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Our passage on the way to breast across the bay of bisc became an unwitting harbinger of future misfortunes March 25th the fifth day after the grand battle for the convoys passed without Adventure in the thickening Twilight of late afternoon we moved cautiously Eastward having previously filled ballast tanks cleaned the deck and tuned
The metho radar to detect the threat of Air Attack that night the radar signaled danger three times and we made an emergency dive the enemy aircraft dropped depth charges after us at 10:12 in the morning an ey borer stretched his arms up and shouted airplane when I saw
A tiny black moth dive at us from behind a cloud I threw the bisc and cross into the deck house everyone on the bridge rushed down after it when the deck was already underwater I looked at the plane again and realized that you have no more than 30 seconds before another
Bombardment then I dove into the flight hatch and slammed the lid shut behind me just as a giant wave hit us the u230 Disappeared underwater in 18 seconds keeping at least 10 seconds to escape the from the bombing when the boat dived Into the Depths with a trim of 50° the
Pilot of the plane took as a reference point for bombing the frothy Trail at the sight of our dive four bombs exploded near the after balast tanks on the starboard side the explosions raised the stern of the boat above the surface of the bay giving the pilot the
Impression that he had succeeded in delivering a fatal blow to us while underwater we were surprised that our radar gave no danger signals we spent more than half an hour submerged then surfaced but only for a very short period of time 12 py5 emergency dive on sighting of a twin engine airplane no
Sign of the pilot using radar 1250 u230 Ean surfaced 1332 alert aircraft no radar search four bombs exploded not far from the boat after horizontal Rudders jammed 145 surface at high speed 14.22 alert four engines Sunderland abrupt Rudder shifts four more bombs exploded it became obvious that the
British have increased air Patrols in the Bay of bisque Sigman decided to follow the day in a submerged position and surface only at night when the Tommy to detect us will be forced to use radar this night however was little different from the day we made three emergency
Dives dodging 12 bombs on the verge of death all the next day we remained underwater moving at three knots and listened wearily to the noise of the propellers of the PLS of the British Squadron sent to the area that adjoined our bases on the coast of France we
Could constantly hear the distant bursts of depth charges it was amazing how Lively the shipping in the Bay of bisc had become After Dawn the next day we were forced to make six emergency Dives followed by the inevitable dropping of a four bomb cassette each time however we
Managed to avoid being hit by the deadly charge and surfaced the next day we moved underwater at a depth of 60 m not escaping however sporadic and unexplained bombardments a dusk we surfaced and around midnight entered the sardin fishing arer of a large Fleet of French trollers their presence saved us from further
Bombardment when we heard the inadvertent Roar of aircraft engines we pressed close to the fishing boats scaring the French fishermen with our maneuver shortly after noon we reached the rendevu point with our escort but the sea in this place was completely empty things did not turn out as we
Wished we did not have high hopes for a speedy arrival at the Home Port but even small hopes for this seemed unrealizable when it became known from an intercepted radiogram that U 655 was sunk by aerial bombardment an hour before the meeting with the escort having made another dive we began
To wait 6 hours later just before noon the Coast Guard vessel finally arrived Sigman waited until the ship had gotten so close that we could see its captain in the Periscope eyepieces then we surfaced the exhausted submariners climbed out of the hull of the boat greedily inhaling fresh air some began
To load anti-aircraft guns and Cannon others having taken the first uncertain steps fell to the deck a barely discernable purple streak on the starboard side signaled our approach to the shore soon in the bright sunlight patches of greenery White Walls and Red Roofs of houses became clearly visible you 230 entered the harbor
Without a single shot the commander who resembled a viking with his long red beard was smoking a cigar with pleasure the crew was gathered on the AR deck smoking and cracking jokes the men’s faces looked yellowed as I steered the boat toward a concrete pier crowded with
Greeters the inner bay exploded into a storm of Applause a brass band played our submariners participating in a combat campaign for the first time was stunned by such an enthusiastic reception even we a small group of veterans found it very moving after 8 weeks of confronting the storm the sea waves and the
Enemy directly in front of us at the Sea’s Edge stood giant concrete structures airbomb prooof canopies that sheltered more than 40 Subs u230 cautiously approached one of the peers medium reverse lock the engines secure the ends the crowd on Shore quieted the boats crew lined up on Deck I reported
The formation to the captain and Sigman reported to the commander of the ninth submarine flotilla after we gaunt bearded Heroes walked down the gangways and stepped carefully On Solid Ground we were showered with flowers and kissed by the always resourceful girls from the administrative bodies of the base
Staggering with unaccustomed to the hard ground we carried our belongings into one of the multi-story buildings that belonged to the flotilla I noticed that our in complex of buildings was wellmaintained and vigilantly guarded some of the buildings were covered with camouflage netting to mislead the pilots of the enemy’s bomber
Aircraft this military town was to be my home during our anchorages in the harbor before shaving we had to take part in receptions and celebrations that ended well past midnight proud of our battle successes and greedy for pleasure we showed superfluity in everything we feasted on the Abundant food of Britany
Drank a lot of French wine sang Too loudly joked and laughed no one reproached us for our excesses it was pleasant to realize that others understood our condition after our ordeal in the morning at 8us I lined up the boat crew on the paved area only a
Few people showed up for roll call the rest were incapacitated I spent several hours bringing them to their senses especially redell and Friedrich and preparing documents for the commander’s report at headquarters it was only after spending 16 hours on Shore that I was able to think about myself I took a long hot
Bath carefully shaved my 9we old black beard put on a fresh uniform and had a haircut at the barber shop then in my refreshed State I sorted through my mail and began to read the letters addressed to me the first to open were the pink envelopes from maranne judging from one
Of her letters Belin was turbulent there were Air Raids by the British again last week maranne wrote four times at night and twice every day they are terrible as you know I work in the center of Berlin and last week I spent a lot of time in a bomb shelter in
The basement under the building where our office is located while I was hiding there a bomb hit the building across the street and completely destroyed it no one escaped everyone was buried alive in the basement what was the point of hiding in such shelters on the way home
I saw the fires the destruction and the dead people I cried all the time on this day my best friend died under the rubble I can’t understand why we can’t drive the tomies away this is the capital of the country it should be better protected it’s hard to say where we’ll
End up guring promised that no enemy airplane would fly over Germany where did he go with his promise I haven’t heard from him lately yesterday I heard the news about the success of our submarines in the Atlantic and I thought of you my dear I pray that you always
Come back alive from your trips and find my letters I think of you all the time and want to be with you please take care of yourself when the war is over it will bring back all that was at Lake constanza under the walnut tree on the long warm summer nights of
1939 I was alarmed I thought about persuading Marianne to leave the capital and settle at least for a while in the province mother wrote Air Raids were in the Frankfurt area area neighbors helped each other in extinguishing incendiary bombs on the roofs sometimes dropped by British Pilots father works hard and
Trudy now a seven-month War bride helps her father as his office secretary news from home pleased me in my letters to my mother and maranne I reassured them that things would soon change for the better I firmly believed this despite the obvious deterioration of the situation enemy Air Raids on
German cities were steadily increasing in number and scope crossing the line of mere intimidation newspapers and radio reports on the destruction and loss of life resulting from the raids were evasive but I felt that we were facing severe retribution this conclusion was supported by bitter facts with great
Reluctance I was forced to accept the argument that during our stay at Sea on the Eastern Front had taken an unfavorable turn for us apparently as a result of the Soviets winter offensive we had suffered a defeat at Stalingrad where our sixth Army had been defeated news from the North African theater of
War was also disappointing the British were inexorably advancing in the desert with greater or lesser success nevertheless it seemed to me that these failures were local in nature and did not affect the overall outcome of the war in fact Germany made significant gains only in Naval battles the battle
For the Atlantic developed favorably for us our uots now organized into large wolf packs sank an incredible number of Allied ships on the front from the Arctic Circle to the Caribbean Sea March 1943 was for us the most successful month in the history of submarine warfare our uots sent to the bottom
Allied ships with a total tonnage of 1 million tons now about 250 submarines made combat Patrols in various Seas conducted training passages in the Baltic Sea re-equipped in ports were close to leaving dry docks after repairs our submarine construction program became the priority of military production true even in Naval battles
Our successes came at a heavy price as the size of convoys increased coordination in measures to protect them between British and US Naval Combat units improved dramatically the new type of escort vessels fast and highly maneuverable Patrol ships Corvettes posed a serious threat to OTS attacking convoys but the
Biggest threat was the enemy’s Aviation more and more airplanes appeared in the most remote areas of the sea they bombed with increasing accuracy our submarines on the approaches to their bases or on the way out of them the threat from the air created a new problem for us in
Submarine warfare it was difficult to keep up with the rapidly changing situation as it seemed to me the outcome of the war now depended on the operations of the submarine Fleet in the Atlantic it was obvious that the Allies had recovered from our strikes and their combat capability was supported by
Supplies of food and Equipment across the Atlantic our uots needed to interfere with convoys Bound for British ports as well as muans and arang gelk we had to destroy the enemy at Sea before he could amass forces to invade Europe and we would accomplish this task with the help
Of the entire crew u230 was quickly dismantled for further repairs and at the end of our second day in Port was taken over by marine engineers at the shipyards taking care of the boat was only part of my hectic lifestyle for the first few days I continued to draw
Charts and prepare reports for sigman’s meetings with Admiral dennit the commander needed to travel for reports to Paris where dennit had stationed his headquarters in January after his appointment as commander of the Navy in addition I was doing paperwork work for a third of the crew going on leave
