U-4714 by Robert F. Clifton (best ereader for graphic novels txt) 📕

just got a cramp. I'm not use to so much dancing it seems. It's gone now”, he answered.

“Alright, let's stop for awhile and have something to eat”, said Hedda.

“Fine, what would you like?”, he asked.

“Steckerlfisch( grilled fish on a stick) and an orange Fanta (commercial fruit drink)

“That sounds good. I'll have the same”, he replied as they walked towards the concession stands.

Later, they sat on a bench at a table occupied by another young couple who greeted them as they sat down. “Good day Oberleutnant. Isn't the concert grand. Soon, I'll be marching to the sounds of the Wehrmacht band. Hopefully in Russia. I see you wear the Iron Cross. I hope to win one for myself”, said the young man.

“Don't be in such a hurry. This war might last for a long time. And about the Iron Cross, remember in order to win one, someone has to die”.

Reinhardt and Hedda danced again, As the daylight began to dwindle down they danced to, And So Another Lovely Day Is Over, then stood and listened to Lily Marleen a song the band played as a tribute to all of the military men present. Finally, the dancing and the music ended with, Thanks For The Memory, and the crowds, including Reinhardt and Hedda left the concert ground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Four

Back to Sea

 

On December 15, 1941 new orders arrived at the Naval Academy.

Lieutenant Dresner was to report to the German Submarine Pens located at Hamburg. There he would receive further orders. On December 7, 1941 the Japanese had attacked the American Naval Station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii . The next day America declared war. On December 11, 1941 Germany declared war on the United States. The war was now escalated. The Wehrmacht was advancing in Russia, but supplies were still reaching England. Admiral Donitz wanted one hundred U-boats on station at all times and the shipyards were turning them out as fast as they could. At the same time a new, much improved boat was almost ready for testing.

Reinhardt and Hedda sat at a table in a small restaurant in Flensburg.

They held hands across the table as Hedda fought the need to cry after hearing the news of Reinhardt's new orders.

“At least you'll be close to home. Your parents will be so happy”, said Hedda.

“Why are there tears in your eyes? We both knew that this day would come”.

“ I don't want you to go. I might never see you again”.

“Of course you will. One day I will walk into your fathers shop and ask you if you have any books of Steinbeck in German”.

“Do you know where you're going and what you are going to do?”

“Not at the moment and even if I did I wouldn't be allowed to tell you”.

“I am going to miss you Reinhardt”.

“Come, let me walk you home, I want to talk to your parents before I go”.

“Why?”

“Well, to say good by and to ask them to allow you to go to Hamburg

and meet my parents”.

“When?”

“I can't say right now Hedda, but I'll write or call and let you know”.

“Here it is almost Christmas and you won't be here to celebrate it with me”.

“Ah, I just got a brilliant idea. Come we'll have our photograph taken together”.

“Reinhardt, I look a mess”.

“Nonsense your as beautiful today as you were yesterday and as the first day I met you. Besides, the picture will be my Christmas present to you”.

******************

Oberleutnant Reinhardt Dresner stood looking at the blueprints and schematics of a new type submarine known as the XXI. The new boat was two hundred, fifty one feet, eight inches long with a beam of twenty six feet, three inches. One the surface it displaced one thousand, six hundred and fifty one tons. Submerged it displaced, one thousand, eight hundred and seventeen tons. It was designed to be able to descend to seven hundred and eighty seven feet. The main improvement in the XXI was the new designed battery size increase. This gave the boat greater underwater range. By doing so it allowed the boat to spend less time on the surface. At the same time it could travel under water at five point eight miles per hour for three days before needing to recharge the batteries. It also now had a hydraulic torpedo reloading system. Six torpedo tubes could be loaded in the time it took the older boats to load one tube. It could fire eighteen torpedoes in twenty minutes.

“So, what do you think of the XXI?”, asked Kapitan dur Zee Arnold

Bader.

“Very impressive. I am amazed at the projected under water speed”, Reinhardt answered.

“ You will see for yourself. You are to command this boat and put it through several tests. We are giving you a veteran crew. That should reduce any mistakes or eliminate them completely. In addition to the new battery system the XXI now is equipped with a Torpedowarn. This device will pick up the sound of an approaching torpedo and set off an alarm inside the boat. It is also armed with the Sondergerat which will allow for the detection of sunken objects to the depth of four thousand feet.'

“Then, I take it that it's a type of sonar”, Reinhardt replied.

“That's right”, Bader replied.

“No, that's wrong. Any boat captain using it will be sending out a signal to the enemy. It is not only wrong, it is stupid. It might be useful for hunting enemy submarines, but is that the object or is it to sink surface ships?”

“The object Lieutenant is to sink enemy ships, period”, whether on the surface or below” captain said.

“May I inquire as to the limitations of my command of XXI during the test?”

“Certainly. There are no limitations. You are to test the boat and its equipment when you are submerged. In this test, a war game if you will, you will be searched for by Zerstorer-22 (destroyer) armed with the new sundergerat.It will be interesting to see if you can elude detection and if not, if you can escape”.

“What happens if I succeed?”

“Then we will know that the design of the XXI is correct and more will be constructed. Now, do you have any further questions?”

