The boat breached the waves bow first, It was a slow crawl to get on top. "Ahead slow." Fritz was not trying to over strain the shaft bearing. "When the deisel fails we can use the electric for short bursts and Johannes may still be able to get number 2 started Herr Kaleun." The number two moter was completley ripped out of it mount and the shaft was twisted beyond all usefullness. "Well has Johannes gotten that shaft removed?" U-96's last bit of hope was to remove the screw shaft of number 2 and use it for reacharging only. "I will look into it Herr Kaleun."
The night was clear with a full moon shining like glass on an unusualy calm sea.
"You know Jurgen, If we cant make it we could always surrender to the tommy's"
Fritz knew that time for his beloved u-96 was running short. "Were lucky this ol' boat is a Hamburg boat. Others wouldnt of lastd this long." It did feel like a small miracle that the type VII was afloat at all. "Herr Kaleun, we will do all we can, As long as we can. We beleive in you and this boat. We will return home Herr Kaleun. With you guiding us how could we not!" No sooner had the words finished slipping past Jurgens lips When a loud thud was heard. "Herr Kaleun we have lost the bearing brace to the number 1 shaft coupler. Doreen is Kaput!"
"Send a report to B.D.U. informing them that we are dead in the water. Let them know that we will do our duty to the last man, U-96 out."
"Herr Kaleun vessal bearing 196 closing fast!" Fritz grabbed the binoculars and peered through the night sky at the distant horrizon. "I beleive it is that destroyer that was searching for us earlier!" Fritz knew the situation was hopeless. "Man the Deck gun!" The well trained crew sprang across the deck and immediatly began to swing the gun towards the target. "Get the Flak gun into action as well!" There was an odd feeling of hope in the back of Fritz's mind. "At least we wont just be sitting ducks!" When the destroyer closed to 3,000 meters its foward cannon belched out a sheet of flame into the night like a dragon snorting before battle.
Every man on the conning tower instinctivly ducked although all knew that the tower offered no protection. The shell cracked over head. "Its a warning shot herr Kaleun, We wont get a second one." Fritz pondered his thoughts for a moment. "All hands Destroy all clasified material set scuttling charges and prepare to abandon ship!"
Fritz could hear small explosions below decks as all hatches flew open and men poured out lining up on deck before diving into the water. The destroyers lights lit up the water as Fritz and his command crew joined their men into the water. The destroyer passed slowly around the side of the boat firing machine guns over everybody's head to keep them from re boarding the boat.
"Why havent the scuddling charges gone off!? Did we at least open the flood valves?" He was right although the boat was very slowly sinking it should have been slipping beneith the waves by now. Fritz's thoughts on this were interupted by a weird feeling of something quickly passing by his leg thru the crowd of swimmers. Was it a shark? He thought momentarilly before his answer came in the form of an explosion!
The concusion blast disoreintated every man in the water. It felt as if being struck by an automobile made entirely of water. Fritz slowly regained his mental capability.
He looked up to see the remnants of the destroyer broken and sinking 100 meters away. The flames licked the dark sky siloetting the tower of u-96 in a most comforting way. "My god. She's going down....but ......but how?" Then Fritz realised that that feeling he had felt moments earlier was not a shark but a torpedo! But how?
"All aboard U-96 and shut off the valves we just might be able to save her!"
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