Despite the heavy workload I found time to think about Ivonne and paid her a surprise visit in the evening I arrived at the store where she worked with a bouquet of flowers but Ivonne was not there I didn’t want to involve the store owner in our personal affairs and
Believing that the girl had changed her place of work began to look for her in other book stores in the city but I couldn’t find her in any of them finally I went to her house where we had spent many nights together Ivon wasn’t there no one would even admit to knowing her
On my way back to town I slammed the bouquet against the stone wall certain that I would never see the girl again then obeying a sudden impulse I returned to the bookstore and asked the Proprietor in French pardon me mure where can I find Ivonne Ivonne ah Ivon
He said looking at me intently over his glasses then he said what I already knew she’s not here I repeated my question young man all I know is that she left eight or nine months ago as she said herself with her aunt in tulus but he
Gave me a meaning glance she was forced to leave the city you see she was persecuted for certain connections such things cannot be kept secret there was no animosity in the old man’s eyes just sadness I never heard anything more about Ivonne 2 Days Later the flotilla Commander organized a a
Celebration to Mark our return from a successful campaign at breakfast in the officer’s mess he announced the planned event and invited everyone to attend the celebration was to take place in the resort of Chateau Nerf which had been handed over to the flotilla the commander added with a smile I’ve
Provided a venue food drink a band for dancing your concern gentlemen is to secure your partners for the reception I found that finding Partners was not an easy task in a town full of Lodgers officers who had never been to Sea when the bus arrived to take us to the gala
The regulars filled it with pretty nurses and secretaries from administrative offices we the lone Heroes of the sea Voyage were forced to concentrate our trip on contemplating the blooming spring Landscapes of Britany after Sunset we arrived at the chatau a 17th century Castle nestled among sloping Hills there was no time to
Admire the Beautiful architecture and luxurious Furnishings of the Chateau the palace Hall was quickly filling up with guests and soon I was shaking hands with old friends and fellow students I hugged my college buddy Fred shriber the gala opened with a bravura March followed by French German and English Tunes French
Food and beverages of excellent quality were served the meal began early and ended late the dancing stopped well past midnight when the happy couples disappeared one after another other upstairs in rooms with velvet drapery and beds covered with silk sheets the drinking which most of us missed dearly
Continued until the wine and fatigue had knocked us off our feet excluding of course the few the staunchest I laid redell and shriber on the aristocratic bed then I made myself comfortable in a soft armchair after a grand reception in his honor Sigman a loyal family man went home to Hamburg on
His way he was to to report to the Admiral in Paris the officers my mates followed the captain’s example and left for home to spend a fortnight among their relatives I with part of the crew remained at breast unburdened by heavy duties during those Serene April days I
Was drawn to Country walks I visited the castle with pleasure splashed in its spacious deep baths got acquainted with the rich collection of ancient books went pheasant hunting with farmers who lived in the neighborhood I watched the buds of trees and bushes budding in the warm sea breezes the arrival of spring
Was felt everywhere one quiet evening new friends with whom I was socializing at the base introduced me to the peccant peculiarities of life in the harbor that evening we sipped cocktails at the flotilla bar played cards joked and told nautical anecdotes suddenly Foster had an epiphany listen folks how about a
Little party in town the night has just begun let’s end it at madame’s house let’s go to KB all together his proposal was well received it was addressed first of all to me as a newcomer to the officers companies of breast I asked shriber Fred what does this abbreviation
KB stand for shraer took a sip of Jin and smiling broadly said K stands for Casino b stands for bar a casino bar is a place where you can forget your Sorrows drink good french wine and enjoy the charms of the ladies all in a completely intimate
Setting so what is this a regular brothel call it what you want but I suggest you visit it we walked through the darkened City and stopped at an inconspicuous door with the letters KB illuminated by the dim light of a bulb the young leftenant rang the bell in a special way letting
Us know that we were the ones standing standing at the door an old woman opened the door jingling the latch she recognized some of my friends as the door opened I heard a woman’s laughter and the words of a French song coming from a phonograph I run day and night
The dim red lights gave the room an appropriate atmosphere as we piled into the bar there were cheers from both sides of the entrance my friends were responding in French hello Susan Janine good evening Pauline Simone oh good evening Madame a dozen Lively pretty girls greeted us with exaggerated
Enthusiasm Madame was a frail 30-year-old woman with a thick mop of black hair Fred noticing that I was looking at her said don’t touch Madame it’s against the rules no one has ever won her heart you’d better pay attention to the girls the female residents of the house
All between the ages of 20 and 30 were unfortunately outnumbered by the AR Ral of the officers of the first flotilla when the general excitement died down all the new arrivals were introduced to the lady of the house and according to custom exchanged with her a dignified kiss then the real fun began
The champagne sparkled in the glasses and the maidens swooned in our arms we danced to the soft music of the tape recorder sipped fizzy wine and tasted the sweetness of kissing Scarlet lips with such enthusiasm as if we had never done it before and would never have to
Do it again as the party continued our songs became more heartfelt our laughter more infectious and our maidens more seductive we consumed champagne in ever increasing quantities and soon our restraint faded as did the laces of the maidens I danced most of all with Janine who captivated me with her ardor I was
Waiting for the right moment to take her away from the party among the services of this establishment it turns out was another the chief mechanic of one of Ballard’s Subs asked Madame please show us one of your wonderful movies his request was greeted with Glee but gentlemen Madame protested
Isn’t it too late to show a movie the girls still have to be served nothing my dear balard reassured her the Knight is still young we’ve forgotten a lot about the art of Love while we’ve been at Sea first refresh our memory giving in to persuasion Madame gave in with a sigh
Like any mother I understand your feelings I put my arm around Janine’s waist grabbed a bottle of champagne and followed everyone up the stairs the Lights Went Out the projector buzzed and a pornographic movie began an hour of watching the tape was truly educational it clearly showed us that love without
Art is like a race car without a driver after the movie I came Out full of new ideas Janine was the first to capitalize on this lesson the morning came when I paid the concierge and stepped out into the fresh seab Breeze things went on as
Usual at the Navy base I did clerical work visited the dry dock to make sure the repair work was on schedule I met up with my friends from earlier in the war and visited former classmates at the first flotilla training Corps where I had trained in December 1941 I kept hearing about submarine
Warfare Aces who were returning from combat tours in a year of great successes of our submariners was not without great losses the growing scale of submarine warfare led to the deaths of many of my friends including new recruits who before they could cover themselves with loud Glory found a grave
At the bottom of the sea weeks of idle life in the harbor passed like April rains our pleasures and Amusements were but a feeble compensation for what we had experienced in the war we squandered Our Lives as best we could I frequented the places where britan’s Gourmet tastes were satisfied tasted Unforgettable
Lobster dishes at the local German restaurant see the commandant spent evenings relaxing by the fireplace in our country chatau then came a night out with Janine at the casino bar these were nights when the overflowing energy of Youth was tamed by Madam’s priestesses of Love nights when we forgot about war and Duty
During the silent Solitude of my room I thought a great deal and came to the conclusion that the war in the Atlantic was far from over pictures of the chaos and destruction that our attacks on convoys had caused came to life the rumble of bursting Torpedoes depth
Charges and air bombs deafened me these were the hours that made me Ponder why were promises us defeat after defeat the front line was getting closer and closer to the coast it was now only only two Howers Crossing from the harbor just west of where the ski and the Sea meet
There was a thin line between War and Peace in mid April the chief engineer returned from vacation when I saw friederick who still had not shaved off his beard in the officer’s dining room I came to greet him hello old boy how was the hero received at home to the drum
Beat and Brass trumpets did you notice I kept the beard the kids loved it so I decided to keep it on he said he spent most of his vacation traveling and visiting with relatives so he’s glad to be back on base I briefly and substantively told him about the
Condition of our sub and the surrounding circumstances in more general terms I described our adventures however when redell also a bachelor returned by the evening Express from Paris I did not hesitate to tell him the details of our easy life and elaborate love affairs soon all the vacation has returned having traveled
Halfway across Europe from home to the Navy base the commander arrived in good spirits the wrinkles he had acquired after his first combat tour had smoothed out gone was the bright red Viking beard 3 weeks of rest were followed by several days of intense activity the repair of
The boat was completed on schedule in 4 days the removed equipment was to be assembled my last night in Port was peaceful I was troubled only by thoughts about the fate of the future voyage and I tried to distract myself from them by writing letters I asked Maran to take
Care of herself and warned my parents that I would not be able to send them any news of myself for a long time about midnight I finished packing the New Order required us to write a will along with an inventory of the contents of our luggage I didn’t have
Much to leave to anyone but when I signed my will I felt as if I were signing my own death warrant I I wondered if I would be able to hold that envelope in my hands again or if someone else would open it to fulfill my last
Will on April 24th 1943 the u230 rocked on the waves in the shadow of her concrete shelter The Moorings had been removed from the ballards the boat’s crew lined up at the stern facing the seeing off party on the pier the submariners adorned themselves with flowers attached either to their Navy
Caps or to the loops of their Olive colored uniforms beneath them the oily water was whipped by propellers running in Reverse u230 smoothly set off from the concrete wall and stepped Stern first out of the Gloom of the shelter into the brightly shining Sun the second submarine U 456 separated
From another birth and went in the Keel of ours on her bridge I saw Forster an accomplice of madame’s party we greeted each other with a wave of of our hands then our boat picked up speed and the shore with its friends standing on it
