EPISODE TWENTY-FIVE
1316 Words
TWENTY-FIVE
The VIIA U-Boat sat two miles off the coast of Onehouse Island. Designed in 1933-1934, were the first of a new generation of German attack U-boats VII, were popular with their crews and very agile on the surface. They also had a much more striking power than the smaller category II's. They had 5 torpedo tubes and would carry 11 torpedoes onboard or 22 TMA mines. They also had the effective 88 mm fast-firing deck gun with about 160 rounds of ammunition.
Hubert A. Werner joined the Kriegsmarine in 1939. From April to Nov 1941, he went through Watch-Officer instruction the U-557. During his stay on the vessel, they went out on 3 patrols, spending 93 days at sea, sinking 5 ships for almost 28,000 tons. Werner left the vessel for more schooling. U-557 sank one month later, on 16 December, with all hands.
Werner then went through more U-boat tutelage and became the First Watch on the new U-612. During schooling in the Baltic, the U-612 accidentally rammed the U-444 on 6 Aug and sunk with the loss of 2 lives. U-612 later returned to service as an exercise craft.
Werner followed Siegmann along with the crew to a U-boat familiarization for the VIIA U-230 at Kiel. On U-230 as First -Watch Officer young Herbert A. Werner served for 171 days. They only destroyed one small ship -- as by this time the U-boats were now the hunted.
Werner then went through U-boat Commander tuition and took command of the veteran VIIA U-415, and this is where he found himself, in the conning-tower, looking through his binoculars with concern at what was unfolding off the Suffolk coast of Onehouse Island.
The Peenemünde Army Research Centre's plan for airmen flying the Vengeance Weapon, otherwise known as the V1 had been wrong. The Luftwaffe had constructed several air-launched piloted V-1s, with the name of Reichenbergs.
Hanna Reitsch made some flights in the modified V-1 Fieseler Reichenberg when she had been asked to find out why test pilots were unable to land in the proper way and had died as a result.
She discovered, after simulated attempts at high altitude, where using larger airspace to recover, the craft had a high stall speed, and the previous pilots with little high-speed experience had attempted their approaches much too slowly. Her recommendation of much higher landing speeds became introduced in coaching new Reichenberg volunteers.
Now, Werner felt troubled for his friend, and wondered whether the huge fire burning the building to the ground, had anything to do with one of Reitsch.
*
The hammering on the door brought me up from the bed in a rush. Joanne, deep in her first good sleep of the night, gaped more bewildered than frightened. Bleary-eyed she scrutinized me struggle to get my trousers on.
"What is it?"
"Somebody's at the door."
I grabbed my blazer from the hall stand and pulled it on as I undid the bolts and turned the key.
I stopped and referred to my watch. Six-forty-five a.m. What the f**k was up now?
The big burly PC stood in the doorway, speckled with dry flakes blown up from the street piles, and picked out on his dark blue gaberdine.
"Inspector Roome would be obliged if you would come to the station, sir. He'd like you to join him in the boat."
"What?"
"There's a fire out at the Coastguard Station. You can see it from here, sir, it's still there, been raging over an hour, so I'm told."
I raced down the passage to the kitchen and flung open the door. I walked to the window, staring out across the rooftops to the red glow.
Joanne, wrapped in a coat, joined me. In silence, we observed as now and then a flame superimposed on the red seemed to reach up to caress the clouds.
She shivered.
"What does it mean?"
"Something's happened at the coastguards; the main buildings on fire."
"Do you think it's got anything to do with our friend?"
"Nobody's going to know the answer to that until we get there."
The constable appeared.
"Can I tell Inspector Roome you'll be joining him then, sir?"
I looked down at Joanne.
"Well..."
"You go. I'm all right now."
"Are you certain?"
She smiled.
"Yes, and in any case, it's almost daylight."
I turned to the man.
"Tell him I'll be there in ten minutes."
"Right, sir."
The policeman closed the front door behind him as I passed into the bedroom and chucked the jacket.
Joanne surveyed me getting dressed in a way that made me sense something, like a wife watching a husband, concerned for my warmth and well-being.
I pulled a woollen commando-type hat from the pocket, and she took the waterproof from me.
"Here, let me."
I stooped to let her put it on. When I finished, she quite put her arms around my neck and kissed me. I responded, then she pulled back, her face worried.
"Take care."
I grinned and tweaked her nose.
"I'll do that, don't you worry."
As I slithered and half fell down the dark stairs and set off up the street at a dangerous trot, I looked at the house. She watched me from a window, face and hand up against the glass to look out. I could believe the change even now. She was coming back to me, no question.
I did not know how to adjust to this sudden change. On the one hand, pleased. On the other, I troubled. Once this was all over, I would no longer be in this time-zone. I would be sent somewhere else in time to kill the DARKNESS.
I trudged up to the police-station riddled with complicated, emotional guilt, trying to be ready for anything. However, not prepared to find half-a-dozen men equipped with Short Magazine Lee-Enfield MK I rifle forming up.
Filled with uneasiness, I sought out Roome. When I found him, the man seemed to have gathered my abandoned mental burden. His face lined with fatigue, his skin pale and waxy.
"Thank you for coming. You saw the fire?"
I nodded.
"Yes. Any news?"
Full of visible tension, Roome shook his head.
"Now, I'm apprehensive as you can guess. We are taking an armed party and Walton over in one of the big power boats. You told me you served in the army and can shoot. If you come, I can spare one of my sergeants to stay here and organize the town's defences with Allum. Will you come?"
I slapped him on the shoulder.
"Count me in."
Roome's relief and surprise, visible.
"You're in a good mood, for this time of the morning."
I nodded, embarrassed.
"I stayed at Joanne's last night."
"You do realize she is married?"
"Yes."
"I hope you are not taking advantage of her because her husband's stuck in London working for the War Office."
"Of course not."
"Good."
Roome nodded.
"She's well liked on this island."
"And I like her as well"
"Good, long as we understand each other."
He turned to the tall cupboard behind him. I never noticed this before. Always secured with a large padlock. Now I realized why. The station's armoury."
"What would you like?"
I looked over Roome's shoulder at the rack of oiled weapons before glancing around the room.
"You have a preponderance of rifles. Would anybody accuse me of having delusions of grandeur if I took a sidearm?"
"Of course not."
Roome gave me a .38 calibre standard pistol.
"If you want to hit anything, make sure you're nearer than ten feet."
I checked the weight in my hand before breaking and checking the barrel and magazine.
"Don't worry. Anything nasty within ten yards of me will be full of lead, as the saying goes in Tombstone."
Roome grunted as he handed him a carton of ammunition and a web belt.
"Right, let’s do this."
- Writer
