Revengeful Revenge on Revenge (BALZ)

[Brag]

Excerpts From Lt. Schmenk´s Diary.

06 June 1940
The patrol started badly. Balz said we would detour a little to sink something at Bonus Corner, just south of the Fair Isle passage. On the last patrol we got severely hammered there and it took two months to fix U-52. Today we arrived at Bonus Corner 3 days out of Wilhelmshaven and got severely hammered again. I suggested we return to base. In response, Balz made me wear a lead foil lined Carmen Miranda pineapple hat. "So that you will have heavier thinking," he said.

Balz is obsessed on getting command of a type IX boat. For that, he needs to impress Doenitz with tonnage. We proceeded to our patrol area west of Gibraltar.


12 June 1940
We detoured a little to see if we could pick out some unescorted ships traversing Tanker Alley. Shortly after our arrival, the sound man reported convoy noises.

We got into a good attack position as it started to rain. Balz said, "We are going to get us a battle ship, I think it's the Revenge. Bernard, get on the observation scope as I can't see the target but for a couple of seconds. Attack quartet stand by to sing Balz is Great.

"Bernard, let me know when you see Revenge."
"Here it comes," Bernard announced.
Balz swung the periscope and ordered, "Loss."
A few seconds later we had two hits.
The light of the explosions revealed we had hit a medium tanker.
"Bernaaard," Balz called.
But Bernard had already disappeared into the rear battery compartment.

"Chief, take us down to hundred and fifty meters," Balz ordered while the quartet hummed in silent running mode.
"This might be too deep for our hull condition," I said.
"You have seen what happens if we are too close to the surface," Balz answered.
Fortunately none of the escorts came near us. We just passed a hundred meters when Bernard burst into the Zentrale, "Das Boot ist beschadig."
"What is damaged?" Balz asked.
"Das Boot, das Boot," Bernard whined.
"That sounds like a good song or book title," Balz said, "be more specific."
The lights went out, electricity crackled, circuit breakers popped.
"Ousblassen," Balz ordered. " Stop ascent at eighty meters.
as we passed ninety meters, electricity was restored.
"We are going to get our revenge by sinking Revenge in a revengeful way," Balz announced. "We will attack again at dawn."

With a damaged boat with limited depth capability and a Komandant obsessed in attacking a well protected convoy, I knew we were sailing into deadly trouble.



To be continued on this thread