Was left behind us as soon as we passed the center of the bay the boat was in military order in actions words and thoughts we acted as if we had never stepped into Port taken a vacation partied in a casino bar or lounged in the arms of women u230 was moving in
High cloud cover across the smooth surface of the bay at 7 17 knots U 4556 was on a parallel course 500 M to starboard the escort disappeared over the horizon the gray sky merged with the green sea we moved on carefully watching the radar readings our boat was equipped
With a new radar antenna an improved version of the biscan cross the bulky cross had to be retracted inside the boat during a dive while the new compact antenna was weld bued to the bridge Rail and would not deform when submerged since we left Port the radar
Had picked up only faint pulses when they became stronger the u230 made a routine dive a few seconds later the U 456 followed from that moment on we no longer kept in touch with the neighboring boat which went on its own route to a given Square during the night
We surfaced to try our luck at safe sailing and sped up u230 broad forward ventilating the rugged Hull with fresh air and recharging the batteries with the two diesel engines running in the distance the line between the Infinity of the night sky and the extent of the dark sea disappeared creating the
Illusion of motion in the universe our lone black boat was moving full speed between the sky and the Sea leaving large glowing whirlpools a perfect Landmark for the Vigilant pilot as the Diesels clattered measuredly I estimated how much longer we could keep moving in a surface position 17 minutes had passed
Then there was a sharp radar signal we were being pinged the submarine had gone under our nights turned into days and days into nights we spent hours inside the dark Hool of the boat illuminated by the dim light of a few lamps nights spent on the bridge were as black as tar
We Advanced listening to the noise of the engineers of enemy aircraft and looking out into the Black Sea waves always ready to dodge the floating mines that were dropped by enemy Pilots with frightening frequency during the day we moved at a depth of 40 m listening to the distant
Noise of enemy planes the jolts of AIC and the explosions of depth bombs after April was replaced by may we reached the black hole a Zone where no enemy aircraft had so far penetrated the radar pulses gradually quieted down and we dared to surface the sea again to the
Sunlight after 6 days of playing cat and mouse with the Enemy after dodging the devilish Ingenuity of the British which alternately put us in a State of Shock despair fear and anger the sun seemed to me a garor of safety the bright light allowed a weeder
Field of observat I hope it reing on my eite and metho that we could detect enemy planers at a safe distancer passing the 15th degree west longitude we reported to headquarters that we had made a safe passage across the bay of bisc 4 hours later the base acknowledged reception of our
Radiogram in turn redell received and decoded the new orders from headquarters move into the grid Square VD 95 expect a convoy heading east this operational area was well south of the northern storm area where we had sailed during the winter I figured that here would be more favorable conditions for torpedo
Attacks and Convoy hunting the nervous tension we had experienced in crossing the Bay of bisque received a release soon came beautiful spring Days unmarred by the appearance of enemy aircraft May 2nd the weather is excellent in the calm sea Sunny glare at 1408 redell detected behind the southern Horizon quickly
Moving single Target at full speed we hurried in the direction intersecting with the ship’s mean course after a 3-hour race to get the transport on the horizon we leisurely went underwater having plenty of time until the vessel appeared an hour later our hopes of a first torpedo attack were not realized
The vessel was identified as a Swedish transport on the Philadelphia route the safety of which for the neutrals was guaranteed by Germany after the swed was allowed to leave we received a radiogram from one of our boats Convoy a y87 course Northeast sank two transports with a tonnage of 13,000 tons continuing
Pursuit U1 192 grid square a yu87 was between newfinland and Greenland outside the limits of the area allotted to us we left the Convoy to the Wolves patrolling this Square on May 5th u230 sailed the sea in the assigned Square in the morning we received a radiogram that
Confirmed our worst fears Riel handed me the deciphered text of the radiogram in complete silence Destroyer Attack tonum U 638 that message was the last sign of life for U 638 we heard nothing more from the submarine 2 hours later a new radiogram was hurriedly decoded attacked by
Destroyers depth bombs abandoning boat U 531 this second distress signal led us to the disturbing conclusion that the battle for the convoys was accompanied by unusually effective countermeasures to protect them on the part of the enemy May the 6th it was still dark when a new radiogram was sent from the scene
Of the battle attacked by a patrolman tonum u438 this third death notice made us Furious and perplexed what caused this flood of radiograms notifying us only about the death of submarines but here is another radiogram attack from the air depth Bobbers rammed by a destroyer tonum U 25 fourth loss
Our anger turned to shock May 7th u230 extremely cautiously cruising Under The Starry Sky intercepted the last radiogram of the Day Air Attack tonum 4 47 S5 Vu 663 I found the location of the submarine’s demise on our softened navigation chart and marked it with a
Black cross in the center of the Bay of bisc the fifth submarine sent to the bottom in 3 days but 7 hours later I was forced to increase the casualty figure when in response to requests from headquarters to report their coordinates U92 and U 531 failed to respond they met their Doom attacking
That very Convoy southeast of Greenland May 10th sunny day we arrived at the assigned Square occupying a small area in the center of the Atlantic it was supposed that here we would intercept the Convoy previously reported along with us in the Ambush were six submarines many more were in
The space between our quadrant and the British Isles u45 F6 our partner when leaving breast disappeared somewhere in an unknown known Direction the number of participants in the Ambush was determined May 11th another obituary from the Bay of bisque attacked from the air tonum U 528 we were Furious and now were eager
To avenge our comrades H hundredfold an hour later we received as a sign of consolation operational instructions from headquarters all submarines in the grid Square VD to go to intercept the Convoy moving in an easterly Direction in BD 91 attack the Convoy at your own discretion u230 immediately moved at
Full speed on a new course the boats bow cleaved the surface of the sea leaving sparkling Fountains at the edges preparing for battle I ordered a thorough inspection of all Torpedoes May 12th at 0400 when I went up on watch the whole crew was gripped with excitement at 0540 at dawn prer
Sent some signal flares to report our position to the other subs at 0620 he reported from below that we were on the estimated average course of the Convoy I reduced the speed of the boat and turned it Westward toward the Convoy which was cautiously advancing Before Sunrise the
Eastern Horizon had turned a blood red color only a dark line remained to the West 0615 the sun popped out of the ocean in a huge wall of fire at this impressive moment I saw a dark spot to the Southwest a convoy I called Sigman to the bridge and
Said my present to you here Capitan thank you EXO that’s encouraging news at last we watched the dark spot grow in volume soon the commander turned the boat Stern to the black gray Fountains of smoke on the horizon to the westward three M tops grew distinctly showings elves completely from behind
The Horizon the three ships appeared to be escorts M sweepers going in front of the Convoy following a zigzag course they approached us bouncing like marionettes on an empty stage we slowly pulled back to the east keeping a safe distance and trying to determine the Convoy’s course so 638 the tops of the
Masts dotted a large part of the Horizon Smoke Stacks appeared behind them these were the transports we were hunting for in the first first place a mighty formation of masts and chimneys Rose higher and higher out of the sea we were in a perfect position to attack almost
At the head of the column within an hour I estimated we would have a chance to hit quite a few targets 0655 sigman’s command clear the bridge dive I was in the deck house when the alarm sounded 5 minutes later the boat dived underwater the commander sitting behind
The periscope briefed the crew over the intercom system We Came Upon an extremely numerous Convoy maybe there are more than 100 transports in it we will attack in a submerged position I don’t need to remind you that this is not a Sunday stroll I hope you will do
Everything possible for the success of the operation then he turned off the Periscope motor o75 we don’t see a convoy yet Sigman ordered to prepare torpedo tubes for firing O7 tahen I reported the boat’s combat Readiness to the heavy Rumble of the moving Convoy going deep into the ocean
0716 the acquisti gave us news that upset our plans to attack the Convoy in a submerged position the Convoy has apparently changed course the frequency band has moved to 31 the commander obviously annoyed by the message moved his Periscope up to catch sight of the passing Convoy sound waves from the
Rotating propellers of the escorts and transports hit the hull of the boat it was as if countless native drums were rumbling damn Convoy Sigman cursed it’s zigzagging Northeast there’s at least a dozen patrolmen on its right flank the Convoy was moving at 11 knots u230 followed a parallel course remaining
Invisible to his outer guard and unwilling to attack in full view of the Destroyers the rhythmic Rumble of a 100 propellers penetrated through the tough steel shell of our boat traveling inside it the commander vacated his seat at the Periscope growling take a look EXO if our boat had traveled faster I could
Have dealt with this Convoy without difficulty I took the captain’s seat 7 miles off to Port a spectacular Panorama opened up a forest of masts and tubes of transports mov moved across the Horizon at least a dozen destroyers elegantly furrowed the green waves of the sea no
Less than two dozen Patrol Boats were swirling around the head and tail parts of the Convoy impressed by what I saw I said to the captain what a power it seems to be the biggest of all convoys you may be right but since we’re so close to this Armada our Torpedoes can’t
Miss it was necessary to get a safe distance from the Convoy before risking a surfacing to get to the anle of attack the rumbling of propellers the heavy whoosh of Pistons the howling of turbines and the clicking pulses of the atic accompanied our stealthy Maneuvers for almost 2 hours we went diagonally
Away from the steel Giants 9:15 u230 surfaced climbing onto the bridge when the boat was still not completely out of the water I hastily looked around far to the Northeast masts and smoke stacks were moving along the clear horizon line that separated the stoken and the sky u230 took a parallel
Course expecting to get ahead of the Convoy before dusk redell radioed the headquarters and other submarines a message Convoy in the Square BD 92 course Northeast speed two knots strong combat escort we have surfaced to go to the angle of attack u230 e955 a frightened cry behind my back air
Plane I saw a twin engine flying machine dive at us from the direction of the sun we were taken by surprise alert we were blown into the Wheelhouse the boat instantly disappeared under the water in this moment of Maximum danger and minimum possibility of avoiding it only
A miracle chance luck which had so far saved the boat crew from Death could save us four bursts of dropped bombs and Powerful explosions shook tons of of water above and around us the boat shuddered and began to sink with a trim of 60° as the fall continued water splashed
