Captain Hersing's calculations were flawless. When the submarine surfaced again, it had successfully slipped through the outer defense ring, positioning itself near the enemy battleship. The only issue was that the bow was misaligned with the target.
The torpedoes were primed, the launch tubes flooded. Hersing just needed to correct the position and give the order to fire.
But suddenly, a series of water columns exploded just ahead of the submarine. Realizing he'd been spotted, Hersing shouted without hesitation, "Emergency dive!"
He immediately abandoned the attack. Firing the torpedoes now would be nearly impossible, and the submarine faced a high probability of being destroyed.
Orders echoed urgently through the vessel. The tension was palpable; every crew member understood this was a life-or-death moment. A single second's delay could mean doom for all 35 sailors aboard.
"Full port rudder," Hersing commanded.
The deputy quickly grasped the reason for the order: the battleship's hull extended several meters below the waterline, forming a formidable wall in the submarine's path. If they didn't alter course in time, the U-boat could crash straight into the thick armor of the battleship.
The water around them pulsed with the rumble of explosions, and the crew clung tightly to handrails and fixtures to avoid being thrown around. Gradually, the vibrations lessened, signaling that the blasts were being absorbed by the sea above them.
The crew breathed a sigh of relief, but Hersing felt a nagging suspicion that they had been lured into a trap.
The periscope had been raised for barely over a minute—a short enough time, especially under cover of darkness, that it shouldn't have been easily detected. Yet the enemy had not only located them but had opened fire within seconds, with alarming accuracy and intensity.
Hersing's instincts were right. The Gallia battleship appeared to be bombarding V Beach, but its true mission was anti-submarine defense. Charles had instructed Captain Meyer of the Gallia to be on high alert for a possible submarine attack.
Captain Meyer had been shocked when Charles first shared this intelligence. "But that's impossible, Captain. How would the Germans know to expect us at V Beach?"
"You don't need to worry about that," Charles replied calmly. "All you need to know is that a German U-boat is coming, and your job is to locate it and reveal its position."
After a long pause, Charles added, "I trust this is something you'd be happy to do, Captain?"
Meyer only rolled his eyes, muttering that there was no real choice in the matter. Refusing would mean leaving the Gallia vulnerable to an ambush. Though Meyer was displeased that his battleship was being used as bait, he did not hesitate to implement Charles's plan.
The Gallia positioned itself just five kilometers from V Beach for close-range bombardment, precisely as Charles had instructed. The shallow waters and reefs of this area left little room for a submarine to navigate below, while the northern and southern sides of the ship posed minimal risk, as any torpedo fired from those directions would have to strike smaller, reinforced sections.
Dozens of sailors and lookouts watched the waters, focusing particularly on the western side. Many borrowed binoculars from the Army, and they quickly spotted the periscope as soon as it appeared.
A searchlight was trained on the submarine's location, and a barrage of shells followed immediately, forcing the submarine to dive. Meanwhile, the destroyers carrying depth charges swiftly homed in on the indicated position.
The submarine's path was easy to track; the periscope left a faint wake on the surface, pointing northward as it veered away from the battleship.
Under Meyer's direction, the gunners ceased fire, and the lookouts continued tracking the submarine's movement with searchlights, providing coordinates for the destroyers. The destroyers accelerated toward their target, dropping barrel-like depth charges in their wake.
Inside the submarine, Hersing felt a wave of relief. They had made an emergency dive to a depth of eleven meters, which should place them safely beyond the range of enemy artillery. Charles had indeed laid a cunning trap, but ultimately, Hersing believed he'd been just a step ahead.
This was the submarine's advantage: if a torpedo missed, the submarine could quickly retreat, leaving the enemy only a brief window for counterattack.
As the tension dissipated, some crew members exchanged relieved smiles, and a few shook their heads, still shaken by the close call.
But then— Thɪs chapter is updated by novᴇl(ꜰ)ire.ɴet
Two thunderous shocks rocked the submarine violently, throwing unprepared crew members to the floor with cries of alarm.
"What's happening?" Hersing yelled, struggling to rise from where he had fallen.
"Enemy artillery?" the deputy asked, his voice filled with fear.
"Impossible!" Hersing retorted. "No gun could reach us at this depth!"
A stunned silence fell over the crew. No one knew what had hit them, but it was clear that something could reach the submarine.
Another pair of blasts, and again, the crew was thrown off their feet. By now, they understood—this was no coincidence. The enemy was deliberately pursuing the submarine with devastating accuracy.
Hersing's mind raced. How could the enemy know their exact position? What kind of weapon was capable of reaching this depth? Who had designed it?
Then it struck him—Charles.
Swallowing hard, Hersing muttered, "This must be one of Charles's new inventions."
The color drained from the faces of those around him. Charles's new weapon… one that could reach them even in the depths.
The thought barely had time to settle before two more deafening explosions reverberated through the submarine.
Then came the frantic shouts from the rear compartment: "The engine room's flooding! The engine room's taking water!"
Hersing understood at once: the mission was over. With the engine room flooded, if they didn't surface immediately, they would be forever trapped in a watery grave.
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