Bernard at the helm!

[Graf Paper]

Before he must have been transferred to your boat, msalama, Bernard was at the helm of my own beloved u-boat.

It was several patrols back, I had just plotted our departure from Kiel and ordered the crew to cast off as I remained with the navigator to plan out the remainder of our course and search pattern for the assigned patrol grid.

No sooner did I have the nav draw in the last way point I heard an awful, screeching crash as my u-boat lurched and heeled over to starboard. I rushed to the bridge and, with astonished eyes, discovered we had somehow run alongside our minesweeper escort and banged into his starboard amidships with the port side of our bow!

I told Bernard to go stick his finger in the flak gun barrel to keep the seawater from getting into it.

I don't recall if I ever relieved him from that duty when we dived. :hmm: