Meyer took Werner to another building, this one with a guard at the door. They climbed a flight of stairs with one door at the top, which Meyer opened with a key. Meyer's office was a mass of document binders on shelves and large rolled up drawings in neat containers with markings on them. His office table was in front of a large window overlooking the submarine. Meyer took a binder from one of the shelves, opened it on a large table and beckoned Werner over.
"These were the design specifications for U-1215. As you can see, these capabilities are much more ambitious than the newest u-boats we already have. Look! Three weeks continuous submerged operation. That means no surfacing for recharging batteries or ventilating the submarine's atmosphere. We can ride out every storm underwater where we won't feel the effects of the waves and hide from enemy aircraft and ship's radar. Beneath the surface of the water is where a submarine needs to be. It's where we are safest and most effective."
Werner looked incredulous. "Hmph, the sub may certainly stay under that long but we humans can't. We'll use up the air in the sub in just one day. We'll eventually have to surface."
"The submarine is equipped with air scrubbers, Captain. The ventilation fans direct the air into purifiers that remove carbon dioxide from the air before redistributing it into the spaces." Meyer was clearly enjoying his role as teacher. "We also produce our own oxygen by electrolysis. This is a process where water is broken up into oxygen and hydrogen using electricity. The oxygen is distributed through the submarine spaces via the same ventilation fans."
"What do we do with the hydrogen," Werner asked. Then, a thought occurred to him. "Is that what you use as fuel?"
"No, Captain, the hydrogen is vented out of the submarine. The rate of hydrogen production is small enough that we can vent it out of the sub into the surrounding water without leaving an obvious trail of bubbles. Let's continue." Meyer seemed impatient to get on with his lecture.
"Let's talk about the Type XXI. That type can run for two to three days on electric power but only at 5 knots. If it runs at its maximum of 17 knots continuously, they'll use up their batteries in less than two hours. U-1215, on the other hand can maintain 18 knots indefinitely. Okay, no one actually knows how long we can maintain that. Some say we can run at maximum for more than a year but that would not be practical, of course.
"Maximum depth of 400 meters. This is more than the limit of present designs like the Type XXI. This enables us to find thermal layers and hide from the enemy's sonar devices. Deeper depths also complicates the escort's depth charge attacks since it is much more difficult to estimate where and when to drop the depth charges due to the length of time it takes for the bombs to sink.
“Here, look at this." Meyer pointed at the next item. "Most submarines have one or two aft torpedo tubes. Our torpedoes can be configured to turn in the opposite direction that we are going so the aft torpedo tube was deemed unnecessary. Someone, however, thought we could use the aft tubes to launch submarine decoys. These are torpedo-shaped devices with sound generators that simulate the sound of a submarine running on batteries. It also changes course every now and then so that a pursuing destroyer will think it's us trying to get away. This will allow us to escape and attack again from a different angle. It may also fool them into thinking that there is more than one submarine in the area. They're filled with diesel fuel and are designed to break apart when hit by a hedgehog or when a depth charge explodes close by. When that happens, the sound generators simulate a submarine filling with water and the diesel fuel will fool them into thinking that the submarine's hull has been torn open. Brilliant, don't you think?"
Werner thought it was useless but who knows if they might need it. "Yes," he lied, "quite ingenious." Meyer nodded his head vigorously.
"These other specifications are for installation of improved equipment like the torpedo firing solution equipment, longer range torpedoes, air scrubbers, more sensitive passive sonar, radar detectors, larger fresh water distillation equipment, and improved living conditions for the crew."
Werner considered the design specifications and wondered if this new sub was able to satisfy all of them. If they had indeed built the submarine to specs, it would be the most advanced submarine the world had ever seen. But could it turn the tide of the war in the Atlantic?
"So, has this submarine satisfied all the specifications, Meyer?" Werner asked.
"We have not begun operational tests, Captain. We have tested most of the equipment such as the air purifiers, and distillation equipment but we have not taken the submarine out into the open ocean. We have tried diving and surfacing in place right here inside the pen, but not outside." Meyer had a smile on his face that made Werner think he was enjoying his presentation. His expression reminded Werner of an old classmate who was about to spring a surprise on him. Werner decided to find out.
"Is there anything else I need to know about the sub? Lt. Fischer mentioned something about a reactor." Meyer's smile widened even more.
"For that I need to take you on another tour of the sub, Captain."
It was Werner's turn to smile.
"Would I be allowed to speak during the tour, Commander?"
Torpedoes
Meyer led Werner back into the submarine via the forward hatch. Meyer began describing the torpedoes.
"These torpedoes are of the acoustic type and were designed specifically for U-1215. They are battery powered and have four settings that can be loaded from the control room while they are in the torpedo tube. The first setting is the initial course that the torpedo will run once it leaves the tube. The second is the distance that the torpedo will travel before it switches to acoustic tracking or search mode. Once the torpedo has reached the set distance, the third setting will change its depth to any value we want. The last setting is a speed selector. Upon leaving the tube, the torpedo can be set to run at 15 knots. When it reaches the distance where it switches to search mode, the speed will switch to the maximum of 25 knots..."
Werner started in surprise. "25 knots? That's not much of an improvement, isn't it?"
"Ah, but this torpedo has certain abilities that will give it the advantage over other torpedoes. The first is the maximum distance it can travel. If we fire them at maximum speed, they have a range of 10 kilometers. If we fire them at the minimum speed of 15 knots, they can travel up to 28 kilometers."
"So," Werner added, "these are the longest range torpedoes in history?"
"That is correct, Captain," Meyer answered. "They are also the most quiet. They do not make any sound as they move toward their target."
Werner looked at Meyer incredulously. He looked at the tail end of the torpedo, which didn't have a propeller, and looked back at Meyer.
"I am not joking, Captain. They have tested these torpedoes somewhere else and they have confirmed they are so noiseless no one will know they are approaching, much less from which direction."
Werner perfectly knew the advantages of a silent torpedo. What he wanted to know was, how?
"If you will permit me, Captain," Meyer said, "I will tell you the secret later in the tour. Shall we proceed aft?"
Sonar
Meyer led the way, passing through the upper deck into the sonar room.
"This is the sonar room. As you can see, there is not much difference from the usual sonar rooms except that ours is more spacious. The sub has three passive sonar sensors, one at the top of the conning tower, and one on each side of the conning tower. The ones at the sides function like human ears, allowing the operator to get a rough bearing of the incoming sounds. The one at the top can be turned around to get a more precise bearing to the target. The sonar circuits have improved filters that can remove the normal sea sounds but allow ship noise to pass. This will make the sonar crew's life easier."
Werner nodded but noted that there were two stations instead of the normal one in a typical submarine.
"Correct, Captain, we are investigating if two sonarmen can do a better job than one. We thought that having one sonarman work with the two side-mounted sonar sensors and another one on the moveable sensor would be more efficient than having one man do both. The first can report on a contact with a rough bearing and the second can obtain a more precise bearing. While he is doing that, the first can continue listening for other targets."
Werner saw the logic but thought that one sonarman worked well enough on the boats he had been on. It would be interesting to see how two would perform.
Control Room
Meyer led the way into the control room. "You can already see most of the improvements just by looking around, Captain. Over here is the helm and diving controls. The torpedo controls are over there. Engine monitors are here and the navigator's station is over there. All electrical conduits are hidden behind the walls." Meyer gestured around the control room vaguely as if it was all so ordinary.
"I don't see any valves anywhere, Commander." Werner had noted the lack of the familiar controls to dive or surface a typical submarine. "How do we dive or surface the boat?"
"Everything on this boat is controlled by electricity, Captain. The valves are electrically driven. All we need to do is press the necessary buttons or twist dials to control everything. It is much easier and faster than the old way."
"I see." Werner began to wonder if he was getting in a little over his head. There seemed to be so much to learn about the boat. Meyer sensed his apprehension.
"I wouldn't worry too much about how things worked, Captain. Your job is to run the boat and my job is to make sure it runs as designed."
Ah, the opening, Werner thought.
"I've been meaning to ask you about that, Commander. You're not really a naval officer, are you? A civilian with a temporary rank perhaps?"
"You are partially right, Captain. I was a physics graduate with a minor in engineering when the war started. I joined the Kriegsmarine right away but was pulled out of active duty before I could get my first assignment. I was initially put into weapons research before being assigned to this project. I was given the rank of Lt. Cmdr. to make sure that the officers didn't give me any duties other than my true job." Meyer seemed please at that. It had probably been his own idea.
"Well, Commander, while I respect your expertise in technical matters, I trust that you will respect my expertise in matters of submarine operations. There may be times when I will give you orders especially when the safety of the boat and the lives of the men depend on it. You are also expected to show proper decorum expected of an officer of the German Navy." Werner gave Meyer a hard look. "Is that clear?"
Meyer smiled and stood at attention. "Yes, Captain. I shall do as you say."
That will have to do, Werner thought. "Good, now to comment on your statement about my job and your job, I do not agree that I do not need to know how this sub operates. It is essential that every officer knows how everything works so that we will be able to determine what to do in case of a problem. I also need to know the capabilities of this sub so as to devise tactics and procedures that would put those capabilities to best use."
Meyer gestured to the captain's stateroom and led the way. Inside, Meyer turned to his commander.
"Captain, I have no problems with teaching you everything you will need to know about this boat. Unfortunately, teaching you and everyone else is going to take a long time and time, Captain, is something that is in short supply. Germany is losing the war in the Atlantic and the Allies are gaining strength as we speak. This submarine needs to be put through its tests and built in large numbers so we may regain dominance over the sea lanes. Only when we have cut off the Allies from their supplies can we be assured of victory. I will teach you and the other officers those things you need to know but the principles may be a bit over your heads."
Werner thought about Meyer's little speech and decided that he was right. U-boat losses were mounting and officers and crew training were being shortened from years to months. The Allies were getting better and better at detecting and defending against the u-boats but the silent service was slow to adapt. Sure, there were new and better torpedoes, longer range boats and new tactics but all they did was to slow down the losses. They needed something that would make a radical difference. He had thought that the new Type XXI already being built would be that difference but apparently, other people wanted something vastly different from the present u-boats.
