[Bosje]

Two escorts are dancing a tango on the waves at the spot where we launched our first salvo, I can see them several hundred meters to my starboardside. The one I am worried about is the destroyer coming up behind me. Not heading straight at me yet but pretty soon he may be able to hear the reloading operation in the House of Lords. What to do, what to do. I keep having the uneasy feeling of being on a very long, very exciting, very fast wild ride. Something new awaits around every corner and unless you anticipate and adjust, you run the risk of dropping out of the ride. It is by no means an innocently safe ride. I still love it though, more so than the rest of my crew. They can not hide the despair as I give the order: 'Ahead standard, new depth 30 meters, maintain zero rudder.' We are not yet done with the convoy, 2 tankers are trying to run away ahead of me and I want them destroyed. 'Tube 1 reloaded and ready, Herr Kaleun.' 'Destroyer increasing speed and heading right for us, bearing 195' ''Tube 5 reloaded and ready, Herr Kaleun.' 'Fast screws increasing speed and turning this way, 2 escorts bearing 84'


-Ping-


'60 meters, LI.' 'New Depth 60 meters.' 'Hasse, get ready with the damage control party.' Klaus does a good job at conveying the urgency: 'Destroyer on attack run, Herr Kaleun!' 'Ahead flank, LI!'
The destroyer is almost above us now, I try a new move. 'Blow the tanks, planes up for surface, try to control the ascent at periscope depth, quick!' We hear the destroyer through the hull, Klaus calls splashes and the boat rises very quickly to the surface. The idea is that the depthcharges explode underneath us while we get ready to launch these ladder pattern eels at the convoy, before they run away. 'Full port rudder, hold her at periscope depth, LI!' 'Tube 2 reloaded and ready, Herr Kaleun.' The trick worked, the charges explode under us but they force the boat upwards even more, the depth gauge reads 9 meters which means the conning tower is sticking out of the waves. Verdammt! If these English boys are sharp we will get some incoming shells from their artillery. 'Periscope depth, verdammt noch mal!' Poor Anton is working like crazy to try and control the boat. Not an easy task, considering all the different forces which are now at work, the boat moans under the stress. 'Rudder zero.'


Still, it worked well enough. The destroyer was too surprised, I suppose. We were back under before the shells were flying. She is now ahead of us and has to make a wide turn before she can give us any further trouble. This is the bit of spare time I needed. 'Attack periscope up, ahead 2/3, flood tubes 1 and 2.' A second later: '1.WO, I want the eel in tube 5 to run a ladder eastwards, from this exact position after launch, work on it.' Meanwhile I take a look at the tankers which are now quite a long way ahead of us. '50 degrees starboard angle, distance 2500 meters, 800 meter legs to the starboard, torpedo speed fast, impact pistol 3 meters.' 'Tube 1 flooded and set.' '1, LOS!' This really is a pathetic longshot. '30 degrees starboard, otherwise identical settings.' 'Tube 2 flooded and set.' '2, LOS!' The bow doors are closing up again as I give the destroyer a courtesy glance. She is almost done swinging around, we do not have much time. '1.WO are you ready with the settings?' 'Jawohl Herr Kaleun, 60 degree port angle, 800 meter legs to starboard, depth 5 meters on magnetic pistol, slow running. If we turn to starboard we can stay under it for as long as it runs.' 'Very well, make it so.' I let Hans fire off my last high-tech torpedo while I concern myself with the boat. 'Ahead flank, hard starboard rudder, get us deep quickly, LI. 80 meters crash dive.' The torpedo leaves the sterntube as the boat takes a nosedive and I hear the boys in the control room breathe a sigh of relief as they realize that the Kaleun is finally done with his foolish acts of tenacity.


'Launch the decoy, ahead 2/3, steer due east, gradually take her down to 160 meters, Anton.'
The LI acknowledges and so the stage is set. With the added prop of a torpedo running around making sharp turns, like a hare in flight, right above us. Good luck with that one, mister English destroyer Captain.



The Duke