Go In and Sink! Read Online Free PDF

jealously guarded prize. To most people’s amazement nothing was reported.
    Browning confessed that there was still a possibility. A leak of information, or some additional safeguard which the German Naval Staff at Kiel had had prepared for some such emergency.
    But as the days wore on he had gained fresh confidence that all was well. Command of any submarine was an independent role. And that of a U-boat stalking the vast wastes of the Atlantic was the most independent of all.
    A bugle blared, and from aft the White Ensign rose curling and flapping to its staff to mark the official beginning of another day. Against the leaden sky and dull, mist-shrouded land along the loch it looked unnaturally bright.
    Browning turned as the ‘carry on’ was sounded, and saw Marshall framed in the screen door. He grinned.
    ‘’Morning!’
    He was glowing with health, and it was hard to believe that they had finished the decanter of port just a few hours ago.
    Marshall saluted. ‘Well, I’m ready, sir.’ He shivered in the wind. God, it was bitter.
    Browning introduced his two companions. Both were commanders, and each had been responsible for preparing the unexpected addition to the fleet for sea.
    One, a bearded man called Marker, said cheerfully, ‘We’ve had a lot of the gear re-labelled. Metres into feet and so on, for the benefit of the simpler souls aboard! But most of the technical equipment is as before, so don’t forget the fact if you go into a crash dive.’ They walked out into the wind and he added gravely, ‘Naturally we’re not in the habit of stocking spares for German subs. You’ll have to make do with what you’ve got. In the meantime I’ll get my people to rummage discreetly around the stores. You never know. We may need them later.’
    During their long discussion Browning had hinted as much. If Marshall was successful they might be able to use the U-boat in another unorthodox operation. It explained Browning’s connection with Combined Operations, a fact which had puzzled Marshall since the captain at Fort Blockhouse had mentioned it.
    If Marshall was not successful, then of course there was no point in bothering further. It was assumed, if not stated, that he and his crew would be on the bottom. For good.
    He leaned over the outer guardrail and stared down at the boats alongside. The inner one was a small H-class submarine, a survivor from Browning’s war.
    The captain murmured, ‘We use her for training, and as a guinea-pig. She also helps to make inquisitive eyes ashore think we’re just doing normal instruction.’
    Marshall did not hear him. He ran his gaze very slowly along the outer craft, feeling a strange sensation in his stomach, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Although her conning-tower was crudely masked by painted canvas as an additional precaution against prying eyes, there was no mistaking the outline and design. About two hundred and fifty feet from a sharp, raked stem to her partly submerged stern, the U-boat was exactly as he had expected she would be. A few overalled seamen were working at the open forehatch, and the others were training and elevating the powerful-looking gun on her casing and slapping on grease where it mattered.
    Browning said, ‘Vicious looking beast, eh? Her skipper was Korvetten Kapitan Opetz. He got the
Ritterkreuz
after his last cruise.’ He added bitterly, ‘Put down twenty-two ships. One hundred and five thousand tons. The murdering bastard!’
    Marshall tore his eyes away and stared at him with surprise. Often when he was ashore he had heard similar views. He found them both illogical and disconcerting. As a submariner he saw the underwater battle quite differently. He hated to read of all the much-needed ships which were sent to the sea-bed, of the suffering and death caused by each attack. At the same time he reacted against those who trotted out remarks like Browning had just made. It was war, and there was no difference between a German