[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
a happy tune. His nickname was localized to the rear quarters only.
To the rest of the crew he was the Smut. He had 67 men to feed,
and his galley was little more than one metre square. One had to be
134
Arthur Baudzus
an artist to do the job. Any housewife would be horrified if she
saw this kitchen, but Caruso managed very well. To him this was
all routine.
They were still in the tropics and he decided on a light meal.
Just sandwiches and cold drinks would do. It also would save elec-
tricity by not using the big pots. The bread was already sliced. He
only had to butter it and put some cheese between the slices.
He poked a can opener into a tin of Camembert and did not
notice that the tin was buckled. Startled, he jumped backwards as
the tin exploded with a vicious hiss, like a U-boat surfacing, or
steam escaping from a locomotive.
In an instant, a cloud of gas spread and filled the boat with an
ugly, rotten stench. With the galley in the centre of the boat, every
man got a good lung full of that dreadful smell. Like men drown-
ing, they longed for the boat to surface and ventilate, but it was
still daylight outside and the captain would have none of it.
He went to the wireless room. Müller was on duty. With an
empty, turned-inward expression he concentrated on the whole
world of sound outside, twisting the dials automatically.
What is it like out there? the captain touched him on the
shoulder.
No hydrophone effect for the last six hours, sir, Müller con-
sulted the clock on the wall.
Fine, said the captain and turned back into the Zentrale.
Resume duty with starboard watch. Both half ahead. Steer one-
eight-oh. L.I., bring her up to periscope depth.
After a few commands from the L.I. the boat inclined nose-up
and went toward the surface. At the proper level Henning went to
the rear periscope and looked around.
All clear. He smiled at the L.I. I wonder where we ended
up.
Shouldn t we take her up and ventilate? We ve been under
for more than ten hours and our air is used up. The potash cartridge
135
U-859
filters are saturated. I can see that from the short breathing of the
crew.
Too early yet. It is still daylight outside and we re creatures
of the night.
The crew is suffocating.
So am I, Hendrick, so am I. But it is better suffering in the
stench down here and living than to be killed above in nice clean
air. Up there, they re still operating aeroplanes and would find us
in no time. I suggest you open some more oxygen bottles.
All lights had been switched on throughout the boat, wiping
the sleepy, off-duty impression from their mind. All men were
again at their stations. The stench had been evenly distributed by
the ventilation, but the air was still thick and could be cut with a
knife.
I suppose we left that aircraft carrier far behind, John? the
L.I. asked, when Henning sat down by the charts.
According to my current charts we should have, but one can
never be sure. German charts are not really up to scratch, and our
British friends hold on to theirs. We cannot surface yet, we might
be still within easy range of aircraft. It takes only one fleeting
detection and we have the whole fleet down on us again. In a cou-
ple of hours it will be dark and then we ll know where we are.
Take her down to 50 metres.
The two hours stretched endlessly, with the crew coughing,
their eyes drifting to the clock, whose hands never before turned so
slowly. However, everything comes to an end and at last darkness
descended on the waves outside.
Okay, take her up, L.I., the captain ordered at 1900 hours
local time. Lookouts, Naxos to the bridge.
There was no need for oilskins in this region and he climbed
up the ladder. As soon as the tower broke free, he was out and was
the first one to breathe fresh, heavenly clean air.
136
Arthur Baudzus
The diesels came to life and immediately sucked the stench out
of the boat. Life returned to normal with the crew, relieved from
their ordeal and now joking about Hitler's new secret weapon, the
Camembert, and speculating on how to inflict this on the enemy.
Up on the bridge the captain took his bearings by the stars and
was surprised that the deep sea current had carried him far south.
He could not have done better with his electro-motors on both full
ahead. He had gained a hundred and fifty miles without using any
fuel.
* * *
I think we ve got him, sir, Fowler beamed, when the Admi-
ral arrived early in the morning.
You ve got whom, he asked, not quite daring to hope what
he was thinking.
We got the one you once called Houdini. This was his last
trick and we ve got the culprit. I could just scream! I must have
some Sicilian blood in me.
The Admiral was elated.
Fat chance, with a name like Fowler, he smiled thinly, but I
know how you feel. What do you think this will do for me? It adds
at least ten more years to my life, but are you absolutely sure?
After all our disappointments that seems too much to hope for.
