18 February 1920
U-53 in Cadiz.
Yeah! Despite BDU's foolishness and that stupid bastard Brag who now works at BDU cleaning ashtrays, I did get to Cadiz. And yeah, you dumbkopfs, I made it with good tonnage--129,044 BRT to be precise.
No need to describe my patrol and the trail of sunken ships left on my glorious wake. What is interesting, is how with my brilliant perspicacity I discovered what the nefarious Tommies are doing in the Gulf of Cadiz.
Shortly after clearing Cape Sao Vicente, the weather moderated and we used the deck gun on a few small merchies. But I wanted something big before entering port.
My crew is composed of absolute dingalings and the hydrophone operators need to see a hearing specialist. Approaching Cadiz at night from the NW, we get a sound contact.
Up scope!
A big mother of a British freighter is almost on top of us.
Surface!
Blam, blam, blam. Down she goes in sight of the Cadiz lighthouses.
Below, I check the chart.
Blam, blam, blam. The gun crew is firing again!
The bastards are gonna get me in trouble. All I need is the Spanish Navy to come after me.
Cease fire!
The mast with the flag of the little ship leaving Cadiz is gone--Oh well. Finish the job, let's find out who it is after it's sunk.
Phew, it turned out to be another Brit.
What the bastards are doing leaving Gibraltar is travel in an arch at the edge of the shallow water at slow speed and our sound people are no picking them up. When I leave Cadiz I'm going to show them a trick or two.
We came alongside the Thalia at 0200 hrs. I had to bang the hull with a spanner to wake up the lazy bastards and get a proper reception.
Posing as a Sweish sailor, this evening, I'm enjoying the sunset, eating fried sardines and drinking wine. You guys in Willi, Kiel and on patrol eat your hearts out.
Oh, BTW, Got a Knight's Cross by parcel post. Not bad for a second patrol, eh?
Once again, happy birthday Jimbuna.
Oblt. z.S. Johan Sebastian Balz