"Okay, Commander, we'll iron out any disagreements as they come along. I must insist, however, that all the officers must know as much as they can about this boat. You will conduct lectures about the equipment and we will discuss how we may best use them in combat. If I heard the admiral correctly, we will begin open sea trials very soon."
"That is the schedule, Captain. If Commander Weber had not died, we would have started the tests three days ago."
"Ah yes, the previous sub commander. Weber, was he? The admiral said he was not pleased about the choice. A drunkard, he described him." Werner shook his head at the thought. He, himself, drank only occasionally and only in moderation.
Meyer looked thoughtful for a few moments before speaking. "Yes, he was. But he is gone and you are here. The task of getting this boat through its tests rests in your capable hands, Captain." Meyer opened the door and gestured. "Shall we continue our tour, Captain?"
The Reactor
Meyer led Werner into the strange compartment he saw earlier with the admiral. Men had already started filtering in and doing their work, whatever it was. They spotted Commander Schmitt, the engineering officer, conferring with one of the technicians. Meyer pointed to the large object that dominated the compartment.
"That, Captain, is the reactor. This is what enables this submarine to be all we want it to be. Are you familiar with nuclear physics, Captain? No? Well, in that case, I can only offer you a simplified explanation of how this amazing thing works."
Meyer led him down the stairs to a control desk that had a large drawing above it. Werner only recognized the symbol for pumps and turbines but nothing much else.
"This container has a quantity of radioactive material, uranium actually, that can generate great quantities of heat. We control the amount of heat it generates by raising and lowering these rods into the pile. Water under high pressure is routed through the pile, which picks up the heat and releases it into a boiler. The steam thus produced turns these turbines which then turn these generators to produce electricity for the sub's systems." The diagram was a lot more complex than Meyer's explanation but Werner guessed that the basics of the system had been described.
"How much fuel are we carrying, Commander?" It was always a point of concern. Running out of fuel is a nightmare that no submarine commander wants to experience.
"The uranium fuel can last about five years Captain."
Werner's eyes widened at that. It was too good to be true.
"I can assure you, Captain, we have that much fuel on board the submarine."
Werner nodded his head and pointed to the rest of the drawings. "What about these other things?"
"The reactor is capable of generating great amounts of heat, Captain, much greater than this container can withstand. We need several safety devices and systems to ensure that doesn't happen. Commander Schmitt already knows how those work so at least, I have not failed you on this aspect of the job, Captain." Schmitt scowled at Meyer at that.
"Commander, I know how everything works except for how that reactor produces heat. I can only conclude that it is nothing short of black magic. Captain, this thing is dangerous, much more dangerous than a boiler in a surface vessel. A boiler failure may cause extensive damage to an engine room but it won't probably sink the ship. If this thing fails, we will be reduced to ashes in a few seconds, if these witches are telling the truth." Schmitt waved a hand at the technicians working around him.
Werner felt a slight chill come over him. He looked at the reactor and imagined demons stirring up a fire inside. "Is it generating heat now?"
Meyer answered before Schmitt could. "Right now, it is warm only, Captain. It is shutdown at the moment and is producing only a miniscule amount of heat."
Meyer decided that the captain had been scared enough, if he was. "Captain, these technicians are the people that Commander Schmitt was referring to during our introduction at the mess hall earlier. They are thoroughly familiar with how it works and how to control it. They are not really submariners though they have received a crash course of a few months to enable them to learn how to live life on board a submarine. Their primary job is to take care of the reactor. I must tell you though that they alone are qualified to operate the reactor so they must be exempt from the normal duties of the rest of the men."
Werner decided to make a point clear. "Commanders, whether you are submariners or not does not change the fact that you are members of this crew. In normal conditions, we shall follow the normal duty rosters as each department sees. Once we are in combat, and I intend to simulate combat conditions whenever possible, everyone must follow orders as given without regard to their work assignments. Of course, as good commanders, we must always take into consideration each man's role and skills. But where the safety of this boat and its crew is at stake, we must all make sacrifices. Clear?"
"Clear!" Both men answered in unison.
Karl Gunther, one of the technicians, overheard the captain's statement and wondered what those sacrifices might one day be. He hoped he would not be around should the time come.
The Electrical and Generator Room
Meyer took the stairs up to the electrical room followed by Werner. Schmitt decided to tag along. He was supposed to go there anyway.
The electrical room was already filled with people although "filled" was probably a relative thing. Werner could see one man at a control console and two other men who had panel doors opened and doing whatever it was they were doing inside.
"This is the electrical control room. The electricity from the generators is routed here before being sent to the various boat systems and equipment. The boat is run entirely on electricity, Captain. There are no noisy diesels engines, dangerous exhaust fumes or diesel fuel tanks. Everything was thought of to make this boat as quiet as possible." Schmitt had gone over to the man at the control desk while Meyer was explaining to the captain. He spoke up.
"If you ask me, Captain, not having a diesel engine to back up the reactor is asking for trouble. The technology is too new to be reliable."
"Come now, Commander," Meyer said, "Practically every improvement you suggested has been implemented on the boat. This vessel is as much your design as much as it is mine."
"Of course they should implement my ideas. This boat would be no good without them." Werner sensed a degree of playfulness in their tones. It was good to know that these two engineers were on good terms.
"Indeed, Commander," Meyer said. "Captain, I would have you know that the other major advancement in this boat aside from the nuclear reactor came from an idea from Commander Schmitt."
"Really," Werner replied. "And what might that be?"
"It is the secret to why this submarine is so quiet. Without the diesel engines, this sub is already quiet. But by putting forth an idea, the commander has eliminated the noise from the boat's screws."
A boat's screw was a major source of noise aside from the engines. The noise primarily came from bubbles forming around the blades as it turned, especially at high revolutions.
Normally, in a submarine running on batteries, the noise from the cavitating screw was what gave it away. Reducing speed to around two knots eliminated the noise but a speed of two knots could not be considered "running." It was more like walking on tip toe.
"Are you going to tell me this idea of yours?"
"I can show you, Captain, but we'll have to go into one of the sheds on the pier." Schmitt seemed nonchalant but Werner guessed he was eager to demonstrate his idea.
"Don't keep me waiting, Commander. Let's go."
New Propulsion Method
Schmitt led the way out of the submarine and onto the pier. He walked to a shed along the line of buildings and entered. He told his audience to wait while he set up his demonstration.
He took a one inch rubber pipe that had two seemingly solid cylinders on opposite sides. Each cylinder had wires about two meters long coming out of them that went to a small box. Two other wires went into the sides of the tube perpendicular to the two solid cylinders. He ordered one of the electricians in the shed to fill a small tank with sea water. When the tank had been filled, Schmitt put the contraption into the water.
"Captain, are you familiar with the principle of how motors work," Schmitt asked.
Werner shook his head. He knew motors would run if you connect wires to them and pressed a button or threw a switch but how they did that was beyond him. Schmitt was ready for his ignorance, however, because he had another contraption to demonstrate the principle.
He took a jerrybuilt device, which he explained was composed of two magnets and a length of copper wire. The two magnets were arranged so that one's north pole was facing the other's south pole with the wire in between them. Schmitt explained that when an electric current is passed through the wire while it was inside a magnetic field, the wire would move. He then connected the wire's ends to a device he called a power supply. It allowed him to control when electricity flowed through the wire and how much current he wanted to pass through it. He set a dial a little in the clockwise direction.
"Just a little current," he explained. "Now, watch as I switch on the power."
The wire was a little loosely strung and when Schmitt flipped the switch, the wire moved between the two magnets slowly. Schmitt switched off the power and then reversed the connection on the wire. He switched the power back on and Werner watched as the wire moved in the opposite direction from before. Schmitt switched off the power again.
"The speed at which the wire moves is dependent on the amount of current, Captain." Schmitt twisted the dial a little more and, this time, when he switched on the power, the wire moved more energetically.
"You are aware, Captain, that it is dangerous to touch an electric wire or connection when you are standing on a puddle of water or when you are wet, yes? Well, that is because water is a good conductor of electricity, the same as this piece of wire. Sea water, because of its salt content, is an even better conductor of electricity. So, the theory is that if you pass an electric current through water that is inside a magnetic field, the water will move across the magnet field, just like this wire did."
Werner looked at the other contraption, the one with a rubber pipe and quickly understood what he was getting at. "So, what you are saying is that you can force water to run through this pipe without a pump."
"Exactly!" Schmitt was pleased with his new commander. Other people had not understood his explanations before.
"So, show me, Commander," Werner ordered.
Schmitt quickly took the rubber hose contraption and explained further, "these two solid-looking cylinders are actually coils of wire, Captain. When you pass a current through a coil of wire, you can create a magnetic field. We can't use actual magnets because the magnetic strength is constant and the magnets will continuously attract iron particles that are suspended in the water even when the sub is not moving. Using magnets will also force us to use a type of electricity that will erode the metal in the tube. By using coils of wire, we can use a different type of electricity that eliminates all those problems."
Werner was not aware that there were different types of electricity but he didn't ask for an explanation now. Schmitt was getting into his demonstration and he did not want to interrupt.
Schmitt dipped one end of the rubber pipe into the water, secured it, and said, "Watch."
When Schmitt switched on the power, a trickle of water began flowing out the other end of the tube. Werner was disappointed. While it was certainly quiet, such a small flow would not move anything other than a small toy and slowly at that.
Schmitt, however, had deliberately set the current to a small amount. He smiled widely as he switched off the power, set the dial to a higher setting and said, "Now, watch again."
When Schmitt flipped the switch, the water gushed out of the pipe with such force that the water reached the ceiling and emptied the tank in less than a minute.
