were more fast propeller noises closing. Two escorts. The stakes had just been raised. The newcomer closed quickly, and despite Hechler’s quick alteration of course, another depth charge attack rocked the boat hard. The Chief, Krystoflak was visibly shaking now, and Hechler spared a glance of utter contempt towards him before turning his attention back towards Kreffter. At his glance, Kreffter replied.

“That destroyer is moving away slowly, it’s turned and the first one is coming back fast.”

It was clear in Hechler’s mind. One destroyer was monitoring them on ASDIC whilst the other made their attack run. Already the sounds of the convoy were receding, leaving them even more exposed and at a disadvantage. As the first destroyer came barreling in again, another load of depth charges were fired at them, but these were slightly further away. They still violently rocked the hull, but had been set at the wrong depth. Hechler took U-32 deeper again as they all heard the other destroyer closing in at high speed. Hechler turned his back on the control room and peered at the chart Striezel was plotting. There definitely seemed a gap where one destroyer couldn’t monitor them, and the other was too committed to the attack to change course. There was definitely room to escape their aggressors if only they could exploit it. Hechler stiffened as a voice called out.

“Kaleun, I order you to surface the boat, IMMEDIATELY! We cannot escape two, it just isn’t possible. We’ve got to surface now to have any chance of living! NOW, Herr Kaleun!”

Hechler had identified the voice. It was Krystoflak; there was little doubt of that. Hechler was filled with anger as he turned and shouted rapidly at the broken Chief,

“Chief, shut up this insta..” Hechler rapidly stopped talking after he turned and saw a Luger pistol cradled in the hand to Leonhard Krystoflak. His face was bright red, and tears were streaked across his face. He was visibly shaking, yet the pistol in his hand was rock steady. And it was pointing straight at Hechler’s chest.

“Come on, Herr Kaleun. Surface the boat. We’ll all die if you don’t”

“Krystoflak, shut up. We’re much safer down here than on the surface, and there’re only two of them. They’re losing accuracy too. Put the pistol down and then we can evade the destroyers. Do not think for a moment I want to die either. Now put the pistol down.”

The tension in the control room was so thick you could cut it. Crewmen looked on in disbelief, there own fear forgotten as the Commander stood at one end of the control room, the Chief the other. Krystoflak was struggling to come to a decision. His hand was shaking as well, and the pistol moved across his chest in a jagged figure of eight. Water dripped off piping in the blue light, further adding to the tense atmosphere. The sound of fast moving propellers echoed through the hull again and they drew ever closer. The sound seemed to galvanise Krystoflak into action as his hand steadied, aimed over Hechler’s heart and the sound of a hammer being drawn back was clearly audible. Krystoflak shut his eyes shuddered and then suddenly pitched forward on his face, revealing Rehburg standing behind him with a large crowbar hefted in his hands. Relief was short lived, however, as another depth charge attack rocked the boat. This time, it was just as close as the first drop, and lights shattered and pipes burst before Hechler could get U-32 back onto an even keel and in control once again. As she slipped deeper into the Atalntic, Hechler thought rapidly about how they could escape the clutches of the destroyers.

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The next 5 hours were nerve wracking for all the men and Hechler had do delve deep into all his vestiges of skill and self-control as he guided his crew through the harrowing depth charge attacks. By the time U-32 finally rose to the surface, battered and bruised it was late afternoon, and the light was already dying as the sun sank to the west, throwing an orange glow over the sea. Krystoflak had been tied down on his bunk in the sick bay, and was still alive but had not yet regained consciousness. Hechler ordered a message sent to BdU, and U-32 turned north again, heading back to Wilhelmshaven. With only two torpedoes left, Hechler didn’t want to risk another convoy attack, but he hoped they might pick up a few ships sailing alone on the way back.

He was impressed with how the rest of the crew had held up. The Krystoflak incident had strengthened their nerve, and their final escape had definitely increased their faith in Hechler. Already they had seen more action in 12 days with Hechler than the last 6 months with Büchel. Hechler looked around the control room once more, smiling reassuringly at the crew members that met his glance before he headed off to his bunk, and lay back with a sigh. The attack had tired him more than he thought, and already he could feel sleep claiming him. They had managed to sink the large tanker, S.S Bennestvet and the cargo ship S.S Stirlingshire. That brought the total ships up to four, and BdU were already sending more U-boats in on the convoy. Hechler for once didn’t care, and as his eyes closed, he sunk into a deep dreamless sleep as U-32 headed north at half speed, heading for home.



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Another update completed. This isn't the end of Hechler though, so stay tune for another update soon



Cheers,



Dan Biddle