We Are Still Alive

Now we took depth soundings. It was pitch-dark and a strong north-westerly wind pushed us more to the south. The soundings were difficult and we could only feel the knots in the dark. One time we counted 90 and then again 80 knots. Anyway, we must have been down about 85 meters and that for 23 hours. We recovered soon and gained new confidence. All of us worked hard to get the boat back into shape. The torpedoes were put into their tubes and the trim weights back into their place. Then the walls were wiped dry and the machine gun brought down, cleaned and stowed away.

We were busy until dawn to get the boat functioning halfway but as far as diving was concerned, that was out of the question. We missed the 5000 kg of the full-keel. We pumped the diesel fuel from the trim tanks into the oil tanks and filled the trim tanks with water. Likewise the regulator and dive tanks.But we were still a half-meter too high in the water. The gyroscope was still broken and the magnetic compass did not function either. Since the sky was cloudy and we could not see any stars, all we had to navigate by was the silhouette of the land. We were still being driven toward the south because our diesel engine was not strong enough to overcome the current.

What will happen if an enemy vessel would spot us now? If nothing else, our cannon and machine gun would have to do it. We would trade in our lives for as high a price as possible. Now that we made it out of that hell of darkness and inaction, we are going to defend ourselves to the last heartbeat.

Finally the direction of the wind changed and an ever stronger "Sirocco" came in. We must have been far down into the Ionian Sea already but now we made good headway to the north with the current. We kept far enough out to sea that we could only make out the outline of the shore with binoculars. We have been out at sea for 17 days now. We were expected back in port for two days already so we were overdue but it did not matter.

If nothing else happens we will make it back. On the next day we had to evade a fast cruiser towards the sea. In the evening we glimpsed the cape of Santa Maria Di Leuca. Now we had to get through the Otranto Strait yet. We did not have to worry about motorboats or small torpedo boats in this rough sea although one after the other became sea-sick.

With a course to the north-east we tried to hug the Albanian coast and at the same time avoid contact with the fishing boats. But they did not know how close and unable to dive we were. By the next morning we had Valona far behind us. Always on a sharp lookout using the Albanian coast as a guide, we kept cruising north. The Sirocco abated and it became foggy. For a short time the next day we spotted the Lovcen mountain. If we could just get to see one of our torpedo boats now. All we could do is keep close to land. Finally, around noon we sighted a torpedo boat and tried to signal our identification with a signal light. But it took a long time before he noticed us.

Two men tied white flags to boat hooks and wave them back and forth. At last he came towards us. But what's this? He is coming at us with top speed. "He thinks we are an enemy." Says the Commander. "That's all we need now, for him to ram us." "All men on deck and raise up your hands!" he called down into the boat. Now we could see how they manned their guns and did not look friendly at all. How they roared towards us.

Only when they were very close and saw our identification did their boat come by very close. In a circle they came within shouting distance and our Commander could tell them that we were unable to signal them. They radioed to the station that we sank a cargo ship and also about our predicament. Soon the search boats came out and showed us the way through the mine field.

This time we were glad it was so foggy otherwise we would have been greeted again with a lot of hurrahs. But we had absolutely no appetite for ovations. Everyone was longing for a bath and a good rest. When we docked a lot of people were already standing by the sea wall. Some welcoming us back, others staring at us as if we had risen from the dead. After all, we were seven days overdue. The poor boat looked atrocious. The bow was bent and full of dents. The whole outer shell likewise. One could see right away that the boat had to withstand a lot of pressure. When we arrived at the barracks we had to look for our things first. It was all packed and sealed already for the transfer to Pola. The UBXV had been given up as lost. Later there was talk that all of us on that operation were to get the 'Gold' but I'm sorry to say that nothing came of it.