Furiously steel clanked spars creaked valves popped deck plates jumped in the light of the flickering lamps I could see the amazement in the rounded eyes of the men and they had reason to wonder the sudden attack seemed mystical where had that airplane come from its range did not allow it to cover
The distance between the nearest point on land and the middle of the Atlantic the inevitable conclusion was that the Convoy had its own Air Force as hard as it was to believe the fact remained as part of the Convoy was an aircraft carrier on which the enemy planes landed after overflying the areas
Of the sea adjacent to the route of transports the idea of air support for convoys knocked the basis out from under our concept of submarine warfare now we could not count on the suddenness of the attack and the ability to stealthily evade Pursuit 10:35 u230 surfaced at Periscope
Depth careful review of the sky through the reserve Periscope did not find the enemy aircraft we quickly ascended to the surface the hunt resumed we moved stubbornly forward despite the nervous tension the engines were running at full speed I concentrated on watch the sky with only occasional glances at the
Dense forest of masts and pipes on the horizon white hulks of clouds floated across the sky at midheight driven by a sharp Westerly wind it pelted the deck with waves and at intervals tossed wisps of seaf foam onto the bridge 11 burs I detected a glint of metal in the
Gap between the clouds it was a small airplane preparing to dive on us alert four bombs exploding 50 seconds later nearby convinced us that the plane was being flown by an experienced pilot the shock waves shook the boat friederick stopped its fall at a depth of 180 M then straightened the Keel of
The boat and raised it to Periscope depth 11:25 u230 surfaced we rushed forward and rushed after the Convoy with grim determination obeying the hunting Instinct continued the pursuit despite the constant threat from the air we could not be stopped by the constant bombardment we carried on at the utmost
Speed in defiance of fear and Reon forward only forward to the hi part of the Convoy 1142 alert an airplane U 2230 went underwater four explosions tried her for strength but the boat withstood this severe test while we were waiting waiting for the airplane to fly away our hearts were pounding frantically
12.04 we surfaced amidst increased sea excitement and moved forward despite the rocking the Convoy moved to the northwest of us despite constant air attacks we kept up with it I noticed two escorts on the horizon but the main danger was above the clouds dipped lower and closed in covering the last gaps in
The blue sky 12 to8 From Below on the bridge received a message for the captain just received a radiogram attacked by an airplane tonum u89 the news again threw us into shock with horror I tried to imagine what would happen to us when the explosions split the hull of the boat
127 alert an airplane a Stern U 230 once again went underwater and began to quickly gain depth biting my lip I waited for the bombardment in 45 seconds four explosions thoroughly shook the boat every second of delay in diving during the airplane attack brought us
Closer to the Convoy but if we were even a second late in going underwater the aerial bombardment would have ended our hunt and our lives too 12:30 we surfaced again this time the there were only three of us on the bridge the captain the chief sailor and
Me we raced forward though the thought of possible death depressed us for an hour 1315 a twin engine plane suddenly dropped out of a low Cloud just 800 M A Stern it was too late to dive after a second stuper Sigman commanded right Rudder I retreated to
The rear of the bridge to fire at the plane from the anti-aircraft craft gun the Sailor took up the second anti-aircraft gun as it approached the airplane rapidly increased in size while the boat was turning Portside it spiked toward us firing machine gun fire at the open rear of the bridge neither the
Sailor nor I was able to fire a single shot our anti-aircraft guns were jammed the plane dropped four bombs I thought they were falling right on top of me then the pilot roared over the bridge so low that I felt the heat from the exhaust pipe of the Flying Machine four
Bombs exploded alternately along the starboard side huge Fountains of water rained down on me and the Sailor standing by the anti-aircraft guns u230 staying afloat continued to move forward cutting through the waves the airplane having used up its ammunition turned around and flew towards the Convoy 1323 the radio operator informed the
Captain about the urgent radiogram we are attacked by an airplane we can’t dive underwater we’re sinking 45s 25 by provide assistance ooh 456 prer clarify the coordinates responded the captain maybe we can save the crew of U 456 the captain’s desire to save his comrades was like suicide we were close
To death ourselves but the main thing is to help had we been in U 456 is position we would have expected the same seconds later Prager reported U 456 is only 12 M away bearing 15° starboard the commander immediately changed course 1350 we spotted an airplane circling 4
Miles ahead then I saw through binoculars the nose of U 456 sticking out above the surface of the sea the boat’s crew members were trying to hold on to the slippery deck by Gras in the steel cable that stretched from the bow to the bridge many were standing in
Water up to their ankles the airplane continued to Circle over the sinking boat it would have been Reckless of us to approach the U 456 in such an environment attempts to save the boat were hampered by another danger a patrol boat appeared from The Horizon behind
Our Stern apparently it was called by an airplane now we ourselves could die you 230 turned away from the plane escort and U 4556 we hurried behind the Convoy 1422 there’s an airplane a Stern again we were late with the dive a single engine airplane flew at low altitude in
A straight line in our Keel I pulled the trigger on the anti-aircraft gun it jammed again I kicked the magazine box with my foot clearing the obstruction then fired at the approaching Target the Sailor did the same the boat turned starboard avoiding the bombs the pilot
Forcing the work of the engine made a circle and began to dive at us from the front he was flying very low when the airplane’s engine rumbled and stopped the machine collapsed One Wing into a high wave the other Wing at the same time striking our light Hull the pilot
Threw himself out of his cockpit making a sign with his hand that he needed help I then saw him blown to Pieces by the same four bombs that were intended for us four powerful shocks from the starboard side shook the boat however we still managed to safely leave the scene
Of the tragedy the demise of the airplane must have disrupted the schedule of enemy aircraft Stiers minute after minute pass it without attacks from the air at full speed U2 red towards the Convoy about an hour later we reach at the angli of intersection with its courses 1545 a message from the
Radio Room diminished our Jubilation over safe Skies attack attacked by depth charges from three destroyers tonum U 186 this was our 11th loss since the beginning of our campaign the scale of the naval disaster seemed to be growing nevertheless we did not have time to grieve over the death of battle comrades
Which a thousand times seen in his imagination every Submarina 16 or rout u230 approached the Convoy I saw four Columns of transports creeping in the same direction in the southwestern part of the Horizon we had to disrupt their course to make gaps in these steel minations
1603 Plain on course 3 to2 we quickly went underwater almost simultaneously four explosions went off pushing the boat further down and causing the vertical and horizontal Rudders to stall when they were required to work a few minutes later more explosions rang out nearby challenging our pursuers however Sigman ordered the boat raised to
Periscope depth he extended the Periscope but immediately lowered it down cursing damn it this guy dropped a smoke bomb and stained the water yellow even though our dive site was marked with paint the captain ordered us to attack the Convoy before the escorts could drop depth bombs the thumping of
The asdic pulses the deafening bursts of depth bombs nearby and the rumble of the Convoy’s hundreds of ship engines provided a grim backdrop to our attack 16 38 the Periscope is up the command sounded torpedo tubes from the 1 to the fifth to fire shove apparatus’s one
Through five to fire ready I quickly replied and froze in anticipation Zigman turned the Periscope to see what was happening on the opposite side and suddenly shouted urgent dive glav May for God’s sake hide her quickly the Destroyer is ready to Ram us down to 200 M I was almost certain that the
Destroyer was about to crash into our deck house as soon as the boat disappeared under the water the steel hull was hit by the sound waves of the Destroyer thunderous Rumble of engines and propellers the rumbling increased so rapidly and was so defening that we froze in place u230 continued to sink
But was sinking too slowly for us to escape the dangerous effects of the depth bomb explosions a terrible explosion scattered the seawater a series of of six charges whipped the boat threw her out of the water and lowered her to the Sea surface at the mercy of four British
Destroyers the U 230s propellers were spinning at top speed for a second everything went silent the British froze in amazement it seemed like an eternity until the time when the bow of the boat plunged into the water and it began to go deeper and deeper to the bottom of the ocean a new
Series of depth bombs lifted the stern u230 losing control spinning falling to the bottom with a trim of 60° the boat went to a depth of 250 M before Friedrich managed to stop the fall moving underwater at a depth of 230 M We Believe belied that we were just
Under the bombing zone of the enemy and hurried to get out of the Zone once again we were doomed to languish in the conditions of Maximum possible immersion 16 57 distinctly audible splashes on the surface of the ocean informed us of the dropping of a new series of depth bombs
24 Warheads exploded one after another at Short intervals a deafening murmur came over our boat the blast wave again pushed her sharply to the bottom of the ocean while the endless echo of the explosions rolled through the water column 17 to 16 a new burst of ordinance
Deafened us and brought us to a standstill under the effect of the blast wave the boat gave a strong roll steel hull rattled and creaked valves opened Rudder Bala gaskets leaked and soon the bottom of the stern filled with water the pumps pumped relentlessly ly the Periscope gaskets loosened and water
Entered the cylinders water flowed everywhere under its weight the boat was sinking into the depths meanwhile the Convoy was dragging right over her 1740 the rumbling had reached its limit an unexpected Splash warned us that we had 10 to 15 seconds to catch our breath before another series of explosions they
Almost got us as The Echoes of the explosions spread in the ocean depths the bulk of the Convoy leisurely passed the place where our boat had been tortured I imagined the transports bypassing the group of escorts that had tried to destroy us perhaps we should
Have taken the risk of a deeper dive I did not know where its limit was at the level at which the steel hull could burst under the pressure of the Water Mass nor did anyone else those who designed the boat tried not to talk about it for several hours we endured
The exhortation and gradually went into the depths explosions of a series of 24 Warheads shook our boat every 20 minutes one day it seemed to us that the torture was over it happened just as the escorts turned to take their places in the Convoy’s combat guard but our hope of rescue did not
Live long the hunters only conceded the right to finish us off to another group of escorts following in the taale of the Armada of transports 20 ewab A New bombardment U to Thea followed by a second third we hovered helplessly at a depth of 265 M our nerves were
