Fritz starring in "Sitting duck"

[Freiwillige]

The boat ever so slowly slipped beneith the waves and there was an erie silence aboard. Every man looked skyward as if they could see thru their steel coffin at the depth charges that were soon to be falling around them. "Hold depth steady at 25." Fritz whispered to the helmsman. "take a course 180 ahead slow." "180 ahead slow aye herr kaleun." The boat vibrated badly but movement was the only viable option.

"Wasserbomb!" the sound officer reported. "Port not close." With that the concusion from the first blast could be heard in the distance. Followed closely by the rest. "Alright cheif all stop"
"All stop aye herr Kaleun." Fritz looked at the battery guages. They were low from the damage received in the firt attack. "The damage control team did all they could Herr Kaleun but im affraid that after bypassing all those cells this is all we get." Fritz knew his cheif officer was right but would it be enough?
"Not one ship." His number one looked puzzled. "Not one ship sunk on this patrol." Again his cheif officer tried to find the words but could come up with nothing to say. "Remember the good ol' days when there seemed to be more ships than water?" Fritz asked. "Im going to rest the crew and myself, Keep seeing what we can do with those engines........We have a long trip home."

"Herr Kaleun!" "Fritz wake up!" Fritz opened his eyes to see his to see his number 1 standing worriedly above him. "Well what is it Jurgen?" Fritz asked while rubbing the much needed sleep out of his eyes. "Sonar has picked up a destroyer. Its running a search pattern towards us." Fritz jumped up so fast he hit his head on the upper wood works in his qaurters. Rubbing his smarting head he turned the corner to the sound station. With out a word the sonar man handed him the headphones. Fritz listened intently "Its a destroyer alright but it isnt pinging." Fritz then ducked thru the hatch into the command room. He grabbed the observation periscope, ran it up just breaching the water and peered thru it. "I think they beleive they got us!?" Fritz stated matter of factly. "Its acting like it looking for survivors." Fritz loward the periscope and climbed into the tower followed by Jurgen to the attack periscope. "Flood tube V stand by." Fritz clenched the scope controls. "Just a little closer..... Come on just a little more and well give you some survivors to be looking for." Tension was building inside the sub ass they all awaited the sound of the torpedo launch. Fritz had to keep wiping the sweat off his brow with his sleeve. "Damn he's heading away!" Just as fast as the ship showed up it dissapeared. "Wait till dark Jurgen then well surface the boat" Fritz quiped "Ja Herr kaleun, its getting hard to breath in here."

T.B.C.

[Brag]

Well . . .Damn. Will their problems never stop?

[NealT]

Originally Posted by Brag

Well . . .Damn. Will their problems never stop?

I hope not...this is getting fun...

[Freiwillige]

The boat breached the waves bow first, It was a slow crawl to get on top. "Ahead slow." Fritz was not trying to over strain the shaft bearing. "When the deisel fails we can use the electric for short bursts and Johannes may still be able to get number 2 started Herr Kaleun." The number two moter was completley ripped out of it mount and the shaft was twisted beyond all usefullness. "Well has Johannes gotten that shaft removed?" U-96's last bit of hope was to remove the screw shaft of number 2 and use it for reacharging only. "I will look into it Herr Kaleun."

The night was clear with a full moon shining like glass on an unusualy calm sea.
"You know Jurgen, If we cant make it we could always surrender to the tommy's"
Fritz knew that time for his beloved u-96 was running short. "Were lucky this ol' boat is a Hamburg boat. Others wouldnt of lastd this long." It did feel like a small miracle that the type VII was afloat at all. "Herr Kaleun, we will do all we can, As long as we can. We beleive in you and this boat. We will return home Herr Kaleun. With you guiding us how could we not!" No sooner had the words finished slipping past Jurgens lips When a loud thud was heard. "Herr Kaleun we have lost the bearing brace to the number 1 shaft coupler. Doreen is Kaput!"

"Send a report to B.D.U. informing them that we are dead in the water. Let them know that we will do our duty to the last man, U-96 out."

