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Bosje · 09-01-08, 05:28 AM

We pass the lighthouse on the end of the quay and we wave, as always, back at the crowd who have come to see us off. Then I spot a Kriegsmarine uniform among the crowd. I raise my binoculars and now I can see the man is taking pictures of us. Look! Volkmar smiles and says: 'Could be a spy, Herr Kaleun, I bet I could hit him with the 3.7' 'Very funny, Number Two. No, I fear that this is our guest for the trip. Look, he is beckoning us to come closer!' Indeed, after having taken some pictures he started waving, his hand signals seem to indicate that he wants us to dock right at his feet. 'Who does he think he is?' 'Never mind him, maintain course and speed.' 'Jawohl Herr Kaleun.' I light my pipe which has gone out during all the waving and we continue on our track. Half an hour later we are getting caught up by an E-boot which starts to signal us with an aldis light as it gets close. It orders us to heave to. I ponder for a while if I should obey orders given to me by an E-boot's commander but then I find I am too curious not to find out what this is all about. Through the mouthpiece I give the concession: 'All stop.'

When the E-boot is alongside our boat, the young man I saw through my binoculars comes out of it's cabin, a kit-bag and a very expensive-looking camera slung over his shoulder. He jumps onto U-735's forward deck while I see the commander of the E-boot making a meaningful gesture with his hand: good luck with that one. The boy climbs the bridge, drops his kit-bag and gives me a lazy salute while he opens his mouth: 'Hiya, Cap. Fahnrich Ringelman reporting for duty. Didn't you see me waving for you to come pick me up at the lighthouse? Anyway, I'm here now, that's the main thing.' He then turns around, takes a couple of pictures of Bergen and disappears through the hatch with a casual: 'Don't worry, I'll sort myself out somewhere.' During all of this, Volkmar's face had turned slightly red. 'What the...' he started. 'Never mine, Number Two, I'll deal with this. You just keep an eye on the sky.' 'Sir.' And I follow the boy down through the hatch.

I find him in the control room, looking a bit surprised by the smells and inspecting all the handles and dials like an excited child, I see Anton looking at him with an annoyed frown. I decide to take the boy to the mess for a little chat. 'You, follow me.' 'Ah, ok Cap.' I lead him to the officer's mess where my 1.WO and navigator are playing cards. 'Sit down and show me your file and your orders.' He produces both from the top of his kit-bag and hands them over, I start reading. After gathering the essentials, I summarize them out loud for the other staff members to hear: Fahnrich zur See Siegfried Ringelmann, Academy graduation 30-7-1943 with only mediocre grades. Attached to the Ministry of Propaganda on August 1st, due to a recommendation by a certain Undersecretary Ringelmann. Requested duty on a combat unit, approved for 11th flotilla September 1st, due to recommendation by same. Orders: join the first boat to leave port, write inspiring article during patrol. 'So that's it then, is it? You are going to write an inspiring article about us?' 'Yes sir, that's the idea. And I hope to take a few good pictures. Look, This camera can hold color film, it's great!' 'Right. Well, Ringelmann. You are a junior officer and the youngest on board. As such, you will do your share of usual duty. This, (while I point him towards Hals) is Obersteuermann Petersen. You will serve as his aid. You take four hours of his daily watch and in the remaining four hours he will teach you how we do things on this boat. That leaves sixteen hours of free time for you to sleep and to write your thing, which should be more than enough. You will report to Oberbootsmann Schaefer to be assigned your quarters. I suspect you can find him in the forward torpedo room. Is that understood, Ringelmann?' During all this, the boy had started to lose some of the bright-faced innocence. He muttered: 'Understood, Cap.' 'You will address me as Herr Kaleun or Herr Oberleutnant. Furthermore, you are free to go anywhere on the boat but if I catch you interfering with operations, I'll re-introduce the good old-fashioned practice of keelhailing. Understood?' 'Jawohl, Herr Kaleun.' 'Good.'

I stay with Hans and Hals in the mess while the boy goes off to find Albert. Hans kicks it off: 'That kid spells trouble.' Hals joins in: 'Great, Duke. Thanks for making him my responsibility.' 'Sorry about that, Obersteuermann, but would you rather have him serve as watch officer or weapons officer? His Academy record is poor, I feel he can do the least harm at the charts table, be sure to keep an eye on him. The boy seems well-connected, so some discretion is called for. Don't mess up your careers over this, you know, leave that to your already ill-liked Kaleun.' 'Fine, fine. But I have a bad feeling about this patrol.' 'We'll pull through, just be sure to stay sharp.' With that, I go back to the bridge to enjoy the last moments of wonderful cruising through the fjords. During the course of the night we will be in Coastal Command's territory already.