“Yes sir if, in my success, how can you determine if it is because of the boats design or my ability as the Captain?”

Admiral Bader's face turned crimson. “Do not banter with me Lieutenant. You will follow orders like everyone else in the Kriegsmarine. I have read your file. I am aware that you won the Iron Cross. Still, you have only been a navy officer for a few years. Personally I see no need for U-Boats. The tradition of the Kriegsmarine has been and always will be the surface fleet. For the cost of constructing U-Boats we could have built two Dreadnaughts. Imagine Dresner, the German Fleet under full steam entering the English Channel and defeating the Royal Navy”.

“That's rather difficult to do Admiral”.

“Why is that?”

“The English have submarines and know how to use them”.

“You are dismissed sir!”

 

 

***********************************

 

Just off of the coast of Denmark the XXI maintained a depth of three hundred feet. Reinhardt Dresner in command of the experimental electric boat stood with his hand on the periscope tube. As he did he watched the hydrophone operator as the man turned dials attempting to pick up the sound of a surface ship. At the same time the Captain of the Destroyer, Z-22 hunted for him using the new, up to date Sondegerat (sonar).

The sound man raised one hand, waited a few seconds more then said, “ Surface ship approaching”.

“Location?”, asked Dresner.

“Our starboard side sir, approximately a quarter mile away”.

“Come to periscope depth”, Dresner ordered.

A minute later the Engineer Officer said, “ Periscope Depth”.

“Up scope”, Reinhardt said.

As seawater left the periscope lens, Reinhardt brought it into focus. When he did he spotted the Z-22 coming directly at him off of his starboard side. “Down scope. Take her down to sixty fathoms”. He ordered.

“Three hundred and sixty feet Captain, said the acting Executive Officer.

“Come to starboard ten degrees then full speed ahead”, said Dresner.

Commander Ludwig Schultz, on board as the observer said, “You are going directly into the Destroyers course”.

“Yes I am. Once I clear him and simulate a kill then I'll explain

my tactics to you.”

With the two vessels on a direct heading, one on the surface the other

submerged the crew of the XXI soon heard the ping of the Destroyers sonar. Then, there was nothing just the sound of the Z-22 engines.

“Come to periscope depth”, Reinhardt ordered.

When the boat reached that depth and the periscope was raised Reinhardt saw the Destroyer turn to port and when he did he stepped away from the periscope and said, “Commander, take a look. Right now he is broadside. I suggest to you that in a real battle I would have either sunk him or damaged him badly”.

“I agree. You have a kill. It will be included in my report. Now, tell me

how you out maneuvered the Destroyer”.

“It's really very simple. The hydrophone operator using the sonar is sending his signal waiting for an echo from my boat. You yourself heard the ping of the sondergerat. However, when the Z-22 passes overhead the sonar is useless due to the fact that the hydrophone operator will pick up only his own engine sound aft of his own ship. That's when the sonar signal leaves us and more or less shuts down for a few minutes. It is in those few moments that we can either escape, or attack. In this case I simulated an attack. You confirmed my kill”.

“Yes I did.”

The next day Reinhardt sat at a long table headed by Admiral Bader along with commanders Baldric Autenburg and Ludwig Schultz. “I have read your report Commander Schultz and it is my understanding that you confirmed a U-Boat victory in our war game study. Is that true?”, asked Bader.

“Yes sir. Had it been real the Z-22 would have received a torpedo at midships”, answered Schultz.

“Turning his attention to commander Autenburg Bader asked, What do you have to say and please give me some good news”.

“Oberleutnant Dresner is correct. From the report I have received from my hydrophone operator the sonar signal is lost aft of the ship. However, I don't know if you will consider what I have to report good news or bad news', said Autenburg.

“Whatever it is give it to me”, Bader replied.

“Very well sir. During the exercise and using the sondergerat we were able to make contact with the submerged XXI”, Auntenburg answered.

“And?”, asked Bader

“And, it appears that the alberic coating on the XXI does not work”.

“Why not?”, asked the Admiral.

“Evidently because there is a flaw in the design”.

“What have you to say about that Dresner”, asked Bader.

“The flaw Admiral appears to be in the adhesive. Upon returning to the pen I noticed that the alberic had come off of the conning tower and bow in several places. I can only assume that because of this commander Auntenburg was able to detect me while I was submerged.”

“If I may interject Admiral, at best the alberic coating only reduces sonar detection by fifteen per cent at best”, said Autenburg.

“Very good gentlemen. I shall inform U-Boat Command. Meanwhile we will wait for orders related to the XXI. You are dismissed.

“Before we go Admiral may I say something?”, asked Dresner.

“Yes, you may”, Bader replied.

“With the admirals permission I would like Commander Auntenburg and the Z-22 and the XXI to perform another experiment”.

“And just what do you have in mind, Lieutenant?”

“I would like to have the Destroyer search for me as I use the U-boats sonar”, said Reinhardt.

“In order to prove what?”, asked Bader.

“In order to prove to the Kreigsmarine that the use of sonar on U-Boats aids the enemy surface ships to easily detect not only the presence, but also the location of the submarine”.

“Lieutenant, you and I have had this discussion before. I will not waste the Navy's time and material just so you can try to prove a point. The sondergerat is and will be standard equipment on all