Stretched like a string skin and muscles lost sensitivity from the cold nervous tension and fear the numbing Agony of waiting robbed us of our sense of time and appetite the bottom of the boat was filled with water fuel oil and urine our wash basins were shut tight to use them
Would have meant instant Doom for the tremendous external pressure would have prevented the regulation of the water flow canned food was handed out for the crew to bolster their strength to the smell of waste sweat and diesel fuel was added the stench of decomposing electrolyte water droplets condensed on
The cold surface of the steel hull from the high humidity which dripped down into the bottom flowed through the pipelines and soaked the clothes at midnight the captain realized that the British would not stop their bombardment and ordered insulating gas masks to be distributed to make it
Easier for the men to breathe soon each Submariner hung a large metal box on his chest with a rubber hose going to his mouth as well as a nose clip still we hoped for the best May 13th by R1 100 over 200 depth bombs had been dropped on us several
Times we resorted to subugu we periodically released a mass of air bubbles the clusters of bubbles Carried Away by the current reflected the pulses of the AIC as a large compact Mass however the hunters fell for the ruse only twice and both times they left at least one escort directly above us
Having failed we gave up the game and concentrated on conserving our strength compressed air and dwindling oxygen reserves four oo the boat had sunk to 275 M for 12 hours now we had been bombarded without any hope of rescue May 13th was my birthday and I asked myself
If this day would be my last how long could I count on luck oate oo the bombardment did not Abate the water level in the bottom Rose above the slabs the water splashed at my feet at this depth pumps pumping water from the bottom were useless after each
Explosion the chief engineer pumped some compressed air into the tanks to ensure that they remained buoyant 12 Leu differential of the submerged boat increased sharply our supply of compressed air was threateningly reduced and the boat sank even lower 20 ye The stuffiness increased the more so because we were breathing through insulating gas
Masks the Devil Himself seemed to be pounding on the steel hull of the boat which creaked and creaked under the incredible pressure 22 bow as dusk fell the bombardment intensified the Furious attacks the time interval between which was shortening showed that the enemy was losing patience May 14 at midnight we
Approached the limit of survival of the boat and crew we had reached a depth of 280 M and continued to dive I began to make my way through the center path message pushing and rocking the men keeping them awake anyone who fell asleep might never wake up again Z3
To the rumble of bombardment continued however without results we were more threatened by the water pressure than by the depth charges as the Rumblings of the last explosion faded away there was the noise of the propellers of the departing escorts for a long time we listened to it unable to believe that
The tomies had stopped hunting 04 and 30 lay for over an hour we remained sealant we couldn’t believe our luck we had to be on the safe side we turned on the desalin which rose on running Motors above sea level no response from above using the rest of the compressed air and
Battery power the EXO managed to raise the boat meter by meter then unable to control the rise of the boat Friedrich let it float free wailing the boat pops up quickly 50 m the boat is on the surface u230 has made its way to fresh air and life we rushed to the
Bridge we were surrounded by the inexpressible beauty of night sky and ocean Stars sparkled brightly in the night sky a light Breeze was blowing the feeling of rebirth was complete just a moment ago we could not believe that we would stay alive after all death had
Held us in in its iron Embrace for 35 horrible hows the fresh oxygen rich air had a fatle effect on me almost unconscious I knelt down on my knees and pushed myself against the rail of the brdge I remained like that for a long time before my strength returned to me
The commander recovered quickly and we congratulated each other on our miraculous Deliverance then Sigman commanded medium ahead course 180 ventilate the boat all hands to stations he decided to try his luck again the boat’s engines started again since the Convoy had long gone ahead we headed for
The place from where we had started to pursue it the Pistons of the Diesels pounded encouragingly recharging our dead batteries and propelling the boat toward another Sunrise the water from the bottom was pumped out the fuming air weathered and the collected waste thrown overboard when the darkness cleared and
Day came the u230 was ready for for battle again still reeling from the terrible bombardment and lingering in the cold depths of the ocean we took stock of the battle three subs from our group had been sunk over 100 Allied ships had passed us and we had failed to
Destroy a single one it was now to be expected that some 700,000 tons of ammunition would be safely delivered to the British Isles that was terrible the day promised good luck prager’s Stout figure climbed Before Sunrise onto the bridge and fired a few flares from a rocket launcher I lit a cigarette and
Watched the rising luminary the sky changed color from dark blue to purple then from Scarlet to blood red I remembered an old saying a red sky in the morning portend an early death I wonder what the coming day is preparing for us SE 710 smoke ahead reported the chief
Sailor all binoculars were directed to a dark spot on the horizon line from the southwest side there was no doubt it was the second Convoy at that moment it seemed to me that the escorts of the first Convoy deliberately left us knowing that sooner or later we would be
Occupied by destroyers following in the combat guard of the second Convoy r720 u230 went under water the crew which had not slept for at least 70 hours tiredly went to their places their faces turned pale from The Experience their cheeks sunken their eyes bloodshot wandering glances testified to the
Realization that the conditions of the campaign had changed dramatically under these conditions the submariners risked being at the bottom of the ocean with no hope of returning to HomePort I walked through the compartments to encourage the guys Pat them on the shoulders joke encourage them 0745 a voice sounded in the intercom
Acoustician reports to the captain from the starboard side of the wandering noise of the propeller the enemy must be heading east not North the commander muttered a swear word turned the Periscope found nothing and ordered to surface it dawned on me that the current situation was clearly a copy of what we
Had experienced 3 days earlier 0750 Sigman and I went up to the bridge and after making sure that there was no threat from the air began to follow the Convoy apparently the convoys of transports were taking a zigzag course moving away from us just as the previous
Convoy had done what appeared to be easy prey suddenly slipped from our grasp without delay we began the hunt 080 airplane On the Sunny Side a quick dive made us Out Of Reach of the bombs glav immed immediately raised the boat and we went on at Periscope depth the airplane took off
After a few seconds Sigma unfolded the Periscope handles waited for it to slide down and grumbled angrily damn them those birds the plane dropped a smoke bomb let’s get the hell out of here chief engineer emergency surfacing 832 u230 hurried to the east away from the thick black smoke that marked our
Location to the right a Stern a cluster of transports exposed their masts and smoke stacks the patrolman and destroyers were zigzagging strictly coordinating their Maneuvers 855 attacked twin engine aircraft from the stern in a few seconds u230 went underwater four explosions scattered the sea waves 09.15 resurfaced and followed Straight
Ahead Sigman was handed a sad radiogram on the bridge attacked by an air plane tonum U 657 again each submarin thought about how much time would pass before we too would be sent to the Creator 10:05 alert as if by Magic an airplane appeared the u230 quickly dived under
The water when the rumble of explosions subsided the boat moved on WE surfaced and dived several times dodging the bombs the boat shook Shook and vibrated under the brutal bombardment as a result of the merciless attacks it slowly deteriorated rivets broke bolts and nuts cracked the steel hull shattered spars
Bent and yet it remained controllable the commander firmly led her to the angle of attack at Sunset sigman’s persistence in pursuit of the Convoy seems to have been rewarded hiding from escorts Over the Horizon we were several miles ahead of the Convoy but then the flying devil forced us to
Dive underwater again as the Convoy moved forward with noise and rumbling the boat’s crew quickly took their places and froze in anticipation with unwavering determination I put the Torpedoes on alert my hopes of a speedy attack however were dashed amidst the D of the approaching Convoy three escorts somehow managed to
Spot our dive site an alarmed Sigman commanded attention dive to 200 M prepare for bombardment a few seconds later the hunters dropped their deadly payload lus the solid portion of ammunition produced an explosion of such tremendous power that it surpassed anything we had experienced before the Frantic shaking
Of the boat was followed by total darkness I was thrown back against the steel cbles of the periscop directing the beam of my flashlight at the depth go I was horrified to find that its pointers swung sharply down wall I saw the two Sailors in charge of the horizontal Rudders hang panic-stricken
From the steering wheels heard the Commander’s desperate commands and the shocking splash of water thus Rose the curtain over another long Act of tragedy repeating the scenes of torture to which we had just been subjected up above where the hunters were dusk descended the wind subsided
And the surface of the ocean C armed as a result the bombardment intensified the bursts of powerful Warheads made the ocean Rumble we were shaking with cold and sweating with fear we were feverish as death approached at night the poisonous fumes of the batteries filled the hull of the boat
Half poisoned we were in a sort of semiconscious state and when the sun rose our pursuers resumed their bombardment dropping more than 300 Warheads however they did not not achieve their goal u230 remained afloat at a depth of almost 280 M at noon we found that the boat completely lost the ability to
Drift and we had no oxygen left now the choice between suicide and surrender was to be made in a desperate attempt to delay death or captivity for an hour Friedrich pumped some compressed air into the middle tank of the ballast the hissing of air attracted the attention of the
Hunters another explosion of incredible Force dragged the boat upward as soon as the compressed air in the ballast tanks ran out she began to rise rapidly but then another set of ammunition exploded hitting the starboard side of the boat hard and sending it back to the bottom
We crawled up the center aisle to spread our weight evenly even though we were sure of the imminent end then the u230 leveled off smoothly at the 300 M depth gauge Mark and began to vibrate in death convulsions the men gripped rubber hoses with their mouths sucking in hot air
From the filters of the potach tank and coughing continuously 8 minutes later a set of six Warheads exploded a Stern then all went quiet for more than an hour there was no asdic pulse no Telemetry signal no sound from above having crossed the threshold of survivability we tried to
Provoke the Tommy to detect its Presence by hitting the hull of the boat with a sledgehammer however there was no reaction from above u230 began a slow Ascent 1955 finally the hatch cover opened Zigman and I were literally carried to the bridge by the huge over pressure
