The Cruel Sea Page #8

All that finished with Compass Rose.

Now it's just a matter

of killing the enemy.

I suppose you think that's all wrong.

And that a man would never allow

himself to be dehumanised by war.

Yes, sir.

I thought you were made

of sterner stuff.

No ties with the shore

and all that sort of thing.

So did I.

But it's a difficult question,

isn't it, sir?

Yes.

After the war, I'll be as sweet

as you like to everybody.

Including you.

Right now, I'm going back

on the square search again.

We'll k eep at action stations,

Number One.

Aye-aye, sir.

Normal sweep.

We're doing a box search again.

Normal sweep, sir.

- Don't mak e that filthy noise!

- Hollow tooth, sir.

Get on with your work!

We better have another brew of cocoa.

- Aye-aye, sir.

- Right.

Nothing on the recorder, sir.

- What about it?

- Nothing, sir. A routine report.

- It's the end of another sweep.

- What do you mean "another sweep"?

- Sorry, sir.

- Now, look here, N umber...!

All right. Carry on.

Time you had some sleep, sir.

Yes, I know, doc.

But I've got to stay on that bridge.

Can you fix me up with something?

- Is it necessary?

- Don't you start!

There's a U-boat here.

I know damn well there is,

and I'm going to get her.

I want something to k eep me awak e

while I'm doing it.

I'll give you a couple of pills.

You'll feel like a spring lamb

for about 24 hours.

After that,

you'll go out lik e a light,

and wak e up with a hangover.

Is that all?

H m, probably.

But it isn't a thing to play with.

I wasn't intending

to mak e a habit of it.

This is a special occasion.

'Bridge, sir. '

- Yes?

- 'Petal's got a contact. '

Thanks, doc!

In theory, you ought to lie down

for ten minutes!

- What revs are we doing?

- 120, sir.

- Starboard 15.

- Starboard 15.

- Attacking. Full ahead.

- Full ahead.

'Full ahead, sir. '

- Midships?

- 'Midships, sir. '

In contact, sir. Bearing 190.

- 400 yards.

- Echo high.

- Steer 190.

- 'Steer 190, sir. '

100 yards.

- Instantaneous echo, sir.

- Fire!

- Port 20. Slow ahead.

- Port 20. Slow ahead.

'Port 20. Slow ahead, sir. '

Hard a' port.

Open fire!

Cease firing!

Check!

Midships!

Stand by scrambling nets.

Depth charge crew,

stand by scrambling nets.

- Well, no mistak e about that.

- No.

Sorry, sir.

Oh, that's all right, Number One.

I was beginning

to get doubtful myself.

The only thing I'm sorry about

is the doctor talk ed me

into taking some damn pill!

- Stop engine.

- Stop engine.

Number One, this is quite a moment.

We've never seen the enemy before.

They don't look very different

from us, do they?

All right, mate. All right.

I gotcha. All right.

'When you are very tired,

even the moment of triumph

'seems no more

than part of the same bad dream.

'That was the last U-boat we sank.

'But it wasn't

the last U-boat we saw. '

Stop operating.

Switch off the set and fall out.

'This was 1945.

'The U-boats had had their battle.

'Though for all the good

it had done them,

'they might have

saved themselves the trouble,

'and spared many fine ships

and good men. '

I wonder how far we've steamed.

I added it up for Compass Rose.

98,000 miles.

I never did for this ship.

Seemed unlucky.

I wish some of the others could

have seen this. Morell, Ferraby.

Yes, they deserved it.

Tallow, Watts, Wells... Young Bak er.

- Who was Wells?

- The yeoman in Compass Rose.

Oh, yes.

Now, is the time you miss them.

You didn't get any medals,

Number One.

I did do my best for you.

I can bear it.

No, you deserve something.

I've got something

to look forward to.

Coming onto the bearing now, sir.

- Stop engine.

- 'Stop engine, sir. '

'Telegraph at stop, sir. '

Remember we had that drink in London,

and you said you wanted

to stay with me in Saltash?

Yes. That was one

of my better decisions.

One of your best,

as far as I'm concerned.

- Stand by, sir.

- Stand by!

- Stand by.

- On, sir.

- Let go!

- Let go!

- Slow astern.

- 'Slow astern, sir. '

'Telegraph at slow astern, sir. '

And we only sank two U-boats.

- Stop engine.

- 'Stop engine, sir. '

Two in five years.

- It seemed a lot at the time.

- Yes.

Got a cable, sir.

Finished with main engine.

'Finished with main engine, sir. '

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