Above Us the Waves Page #4

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- 32 feet, sir.

Up periscope.

Well?

All clear.

Stand by to surface.

- Diving stations.

- Diving stations.

- Check main vents.

- Check main vents.

Signal X1 we're surfacing.

Signal X1 we're surfacing.

Well, thanks for the ride.

- Blow Tirpitz clean out of the water.

- We'll have a go.

We'll be waiting for the bang about dawn.

- Good luck, sir.

- Bye.

Alright, here we go.

- Dive, dive, dive.

- Dive, dive, dive, sir.

- 3O feet.

- 3O feet, sir.

- Full ahead, group down.

- Full ahead.

- Steer 135.

- I35 it is, sir.

- Give me a course for Stjernsund.

- Aye aye, sir.

Trimmed for diving, sir.

Fine.

- Periscope depth?

- Ten feet.

Half ahead, group down.

Half ahead, group down, sir.

Time?

- 2227.

- Not bad.

New course will be 128, sir.

FRASER. Steer 128.

- 128 it is, sir.

- Steady as she goes.

- Steady as she goes.

- Half ahead, group down.

- Half ahead, group down.

Depth.

Depth.

Periscope depth now, sir.

CORBETT.

Looks like shore ights. Fine on port bow.

Any ideas, pilot?

Could be this island.

There's a fishing village there.

What do you mean, could be?

Could be Southend Pier.

Definitely not Southend, sir.

Well, boys, we're on our way.

Let's pop in quick, blow her sky high,

and home in time for bed?

Talking.

- Course?

- Course 172, sir.

There's something on the starboard beam.

It's a tanker.

Take her down 40 feet. Flood Q.

Flooding.

Q flooded.

40 feet, sir.

The skipper of the big sub

will be biting his nails when he sees that.

Not allowed to torpedo!

Sounds like a big one, too.

Depth.

Depth,

Oh, for a nice torpedo.

Can't be keeping much of a watch

or they'd have seen us at that range.

The lookout's half asleep, I expect.

I can see the Brattholm Islands now.

Course?

182, sir.

Steer 176.

176, sir.

176 now, sir.

- Take her down to 3O feet.

- 3O feet, sir.

You're sure we're in the

right fjord, skipper?

I mean, this is dead easy.

You wait.

I said course 107.

Course is 107, sir.

It bloody well isn't, you know.

Brattholm's dead ahead.

Then gyro's off the board, then, sir.

Any idea what's wrong?

No.

I'd better go aft, switch her off

and open her up, sir.

Come on, quickly.

What's the depth here?

Five fathoms. Shingle and mud, sir.

Well, we'll have to sit

on the bottom and wait.

Take her down.

Gently!

Aye aye, sir.

Slow ahead, group down.

- 25 feet, sir.

- Right, stop motor.

Stop motor.

Seems like the chart was right for once.

Emergency lighting, Quick!

Stand by to surface.

Stand by to surface, sir.

Shut main vents.

Main vents shut, sir.

Ready to surface, sir.

Surface.

Any more tea?

Yes, sir.

Just 12 miles over there...

..Tirpitz.

Now you mention it,

I can almost smell the sauerkraut.

Recharge batteries now.

Aye aye, sir.

- Captain.

- All right, sir?

Any movement?

I'm not sure.

Listen!

That's funny. It sounds like music.

Keep still!

Ersatz.

You stay on watch.

I'll get below and get a move on.

Right.

Well, how is it?

Still showing 296, sir.

We know that's wrong.

Couldn't we go in by periscope?

It's only about ten miles.

We could take it slow.

Supposing something goes wrong with it.

We can't sail entirely blind.

- If we surface, that'd give the game away.

- That's it.

On the other hand, we don't know

if the others have even got this far.

We'd look ruddy silly if we turned back

and found out we were the only ones

who had a chance of hitting (he Tirpitz.

All right, then, we'll attack.

It'll mean periscope depth all the way -

unless we get too close to a Jerry ship.

Let's take her up.

All right.

0300. We're going in.

- Dive, dive, dive.

- Dive, dive, dive, sir.

This is it.

- Dive, dive, dive. 3O feet.

- Dive, dive, dive. 3O feet.

Steer 220,

Steer 220, sir.

Steady on 220, sir.

- Let's help you into this.

- Sir.

30 feet now.

Periscope depth.

Periscope depth, sir.

Periscope depth now.

Net bouys dead ahead.

Small coaster. Red 45.

Stand by to flood W and D.

- Shut No.2 main vent.

- No. 2 main vent shut, sir.

- Shut No.2 Kingston.

- Shut, sir.

- Slow ahead, group down.

- Slow ahead, group down, sir.

- Slow, group down.

- Slow, group down, sir.

Small coaster dead ahead.

Well, I'm damned!

They're opening the boom for her.

Full ahead, group up!

If we can get through that gate,

it will save us hours of wire cutting.

I'll want 20 feet in a minute.

20 feet of lovely water waiting.

Any more urge?

Maximum now, sir.

Don't look now, they're closing the boom.

Quick off the mark, aren't they?

Here we go. Take her down 20 feet.

And hang on.

She's not answering, sir.

I've got no control here.

Blimey! We're through!

Do you know, I believe we are.

Periscope depth.

Periscope depth, sir.

Half ahead, group down.

Take her slowly.

- Open No.2 main vent.

- No. 2 main vent open, sir.

- Open No.2 Kingston.

- No. 2 Kingston open, sir.

Depth.

Depth.

- Are you all right?

- Give us a hand.

Nice work, diver. Have a good swim?

Place is lousy with jellyfish.

Periscope depth.

There she is, large as life.

Larger, in fact.

My beauts, if you

could see what I can see.

We're gonna get her, after all.

Flood Q, full ahead, group up, crash dive!

- Full ahead, group up, crash dive.

- Pray, boys.

Periscope gone, sir?

Lucky it wasn't us.

All right, blow Q.

Blow Q, sir. Q blowing, sir.

Bring her up slowly.

Periscope depth. Periscope depth.

Q blown, sir.

Periscope depth now.

Can't see a thing.

We're blind.

- No periscope, no compass.

- Too right we're blind!

What now?

Now we just sit on the bottom and wait.

It's all we can do.

We could bail out.

Not yet we couldn't.

We're so near Tirpitz, we'd only

give the game away for the others.

When we hear that bang, we'll bail out.

Not before.

Yes, sir.

Depth:
ten fathoms.

Shingle.

Aye.

OK, slow ahead.

- Group down.

- Slow ahead, group down.

Take her down.

Slowly.

There she is.

It'll be anti-torpedo nets in a minute.

Stand by to dive.

Stand by to dive, sir.

It's hellish shallow about here, sir.

We'll have to risk that.

Any sign of activity?

Not a flicker.

They're all still dreaming

of their fat Frauleins back home.

- AT nets ahead. Take her down.

- Take her down.

- Half ahead, group down.

- Half ahead, group down.

Hold it.

Hold it.

Right, hold her. Keep her like this.

We'll bump under her nets if it splits us.

Flood Q.

Don't let her surface.

Depth charges.

Someones in trouble.

I hope they don't pop off our side cargoes.

You won't have to worry

about much if they do.

(Explosions

We're through.

And that means there's nothing between us

and that juicy great battle wagon.

Now for it.

Can't see a ruddy thing.

Wait a minute.

Yeah!

We've got her.

Slow, group down.

Slow, group down.

Gently. Gently, gently.

Only half an hour more, cobber.

We may have to wait a

little longer than that...

Only half an hour more, cobber.

Till we hear the bang?

Yes, that's an idea. What about a tune?

Only wish I could.

Jerryd pick it up?

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