Formed in the hull the sun’s Rays hit our eyes an abundance of fresh air and no sign of the Enemy Within sight after a careful review of the sky and sea we got busy assessing the damage the boat had sustained from the bombardment the AF fuel tank was smashed fuel oil
Was leaking out of it leaving a treacherous oily plume in the Keel to the enemy the large oily stain was indisputable evidence of a direct hit on the boat that’s why the British abandoned us nevertheless the boat sustained heavy damage two tanks were ruptured the starboard Rudder baller
Bent the foundation under the diesel burst not to mention countless smaller damages most of the diesel fuel was lost continuing the voyage was impossible even returning to base became problematic at 2105 redell transmitted a radiogram to headquarters informing him of our condition and the powerful enemy anti-submarine defenses in the middle of
The Atlantic he also reported that two convoys had passed us preventing us from firing even one torpedo however the chances we missed to increase the score of sunk enemy ships did not compare with our un expected rescue only the special favor of Providence allowed us to stay alive
While many other boats perished at the bottom of the sea on the evening of May 15th at the close of the 4-day battle the loss of U 456 as well as two other Boats were confirmed u266 and U 753 never again responded to headquarters request for their coordinates the outcome of the battle
Was the loss of six boats the seventh sustain ained damage that rendered her unfit this was a disaster the second in May 1943 u230 was being dragged Eastward across the vast expanse of the Atlantic fortunately for two days in a row no airplanes had been caught however the
Silence was marred by a number of tragic radiograms from other subs their deciphering became part of our daily work a pile of radiograms grew on the Captain’s Table attacked by an airplane tonum U 463 Convoy Pursuit terminated attacked by an airplane U6 l40 attacked by Destroyer tonum U1 128 Destroyer
Aircraft unable to dive U 5228 attacked by an airplane we’re sinking U 6426 these boats were gone forever thoughts of the inevitability of our own Doom drilled into us more insistently the more we intercepted distress radiograms there were hours at Best days left before the enemy would
Catch up up with us and send us to Eternal rest in a steel coffin May 8 and 18th at dawn we received an order to refuel from the U 634 submarine in the grid of the be 81 quadrant May 19th the British managed two direct hits U 954 and U 273 were
Sunk almost simultaneously the text of the radiogram sent by both subs was the same only the places of their deaths are different May 21st u230 patrolled for several hours at the agreed rendevu point at 1315 when we were already beginning to doubt the existence of U 634 and I bore spotted
The boat in 40 minutes we stood next to its side I found out that the commander of U 634 was dalhouse my old buddy from our joint service in Holland where we trolled mines we threw rubber hoses from boat to boat drifting down wind at the
Same time using pumps 15 Tons of diesel fuel was pumped into our tanks refueling took almost 2 hours in helpless nervous anticipation of an air raid but no airplanes appeared it was with great relief that we moved away from the U 634 both boats set course for breast May
23rd u230 crossed the 15th west longitude on the approaches to the Bay of bisc Purgatory for our submarines we intercepted new distress radiograms a radiogram from u91 informed us that they had seen u75 attacked and sunk by air strikes none of her crew was saved at 10:40 we made an emergency dive before
The British Sunderland aircraft attacked no radar pulses were picked up apparently the pilot was relying on his own eyesight this attack was the beginning of a Six-Day nightmare under the cover of Darkness the U 230’s maximum speed was only 12 knots we made Seven emergency Dives were attacked 28
Times with aerial bombs and sets of warheads by Dawn the boat’s crew was stunned stunned and exhausted we hid underwater for the day May 24th apparently the British were aware that two subs were on route to Port their planes including landbased four engine bombers seemed to be after us
Specifically we went under nine times that night and experienced a total of 36 aerial bombardments May 25th 3 hours after Dawn we entered the deadly danger zone of enemy air patrols moving water in absolute silence we managed to elude him through a rain of endless merciless and predatory pulses of
Asic an hour before midnight the boat surfaced but was detected by an airplane that was waiting for us during the first attack four sets of warheads shook our boat violently suddenly there was a flash at the rear of the center post a fan of Sparks sprinkled in the cramped space we
Were enveloped in puffs of noxious smoke the boat was on fire it seemed impossible to get her to surface and we were doomed to perish the round hatches of the two bulkheads were closed several men with fire extinguishers began to put out the fire u230 was thrown to the
Surface where only seconds ago the airplane had dropped its devilish calling card to us clouds of Thick Smoke choked us the fire was leaping from wall to wall I pressed my handkerchief to my mouth and followed the captain into the deck house the boat leveled off we hurried to the bridge someone threw
Ammunition for our gun on the deck the Portside diesel engine started flames burst from the gun whale hatch we moved through the night like a burning torch finally the crew managed to put out the fire inside the hull that night we were attacked from the air seven more times
28 aerial bombs were dropped on us May 26th the fourth day of our struggle to get back to port and hence rescue we moved at a depth of 40 m listening to the bursts of depth bombs echoing many miles to the West this continued throughout the day at 10 10:30 p.m. we
Surfaced the night was very dark for over an hour the radar picked up no signals then we saw a large spot of light hanging in the sky it grew at an insane rate Illuminating the bridge with blinding daylight a four engine Liberator was roaring toward us firing machine guns the submarine roared toward
The rapidly approaching light the flying giant roared over the bridge and disappeared into the night Darkness us showering the bridge with Sparks and blowing a wave of hot air at us four bombs exploded spreading a deafening Roar after each explosion I was thrown upwards a few minutes later we heard
From below the boat is controllable ready to dive when u230 dived to a safe depth Sigman broke into the radio room to the radio operator who failed to warn us about the radar readings gner what the hell’s the matter are you asleep you you almost got us
Killed her Capitan there was no radar reading objected the radio operator and our radar is fine don’t tell me fairy tales ker Sigman said indignantly the fate of the crew is in your hands if you make another mistake we’ll be in trouble May 27th we surfaced depleted of power and
Oxygen nervous tension was at its highest point my body was shaking my mouth was dry it seemed to me that we would not survive another attack if it came in the next minute however for a long time we were accompanied only by the murmur of the diesel engine and the noise of the
Ventilation unit the gentle period of time lasted only an hour suddenly the light of a search light illuminated the bridge its beam Shone from the stern side on the starboard side again the giant Liberator was descending to fire on the boat its bullets passed Cent cers
Above our heads then the plane sped off into the night turning off its search lights four bomb bursts raised Fountains of water into the air the boat shook violently but there was no damage we immediately went underwater when I escorted the commander to the cabin he unbuttoned his salt covered leather
Tunic and raising his head up said I admit EXO that our radar didn’t pick up any pulses our metho seems to be in good order the British must have used a new type of radar that’s the only explanation for what happened we were shocked first an aircraft carrier in a
Convoy now a new electronic gimmick that allowed the British to detect us without revealing themselves it no longer made sense for the subs to move underwater during the day and in a surface position at night we would have to change our tactics and move in a surface position
During the day when the enemy was visible to the naked eye destroying him in daylight is better than being blown to pieces at night at 0720 we Surfer said but we’re not at all sure that our hopes of a final 170 m passage to Port were realizable four Sunderland and five
Liberators were sighted nine times we plunged into the water and nine times surfaced continuing forward at noon we reached the continental shelf at night we informed the headquarters that we would arrive at the meeting point with the escort M sweeper the next morning at 8 to Z then
We went underwater with thoughts that in this new war at Sea we have no more chances for Success on May 28th at 12:40 u230 entered the inner bay of breast to those who met her on the pier she gave a vivid idea of the ordeal we had to go through
The stern of the boat was mostly flooded the superstructure was badly damaged we were not greeted by a military band playing bravour marches only girls with bouquets of flowers reminded us of the heroic campaign the commander of the ninth flotilla and his Entourage were shocked we were hurried without ceremony
To the military compound and led to the reception hall where the land lers did a good job of making our return to base a joyous one after the reception I returned to my room the same room I had left 5 weeks earlier my belongings had already been delivered from Storage when
I opened the envelope with my will taken out of my valiz I felt overwhelmed with joy I had survived in my mail I found only two letters from maranne they gave me many unfamiliar thoughts I was distracted from them by a small package from home mom had sent a homemade
Birthday cake it had been waiting for me for four weeks hardened and crumbling but I wanted to honor my mother’s belief in her son’s longevity I ate a piece of cake cake two days of busy work in the port dismantling the boat’s equipment and
Moving it to a dry dock did not allow me to reflect on the reasons for the failure of our trip but I had to reflect the next morning I happened to be on the pier when the U 634 finally returned to the Bay 3 days after us this time I
Added a firm handshake to my thanks for Dal hu’s help nevertheless I finally managed to suppress the painful thoughts and feelings I tried to forget that death had constantly accompanied me during the month of May with the irrepressible energy of Youth I plunged into the turbulent and changeable life
In the harbor I joined in the casino bar with my friends who were fortunate enough to be back from a camping trip we celebrated birthdays danced with all of madame’s beauties she had updated her contingent with several exotic Blooms of varying colors from white to Yellow to Chocolate Janine was as enchanting as
Ever the that she gave love to others in my absence didn’t matter after all it could have been the last hours of love and the lives of my comrades in fact submarine warfare was turning into an endless funeral procession for us the Allies had dealt us a counterstroke of unprecedented
Force at Sea the British and Americans built up their forces slowly but steadily they increased the fleet of fast Patrol ships built several aircraft carriers of medium displacement and a number of transports turned into Miniature Aircraft Carriers they created squadrons of Naval Aviation and adapted armadas of strategic bombers based on
Land to fight our surface and submarine fleets and suddenly they struck us with astonishing accuracy 38 that was the number of our sunk submarines in the Fateful May 1943 together with them died many of my battle friends and comrades in training until our main star does not take effective counter measures all our
Lorded new submarines will only increase the number of Steel coffins the repair of the u230 was expected to take at least 4 weeks since I was granted an extended vacation I decided to go to Paris visit my family and spend a week with maranne On the Sunny van beach in
