Das Boot Page #2

might put a record on for us?

The "Tipperary" song

if you have no objections.

- That stuff makes me puke.

- Now we're in the Royal Navy.

A record won't make you

into the king of England.

- Shut the door, you lazy pig!

- Stupid jerk!

They should use him as a doorstop,

his rear end's big enough.

One day he'll stick it in the can

and he'll never get it out again.

- Good morning.

- Good morning, Lieutenant.

- It stinks in here.

- Sweaty feet and hair grease.

Pilgrim's specialty.

Smells just like old socks...

these rotten eggs.

- Baby poo-poo.

- Pilgrim needs a chicken house.

Right. Ducks in the bilge.

Sweet little ducklings.

We could fatten them up

with jam from your filthy feet.

They'd have good fun

feeding on Frenssen's toe jam.

Aid to cleanliness, four letters?

Bath.

Thank you.

A desert animal with two humps?

- Camel.

- Perfect.

Intellectual starvation I would say.

It's completed, sir. Signal decoded.

One moment.

It could just about do it.

Five, six, seven...

- Eight.

- New course, sir?

One minute.

What's the signal position, sir?

"Convoy square at AK 22,46."

"Mean course:
60 degrees.

Speed:
8 knots. U-boat 37."

U- boat 37. That's Marten's boat

moving in to attack.

- Too far away. We'd never make it.

- Bad luck.

Damn it!

When do we get some orders?

Come on, pull it out!

Slap more grease on it!

- For your journal?

- Yes, wonderful stuff.

You there, this way a moment.

It's nicely greased with vaseline.

We're ready to ram it in!

Can you just look this way?

Yes, good.

Not quite so fast. This way. Great!

Stay here in the foreground.

Let's have some with a different...

Who did that?

Who did that?

Tell me now...

Have you got any hairs up your nose?

- Why?

- I've got some up mine.

Maybe we could knit them together.

"2nd November, 1941.

Dear Francoise..."

"20th day at sea."

- Alarm!

- Alarm!

- Hatch secured!

- All main vents open!

- Shadow off the starboard beam.

- Take her down 30 metres.

Bring her up easy.

Planes on zero.

- Anything on the starboard beam?

- Propeller sounds.

Way aft of us.

Contact growing fainter.

Fading fast, sir.

Right... we'd better stay down now.

Steer 120.

A lone ship traveling fast.

We have no chance in this light.

"lt's more than superficial to take

care in personal appearance."

"lt denotes that the inner man

is wholesome and upstanding."

"An officer should be unpretentious

in his dress and deportment."

"ln the old days young officers

were treated indulgently in this."

"Knowing they risked their lives,

their superiors..."

It's comfortable here.

No mail. No telephone.

A well-ventilated boat.

Solid wood panelling.

Free food, too.

We're in clover here.

Like fresh horse droppings.

They're rolling in clover, too.

No need to work.

They're even allowed to smoke.

U- boat special cocktail.

Want some?

Stop that!

Our recent triumphs.

"Dived to evade enemy aircraft."

"Dived to avoid destroyer.

Depth charged."

The British

have stopped making mistakes.

Cut off extra supply of fuel

to the engines!

Torpedo rooms...

check the gyro-angles.

- Watch out!

- Check periscope alignment.

- What's going on?

- Here we go, girls.

U-32 has spotted a British convoy.

We should be there in 10 hours.

U - 32 is operating against a convoy.

We arejoining in the hunt

Contact expected

any time after 18:00 hours.

These beauties

are ready for blast off.

Over 30 freighters.

Berthold is waiting for us to

arrive. He's following the convoy.

For me it's the best thrill

with U-boats and sailing ships.

Skimming across the sea.

I've sailed on a schooner.

Roomy. Holds as big as churches.

- That's a fine way to waste fuel.

- Lunatic!

Damn this weather!

We could pass the British completely

without seeing them.

We should be within range.

Why doesn't Berthold signal us?

Why haven't we heard from H.Q.?

Visibility is nil, sir.

It's useless!

Prepare to dive!

Clear the bridge now!

Diving positions.

Stand by main vents.

- Take her down 30 metres.

- Bow planes up 10. Stern down 5.

Bow planes zero. Stern zero.

What's up? Why are we diving?

A hydrophone check.

In bad weather you can hear more

than you can see on the surface.

Stern planes up 5.

Easy. Both planes zero.

Can't you make a contact?

Nothing?

Captain, come here.

Contact bearing 060. Quite faint.

Depth charges.

They are blasting someone.

What's the bearing from us now.

Moving right. 045 degrees.

Moving away from us.

- Surface. Steer 330.

- All ahead two-thirds.

Note this in our log book. Despite

bad weather, commencing operation.

Damn this stinking weather!

How does it look?

- The enemy should be here.

- Freighter on the starboard bow.

- Over there! 040 and closing.

- Damn it!

That's no freighter.

Oh no! A destroyer!

It's coming straight at us.

Clear the bridge.

Take her down!

Diving stations.

- Come to periscope depth.

- All planes up 10.

Steady at 2 metres.

Both planes zero.

Stern down 5.

Come up.

- Stand by battle stations.

- Stand by battle stations.

- Stand by battle stations.

- Out of the way, damn it!

Gangway!

Faster! Faster!

Keep her level, Chief.

- Flood tubes one to four.

- Flood tubes one to four.

He wants to attack the destroyer.

Crazy in this weather.

- Watch your depth, Chief.

- Bow planes up 2. Stern down 2.

Come on.

Both planes come to zero.

Open bow caps now.

Enemy's speed:
10.

Range:
6,000.

Depth:
2 metres.

Torpedo speed:
40.

Spread torpedoes one and three.

Spread shots one and three.

Tubes one through four are ready.

Damn it! What happened to them?

Close bow caps! Dive!

Depth charges dropped.

- Get some fuses, quick!

- Check all valves and closures.

No serious damage.

They must've spotted our periscope.

- Control room all secure.

- Incredible in this sea.

- Is it getting louder?

- It seems constant. Ahead of us.

- It's pulling further ahead. 295.

- Left full rudder.

- Rudder is left full.

- Steer due north.

- Deeper, Chief.

- Bow planes down 15. Stern up 10.

- Pump 200 litres forward.

- Steering due north, sir.

- 200 litres forward.

- Main motors ahead one-third.

Now it gets psychological, friends.

Easy, men.

There's more to come yet.

Kill unnecessary lights.

- Silent speed.

- Both main engines at 50 rpm.

Both engines indicate 50 rpm.

Contact coming closer.

Starboard bow. Closing fast.

Main engines full ahead.

Right full rudder.

Both main engines ahead full.

They're coming straight for us.

- He knows what he's doing. Deeper.

- Bow down 20. Stern up 5.

- Destroyer almost above us.

- Deeper, Chief. Quick.

DEPTH GAUGE:

Don't be afraid.

It's only the pressure.

- Deeper.

- Stern up 15.

Hurry!

- Tighten that flange.

- Bring her up to 150 metres.

Forward up 20. Stern down.10.

Come on, Frenssen, quickly!

Get the damn thing tightened!

Hull valves secured.

Both planes read zero.

Level at 150 metres.

Becoming louder.

She's turned around. 055.

Go on, get it over.

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