The Black Swan

[IrischKapitan]

My type IID is still operaiting from Keil, and I was assigned a grid (BF15 i think). After a hectic crossing of the channel (a present from the RAF), I finally made it unschathed to St Georges Channel...

After a fruitless days of searching for contacts, the weather turned for the worst (fog, rain and hurricane winds, you name it, it was there.), My little IID was swamped by heavy swells. Suddenly my WO screams WERE UNDER ATTACK!!!! Two Black Swans were closing fast from 300 and 45 at about 700m, Luckly the rough seas threw off their aiming. Diving as quick as I could, but not quick enough at 45m a series of rough DC raked my little hull. Heavy flooding in my engine room, eleccy room, stern quarters. My port diesil was destroyed, bow electric mortor heavily damaged, radio destroyed, both scopes heavily damaged and all tubes heavily damaged. Before I knew it I was at 100m and my boat was sinking stern first. I was losing 3m every 10 seconds, and time was running out.

At 145 m I stopped the flooding, I had apparently ran into a HUGE convoy , and I couldnt attack it . With the convoy passing straight over me, i had a few minutes peace......

The swans failed to pick me up nor any of the other escorts.. PHWEW.......
I limped back to Brest the next morning making 3knts on one deisil .

I can now appreciate the deadlyness of those swans