Werner had been taken by surprise and had involuntarily stepped back. Meyer had already stepped back earlier to avoid getting wet, having seen one of Schmitt's demonstrations where he drenched one admiral's aide. Schmitt, himself was shouting with glee as the demo unit sprayed water into the shed. The electricians in the shed had apparently seen this demonstration before and had been standing in a safe place. As soon as the water spray had stopped, they took up mop and rag and began drying operations.
Werner looked at the demo unit and looked at Meyer. "The submarine uses the same principle for propulsion?" The only noise from the demonstration was the hiss of the water exiting the tube, the water hitting the ceiling, and Schmitt's howling laughter.
"That is correct, Captain," Meyer replied. "The proper name for it would be electro-magnetic propulsion system but for our purposes, we can just call it the engine. It worked so well during trials that we decided to use the same propulsion method for the torpedoes."
Werner remembered what he thought was a lack of propellers on the torpedoes. He had thought wrong.
"So, we have a submarine that makes no noise as she travels through the water; can travel at high speed for an indefinite period of time; torpedoes that can chase their targets without a sound; and an engine that doesn't require air to function. Gentlemen, I don't see why we are not building these things right now." Werner was a practical man. The principles were sound and they seemed to work well. Why weren't they already building them?
Meyer sighed noisily. He had made that argument before.
"To tell you the truth, Captain. This project is not only secret because we want to hide the technology from the enemy. We are also hiding from our own people."
Werner looked at him in surprise.
"You mean to tell me this is an unauthorized project?" What have I gotten myself into?
"Not exactly," Meyer replied. "Admiral Donitz had decided to prioritize the development and construction of the Type XXI and XXIII. These two boat types are a big advance over the older types and can potentially alter the course of the war in the Atlantic. He wants all efforts concentrated on these two types and put the U-1215 project on temporary hold."
"So why are we here?" Werner asked.
"The admiral made that decision himself. We were already far along into the project that we had actually built the submarine when the order to stop had been given. He had pleaded with Donitz to allow him to continue with just this one boat. Donitz didn't want to give his permission at first because he had already informed the Führer that he had stopped all activity on it. He allowed the admiral to proceed only on condition that he do it under absolute secrecy."
Meyer's words somehow failed to assure Werner that he was safe. The Führer was known to explode when he was not informed about things that thought he should know. Something like this could be seen as disobedience at the least or treason at the most. They could be shot for that though the admiral would probably receive the first bullet. His name would be on the second, he was sure.
"I will have to talk to the admiral later about that. It seems he has not been forthright with me about a lot of things."
More than you know, thought Meyer.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
THE SILENT SUB CHAPTER 3 - THE OFFICERS
"Good. Let's go meet your officers and then I'll have the design engineer give you an overview of the submarine."
The admiral stood up, opened the door, and started walking down the passage quickly, forcing Werner to hurry to catch up. They got off the boat and walked along the pier to one of the structures along the sides. They walked in and came upon a row of men, standing at attention.
The admiral took some time to walk the line, hands behind his back, looking at each man as if he was doing an inspection, which he probably was. At the end of the line, he made an about face.
"Men, I introduce to you to your new commander who will take over the testing of the submarine. This is Fregattenkapitän (Captain Junior-Grade) Hans Werner, former commander of U-684. Captain, these are the officers and petty officers of submarine U-1215."
Werner looked at the men and merely nodded his acknowledgment. Although they looked alert, they were obviously awakened from sleep as he was. The admiral started his introductions.
"This is Korvettenkapitän (Commander) Karl Schmitt, Engineering Officer. He is knowledgeable with both electrical and mechanical equipment. He use to serve on U-496 before he was transferred here. Be careful though as he thinks he owns the boat." The admiral moved his head a little closer to the man who gave a ghost of a smile though he kept staring ahead. Probably old shipmates or boatmates as the case may be, thought Werner.
"This is Leutnant zur See (Lieutenant-Junior Grade) Wilhelm Schneider, Second Watch Officer. A very capable man with the crew. He knows how to handle the men. He used to serve on a destroyer before deciding to join the u-boat service." Schneider looked to be about 27, a bit old for a Leutnant zur See but appearances can be deceiving, Werner thought.
"Oberleutnant zur See (Lieutenant-Senior Grade) Herbert Fischer, First Watch Officer. Next to Schmitt, he's the most experienced officer in the group. He was one of the first to join the project." Fischer's expression didn't change. He looked a bit younger than Schneider but, again, it was probably just appearances.
"And this is Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant Commander) Heinz Meyer; he is the most knowledgeable man with the design of the boat." Werner noted the lack of any reference to military experience. An engineer, most likely. Not a military man though he gave a good semblance of standing at attention.
"These other men are your chief petty officers and your petty officers. I will leave you to learn their names yourself, Captain. I must go back to headquarters to attend to some things. You have a busy day ahead of you. I will come back later tonight to brief you on your coming tests." Werner saluted the man as the admiral turned away and walked out of the building after returning the salute. Werner turned back to the men and looked at them for a few seconds without saying anything.
"At ease, men." There was a subdued air of relaxation as the officers and non-coms went to parade-rest. "I can see that all of us have been pulled out of bed much earlier than we would want to. You men may have been working late last night while I was pulling in U-684 into the base. So, seeing that we all lack sleep, we might as well give a good yawn to wake ourselves up."
At this, Werner opened his mouth and started yawning and stretching. The men looked at him in astonishment for a while before Lt. Fischer barked an order.
"You heard the captain, men! Yawn and stretch!"
There were a few hesitant pauses before everyone was soon yawning and stretching with gusto. That seemed to break the tension as everyone soon looked with interest at their new commander.
"Okay, now that we're all alert, I would just like to say that I look forward to serving with you men and making this submarine crew a part of the Kriegsmarine albeit, a secret one." That drew a laugh from the assembled men.
"Seeing that I am the most ignorant of the lot, I will be depending on all of you to help me learn everything there is to learn about this boat. Lt. Fischer, aside from you, who among the crew has combat experience?"
Fischer drew himself back to attention before speaking, "Sir, all the officers except for Lieutenant Commander Meyer have combat experience of various lengths. Some of the petty officers are transferees from surface ships while all of the crew are fresh from submarine school." That drew a surprised look from Werner.
"I see. I assume, however, they had special training for this assignment."
"That is correct, Captain. I must also inform you, sir, that there are special members of this crew who are not submariners. They are here to operate and maintain the reactor."
Werner frowned. "The reactor?"
Meyer spoke up. "I think it would be best if I discussed that part of the sub with you separately, Captain. It would require some detailed explanation."
Werner thought about that for a while before nodding his head and continuing. "Very well. Lt. Fischer, do we have anything on our schedule for today?"
"No tests are scheduled for today sir," Fischer answered, "there are only the normal work that needs to be done for a submarine in port."
"Good. Well, I won't hold you any longer, men. You obviously have your assignments so, let's get the day started."
With a chorus of "Yes, sir," the men fell out and moved out the door. Meyer stayed behind and waited for everyone to leave before he spoke.
"You've had a number of surprises today, I see." Meyer had a smile on his face that Werner was not sure if he should wipe off. He was probably a civilian who had been given a military rank to make sure that he could dictate what he needed to dictate. That meant that he had connections to high places...maybe.
"Yes, I have commander. I guess one of them would be you." Werner gave Meyer a questioning look that the man didn't miss.
"I think it is fair that you should know what my exact role is with regards to this project, Captain. It is important for you to know, in any case. Shall we sit down?"
Werner moved to one of the chairs among the tables. The place was obviously the mess hall though the cooks were not behind the counter yet. Probably preparing the day's meal, Werner thought. It was still too early for breakfast. Meyer sat on the opposite side of the table and started explaining.
"You already know that this is a new submarine design, Captain, and therefore it is but normal that it be designed and built in secret. However, this submarine is not just an improvement on an old design. It also tests new engines, operational methods, submarine propulsion, and several other aspects that may not just give us back the upper hand in the war in the Atlantic but also usher in a new era in submarines."
Werner had already guessed what Meyer had just said. There was still the question of what made this prototype more special than others.
"Meyer, new submarines are being designed and built as we speak. The Type XXI is almost as fast underwater as it is on the surface. It has hydraulic loaders for its torpedoes and it can go three days on its batteries compared to just hours for the older boats. This new secret boat is bigger and definitely more comfortable for the crew but how does it compare to the Type XXI?"
Meyer smiled and replied, "Captain, the Type XXI is nothing compared to what this submarine can do."
"Alright, perhaps we should start at the beginning then." Werner wanted to see just what this man was referring to. Meyer was starting to pique his interest.
Meyer stood up. "Let's go to my office."
The admiral stood up, opened the door, and started walking down the passage quickly, forcing Werner to hurry to catch up. They got off the boat and walked along the pier to one of the structures along the sides. They walked in and came upon a row of men, standing at attention.
The admiral took some time to walk the line, hands behind his back, looking at each man as if he was doing an inspection, which he probably was. At the end of the line, he made an about face.
"Men, I introduce to you to your new commander who will take over the testing of the submarine. This is Fregattenkapitän (Captain Junior-Grade) Hans Werner, former commander of U-684. Captain, these are the officers and petty officers of submarine U-1215."
Werner looked at the men and merely nodded his acknowledgment. Although they looked alert, they were obviously awakened from sleep as he was. The admiral started his introductions.
"This is Korvettenkapitän (Commander) Karl Schmitt, Engineering Officer. He is knowledgeable with both electrical and mechanical equipment. He use to serve on U-496 before he was transferred here. Be careful though as he thinks he owns the boat." The admiral moved his head a little closer to the man who gave a ghost of a smile though he kept staring ahead. Probably old shipmates or boatmates as the case may be, thought Werner.
"This is Leutnant zur See (Lieutenant-Junior Grade) Wilhelm Schneider, Second Watch Officer. A very capable man with the crew. He knows how to handle the men. He used to serve on a destroyer before deciding to join the u-boat service." Schneider looked to be about 27, a bit old for a Leutnant zur See but appearances can be deceiving, Werner thought.