Berlin yes it was a long vacation but I was well aware that my life was limited early in June I left by Express for Paris handing over to redell as the train raced through the countryside I tried to imagine that I could hear the familiar noise of diesel engines the
Rumble of exploding depth charges bombs and Torpedoes the crack of ships breaking apart and the murmur of the ocean but to my ears came only the Forgotten sounds of the clatter of Wheels rolling on Rails I arrived at the mon Paras train station in Paris in the early still fresh morning
A cab took me to a hotel near the pl vondom which was intended for the accommodation of naval officers I had resolved to refrain from amoros liazon during my short stay in the city but the abundance of aggressive maidens soon put my determination to a severe test I
Hastened to the cool Halls of the Lou and spent the greater part of the day in Strolling through the gallery of Apollo the grand gallery and the Hall of the KDs where according to quite a number of hugenots were hanged in the evening I went to a fine
Restaurant near the Opera and dined in solemn Solitude then walked along the boulevard de capucine rejecting several offers of paid love and returned to a cozy hotel room the next day I had plenty of free time before I left in the morning I walked along the plas pigal had a hearty
Breakfast at a small Cafe in monm marra and cl climbed the long staircase to the sakur I spent the afternoon and evening on the Left Bank idly wandering the streets and scraping money in cafes Paris beautiful Paris how I hated to leave it at 10 p.m. however I boarded a
Train for Germany the morning sun was already high when my Express train arrived at Frankfurt station I immediately notice that the huge glass Dome over the railroad tracks had been badly damaged by enemy bombing the pain had been blown out leaving only the bare steel frame this sight was a sad Prelude
To my return home as usual I returned to my family without notice when my mother opened the door to my call she looked at me as if I were a stranger after waiting for a second I said hello Mom would you let me in it’s so good to be home again
I noticed that my mother was shaking nervously from time to time and that she had lost a lot of weight it seemed to me that sadness was eating away at at her but I didn’t ask her about it I thought I’d say something nice I’m so glad to be resting at my
Desk Again Naturally she asked if I was hungry claimed I looked very gaunt and worried about my health tell me do you have enough warm underwear maybe you don’t know but we gave all the extra clothes to our soldiers fighting in Russia your boots your ski suit along
With your skis tell me how’s the war going in the Atlantic we don’t hear so much about our Subs now I said she would soon hear about our successes again and deciding that I would not discuss the war effort with her I changed the subject how are you how’s Trudy has she
Seen her husband lately Trudy is fine answered the mother Hans was here for Easter his parents came to visit too they were heavily bombed in dorf and they’ve gone to the Black Forest until the situation improves we’ve been bombed recently too but not as bad as other places how is
Papa I asked mother burst into tears with a tear stained face she said that my father had been arrested by the gapo 3 months ago he was still imprisoned in the City prison in Hamel gas I didn’t tell you about it in my letters she said sobbing I didn’t want you to
Know torn between surprise and rage I got her to give me a confused account of what had happened my father had maintained a more than friendly and casual relationship with a young woman she had served in his firm for an extended period of time one day the father demanded a divorce from his
Mother wanting to marry this woman but that was not the reason he was arrested the reason was different the woman he loved turned out to be Jewish according to official ideology such an affair was a crime and his father had also hidden her from the police unfortunately someone told the authorities that the
Woman was jewi ish the Gusto captured both the woman and her father she was thrown into a concentration camp my father into prison my father’s arrest made me Furious this was not the first time the authorities had done Injustice to him in the winter of 1936 the activities
Of my father’s finance company and 36 other similar firms were terminated simply because they did not meet the political guidelines of the leaders of the Third Reich father was deprived of his life’s work without explanation or warning he was forced to start the business a new at
The age of 46 it was only through talent and hard work that he was able to organize a new business and provide for his family the ridiculous ideology of the authorities went beyond reason on more than one occasion I personally witnessed the crystal night in Frankfurt in 1938
When angry mobs rushed through the streets smashing windows and looting Jewish stores in the presence of indifferent police officers the Raiders threw furniture from the windows of Jewish Apartments through posos China books table lamps kitchen utensils from balconies when the Looting of the most valuable things was over the rest of the
Things were piled up and set on fire I remember my father leading me between the fires to rescue a Jewish friend we arrived at his apartment when it had already been looted and its occupants expelled I saw the anger and tears on my father’s face then my father and I perceived
Crystal KN as a shameful and tragic event but we realized the senselessness of rebellion in Hopeless circumstances I realized that something was wrong in the country that was dear to me but I had to go to war at the age of 19 I had neither the time nor the interest to understand
The politics of the regime now however these policies directly affected me and aroused rebellious feelings in me I decided that I had to deal with my father’s case even if it hurt my military career I immediately went to the Gestapo office on Linden stasa which was not far from our home my naval
Uniform and decorations allowed me to get past the guards without too many questions when I entered the spacious Hall the secretary at the desk at the entrance asked how I could be of service tell me how can I see Oban fur Von Molitor I answered a question with a
Question then with a smile handed the secretary my business card and added this will be a surprise for Heron molor I supposed that he had seldom seen submarine officers and even so few whose fathers were behind bars I had to wait quite a long time to
See the obertor ban fura it was enough time to think over the plan of the conversation then the secretary took me to a perfectly furnished office and introduced me to the chief of the SS in the city so in front of me was a powerful man who
Was worth lifting a finger to decide someone’s fate this middle-aged officer in a gray SS field uniform resembled more of a funky businessman than a coldblooded Punisher Von molo’s greeting was as unusual as his appearance it’s nice to see a naval officer for a change he said I know
You’re in the submarine Navy quite an interesting and exciting service isn’t it what can I do for you lieutenant I answered him in an icy tone obertor ban fura my father is being held in your prison without any justification I demand his immediate release the friendly smile on his full
Face was replaced by an expression of concern he glanced at my business card read my name again and then hesitated I have not been informed of the arrest of the father of a distinguished sailor unfortunately Lieutenant there must have been a mistake I will look into the matter immediately he wrote something on
A piece of paper and pressed the call button another secretary came in from the other door and took the sheet from the chief you see leftenant I am not informed on every particular case of arrest but I suppose you’ve come to us only on your father’s case of course I
Did and I believe the reason for his arrest before I could make the great mistake of speaking harshly the the secretary came in again and handed Von Molitor another sheet of paper he scrutinized it for a while then said in a conciliatory tone Lieutenant I am now
In the loop father will be with you this evening I’m sure the three months in detention will teach him a lesson I’m sorry about what happened but your father has no one to blame but himself I’m glad I could do you a favor I hope your vacation will never be marred again
Goodbye H Hitler rise ring quickly I thanked him briefly of course the chief of the SS did me no favors it is unlikely that he could ignore my demand to release my father I said goodbye to Von Molitor with the traditional military greeting and as I walked outside I remembered my father’s
Temptress who had also been imprisoned I regretted that I could not help her only after the war did I learn that she had somehow managed to survive then I went to my father’s office to see little sister Trudy for the first time since the wedding when I
Informed her that Dad would be home for dinner Trudy cried through her tears she said we asked for my father’s release but the Gusto refused to even listen to our request you can’t imagine how happy I am that you’re coming home mother is in despair over father’s marriage plans the situation is
Unbearable while he was in humal gasa prison I had to manage his Affairs myself I praised Trudy and said I was proud of her then I suggested we close the office until the next day on that day we would organize a family party my sister gave the appropriate
Orders to the woman manager and soon we were back home together mother was very worried and nervous but was ready to forgive father if he did not ask her the latter option became less likely after my father lost the opportunity to see the object of his lust dinner time
Was approaching when a turn of the key unlocked the front door and my father unaware of my presence entered the lobby as soon as he saw me he knew at once who had facilitated his release from prison silently we shook hands my father’s face had a week’s worth of stubble the Gusto
Wouldn’t even let him shave dinner passed in a strained atmosphere it was difficult for us to find a common topic of conversation I spoke briefly about the situation at the front in the Atlantic withholding the truth the Colossal difficulties of our armies on the Russian front and rl’s total defeat in
North Africa seemed to worry my father more than the trouble with the Gestapo he told me about the increased Air Raids on Frankfurt and the relocation of his business establishments outside the city we discussed many topics except one my father never mentioned his affair or raised the possibility of divorcing my
Mother from my perspective the most important thing was that he came home as for the preservation of the marriage this was a problem that father and mother had to resolve between themselves 24 hours later I arrived in Berlin as I walked out of the station I was struck by the scale of the
Destruction there was broken glass pieces of plaster torn Stone and Bricks everywhere for the first time I was not greeted at the station by maranne with the intention of going to maran’s office I took a street car to the center of the capital the ride was depressing massive
Bombing had nearly leveled much of the city leaving construction debris dust and millions of human tragedies I felt as if the ground beneath me was failing as if I were a refugee getting off yet another train eventually I reached the place where Maran worked which is where the seven-story building used to stand
But there were only a few ruined walls there was a pile of Broken Bricks two stories high I left the ruins and looked for the nearest subway station then I took a train to the suburb where maranne lived with her parents as I got off the
Subway I saw houses burned to the ground and destroyed buildings everywhere death and destruction seemed to follow me around as I approached maran’s house I prepared myself to experience the tragedy I suspected a pile of Ashes stood before me where the house had once been its chimney stuck out like a