"Herr Kaleun vessal bearing 196 closing fast!" Fritz grabbed the binoculars and peered through the night sky at the distant horrizon. "I beleive it is that destroyer that was searching for us earlier!" Fritz knew the situation was hopeless. "Man the Deck gun!" The well trained crew sprang across the deck and immediatly began to swing the gun towards the target. "Get the Flak gun into action as well!" There was an odd feeling of hope in the back of Fritz's mind. "At least we wont just be sitting ducks!" When the destroyer closed to 3,000 meters its foward cannon belched out a sheet of flame into the night like a dragon snorting before battle.
Every man on the conning tower instinctivly ducked although all knew that the tower offered no protection. The shell cracked over head. "Its a warning shot herr Kaleun, We wont get a second one." Fritz pondered his thoughts for a moment. "All hands Destroy all clasified material set scuttling charges and prepare to abandon ship!"

Fritz could hear small explosions below decks as all hatches flew open and men poured out lining up on deck before diving into the water. The destroyers lights lit up the water as Fritz and his command crew joined their men into the water. The destroyer passed slowly around the side of the boat firing machine guns over everybody's head to keep them from re boarding the boat.

"Why havent the scuddling charges gone off!? Did we at least open the flood valves?" He was right although the boat was very slowly sinking it should have been slipping beneith the waves by now. Fritz's thoughts on this were interupted by a weird feeling of something quickly passing by his leg thru the crowd of swimmers. Was it a shark? He thought momentarilly before his answer came in the form of an explosion!
The concusion blast disoreintated every man in the water. It felt as if being struck by an automobile made entirely of water. Fritz slowly regained his mental capability.
He looked up to see the remnants of the destroyer broken and sinking 100 meters away. The flames licked the dark sky siloetting the tower of u-96 in a most comforting way. "My god. She's going down....but ......but how?" Then Fritz realised that that feeling he had felt moments earlier was not a shark but a torpedo! But how?

"All aboard U-96 and shut off the valves we just might be able to save her!"

[Freiwillige]

Climbing aboard the crew wasted no time in getting the valves closed. "Herr Kaleun we have 3 survivors fom the H.M.S. Bristol with us." Jurgen reported. "Very well make sure that they are well taken care of and out of everybodys way number 1."

Fritz looked out over the wreckage. There was oil burning and some scattered floating debris. But what had caused her demise he had thought to himself.
"Sir U-boat surfacing astearn" The watch called out. In the dark all he could make out was the familiar conning tower of a type IXB. Then the mystery boat signaled.
"Its Heinrichs boat!" The watch crew let out a cheer.

"So B.D.U. lets you go play in the ocean and this is the trouble you and your boys get yourselves into eh!?" Heinrich said with a twisted sarcastic grin. "Yea its good to see you too, So they actually let you drive one of those things now huh? I guess your rowboat training really paid off." Fritz returns the sarcastic grin. "Were dead in the water, We dont have any screw shafts. Can we borrow one of yours?"
Heinrich laughed at the cheeky suggestion. "Ill tell you what, My u-baot has one of the best ol' tug boat skippers from Wilhelmshaven on board as my number 1 and well haul your sorry carcase back but your going to have to pay the standard tug fee for three thousand Kilometers!" Both men laughed "I dont think I can afford it after I repay you for saving our arse" Fritz snickered

By 1:00 am Heinrichs boat had U-96 in tow and heading east at a respectable 9 knots. "Its still a long way home Jurgan and alot can happen." "Yea Fritz weve learned that if it can go wrong it will.

T.B.C.

[NealT]

I smell a problem with the tow cable...

[Able72]

wow, heck of a serial

[Freiwillige]

Okay im back to finish this great story after my short dissapearance. Ill get working on the dramatic conclusion A.S.A.P. for you all!

PS hows the new GWX? As great as the first!?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Freiwillige

Okay im back to finish this great story after my short dissapearance. Ill get working on the dramatic conclusion A.S.A.P. for you all!

PS hows the new GWX? As great as the first!?

Better

[Brag]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Better

Much better. Lots of new little thingies, improved sea, weather. Nastier escorts, Finding somethin new every day.

[yatyas]

Originally Posted by Freiwillige

Okay im back to finish this great story after my short dissapearance. Ill get working on the dramatic conclusion A.S.A.P. for you all!

PS hows the new GWX? As great as the first!?

I stumbled across this story, and I'm hooked. Waiting for the next serial, huddled around my little radio set.