"Oberleutnant zur See (Lieutenant-Senior Grade) Herbert Fischer, First Watch Officer. Next to Schmitt, he's the most experienced officer in the group. He was one of the first to join the project." Fischer's expression didn't change. He looked a bit younger than Schneider but, again, it was probably just appearances.
"And this is Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant Commander) Heinz Meyer; he is the most knowledgeable man with the design of the boat." Werner noted the lack of any reference to military experience. An engineer, most likely. Not a military man though he gave a good semblance of standing at attention.
"These other men are your chief petty officers and your petty officers. I will leave you to learn their names yourself, Captain. I must go back to headquarters to attend to some things. You have a busy day ahead of you. I will come back later tonight to brief you on your coming tests." Werner saluted the man as the admiral turned away and walked out of the building after returning the salute. Werner turned back to the men and looked at them for a few seconds without saying anything.
"At ease, men." There was a subdued air of relaxation as the officers and non-coms went to parade-rest. "I can see that all of us have been pulled out of bed much earlier than we would want to. You men may have been working late last night while I was pulling in U-684 into the base. So, seeing that we all lack sleep, we might as well give a good yawn to wake ourselves up."
At this, Werner opened his mouth and started yawning and stretching. The men looked at him in astonishment for a while before Lt. Fischer barked an order.
"You heard the captain, men! Yawn and stretch!"
There were a few hesitant pauses before everyone was soon yawning and stretching with gusto. That seemed to break the tension as everyone soon looked with interest at their new commander.
"Okay, now that we're all alert, I would just like to say that I look forward to serving with you men and making this submarine crew a part of the Kriegsmarine albeit, a secret one." That drew a laugh from the assembled men.
"Seeing that I am the most ignorant of the lot, I will be depending on all of you to help me learn everything there is to learn about this boat. Lt. Fischer, aside from you, who among the crew has combat experience?"
Fischer drew himself back to attention before speaking, "Sir, all the officers except for Lieutenant Commander Meyer have combat experience of various lengths. Some of the petty officers are transferees from surface ships while all of the crew are fresh from submarine school." That drew a surprised look from Werner.
"I see. I assume, however, they had special training for this assignment."
"That is correct, Captain. I must also inform you, sir, that there are special members of this crew who are not submariners. They are here to operate and maintain the reactor."
Werner frowned. "The reactor?"
Meyer spoke up. "I think it would be best if I discussed that part of the sub with you separately, Captain. It would require some detailed explanation."
Werner thought about that for a while before nodding his head and continuing. "Very well. Lt. Fischer, do we have anything on our schedule for today?"
"No tests are scheduled for today sir," Fischer answered, "there are only the normal work that needs to be done for a submarine in port."
"Good. Well, I won't hold you any longer, men. You obviously have your assignments so, let's get the day started."
With a chorus of "Yes, sir," the men fell out and moved out the door. Meyer stayed behind and waited for everyone to leave before he spoke.
"You've had a number of surprises today, I see." Meyer had a smile on his face that Werner was not sure if he should wipe off. He was probably a civilian who had been given a military rank to make sure that he could dictate what he needed to dictate. That meant that he had connections to high places...maybe.
"Yes, I have commander. I guess one of them would be you." Werner gave Meyer a questioning look that the man didn't miss.
"I think it is fair that you should know what my exact role is with regards to this project, Captain. It is important for you to know, in any case. Shall we sit down?"
Werner moved to one of the chairs among the tables. The place was obviously the mess hall though the cooks were not behind the counter yet. Probably preparing the day's meal, Werner thought. It was still too early for breakfast. Meyer sat on the opposite side of the table and started explaining.
"You already know that this is a new submarine design, Captain, and therefore it is but normal that it be designed and built in secret. However, this submarine is not just an improvement on an old design. It also tests new engines, operational methods, submarine propulsion, and several other aspects that may not just give us back the upper hand in the war in the Atlantic but also usher in a new era in submarines."
Werner had already guessed what Meyer had just said. There was still the question of what made this prototype more special than others.
"Meyer, new submarines are being designed and built as we speak. The Type XXI is almost as fast underwater as it is on the surface. It has hydraulic loaders for its torpedoes and it can go three days on its batteries compared to just hours for the older boats. This new secret boat is bigger and definitely more comfortable for the crew but how does it compare to the Type XXI?"
Meyer smiled and replied, "Captain, the Type XXI is nothing compared to what this submarine can do."
"Alright, perhaps we should start at the beginning then." Werner wanted to see just what this man was referring to. Meyer was starting to pique his interest.
Meyer stood up. "Let's go to my office."
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
THE SILENT SUB CHAPTER 2 - THE TOUR
Tour of the Sub
It was unlike any other submarine he had
ever seen, not even the newest type of U-boat, the Type XXI. The admiral had paused and allowed Werner to take a few moments to look it over from his vantage point.
Its hull was smooth and black and, although the lights in the cavern lit the place to almost sunlight brightness, it almost disappeared in the dark water. It was about one-and-a-half times the width of U-684 and more than twice the length. And while the typical u-boat was shaped like a surface vessel, this one was vastly different.
It had a chisel-like bow and the bowline ran vertically up and down from the deck to the water unlike the typical surface vessel. The dive planes near the bow were raised in the surfaced position and was the only reason why Werner could tell it was a submarine. A surface vessel did not have this feature.
Its hull was smooth and black and, although the lights in the cavern lit the place to almost sunlight brightness, it almost disappeared in the dark water. It was about one-and-a-half times the width of U-684 and more than twice the length. And while the typical u-boat was shaped like a surface vessel, this one was vastly different.
It had a chisel-like bow and the bowline ran vertically up and down from the deck to the water unlike the typical surface vessel. The dive planes near the bow were raised in the surfaced position and was the only reason why Werner could tell it was a submarine. A surface vessel did not have this feature.
About a third
of the way from the bow was a conning tower but this one was also of a different design from the usual u-boat. It was shaped like a very short aircraft wing standing on end. He couldn't see a periscope or a snorkel so he assumed they were
either not installed or were hidden inside the strange-looking structure. On the very top was a hollowed out space that had what seemed to be double doors. No doubt the space was where the lookouts stationed themselves when the boat was on the surface and the doors were shut when the boat submerged.
The aft part of the boat gradually sloped down until the end was underwater but a vertical fin could be seen sticking out of the water. It was a strange design for a submarine and Werner found himself becoming eager to understand the concept.
The admiral allowed him half-a-minute to
see the whole boat and then led the way down the staircase. A row of sheds and
other buildings lined the dock around the sub but the admiral went directly to
the gangplank. He then stopped to wait for Werner.
"Captain, we are going inside for a
tour. I would appreciate it if you keep quiet and reserve your questions until
after the tour. Is that understood," the admiral commanded. Werner nodded
his head, effectively saying, yes, while obeying the order at the same time.
They went in through the forward hatch,
which was rather large and shaped like a small door than a hatch. Their descent
had brought them into the torpedo room. Inside were the longest torpedoes he
had ever seen. They were the reason for the large hatch. The forward hatch was
also the weapon's loading door.
There were six torpedo tubes and torpedo racks on both sides of
the boat. Making a quick mental count, Werner noted there was space for
twenty-four torpedoes. If the six torpedo tubes were already loaded, that would
make it thirty weapons that could be stowed on board. This was serious firepower. His own sub carried only twenty-two such
weapons.
Werner also noticed the torpedoes had
hydraulic loaders like the newer submarines now being built. These made short
work of reloading the tubes enabling the submarine to fire another spread of
six in a little over three minutes. The old block-and-tackle method took as
much as fifteen to thirty minutes to reload.
Werner also noticed something stranger
still. All the torpedoes had no screws. There was a hole where the screw would
normally have been. Perhaps they had not been fitted yet.
Werner was surprised to find that the sub
had a very deep draft. Where all the submarines he had ever been in were only
one deck through and through, this one was at least two decks high.
The admiral waved for Werner to follow him
into the next compartment. They climbed a ladder. Through a water-tight door,
they came upon the forward head on the left and the radio/sonar room on the
right. The sonar room looked much like any other sonar room except this was
slightly roomier. The head looked unremarkable as well.
Still moving aft, Werner found himself
in the sub's control room. His mouth gaped in amazement. The control room
had more space than his submarine and even more than the new ones. The helmsman
and planesman's stations lay next to each other in the forward part of the
room. In place of the cushioned stools, these positions had cushioned chairs
with backrests. Each chair also had seat belts to ensure that the helmsman and
planesman kept the boat under control in spite of the sub's movements. Next was
a large plotting table. Holders for the pens, rulers and slide rules were
conveniently placed close by. Next to it was the firing solution equipment and to
the right was obviously the remote torpedo firing station based on the labels
on the buttons and lights. Early submarines had the torpedo firing levers in
the torpedo room. In this submarine, the weapons could be fired from here. The
periscope was just forward of the center of the room and looked unremarkable.
There were other controls and stations but
Werner did not recognize them and the admiral did not allow him time to examine
everything. One thing that amazed Werner was the fact that the room was clean,
more like a land control room than a submarine's. There were no pipes or
electrical conduits running overhead or on the walls. Missing was the familiar valves used for diving and surfacing the boat.
Through a water tight door at the far end
of the control room, the captain found the C.O.'s state room and next to that
was the wardroom on the right and food storage spaces on the left. The wardroom on U-684 was a bench and a table off to one side. It was a tight fit and one sometimes has to stand to let someone through. The wardroom in this submarine was a real room with chairs instead of benches. There was enough space for people to pass without the necessity of someone standing to make room.
Further on, they came upon the officer's
head and shower. Shower? Werner felt a stab of
jealousy. His own sub did not have such amenities. He and his crew had to
endure each other's smell for as much as ten weeks.
Next came the officer's berth. Double-deck
bunks with a small table for each occupant at the foot of the beds. Werner
shook his head. Was there anything this new submarine had that would surprise
him further?
A watertight door led them into a strange
room. It was two decks high and was dominated by an enormous "thing."