Fairly sure, sir, Fowler was enthusiastic. It was Solomons
that did it. A flight of Avengers sighted the boat on the surface. It
was already 500 miles south of Saint Helena, right smack on our
purple line. The boat must have been desperate to charge their bat-
teries, or their captain was spoiling for a fight. It did not dive and
the Avengers attacked. They are geared for hunting U-boats. When
they approached, the U-boat went for its anti-aircraft guns. I m still
shivering when I think that the boat was already so far south and
nearly got through.
She folded her arms in front of her and shook like a dog drying
off its wet skin.
137
U-859
Well, go on, go on, McCain grunted, his eyes brightening.
It must have been a fight, Fowler continued. The U-boat
shot down the first two Avengers, but the third one got him with a
bomb and sank it.
And you are sure that this was our boat? The one we were
hunting all those months?
Fairly sure, sir. Who else would be travelling on our purple
line at that time? We ll know more later on. We have only the first
dispatch from Solomons. I understand they re still running to the
scene because some survivors have been spotted by the aircraft.
You re right, the Admiral agreed readily. Thank God that
this is over.
He turned and went toward his office. He would not have to
eat his hat after all, he thought grimly. With no news from the bat-
tlefield he had already become anxious, because with all the forces
at his fingertips that boat should have been sunk long ago.
He sat down in the chair behind his desk and with a satisfied
grunt he looked at the photo of his nephew. His secretary or was
it Fowler? somebody always placed a vase with fresh flowers
next to it.
There you are, son, he mumbled to himself. An eye for an
eye, just as I promised. Nobody kills you and gets away with it.
He unlocked a drawer at his desk and produced a bottle of
Scotch. He filled a glass and waved it to the picture of Robert.
Cheers, son, he toasted. See you in Valhalla.
He gulped the whiskey down, then he locked the bottle up
again and pocketed the key.
Heavily, he rested his head in his hands and thought of Robert.
Out there in the Atlantic there were still more U-boats to be
hunted, but that could wait. His most important task was finished
for today. Later, he would again concentrate on his strategies in the
Atlantic.
138
Arthur Baudzus
He had spent an hour absorbed in thought when Fowler reap-
peared, some papers in her hand. Her eyes were red and she
seemed to have been crying which was completely un-Fowler-like.
The girl was over-worked.
Yes, Eve, what is it?
The Admiral s heart melted at the obvious distress of the girl.
From Solomons, sir we have some additional news.
More good news, I hope? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
a happy tune. His nickname was localized to the rear quarters only.
To the rest of the crew he was the Smut. He had 67 men to feed,
and his galley was little more than one metre square. One had to be
134
Arthur Baudzus
an artist to do the job. Any housewife would be horrified if she
saw this kitchen, but Caruso managed very well. To him this was
all routine.
They were still in the tropics and he decided on a light meal.
Just sandwiches and cold drinks would do. It also would save elec-
tricity by not using the big pots. The bread was already sliced. He
only had to butter it and put some cheese between the slices.
He poked a can opener into a tin of Camembert and did not
notice that the tin was buckled. Startled, he jumped backwards as
the tin exploded with a vicious hiss, like a U-boat surfacing, or
steam escaping from a locomotive.
In an instant, a cloud of gas spread and filled the boat with an
ugly, rotten stench. With the galley in the centre of the boat, every
man got a good lung full of that dreadful smell. Like men drown-
ing, they longed for the boat to surface and ventilate, but it was
still daylight outside and the captain would have none of it.
He went to the wireless room. Müller was on duty. With an
empty, turned-inward expression he concentrated on the whole
world of sound outside, twisting the dials automatically.
What is it like out there? the captain touched him on the
shoulder.
No hydrophone effect for the last six hours, sir, Müller con-
sulted the clock on the wall.
Fine, said the captain and turned back into the Zentrale.
Resume duty with starboard watch. Both half ahead. Steer one-
eight-oh. L.I., bring her up to periscope depth.
After a few commands from the L.I. the boat inclined nose-up
and went toward the surface. At the proper level Henning went to
the rear periscope and looked around.
All clear. He smiled at the L.I. I wonder where we ended
up.
Shouldn t we take her up and ventilate? We ve been under
for more than ten hours and our air is used up. The potash cartridge
135
U-859
filters are saturated. I can see that from the short breathing of the
crew.
Too early yet. It is still daylight outside and we re creatures
of the night.
The crew is suffocating.
So am I, Hendrick, so am I. But it is better suffering in the
stench down here and living than to be killed above in nice clean
air. Up there, they re still operating aeroplanes and would find us
in no time. I suggest you open some more oxygen bottles.