[Freiwillige]

The journey had been oddly unneventfull. The cable held, The boat was stable and the Tommy's had been away for tea. The weather as usuall had played a part in this ocean wide game of cat and mouse. For now it was on our side.

"Mighty Odin must be pleased with us, eh?" Fritz Jested with his number 1.
"Maybe King Neptune like's all the toy ships we sent down to him as well!" Came the reply. If it hadnt of been for his humor Fritz would have cracked along time ago.

"Sir, B.D.U. reports a cold front coming from the north east."
"Thank you, Keep me informed." Fritz responded.
"Should be quite a storm.....Think we'll make it?" The doubt was plastered all over Jurgens face like a poster for the coming disaster. "We have made it this far have'nt we!?" Fritz's response seemed more like something shouted during drill back at the naval acadamy. Fritz began to feel like he was on auto pilot. The lack of sleep was taking it toll on everybody but Fritz felt it the hardest. "This storm is coming out of the British Isles!" Fritz's eyes burned intensely on Jurgen. "Ja and Herr Kaleun?" As he tried to grasp Fritz's deeper meaning. "Those Tommy's dont give up do they?" Fritz giggled as he walked passed Johan and headed to the conning tower.

It was a calm yet overcast night with light sea's. Fritz garbbed his binoculars
and peered into the night. "Were going real slow so as to not stir up a long wake."
"Also we dont want to put any extra stress on our lifeline eh?" Nobody responded to Fritz. The fatige of the crew was at its peak. Fritz thought about how ghostly and ragged they all now looked to him. They had looked like youthfull boys only a fortnight ago and now they look like dead men. If only he could just get home and get his boys home. If only he...............

[Freiwillige]

The alarm snapped everyone out of their daze. "What is it?" Uwe asked. "The watch officer heard aircraft flying but could not get a visuall sighting through the overcast." Jurgen responded. "They are very tricky and we have our pants down!"

"Man the deckgun." Fritz whisper's to his number one as he scans the sky and listen's for the mystery craft droning faintly in the distance. "Signal the other boat that our AA is active." With both boats 20mm's they stand a chance against a lone attacker. "Sir we cannot take another hit....She wont hold." stated in a hushed tone. "If they so much as drop a Christmas card on us were done for."
"If we know churchill he will have alot of gifts for us this year." Fritz always found a way of Joking his way thru the stress.

The signal officer was blinking his response from the towing boat when out of the clouds low and fast another flying boat straddles the u-boat in front of them with charges! With in seconds Fritz and the whole crew on deck watched as Heinrich's boat had first buckled then snapped mid ship. "Good lord, Heinrich!" Fritz reached out his hand towards the spot where just moments ago there was a boat. Nobody had a chance to respond to the swift attack. Heinrich and his boat were gone in the blink of an eye but now U-96 had a far more and imediate danger to deal with.

"Herr Kaleun!!!!" The watch officer struggled to find the words as U-96 was being pulled under by the very tow line that had once been their savor!

[Freiwillige]

Screeching could be heard throughout the ship as the nose was slowly pulled under. Fritz couldnt utter a single order as all on the tower froze with fear. As the nose dipped ever further Fritz grabbed the towers front structure and watched the cold sea climbing up to meet him just a few feet away. Just as it looked hopless the line snapped and what was left of the old boat that had saved them dove into the abyss.

For a moment no man spoke for they all knew that their time had come one too many times this trip. As the boat bounced up again breaking the surface Fritz's thoughts returned to him. "Man the Flakgeschutzen!" Men who were frozen only moments before snapped back to life to counter their new found airborn threat. "Wait for it........Wait for it..........FIRE!" The 20mm Flak mount started spitting flame as tracers reached out towards the Liberator. It only took a few seconds for the gunner to find his mark as impact explosions rocked cockpit and wing root. The liberator pulled up hard to clear the 20mm shells being thrown at them but the airframe couldnt take the stress. "Aaahaaaa haa haaa!" Fritz screamed as the Liberators wing seperated from it body just over the crews head. It crashed into the sea just 100 yards past the boat.

"What is this madness!?" Fritz yelled out. "We should be dead!" "We should all be dead!" The shocked faces of the watch team said it all. "Is this even real or have we all cracked up and gone to the madhouse?" "What now herr Kaleun?" one of the watchmen asked. "We pray."

[Jimbuna]

A great enthralling return