Werner burned to ask the admiral what it was but he had been ordered to keep
his questions to himself until the tour was over. It was approximately cylindrical and several pipes
connected it to what looked like two turbines whose shafts extended into the
next compartment. A flight of stairs went down onto the deck
but the admiral didn't head that way. He walked along the catwalk to another
watertight door with Werner following him.
They emerged into what looked like an
electrical room where rows of panels with switches and meters were laid out on
the floor. A control desk dominated the center of the room.
On one side of the room was a pair of poles
with what looked like periscope handles folded up except that the poles were
only about three inches in diameter. The poles stood on the floor in a colored
circular plate about a meter wide. The admiral walked over to one of the poles,
stepped onto the plate and flipped the handles down. Werner watched in
amazement as the admiral smoothly slid down to the lower deck using the handles
to steady himself. Werner looked into the hole the admiral had disappeared into
and saw him slap the handles up as he stepped away from the circle. The device
then slid back up and clicked into place upon reaching the upper deck.
Werner knew he was expected to follow his
superior down the same way. It seemed so simple so he stepped onto the plate
grasped the handles and flipped them down. Immediately, he was lowered to the
deck below quickly but smoothly. As soon as the device had stopped, he stepped
away while slapping the handles back into their folded position. The handle and
the plate automatically slid back up to the upper deck.
Werner was grinning from ear to ear and
almost blurted out something. The expectant look on his admiral's face,
however, stopped him and the grin changed into a simple smile. The admiral
smiled back, nodded his head, and continued with the tour.
This room contained a pair of generators,
which were connected to the turbine shafts in the previous room. Werner looked
around but couldn't see the motors that he guessed would be turning the screws
that drove the boat through the water. Perhaps they had not been fitted in yet.
Strange though.
Through yet another watertight door, they
entered the large room they had seen from the top of the catwalk earlier. The
large unknown machine dominated the room and Werner correctly ascertained that
this machine was the reason why the submarine was so big. The boat had been
designed around it.
They were now walking back towards the bow
but through the lower decks. They next passed through what was most certainly the crew's mess. This was
where the ordinary crew members ate their meals or lounged during their off
watch. The serving counter was off to one side along with the kitchen. Werner
made a quick count. There were tables and chairs for about thirty people. Werner shook his head, something he'd been doing several times already. U-boats didn't have mess rooms.
Adjacent to the crew's mess was the crew's
showers and heads. There were two of each. Immediately after came the crew's
quarters. Cubicles with two bunk beds lined both sides of the space. Another
quick count gave Werner twelve cubicles, forty-eight beds in all.
The next compartment was the main food
stores. At present, it only held tins of beans and sardines but there was also
a refrigerated room for storing perishable foodstuffs. This space was rather
large, much larger than the stores in U-684, which had 57 crew members. This
new boat was apparently designed for longer cruises.
The last door took them back to the torpedo
room. The admiral turned to Werner. Quiet time was over.
The Offer
"So, Captain, what do you think of our
new toy?"
Werner took a few seconds to form his
answer. He had a lot of questions himself but the admiral had asked first.
"It is certainly impressive, Admiral,
but from the way it is hidden implies that this is a secret prototype rather a
new U-boat model."
"Correct, Captain, it is a prototype.
It was designed to test new ideas about u-boat operation, propulsion, tactics,
and crew performance. You have, no doubt, noticed the improvements in crew
comforts?"
"Indeed, Admiral. Life in a submarine
is hard on the crew and extended patrols tax the men so much that we need
several weeks to recover."
The admiral had continued walking, going
back up through the sonar room and the control room until they reached the
captain's cabin. He entered, waved Werner inside and closed the door. The
admiral walked behind the small office table, sat down, and waved Werner to the
opposite chair.
"Captain Werner, you are probably
wondering why I have taken you here and shown you this boat."
Werner had been thinking about that all
throughout the tour. He thought he knew why but wasn't sure if he should just
come out and say it. He decided it would be better to be forthright.
"You are thinking of assigning me to
this boat, Admiral?" He was rewarded with a nod.
"That is correct Captain." The
admiral didn't smile or betray any emotion. There was probably something else.
"May I ask, why me, Admiral? I am one
of your newest u-boat captains and without even a single ship sunk on my first
patrol. My boat is damaged and several crewmen injured. Surely, there are
other, more qualified, u-boat commanders than I."
The admiral sat silently for a few seconds,
looking at him intently. Probably
realizing his mistake, Werner thought.
"Werner, while I will not refute your
statement, I do know that you were promoted to submarine commander for your
performance while you were a subordinate officer in other u-boats. Your
commanding officers spoke highly of you and I agreed to your promotion based on
their recommendations. You also displayed a willingness to test new ideas and
formulate better methods of u-boat operations. I will admit, however, that your
performance is not the only criteria for my offer."
Aha, thought Werner, what might
that other criteria be?
"This project already had a commanding
officer. He was technically qualified, having been on the project from the start,
but he also had a tendency to get very drunk once he got started
drinking." A change came upon the admiral's face but Werner wasn't able to determine what it was. The admiral continued.
"One day he slipped out of this facility and got uproariously drunk. When security tried to arrest him, he broke away, stole a staff car and drove crazily through the city. He ran over two people but somehow made it into the country roads outside the city without crashing. Once there, however, he ran into a tank that was moving along the road and rammed it. The tank was undamaged, of course, but he was killed instantly. I reported the loss to headquarters but they have not sent anyone to replace him."
"One day he slipped out of this facility and got uproariously drunk. When security tried to arrest him, he broke away, stole a staff car and drove crazily through the city. He ran over two people but somehow made it into the country roads outside the city without crashing. Once there, however, he ran into a tank that was moving along the road and rammed it. The tank was undamaged, of course, but he was killed instantly. I reported the loss to headquarters but they have not sent anyone to replace him."
Werner wondered about the man who had just
died. He was probably trained to use this new submarine and train the other captains once
they became operational. Probably not a military man, Werner thought. We would not be so stupid.
"So, you want me to replace this dead
captain as your project's commanding officer. I am flattered, Admiral, but that
still doesn't answer the question of 'why me?'"
"The short answer, Captain, is that
you have combat and operational experience. You are also an unmarried man with
no known involvement with any woman, which is another qualification we require
because acceptance means that you will not be allowed to leave this facility
until the submarine has been either accepted or scrapped. In this case,
however, I do not wish to make an order out of this assignment. I am asking you
now, do you want this assignment?"
Werner paused a moment to consider. Putting
a new submarine type through tests means being pulled out of combat duty. Any
submarine captain worth his salt would prefer being in the thick of battle than
in a secure, secret base, eating good food, and sleeping in comfortable
accommodations.
On the other hand, being the first to use a
new submarine and perhaps influence how it will be used by other captains was an
opportunity not given to everyone. Werner was more of the former, not the
latter. He'd take combat duty to being a test pilot any day.
He looked at the admiral who was looking
back at him, waiting for his answer. Werner had performed terribly on his first
sortie. Was the admiral doing him a favor or did he really believe in him? But
he was being asked, not ordered. He had one last question.
"What about U-684, Admiral?"
"U-684 will be repaired and sent back
out to sea under someone else's command."
Werner took a moment to think. Even though
he had had only one patrol with U-684, he already had an attachment to the
vessel and its crew. However, this new boat was going to be the future of
submarines and may even go into operation soon. It may even turn the submarine
war back into their favor. He made his decision.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
THE SILENT SUB CHAPTER 1 - RUDE AWAKENING
"Captain! Splashes!"
The sonar operator's harsh whisper cut through the silence of the submarine's atmosphere and reached his captain's ears. Captain Hans Werner quickly gave his orders.
"Dive! Make your depth 100 meters, ahead two-thirds."
The planesman quickly pushed his controls forward causing the submarine to dip downward and dive deeper into the depths. Their speed increased as they dove, desperately trying to outrun the depth charges the destroyer had dropped. Too late. The deadly drums sank down and began to explode around U-684.
BAM, BAM, BAM!
Werner awoke from his dream to the sound of someone pounding at his door. Drenched in sweat, he swung his body out of the bed and called out.
"Who is it?" he shouted.
"I am Lieutenant Müller, Captain. I was sent by the Admiral to fetch you and bring you to headquarters," the disembodied voice answered.
"Can't it wait until later?" What a stupid question, the captain thought, keeping an admiral waiting. He had noted the time, almost 0300H. Three hours of sleep would have to do.
"He said not to delay, sir." There was no doubt in Hans' mind that he was in trouble. Why else would he be called at this hour?
"Okay, I'll just get dressed." He didn't open the door to invite the man inside and have a seat while waiting for him. If he was going to be reprimanded, he was not going to give the lieutenant any comfort. Where it used to take him five minutes to get dressed, now took him fifteen. Why hurry to a chewing out, he thought. I'll face it like a man but I'll delay it for as long as I can.
The drive to headquarters was quiet. Two soldiers sat on either side of him while the lieutenant sat in front with the driver. With this many escorts, the thought occurred to him that he might be going to a firing squad. He watched the trees along the road and wondered if there were any in the afterlife. I'll find out soon enough, he thought bitterly. It seemed so unfair, what had happened. His mind wandered to the events that brought him here.
First Patrol
U-684, a type VIIC U-boat, was on the surface, running at 10 knots on one of her two diesel engines. These engines were used to propel the vessel while it was on the surface. For underwater travel, the submarine's screws are driven by electric motors, which are powered by batteries. These electric motors, when connected to the diesels, become generators, allowing them to recharge the batteries. This was the reason why only one diesel was being used for propulsion. The other was being used to drive the motors and recharge the batteries. Fully charged batteries don't last more than a few hours at full speed, so running on the surface was generally preferred to staying underwater. It gave the sub longer range and allowed fresh air to be circulated around the sub's spaces. It was also easier to spot ships, or targets, on the surface.