The Duke
Pictures added later, courtesy of Fahnrich Ringelmann

09-01-08, 05:28 AM	#81
Bosje Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 732 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 0	We pass the lighthouse on the end of the quay and we wave, as always, back at the crowd who have come to see us off. Then I spot a Kriegsmarine uniform among the crowd. I raise my binoculars and now I can see the man is taking pictures of us. Look! Volkmar smiles and says: 'Could be a spy, Herr Kaleun, I bet I could hit him with the 3.7' 'Very funny, Number Two. No, I fear that this is our guest for the trip. Look, he is beckoning us to come closer!' Indeed, after having taken some pictures he started waving, his hand signals seem to indicate that he wants us to dock right at his feet. 'Who does he think he is?' 'Never mind him, maintain course and speed.' 'Jawohl Herr Kaleun.' I light my pipe which has gone out during all the waving and we continue on our track. Half an hour later we are getting caught up by an E-boot which starts to signal us with an aldis light as it gets close. It orders us to heave to. I ponder for a while if I should obey orders given to me by an E-boot's commander but then I find I am too curious not to find out what this is all about. Through the mouthpiece I give the concession: 'All stop.' When the E-boot is alongside our boat, the young man I saw through my binoculars comes out of it's cabin, a kit-bag and a very expensive-looking camera slung over his shoulder. He jumps onto U-735's forward deck while I see the commander of the E-boot making a meaningful gesture with his hand: good luck with that one. The boy climbs the bridge, drops his kit-bag and gives me a lazy salute while he opens his mouth: 'Hiya, Cap. Fahnrich Ringelman reporting for duty. Didn't you see me waving for you to come pick me up at the lighthouse? Anyway, I'm here now, that's the main thing.' He then turns around, takes a couple of pictures of Bergen and disappears through the hatch with a casual: 'Don't worry, I'll sort myself out somewhere.' During all of this, Volkmar's face had turned slightly red. 'What the...' he started. 'Never mine, Number Two, I'll deal with this. You just keep an eye on the sky.' 'Sir.' And I follow the boy down through the hatch. I find him in the control room, looking a bit surprised by the smells and inspecting all the handles and dials like an excited child, I see Anton looking at him with an annoyed frown. I decide to take the boy to the mess for a little chat. 'You, follow me.' 'Ah, ok Cap.' I lead him to the officer's mess where my 1.WO and navigator are playing cards. 'Sit down and show me your file and your orders.' He produces both from the top of his kit-bag and hands them over, I start reading. After gathering the essentials, I summarize them out loud for the other staff members to hear: Fahnrich zur See Siegfried Ringelmann, Academy graduation 30-7-1943 with only mediocre grades. Attached to the Ministry of Propaganda on August 1st, due to a recommendation by a certain Undersecretary Ringelmann. Requested duty on a combat unit, approved for 11th flotilla September 1st, due to recommendation by same. Orders: join the first boat to leave port, write inspiring article during patrol. 'So that's it then, is it? You are going to write an inspiring article about us?' 'Yes sir, that's the idea. And I hope to take a few good pictures. Look, This camera can hold color film, it's great!' 'Right. Well, Ringelmann. You are a junior officer and the youngest on board. As such, you will do your share of usual duty. This, (while I point him towards Hals) is Obersteuermann Petersen. You will serve as his aid. You take four hours of his daily watch and in the remaining four hours he will teach you how we do things on this boat. That leaves sixteen hours of free time for you to sleep and to write your thing, which should be more than enough. You will report to Oberbootsmann Schaefer to be assigned your quarters. I suspect you can find him in the forward torpedo room. Is that understood, Ringelmann?' During all this, the boy had started to lose some of the bright-faced innocence. He muttered: 'Understood, Cap.' 'You will address me as Herr Kaleun or Herr Oberleutnant. Furthermore, you are free to go anywhere on the boat but if I catch you interfering with operations, I'll re-introduce the good old-fashioned practice of keelhailing. Understood?' 'Jawohl, Herr Kaleun.' 'Good.' I stay with Hans and Hals in the mess while the boy goes off to find Albert. Hans kicks it off: 'That kid spells trouble.' Hals joins in: 'Great, Duke. Thanks for making him my responsibility.' 'Sorry about that, Obersteuermann, but would you rather have him serve as watch officer or weapons officer? His Academy record is poor, I feel he can do the least harm at the charts table, be sure to keep an eye on him. The boy seems well-connected, so some discretion is called for. Don't mess up your careers over this, you know, leave that to your already ill-liked Kaleun.' 'Fine, fine. But I have a bad feeling about this patrol.' 'We'll pull through, just be sure to stay sharp.' With that, I go back to the bridge to enjoy the last moments of wonderful cruising through the fjords. During the course of the night we will be in Coastal Command's territory already. The Duke Pictures added later, courtesy of Fahnrich Ringelmann __________________ And when an 800-ton Uboat has you by the tits... you listen!