13th Patrol (Balz)

[Brag]

The first officer of the U-53, Lt. Z.S. Otto Kalb writes:

June 1941

Captain Balz was in a bad mood when we left Lorient. "BDU are a bunch of bastards," he grumbled after lining up U-53 behind the Vorpostenboot escorting us out to sea. "Don't the idiots know how to count? Everyone knows this is our 13th. Patrol. They could have sent us out one day earlier or one day later. But, no--they have to send us out on the 13th! Why didn't they say, tie a black cat to the periscope for more bad luck?"
After slapping his cap on the periscope housing several times, he said, "Assemble the choir in the Zentralle and have them sing the hoochie-woochie song."

The following morning, found us steaming under sunny skies and a fresh breeze from the NW. Balz sat on the chart box next to the ladder wearing golden silk pajamas and sipping tea.
"That's a fetching outfit, Herr Kaleun," I couldn't resist in saying. "Must be the latest U-boat fashion."
"Fashion, hell! This is my survival suit."
"Huh?"
Balz gave me a glaring look. "Can you imagine a Royal Navy destroyer commander sailing out of Portsmouth looking for a guy in silk pajamas?" Balz stood, handed me his empty teacup, placed a bowler hat on his head, and climbed up the conning tower.

Kalb will keep us informed of the progress of this bad-omen patrol.