There was one downside to staying on the surface, however. Allied aircraft now flew almost all over the Atlantic, launched by catapults from ships or from aircraft carriers. These aircraft could either report their position or attack them directly. To guard against this, at least four men were stationed at the conning tower, the structure that stood up from the submarine's deck. Each man was responsible for a quarter of the area around the boat. They used large binoculars to scan the skies and sea looking for prey...or hunters.
U-684, at this time, was charging her batteries in the dark of night. Recharging at night was preferable to recharging in daylight since there was less chance of being discovered. You'd want full batteries in case you had to dive quickly.
One of Werner's men came up into the conning tower. "Captain? We've got a message from BdU." BdU was the U-boat headquarters where all deployments and orders originated from.
Werner gave his binoculars to the Second Watch Officer and descended into the submarine. He went to the radio operator's station and read the message handed to him.
A convoy of twenty freighters, escorted by six destroyers were sailing about 200 kilometers south of their position. At their maximum speed of 14 knots, they could reach it in 8 hours or so. Unfortunately, that would bring them in range without the cover of darkness. Werner ordered a change in course to intercept. He would assess the situation when he got there.
U-684 sailed south for 7½ hours. Dawn was two hours ago and their boat was on full alert looking for ships or aircraft. They couldn't dive as yet because they wanted to conserve as much battery time as possible. If they ran out of batteries in the thick of battle, they would have to surface and that would make them as vulnerable as a beached whale.
"Captain, radar sets detected to the south-west. Signal levels are too low to detect us, however."
Werner decided to partially submerge the boat and allow only the conning tower to jut above the water. This is only possible in calm water which was the sea state at the time. Doing this lowered the chances of being detected by radar but it also slowed his speed. Presently, the lookouts spotted the smoke from the convoy's ships. It was time to dive.
"All crew below decks!" The lookouts quickly began moving into the boat with the captain being the last to go below. The dive was timed so that the hatch was closed just before the sea washed over the deck of the boat.
Werner intended to place himself in the path of the convoy, allowing them to pass over him. As soon as they had slipped by, he would fire his torpedoes.
Soon sonar detected the sounds generated by the convoy as it plowed through the waves at 11 knots. U-684, like all older model submarines, normally ran at 5 knots when underwater. They could run faster but that ran the risk of draining their batteries in a short time. Too slow and they might miss the convoy altogether.
Hunting ships from underwater is a lot like hunting for frogs in the dark. There are several dozens of frogs making sounds and you're trying to gauge the location of the critters just by listening and making educated guesses. The sonar operator can tell you the direction but can only guess at the distance. He might be able to tell you the approximate speed by counting the number of revolutions a ship's screw is turning but in a herd of ships, picking out a single screw from almost 30 is a skill most people do not have. As a consequence, most submarine captains raise their periscopes to determine the best angle for a torpedo shot. Captain Hans Werner was not an exception.
The periscope broke the surface and Werner began turning it around, looking for the targets as well as looking out for danger. He spied the convoy lying about 15 kilometers away on bearing 220. He was excellently placed to get into position ahead of the convoy.
Werner surveyed the convoy for several seconds. Unfortunately, that was more than enough for a pair of eyes to see him.
Lieutenant J.G. Vincent O'Grady saw the periscope's feather, or wake, as he flew his float plane ahead of the ships. He immediately radioed his destroyer that a submarine was stalking the convoy and dropped a flare. By then, Werner had lowered his periscope and did not know he had been spotted. A destroyer raced toward its last location and began using its sonar to search the depths.
Werner almost slapped himself in frustration. His own sonar had heard the destroyer approaching, forcing him to dive deeper to escape.
He was looking for a thermal, a rapid change in the water temperature as the submarine goes deeper. This tends to reflect the sonar pulses and submarines use it to hide. It's rather like an aircraft entering a cloud. You lose sight of the plane but it's there inside the cloud.
Luck was not on Werner's side, however. The destroyer found U-684 and began dropping depth charges into the water. Some of the deadly drums exploded quite close causing damage to the hull. U-684 continued to dive while making course changes to throw off the destroyer's attack. The sought-after thermal presented itself, however, and Werner decided to abort his attempt to attack the convoy. His new submarine was leaking badly in places, the control for the torpedo doors were damaged, and there were several injuries to his crew. He resurfaced after several hours and headed for his submarine base in France.
So now, here he was, on his way to his superior officer probably to explain how he messed up on his first war patrol. His submarine was in its pen being repaired and won't be sailing for several weeks. His injured crewmen needed to be replaced and experienced crew were hard to find nowadays. He'd be stuck with young, fresh recruits who probably went through just a few months of training.
Visit to the Admiral and the Secret Base
The admiral's home and office was in a French chateau. There were no lights outside but that was a typical wartime precaution. Keeping even one light on would be like a beacon for enemy bombers. Werner was escorted to the admiral's office on the second floor. The admiral's aide showed him in and closed the door behind him.
The office was plush. A large painting of Adolf Hitler adorned one wall and two others were displayed prominently. Werner didn't care much for art, however, and he only gave them a cursory glance. The admiral was talking on the telephone to someone about preparing a visit. When he finished he looked at Werner and gestured for him to sit.
"How are you, Captain," the admiral asked.
"I could be better, sir," he replied. No point in lying to this man, he thought bitterly. The admiral's aide sat to one side and slightly behind the captain. Werner wondered if the man was holding a pistol to his back.
"Too bad about your patrol, wasn't it?"
Here it comes, Werner thought. "Uhm, yes sir. I got too eager and someone probably spotted my periscope," he explained. Talking too much, he said to himself. Don't show him you're nervous.
"Do you think it would have been an advantage if you had not had to raise your periscope or stayed underwater for a longer time," the admiral asked.
Why did he ask that, wondered Werner.
"That would be ideal, admiral, but it's difficult to make an accurate assessment of the situation if you don't take a look and our submarines are not, as yet, capable of extended periods underwater." Keep it short, Werner, he warned himself.
"Tell me about the destroyer. Did your speed underwater hamper your efforts to evade him?"
He's getting ready to drop his bombshell, I could tell, Werner felt.
"Well, as you know admiral, our speed underwater is about a third of our speed on the surface. Evading a destroyer that's faster than you is a real challenge," Werner explained.
"What if I told you that we can do all those; find the enemy without using a periscope, move underwater for long periods of time, move faster than ever before and evade your pursuers easily?"
Werner struggled to understand what the admiral was saying. Was the man toying with him? He decided to answer the question directly instead of trying to analyze it.
"Sir, if we had such a submarine, we'd win this war," Werner answered. He believed that too. He was well too familiar with the limitations of the present crop of submarines. Is that what he meant? Or is he saying that I should have been able to do all those things he said?
"Captain, you will come with me for a ride. I want to show you something," the admiral said. Werner was getting puzzled at the admiral's behavior. Am I going to be given a lesson in driving a submarine or am I being taken somewhere to be shot?
The admiral's aide led the way to the staff car in front of the house. The car that fetched him earlier was still there, engine running except there was only the driver. The aide opened the door and the admiral waved Werner in before climbing in himself. The aide got into the passenger seat in front. They drove along the road until they turned into a dirt road some distance away. Werner had passed this road many times and never gave it a second look. Now, however, they were bumping along in a forest of trees so thick that the road was hidden from the air. At a bend on the road, they suddenly came upon a guarded gate. The admiral waited patiently as the guards verified his identity and even asked for a password. The gate was still hidden by the trees but just behind the gate was a rock face. It had a large steel door that opened to let the admiral's car in.
The rock face was sloped inward at the base, effectively hiding the door from the air. Inside, another large steel door waited for the outer door to close before it opened. Nothing was being left to chance. The two doors prevented any light from inside the inner door from reaching the outside where it might be seen. The driver parked the car and the aide let the admiral and captain out.
Werner looked around the man-made cavern. Soldiers stood around and workers moved about taking boxes and crates and taking them somewhere. What was this place? The admiral led him to a small door. The aide and driver stayed with the car.
The door opened into a larger cavern, lit with bright lights. Down a long flight of stairs was what was obviously a pier. The cavern was an internal dock and floating on the water was a large submarine.
The sonar operator's harsh whisper cut through the silence of the submarine's atmosphere and reached his captain's ears. Captain Hans Werner quickly gave his orders.
"Dive! Make your depth 100 meters, ahead two-thirds."
The planesman quickly pushed his controls forward causing the submarine to dip downward and dive deeper into the depths. Their speed increased as they dove, desperately trying to outrun the depth charges the destroyer had dropped. Too late. The deadly drums sank down and began to explode around U-684.
BAM, BAM, BAM!
Werner awoke from his dream to the sound of someone pounding at his door. Drenched in sweat, he swung his body out of the bed and called out.
"Who is it?" he shouted.
"I am Lieutenant Müller, Captain. I was sent by the Admiral to fetch you and bring you to headquarters," the disembodied voice answered.
"Can't it wait until later?" What a stupid question, the captain thought, keeping an admiral waiting. He had noted the time, almost 0300H. Three hours of sleep would have to do.
"He said not to delay, sir." There was no doubt in Hans' mind that he was in trouble. Why else would he be called at this hour?
"Okay, I'll just get dressed." He didn't open the door to invite the man inside and have a seat while waiting for him. If he was going to be reprimanded, he was not going to give the lieutenant any comfort. Where it used to take him five minutes to get dressed, now took him fifteen. Why hurry to a chewing out, he thought. I'll face it like a man but I'll delay it for as long as I can.
The drive to headquarters was quiet. Two soldiers sat on either side of him while the lieutenant sat in front with the driver. With this many escorts, the thought occurred to him that he might be going to a firing squad. He watched the trees along the road and wondered if there were any in the afterlife. I'll find out soon enough, he thought bitterly. It seemed so unfair, what had happened. His mind wandered to the events that brought him here.
