The Enemy Below Page #5

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The American must be far away

by this time.

It's a curious thing,

but I know he's there, waiting.

All right, we go. Silent routine, 140.

Level.

Course will be 140.

Continue silent routine.

Lewis, get up. We got somethin'.

- Bridge, Sonar.

- Go ahead, Sonar.

- Propeller cavitation, deep and slow.

- Can you get a heading?

Can you figure a heading?

Lewis thinks he's moving southeast.

Coming back on 140 again.

Alert battle stations.

Commence underwater search.

Give me minimum rpm

on both shafts. Steer 140.

Propellers, Herr Kapitn.

He's a devil, Heini.

Somehow...

somehow we must lose him.

Or kill him.

- He's pinpointed.

- Ready to close in?

No. Pass the word:

I want a conference with all officers

and chiefs in the wardroom.

Boatswain's mate. Pass the word.

All officers and chiefs

in the wardroom on the double.

We're at a disadvantage

because he can turn sharper than we can.

We can shake him up,

but a death blow'd be pure luck.

We've expended a third

of our depth charges.

The U-boat can stay underwater

for another 24 hours if he wants to.

If we run out of depth charges,

the offensive will be theirs,

and we'd have to break contact

to get away from his torpedoes.

But we can't follow him

and wait for our ships to join us

because we might get pulled into a trap

with a German raider before they get here.

What we're going to do

is to fight a delaying action.

The enemy's about

a thousand yards ahead.

We'll hold this distance

for a little while.

Then we'll run in,

lay one pattern of charges,

drop back, wait for one hour,

and attack again.

We can keep this routine up

for seven hours.

He can't get anywhere very fast,

and our ships should be here

by the end of that period.

He might even surface.

Being inside a submarine under attack

is the worst experience you can imagine.

After they see what we're doing,

they might prefer to surrender,

or at least shoot it out.

I want you all to get

as much rest as you can.

Stand easy at your stations,

but be ready every time we lunge.

It's going to be a long, dull job, but it's

a damn sight worse for the Germans.

We'll begin the routine at 1500.

Herr Kapitn, aft torpedo room.

We've got trouble here.

Take command.

Stay away from me.

We can do nothing with him,

Herr Kapitn.

Come here, son.

Give me the wrench.

Give it to me.

You will come to attention.

It's a part of our work to die.

But we are not going to die.

Do you believe me?

He gets more accurate.

He will tear us apart the next time.

- What do you suggest, Kunz?

- Surface, Herr Kapitn. Surrender.

- Holem?

- I am not concerned, Herr Kapitn.

- Schwaffer?

- I say go on.

- The condition of the ship?

- We are not yet hurt.

But we cannot escape.

It will be your privilege to die for the new

Germany. Put this on the ship's turntable.

But the sound will carry, Herr Kapitn.

It will help the American

to know our position.

Put it on.

- Herr Kapitn, you cannot do this.

- Sing it, Heini.

For you, my friend, and you...

Sing it, Heini.

...all of us together, here's a toast

to life and to laughter and song

Good beer, my friend...

Sing it, Kunz. Sing it, Holem.

Sing it, everybody.

...as we sing loud and strong

Fill up the flowing steins again

with foam on every lip

We'll give a skol and shout "Jawohl!"

in lasting fellowship

And when we eye a Lorelei

with captivating ways

May we drink to love

all our livelong days

To you, my friend, and you, my friend,

and all of us together

Here's a toast to life

and to laughter and song

Good beer, my friend, good cheer,

my friend, through every kind of weather

Make the welkin ring

as we sing loud and strong

Fill up the flowing steins again

with foam on every lip

We'll give a skol and shout "Jawohl!"

in lasting fellowship

Bridge, Sonar. I'm getting

screwy noises from the hydrophone.

Sonar reports screwy noises

from the target.

Tell him to cut it

in on speaker, Ensign.

Put it on the line, Lewis.

And when we eye a Lorelei

with captivating ways

They're havin' a ball down there.

I don't think our psychology's working,

Captain.

No, it's working all right.

I almost wish it wasn't.

All ahead for attack, Mr. Ware.

Maybe we can rip him open

in the middle of a waltz.

Schwaffer.

Secure oil valves two and three.

Number four.

The valves will not

contain the oil, Herr Kapitn.

Empty belly tanks into the sea.

Oil slick off the starboard quarter, sir.

It's a big one.

Sonar, we may have hit him hard.

Are his props turning?

Sorry, sir, he doesn't seem

to be a bit dead.

He's going away

at a good clip to starboard.

- Right ten degree rudder.

- Stand by to fire, sir?

No, we'll ride his tail again.

Let him digest that last one.

He can't stay down much longer.

Come back on 140.

- Schwaffer?

- Yeah?

Ask Braun which way

the American turned after the attack.

He turned to starboard, Herr Kapitn.

Now I will show you something.

Each time he has attacked,

we have turned off to port

or starboard to avoid the attack.

He drops his water bombs

and runs on for 300 or 400 meters,

and then turns,

to fall back on our stern.

He doesn't always turn

the same way, but twice he did,

to run parallel with our course

for a very few minutes.

In those minutes he was vulnerable.

If he does it again, we will be ready.

There will not be time

to come up to periscope depth.

But it's possible.

If we spread the four bow torpedoes,

fired all at once,

angled a few degrees apart,

one may hit.

One will be enough.

But if he does not turn parallel

to our course, what can we do?

We will survive until he does.

Weather from Fleet Weather Control, sir.

- Mr. Ware.

- Yes, sir?

The weather's gonna get worse

before dawn. There's wind in it.

It's gonna be difficult to keep

a fix on the target in the heavy sea.

- We may as well try to finish him off.

- Immediately?

Immediately. Inform Mr. Crain we'll throw

everything we have left at the target.

- You understand?

- Herr Kapitn, the destroyer is closing.

- He comes early.

- We are ready, Herr Kapitn.

You understand

there will not be the usual routine?

Seal torpedo.

- Mr. Ware, set depth charges to 100.

- Aye aye, sir.

- Target turning to port, sir.

- Stand by to fire.

Left ten degrees rudder.

Fire.

He fires too shallow. Up to 50.

Now, American, turn the right way

and I'll give you a pretty present.

Plot reports he's off our stern.

Course still 140.

Give her a right 15 degree rudder.

We'll make a beam attack.

He is turning. Starboard 20 degrees.

Halt course.

Go ahead, Sonar. High-speed

propeller effect, all on starboard side.

Stop port engine. Left full rudder.

It's a hit.

Silence.

Come on now. Under both arms, man.

- He's only got one arm, sir.

- Get him to starboard. Easy, boys.

We took the fish to forward fire room.

Fore and aft bulkheads, blown out.

- Fire room and engine room, flooded.

- Can the pumps keep us afloat?

- If they can, it won't be for long.

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