All lights had been switched on throughout the boat, wiping
the sleepy, off-duty impression from their mind. All men were
again at their stations. The stench had been evenly distributed by
the ventilation, but the air was still thick and could be cut with a
knife.
I suppose we left that aircraft carrier far behind, John? the
L.I. asked, when Henning sat down by the charts.
According to my current charts we should have, but one can
never be sure. German charts are not really up to scratch, and our
British friends hold on to theirs. We cannot surface yet, we might
be still within easy range of aircraft. It takes only one fleeting
detection and we have the whole fleet down on us again. In a cou-
ple of hours it will be dark and then we ll know where we are.
Take her down to 50 metres.
The two hours stretched endlessly, with the crew coughing,
their eyes drifting to the clock, whose hands never before turned so
slowly. However, everything comes to an end and at last darkness
descended on the waves outside.
Okay, take her up, L.I., the captain ordered at 1900 hours
local time. Lookouts, Naxos to the bridge.
There was no need for oilskins in this region and he climbed
up the ladder. As soon as the tower broke free, he was out and was
the first one to breathe fresh, heavenly clean air.
136
Arthur Baudzus
The diesels came to life and immediately sucked the stench out
of the boat. Life returned to normal with the crew, relieved from
their ordeal and now joking about Hitler's new secret weapon, the
Camembert, and speculating on how to inflict this on the enemy.
Up on the bridge the captain took his bearings by the stars and
was surprised that the deep sea current had carried him far south.
He could not have done better with his electro-motors on both full
ahead. He had gained a hundred and fifty miles without using any
fuel.
* * *
I think we ve got him, sir, Fowler beamed, when the Admi-
ral arrived early in the morning.
You ve got whom, he asked, not quite daring to hope what
he was thinking.
We got the one you once called Houdini. This was his last
trick and we ve got the culprit. I could just scream! I must have
some Sicilian blood in me.
The Admiral was elated.
Fat chance, with a name like Fowler, he smiled thinly, but I
know how you feel. What do you think this will do for me? It adds
at least ten more years to my life, but are you absolutely sure?
After all our disappointments that seems too much to hope for.
Fairly sure, sir, Fowler was enthusiastic. It was Solomons
that did it. A flight of Avengers sighted the boat on the surface. It
was already 500 miles south of Saint Helena, right smack on our
purple line. The boat must have been desperate to charge their bat-
teries, or their captain was spoiling for a fight. It did not dive and
the Avengers attacked. They are geared for hunting U-boats. When
they approached, the U-boat went for its anti-aircraft guns. I m still
shivering when I think that the boat was already so far south and
nearly got through.
She folded her arms in front of her and shook like a dog drying
off its wet skin.
137
U-859
Well, go on, go on, McCain grunted, his eyes brightening.
It must have been a fight, Fowler continued. The U-boat
shot down the first two Avengers, but the third one got him with a
bomb and sank it.
And you are sure that this was our boat? The one we were
hunting all those months?
Fairly sure, sir. Who else would be travelling on our purple
line at that time? We ll know more later on. We have only the first
dispatch from Solomons. I understand they re still running to the
scene because some survivors have been spotted by the aircraft.
You re right, the Admiral agreed readily. Thank God that
this is over.
He turned and went toward his office. He would not have to
eat his hat after all, he thought grimly. With no news from the bat-
tlefield he had already become anxious, because with all the forces
at his fingertips that boat should have been sunk long ago.
He sat down in the chair behind his desk and with a satisfied
grunt he looked at the photo of his nephew. His secretary or was
it Fowler? somebody always placed a vase with fresh flowers
next to it.
There you are, son, he mumbled to himself. An eye for an
eye, just as I promised. Nobody kills you and gets away with it.
He unlocked a drawer at his desk and produced a bottle of
Scotch. He filled a glass and waved it to the picture of Robert.
Cheers, son, he toasted. See you in Valhalla.
He gulped the whiskey down, then he locked the bottle up
again and pocketed the key.
Heavily, he rested his head in his hands and thought of Robert.
Out there in the Atlantic there were still more U-boats to be
hunted, but that could wait. His most important task was finished
for today. Later, he would again concentrate on his strategies in the
Atlantic.
138
Arthur Baudzus
He had spent an hour absorbed in thought when Fowler reap-
peared, some papers in her hand. Her eyes were red and she
seemed to have been crying which was completely un-Fowler-like.
The girl was over-worked.
Yes, Eve, what is it?
The Admiral s heart melted at the obvious distress of the girl.
From Solomons, sir we have some additional news.
More good news, I hope? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]