First Patrol
U-684, a type VIIC U-boat, was on the surface, running at 10 knots on one of her two diesel engines. These engines were used to propel the vessel while it was on the surface. For underwater travel, the submarine's screws are driven by electric motors, which are powered by batteries. These electric motors, when connected to the diesels, become generators, allowing them to recharge the batteries. This was the reason why only one diesel was being used for propulsion. The other was being used to drive the motors and recharge the batteries. Fully charged batteries don't last more than a few hours at full speed, so running on the surface was generally preferred to staying underwater. It gave the sub longer range and allowed fresh air to be circulated around the sub's spaces. It was also easier to spot ships, or targets, on the surface.
There was one downside to staying on the surface, however. Allied aircraft now flew almost all over the Atlantic, launched by catapults from ships or from aircraft carriers. These aircraft could either report their position or attack them directly. To guard against this, at least four men were stationed at the conning tower, the structure that stood up from the submarine's deck. Each man was responsible for a quarter of the area around the boat. They used large binoculars to scan the skies and sea looking for prey...or hunters.
U-684, at this time, was charging her batteries in the dark of night. Recharging at night was preferable to recharging in daylight since there was less chance of being discovered. You'd want full batteries in case you had to dive quickly.
One of Werner's men came up into the conning tower. "Captain? We've got a message from BdU." BdU was the U-boat headquarters where all deployments and orders originated from.
Werner gave his binoculars to the Second Watch Officer and descended into the submarine. He went to the radio operator's station and read the message handed to him.
A convoy of twenty freighters, escorted by six destroyers were sailing about 200 kilometers south of their position. At their maximum speed of 14 knots, they could reach it in 8 hours or so. Unfortunately, that would bring them in range without the cover of darkness. Werner ordered a change in course to intercept. He would assess the situation when he got there.
U-684 sailed south for 7½ hours. Dawn was two hours ago and their boat was on full alert looking for ships or aircraft. They couldn't dive as yet because they wanted to conserve as much battery time as possible. If they ran out of batteries in the thick of battle, they would have to surface and that would make them as vulnerable as a beached whale.
"Captain, radar sets detected to the south-west. Signal levels are too low to detect us, however."
Werner decided to partially submerge the boat and allow only the conning tower to jut above the water. This is only possible in calm water which was the sea state at the time. Doing this lowered the chances of being detected by radar but it also slowed his speed. Presently, the lookouts spotted the smoke from the convoy's ships. It was time to dive.
"All crew below decks!" The lookouts quickly began moving into the boat with the captain being the last to go below. The dive was timed so that the hatch was closed just before the sea washed over the deck of the boat.
Werner intended to place himself in the path of the convoy, allowing them to pass over him. As soon as they had slipped by, he would fire his torpedoes.
Soon sonar detected the sounds generated by the convoy as it plowed through the waves at 11 knots. U-684, like all older model submarines, normally ran at 5 knots when underwater. They could run faster but that ran the risk of draining their batteries in a short time. Too slow and they might miss the convoy altogether.
Hunting ships from underwater is a lot like hunting for frogs in the dark. There are several dozens of frogs making sounds and you're trying to gauge the location of the critters just by listening and making educated guesses. The sonar operator can tell you the direction but can only guess at the distance. He might be able to tell you the approximate speed by counting the number of revolutions a ship's screw is turning but in a herd of ships, picking out a single screw from almost 30 is a skill most people do not have. As a consequence, most submarine captains raise their periscopes to determine the best angle for a torpedo shot. Captain Hans Werner was not an exception.
The periscope broke the surface and Werner began turning it around, looking for the targets as well as looking out for danger. He spied the convoy lying about 15 kilometers away on bearing 220. He was excellently placed to get into position ahead of the convoy.
Werner surveyed the convoy for several seconds. Unfortunately, that was more than enough for a pair of eyes to see him.
Lieutenant J.G. Vincent O'Grady saw the periscope's feather, or wake, as he flew his float plane ahead of the ships. He immediately radioed his destroyer that a submarine was stalking the convoy and dropped a flare. By then, Werner had lowered his periscope and did not know he had been spotted. A destroyer raced toward its last location and began using its sonar to search the depths.
Werner almost slapped himself in frustration. His own sonar had heard the destroyer approaching, forcing him to dive deeper to escape.
He was looking for a thermal, a rapid change in the water temperature as the submarine goes deeper. This tends to reflect the sonar pulses and submarines use it to hide. It's rather like an aircraft entering a cloud. You lose sight of the plane but it's there inside the cloud.
Luck was not on Werner's side, however. The destroyer found U-684 and began dropping depth charges into the water. Some of the deadly drums exploded quite close causing damage to the hull. U-684 continued to dive while making course changes to throw off the destroyer's attack. The sought-after thermal presented itself, however, and Werner decided to abort his attempt to attack the convoy. His new submarine was leaking badly in places, the control for the torpedo doors were damaged, and there were several injuries to his crew. He resurfaced after several hours and headed for his submarine base in France.
So now, here he was, on his way to his superior officer probably to explain how he messed up on his first war patrol. His submarine was in its pen being repaired and won't be sailing for several weeks. His injured crewmen needed to be replaced and experienced crew were hard to find nowadays. He'd be stuck with young, fresh recruits who probably went through just a few months of training.
Visit to the Admiral and the Secret Base
The admiral's home and office was in a French chateau. There were no lights outside but that was a typical wartime precaution. Keeping even one light on would be like a beacon for enemy bombers. Werner was escorted to the admiral's office on the second floor. The admiral's aide showed him in and closed the door behind him.
The office was plush. A large painting of Adolf Hitler adorned one wall and two others were displayed prominently. Werner didn't care much for art, however, and he only gave them a cursory glance. The admiral was talking on the telephone to someone about preparing a visit. When he finished he looked at Werner and gestured for him to sit.
"How are you, Captain," the admiral asked.
"I could be better, sir," he replied. No point in lying to this man, he thought bitterly. The admiral's aide sat to one side and slightly behind the captain. Werner wondered if the man was holding a pistol to his back.
"Too bad about your patrol, wasn't it?"
Here it comes, Werner thought. "Uhm, yes sir. I got too eager and someone probably spotted my periscope," he explained. Talking too much, he said to himself. Don't show him you're nervous.
"Do you think it would have been an advantage if you had not had to raise your periscope or stayed underwater for a longer time," the admiral asked.
Why did he ask that, wondered Werner.
"That would be ideal, admiral, but it's difficult to make an accurate assessment of the situation if you don't take a look and our submarines are not, as yet, capable of extended periods underwater." Keep it short, Werner, he warned himself.
"Tell me about the destroyer. Did your speed underwater hamper your efforts to evade him?"
He's getting ready to drop his bombshell, I could tell, Werner felt.
"Well, as you know admiral, our speed underwater is about a third of our speed on the surface. Evading a destroyer that's faster than you is a real challenge," Werner explained.
"What if I told you that we can do all those; find the enemy without using a periscope, move underwater for long periods of time, move faster than ever before and evade your pursuers easily?"
Werner struggled to understand what the admiral was saying. Was the man toying with him? He decided to answer the question directly instead of trying to analyze it.
"Sir, if we had such a submarine, we'd win this war," Werner answered. He believed that too. He was well too familiar with the limitations of the present crop of submarines. Is that what he meant? Or is he saying that I should have been able to do all those things he said?
"Captain, you will come with me for a ride. I want to show you something," the admiral said. Werner was getting puzzled at the admiral's behavior. Am I going to be given a lesson in driving a submarine or am I being taken somewhere to be shot?
The admiral's aide led the way to the staff car in front of the house. The car that fetched him earlier was still there, engine running except there was only the driver. The aide opened the door and the admiral waved Werner in before climbing in himself. The aide got into the passenger seat in front. They drove along the road until they turned into a dirt road some distance away. Werner had passed this road many times and never gave it a second look. Now, however, they were bumping along in a forest of trees so thick that the road was hidden from the air. At a bend on the road, they suddenly came upon a guarded gate. The admiral waited patiently as the guards verified his identity and even asked for a password. The gate was still hidden by the trees but just behind the gate was a rock face. It had a large steel door that opened to let the admiral's car in.
The rock face was sloped inward at the base, effectively hiding the door from the air. Inside, another large steel door waited for the outer door to close before it opened. Nothing was being left to chance. The two doors prevented any light from inside the inner door from reaching the outside where it might be seen. The driver parked the car and the aide let the admiral and captain out.
Werner looked around the man-made cavern. Soldiers stood around and workers moved about taking boxes and crates and taking them somewhere. What was this place? The admiral led him to a small door. The aide and driver stayed with the car.
The door opened into a larger cavern, lit with bright lights. Down a long flight of stairs was what was obviously a pier. The cavern was an internal dock and floating on the water was a large submarine.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Problem Teacher
'Just got back from Iligan where my eldest daughter is studying Information Technology at the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). It was not a pleasure trip, indeed it was one that I wished had not been necessary.
My daughter is working on her thesis, which is a requirement for graduation. Instead of an individual thesis, however, theirs was a group thesis where there were three members in each group.
My daughter's group worked on their thesis fully expecting that they could finish before graduation last April 2015. Their adviser, however, had other plans.
After reviewing their documents, he pronounced them unfit for presentation and gave a long list of corrections. It became clear that they would not be joining their classmates in the graduation ceremony.
As a parent, hearing your child cry over the phone is heartbreaking because you know that she is heartbroken as well. I told her to just accept it and do as their adviser says. He's a teacher, right? He knows what a good thesis looks like, right?
So they resumed working on their documents. Soon a pattern began to appear. They would work on the corrections and submit them to their adviser for review. Then he'd schedule a meeting to tell them if it's okay. On the agreed day, he'd say that he had not read them and would set another schedule. On some days, they would have the meeting but he would read the document right there and make another list of corrections.
That became the pattern for the next three months; they'd work on the documents, submit them, chase their adviser around who would then add more things to be corrected. Anyone would be frustrated at this state of affairs and my daughter and her groupmate certainly were. The last straw came when the adviser made, yet again, another list of corrections and the kids showed their dismay. He said, "it's okay, graduations still months away."
