Kalb writes:
26 June 1941
100 kms. east of Rockall Bank. AM4244. We sailed surfaced but with silent running as Capt. Balz demanded quiet while he worked on a new song. At 1345 the Funker whispered,"Large convoy."
I plotted the position on the chart. The convoy was heading our way. I went to Balz's bunk. "Herr Kaleun."
"Shhhhh." We're at silent running," Balz said.
I whispered, "Large Convoy"
"What did you say?"
"Large Convoy, Herr Kaleun."
"Shhhh, don't speak so loudly when we're in silent running."
I lowered my voice. "Large convoy, we can intercept in three hours just by changing course to 330."
"Ok." Balz nodded, his attention back on his notebook. "Hoochie, woochie."
At 1515 we went to periscope depth and the hydrophone picked up noise from numerous ships. Balz listened for a few moments. "When you are a talented musician like I am you develop a fine ear. But where are the escorts?"
"Maybe the U-boat who reported the convoy sank them all," I offered.
"That's as likely as you singing in the Berlinstaadsopera." Balz growled.
Half hour later, the captain ordered, "Balzing stations!"
We turned ninety degrees to the convoy and could hear the thumping of approaching ships laboring in heavy seas.
"Up periscope." Balz whirled the scope while doing his hoochie woochie dance steps. "Tubes one and two, impact pistols, range 1400 meters, speed 9 knots--flood! Greetings from Balz the Magnificent, feur einz."
He swung the periscope 30 degrees. Tube two depth 12 meters. Feur zwei."
"Tube five, depth 12 meters range 400 meters, flood."
"Torpedo treffer!."
This was followed by two premature explosions. A staccato of machinegun bullets drummed on our conning tower as it broached.
"Down scope, ahead flank, new depth 150 meters. Rudder to port 20 degrees.
A large ship thundered overhead.
"Here come the missing escorts, Herr Kalb. Twenty degrees starboard rudder, speed one knot."
"Passing 50 meters."
"That was a whale factory we've hit. Any sinking noises?"
"Negative, Herr Kaleun."
Balz tossed his bowler hat across the Zentralle. "A great Balz attack and not a single sinking!" He hammered the chart table with his fist. "This is the end, this is the end."
"Wasserbomben."
Instead of giving further orders, Balz sat on the chart box and sang softly, "Meet me in Balzimore, you hoochie woochie."
Depth charges began to explode.
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