Warning finger around it were scattered Broken Bricks and stone blocks blackened with soot steel beams had been bent in the fire debris of all kinds lay everywhere there was a wooden plaque stuck in them with the inscription in red paint the entire gartenberg family is dead before I left I reread the
Inscription two or three times I had lost my ability to think there was something scratchy in my throat my heart was petrified in that instant all my feelings and thoughts died they burned up like the houses around me I became completely insensitive to everything another train brought me home to
Frankfurt I spent four aimless days in the city grieving for Marian one night I had to spend in the cellar of our apartment building listening to the howl of sirens and the deafening bursts of anti-aircraft shells while I was shaken by the explosions of the bombs I looked at the Petrified
Faces of the people around me who were used to Air Raids when it was over the street outside was filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder the groans of casualties and the ringing of fire bells these were the consequences of the war maranne was the victim of an air
Raid and my family was getting used to fleeing the bombing underground after that night I no longer saw any point in staying at home home I had to go back to my submarine and fight until victory for those back home who were living a miserable existence In Perpetual fear of
Death after spending the night on a dark train I arrived in Paris the city breathed peace the hot June Sun golden the trees and roofs of the houses the heat reminded me of the uncomfortableness of the Navy uniform and made me think of the advantages of civilian
Clothes it was not easy for me to mingle with the motly Parisian public who somehow or other tried to ignore the War I noticed that most elegantly dressed parisians ignored people in uniform I realized what a gulf separated me from them who enjoyed all the pleasures of
Life and how far we military men who had no choice but to fight and die were from the people who lived in peaceful interests late in the evening I returned to the military town of breast and found a very Lively redle and my other comrades in the bar of the flotilla I
Joined in the rry the bar shook with our riotous mert and obscene Sea songs we needed this exuberance to forget that soon many of us would be missed and we had too little time left to party I personally needed the blackout to forget the double shock of Marianne’s death and
My father’s arrest by the Gestapo friends strong drinks and a broken life led to a sweet Oblivion but I had to do my duty it was not difficult for me to to adapt to the familiar Naval routine every day I visited the shipyards strictly monitored the discipline of the
Submarine crew only one sailor gave me trouble he used to run at night to party in the city overcoming the fence of the military Town unfortunately he often got into fist fights over women so I decided to send him to the brig for 8 days in
Other respects he was a fine fellow and proved himself a reliable Submarina when our boat left Port during my brief absence the flotilla headquarters made a remarkable acquisition it was found that the flotilla plays an important part in the German Navy and it is necessary for it to have its own photographer to
Familiarize posterity with interesting events in the life of the compound the photographer turned out to be an attractive young woman a chance meeting with this woman in the morning prompted me to invite her to sit in the bar as we sat there I noticed you have a very familiar southern
Accent and your pronunciation is a bit different from Berlin’s too she parried my remark with a smile I agree I grew up on Lake constanza on the northern coast what a coincidence she exclaimed I used to live across the lake in constanza my name is Veronica but many
People just call me Vera I invited Vera to dinner and she agreed without a second thought after the day’s work I took a swim in the swimming pool which was also a new acquisition of the flotilla then it was time for the meeting I knocked on the door of the
Cabin that Vera had occupied after her assignment the two of us left the military town and wandered through the narrow streets of breast under a sun that was leaning towards Sunset we ordered fried clams shrimp in wine sauce a huge Lobster and a bottle of balet for
Dinner then went to a small secluded Cafe and danced to the music of a Pianist who played all our requests after that we returned to the military Camp it was somehow unusual to enter this fenced in place for military Sailors and carefully guarded with a woman from that night on I constantly
Met vera after work one Saturday I remembered my intention to get a civilian suit and asked Vera to help me in my search for material and a tailor in spite of the wartime shortage of goods the tlor offered us an amazing variety of fabrics and without cards I
Chose Tartan the tailor took my measurements set a price and a deadline for the suit I did not feel the slightest anxiety that I might not get the chance to wear the suit at all with this acquisition I kind of cheered myself up tried to be more optimistic during the
Remaining Days of our stay in Port there were many reasons for pessimism when a comrade in arms did not return from a campaign when the truth about about our losses in May was revealed when a battered submarine crawled into the Inner Harbor when reports of growing losses became the main topic of
Conversation in the officer mes Hall and the horrible pictures of our submarine hell reappeared In My Memory a premonition of unhappiness grew worst of all was the fact that our guys could not give their lives dearly despite heavy losses in April we sank only a third of
The Allied ships sent to the bottom in March in the disastrous for us May was sunk only 50 enemy ships tonnage of 265,000 tons by mid June submarine warfare actually did not bring results in 2 weeks 16 more submarines were lost Admiral Dennis ordered a temporary halt
To attacks on Shipping Lines in the North Atlantic surviving U boots had their patrol areas changed but they were not withdrawn from the front on the contrary to compensate for our staggering losses a gigantic effort was was being made to rapidly repair the subs in dry docks and to complete the
Construction of new submarines in shipyards the intent was to incorporate imperfect and obsolete types of boats into the fighting this was to show the Allies that they had failed to break our Backbone in his speech at laurant dennit assured us that the setbacks were temporary and the unfavorable Trend
Would be reversed by our countermeasures but in the meantime we must still put to Sea according to to the Admiral our efforts tie up the Allied Naval forces in the Atlantic and divert their bombers from Air Raids on German cities at the end of June I took the
U230 out of dry dock and brought her to the pier where refitting had to be completed from that time all our absences in the port stopped now the main thing was the submarine the war and preparation for the inevitable collision with the Enemy that was the reality the rest empty wishes and
Dreams June 29th at noon after the commander returned from a meeting of high-ranking Submarine officers of the Western Front he asked me to come into his room take Friedrich and redle with you he added I have interesting news 20 minutes later we were at zigman’s sit down gentlemen
He addressed us my message will take some time and what you will hear should not be divulged head qus has entrusted us with a special task the main purpose of the upcoming trip will be to lay mines off the coast of the United States we will take on board 24 magnetic mines
Of the latest design and set them in the Chesapeake Bay more precisely in front of the US Navy base in Norfolk I need not tell you the dangers of this Enterprise I demand that the nature of the mission be kept secret until we are at Sea I’d hate to find that they’re
Waiting for us when we arrive in the United States one more thing the Chesapeake Bay is too shallow to allow our boat to submerge we’ll be conducting the mine sweep in a surface position EXO I ask you to secure all necessary navigational charts of the area and keep
Them behind Seven Locks the three of us listened carefully to the captain and rejoiced that the upcoming trip would be unusual concerned for the safety of the boat I asked the commander if we take on board 24 mines we can take no more than two Torpedoes with us that’s right EXO
Only two the rest of the space of the boat will be filled with mines for the loading of which you are responsible Friedrich has entered the conversation how much fuel will we take with us the usual amount it’s all worked out the refueling of the boat will be carried
Out by one of the submarine tankers in the West Indies the area of our future operations there will be supplied with food Fuel and Torpedoes redell take care of outfitting the crew with tropical uniforms and an appropriate diet gentlemen the captain concluded I believe we will be at sea for the rest
Of the summer on July 1st we loaded mines aboard the boat the unusual cargo immediately caused the crew to speculate some people were sure we were going to mine a British Port others thought it would be the Bay of Gibralter the most speculative claimed that we were going
To an important port on the coast of West Africa Freetown the heated gossip brought a smile to my face it was good to see the crew eager to put to sea as it were but the closer the date of going to Sea got the more I doubted the reversal of the
Situation in the Atlantic for the better none of the expected Technical Innovations had arrived on the u230 it was claimed that our metho radar was the latest advancement in radar the installation of of additional anti-aircraft artillery barrels on the boat was promised but they did not arrive in sufficient numbers in Port
There were rumors of such an innovation as rubber coating the boat’s strong and light Hull to protect it from asdic pulses this turned out to be idle talk the only Improvement was to cover the running Bridge railings with armored plates at the same time they dismantled the obsolete radar antenna and 88 mm
Cannon on the four deck everything was against us the British used Aviation on such a large scale that the uots could hardly cross the Bay of bisque undetected in 6 weeks the Allies had reduced the number of our attack Subs by 40% the remaining ones had to overcome
When leaving and returning to the HomePort powerful anti-submarine defenses despite the moral and physical fatigue we still believed in a favorable turn of events if we hold out for a while we had to hold out 2 days before going to Sea I visited my tailor again
He had not finished my suit by the promised deadline I arranged with him that my order would be completed in a fortnite and encouraged him to be active by paying half the cost of the work I did not want to be indebted to the tailor in the event of my death on the
Trek
7 Comments
Excellent photography picture of prisoners being taken into (POW) custody. Why no pictures of U-Boats if this audio is describing U-BOAT activities -??? 😴
A fascinating account and he was very lucky to have survived. It dramatically illustrates how the Allies were able to lift their game in '43. It sounds like he survived the war. Surprised that the publisher of the channel does not provide a source for this material.
U-230 was scuttled near Toulon, France in August 1944. This nazi bull story was written so the author could pretend he wasn't a nazi.
Love U boat accounts , fascinating stuff , thanks a lot for posting 🙏 keep the ‘Boot’ accounts coming please 😊
The photograph is irrelevant , as the accounts are so vivid I can “see” the action in my mind , kinda like a private video 😎👍
As a USNavy destroyer sailor from 1976 to 79 I know the value of sea legs and tight living spaces.
Amazing how young ox and captains were and transit the vast Atlantic Ocean so young.
Marianne, Victory is near!