My wife and I decided that we needed to talk with this teacher and let him know that his methods were not acceptable. The meeting was civil but did not go well. He insisted that it was his prerogative and that, since his name as adviser would be on the documents, he had a right to make sure that their thesis was perfect. No amount of counter argument could sway him. We were forced to take the matter to his department head who decided to include the assistant dean in the meeting (the adviser was excluded from this meeting).
The department head was sympathetic as was the assistant dean. It came out that my daughter was not the first victim of this teacher's methods. My daughter was just the first to make a formal complaint. They told us to write a letter, addressed to the department head, requesting for a change of adviser. They would then take it up in the department meeting. The only problem was that we had to find another teacher who would be willing to take my daughter and her groupmate on.
There lies another problem. The problem teacher was the most senior in the department and everyone seemed to be afraid of him. Anyone who would accept my daughter could suffer the wrath of the teacher.
So, this problem is unresolved at the moment. We can only hope and pray that things would turn out well.
My daughter is working on her thesis, which is a requirement for graduation. Instead of an individual thesis, however, theirs was a group thesis where there were three members in each group.
My daughter's group worked on their thesis fully expecting that they could finish before graduation last April 2015. Their adviser, however, had other plans.
After reviewing their documents, he pronounced them unfit for presentation and gave a long list of corrections. It became clear that they would not be joining their classmates in the graduation ceremony.
As a parent, hearing your child cry over the phone is heartbreaking because you know that she is heartbroken as well. I told her to just accept it and do as their adviser says. He's a teacher, right? He knows what a good thesis looks like, right?
So they resumed working on their documents. Soon a pattern began to appear. They would work on the corrections and submit them to their adviser for review. Then he'd schedule a meeting to tell them if it's okay. On the agreed day, he'd say that he had not read them and would set another schedule. On some days, they would have the meeting but he would read the document right there and make another list of corrections.
That became the pattern for the next three months; they'd work on the documents, submit them, chase their adviser around who would then add more things to be corrected. Anyone would be frustrated at this state of affairs and my daughter and her groupmate certainly were. The last straw came when the adviser made, yet again, another list of corrections and the kids showed their dismay. He said, "it's okay, graduations still months away."
My wife and I decided that we needed to talk with this teacher and let him know that his methods were not acceptable. The meeting was civil but did not go well. He insisted that it was his prerogative and that, since his name as adviser would be on the documents, he had a right to make sure that their thesis was perfect. No amount of counter argument could sway him. We were forced to take the matter to his department head who decided to include the assistant dean in the meeting (the adviser was excluded from this meeting).
The department head was sympathetic as was the assistant dean. It came out that my daughter was not the first victim of this teacher's methods. My daughter was just the first to make a formal complaint. They told us to write a letter, addressed to the department head, requesting for a change of adviser. They would then take it up in the department meeting. The only problem was that we had to find another teacher who would be willing to take my daughter and her groupmate on.
There lies another problem. The problem teacher was the most senior in the department and everyone seemed to be afraid of him. Anyone who would accept my daughter could suffer the wrath of the teacher.
So, this problem is unresolved at the moment. We can only hope and pray that things would turn out well.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Memory of an Elocution Piece (1975)
When you read the phrase “bloody, but unbowed,” what comes to mind? If I am right, most of you would say, Invictus by William Ernest Henley:
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
In my case, however, the phrase “bloody, but unbowed,” triggers a different memory.
Flashback to 1975, second year high school. Our English teacher gave us a piece of paper with an elocution piece entitled, “Bloody, but Unbowed.” This piece, however, was not Invictus. It was a portion of Edmund Campion’s, I am a Catholic. The same three words, however, were there. We were to memorize it and, after about a week or so, we would be required to recite it in front of the class (I believe it was equivalent to a quiz).
I got down to work. For the next several days, I went over and over that piece in typical memorizing fashion. I would start at the beginning and recite until I got to the point where I couldn’t remember the next line. I would peek at the sheet and then go back to the start. After about three or four days, I reached the end. I recited the piece one more time without looking at the sheet and, again, reached the end. That was it, I had memorized the piece.
On the big day, I waited for my turn and watched my classmates perform. A few stumbled but everyone finished the piece. My name was called and I confidently walked up the the front of the class. I started off well. And why not, I had memorized the piece, hadn’t I?
Somewhere near the middle of the piece, I stopped. I couldn’t remember what came next. I tried going back to the previous sentence but again stopped at the same place. I tried again but it was hopeless. I had well and truly forgotten the next line. After about half a minute, our teacher told me to sit down and wrote in his record book.
It was an episode I tried to forget.
Fast forward to 2015. The unwanted memory has reappeared after reading Invictus, triggered by three words out of 103. It was time for a personal evaluation. What have I learned in 12 years of public speaking that I can apply to an experience that happened 40 years ago?
If I had made it to the end during practice, why did I forget half the piece during the actual delivery? It wasn’t fear. I was confident that I had it memorized. I made two mistakes in the days prior to the event.
The memory of this fiasco had been so efficiently buried that it had not figured in any way with my decision to join Toastmasters, which was fortunate. Otherwise, I might have not taken the chance and life would have been very different indeed.
Has it happened again?
There were a few close calls but, no, that terrible moment of the mind going blank has never reared its ugly head again. Toastmasters training made sure of that.
Your Honor, I stand here before you, a broken wreckage of a man. This trembling piece of clay that cowers at your feet, human brutes have battered to a bloody, senseless pulp. No part of it has not quivered under mailed fist or bludgeoning jack. These eyes that bore through you like a hunted beast’s have been drained of sleep for days on end. This body that scarce can stand upon its feet they have starved to skin and bones, till now it is a shadowy skeleton, groping blindly to its grave. Whatever fiendish torture the hounds of Hell could conjure, they have tried on me, till this flesh could endure no more, and there was only the razor’s edge between this life and the next.
They broke my body, Your Honor; they tried to break my soul. Into my weakened limbs, they injected drugs that slithered through my brains and coiled around the stronghold of my will like a brood of poisonous snakes. Ten times ten thousand harrowing moments, the citadel was all but fallen; the gates of the castle all but flung open. Today, I stand here before you, as my torturers hope, a man with a broken soul.
Your Honor, my soul has not been crushed to shattered fragments. By the grace of God it has come out bloody, but unbowed.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
In my case, however, the phrase “bloody, but unbowed,” triggers a different memory.
Flashback to 1975, second year high school. Our English teacher gave us a piece of paper with an elocution piece entitled, “Bloody, but Unbowed.” This piece, however, was not Invictus. It was a portion of Edmund Campion’s, I am a Catholic. The same three words, however, were there. We were to memorize it and, after about a week or so, we would be required to recite it in front of the class (I believe it was equivalent to a quiz).
I got down to work. For the next several days, I went over and over that piece in typical memorizing fashion. I would start at the beginning and recite until I got to the point where I couldn’t remember the next line. I would peek at the sheet and then go back to the start. After about three or four days, I reached the end. I recited the piece one more time without looking at the sheet and, again, reached the end. That was it, I had memorized the piece.
On the big day, I waited for my turn and watched my classmates perform. A few stumbled but everyone finished the piece. My name was called and I confidently walked up the the front of the class. I started off well. And why not, I had memorized the piece, hadn’t I?
Somewhere near the middle of the piece, I stopped. I couldn’t remember what came next. I tried going back to the previous sentence but again stopped at the same place. I tried again but it was hopeless. I had well and truly forgotten the next line. After about half a minute, our teacher told me to sit down and wrote in his record book.
It was an episode I tried to forget.
Fast forward to 2015. The unwanted memory has reappeared after reading Invictus, triggered by three words out of 103. It was time for a personal evaluation. What have I learned in 12 years of public speaking that I can apply to an experience that happened 40 years ago?
If I had made it to the end during practice, why did I forget half the piece during the actual delivery? It wasn’t fear. I was confident that I had it memorized. I made two mistakes in the days prior to the event.
- I had not given myself time to memorize. When I successfully recited the piece twice, I assumed it would be enough. It was four days more to the big day. That’s four days that I should have used to make sure I completely memorized the piece. And since I had kept starting over from the beginning, I remembered the first half better than the last half and I probably forgot it in the stress of the moment.
- I had recited the piece like I was reading it. The content and intent of the piece had no meaning for me. It was just another bunch of words on a sheet of paper, written in 1581, by a person I didn’t know. If I had taken the time to digest the piece, to get into the shoes of Edmund Campion (well, he was a prisoner. He probably didn’t have shoes on), I might have connected the words with the emotions that goes with it. Reciting the piece would, therefore, have had more meaning and I would have gone from memorizing to internalizing the speech. By internalizing the speech, it would have become part of me and I would have performed better.
The memory of this fiasco had been so efficiently buried that it had not figured in any way with my decision to join Toastmasters, which was fortunate. Otherwise, I might have not taken the chance and life would have been very different indeed.
Has it happened again?
There were a few close calls but, no, that terrible moment of the mind going blank has never reared its ugly head again. Toastmasters training made sure of that.
Your Honor, I stand here before you, a broken wreckage of a man. This trembling piece of clay that cowers at your feet, human brutes have battered to a bloody, senseless pulp. No part of it has not quivered under mailed fist or bludgeoning jack. These eyes that bore through you like a hunted beast’s have been drained of sleep for days on end. This body that scarce can stand upon its feet they have starved to skin and bones, till now it is a shadowy skeleton, groping blindly to its grave. Whatever fiendish torture the hounds of Hell could conjure, they have tried on me, till this flesh could endure no more, and there was only the razor’s edge between this life and the next.
They broke my body, Your Honor; they tried to break my soul. Into my weakened limbs, they injected drugs that slithered through my brains and coiled around the stronghold of my will like a brood of poisonous snakes. Ten times ten thousand harrowing moments, the citadel was all but fallen; the gates of the castle all but flung open. Today, I stand here before you, as my torturers hope, a man with a broken soul.
Your Honor, my soul has not been crushed to shattered fragments. By the grace of God it has come out bloody, but unbowed.
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