by Nick Mariano
The American population was unaware of the amount of naval activity taking place off their shores at distances of only a few nautical miles. Many U-boats got so close to Eastern shorelines that they could watch couples casually strolling down the beaches and at night see the glow of city lights just over the shoreline dunes. Sub commanders even landed small commando teams on shore, who then walked through coastline villages and sometimes even bought food supplies to take back to their boats. Even when American vessels were attacked or sunk along these areas, the government never published the news least it strike fear in their unsuspecting people who continued to believe that they were safe and sound in their homes. This might change, however, if the three U-boats were successful in their mission.
Captain Salman of the U-751 was the most seasoned of the three commanders and had made two previous trips to this area over the past two years. The recipient of two Iron Crosses, he had sunk two ships along the very route he was now navigating. He also knew how dangerous the Eastern coast of the United States was as he had narrowly escaped an Allied convoy during one of these trips. His boat had been depth charged and it was only through some miracle that he managed to get his damaged vessel back to Germany for repairs. The other two U-boat commanders had studied their sea charts and were familiar with their given routes but had never sailed to this part of the US.
At the end of Day 1 all subs were cruising along at about 17 knots and initial checks of their systems showed that everything was operating at maximum efficiency. Night approached on the horizon and none of the ships had come across any merchant or Allied ship traffic so far. Radio silence was maintained per the Captains instructions from Himmler and the Captains turned over the bridges to their Executive Officers so that they could eat and get some much needed sleep for the long and dangerous journey that lay ahead of them. A full moon appeared on the horizon.
DAY 2
The Captains of the three subs were now on their way to the North American coast and still cruising along the surface. Captains Salman and Walkerling decided it was time to better test their boats to make sure everything was in good shape in case they had to deep dive to avoid Allied convoys that would be showing up in a few days time. Captain Walkerling, who commanded the U-532, a newly modified Type VIIC/41 boat, that lacked some of the refinements of the newer Type IX boat of Salman’s, but the VII was still considered the workhorse of the German submarine fleet. His new Type VIIC/41 was a new version of the original Type VII and was powered with a new lightweight V-12, two-stroke diesel engine. The sub was capable of diving to deeper levels and its crush depth was close to 820 feet or 250 meters that could easily evade standard depth-charge attacks. A total of 88 Type VIIC/41 subs were commissioned since 1941. The new Type VIIC/41 version could cruise at a top speed of 17 knots while surfaced and at 7.6 knots when submerged. It carried 14 torpedoes, 26 TMA mines and had an 88 mm cannon on its deck along with a 20 mm Flak gun. It carried a crew of 44 men and officers. The newer Type IX boats carried a better assortment of armaments and were able to travel longer distances while submerged although most Captains still preferred to run on the surface whenever possible. The U-boat’s main weapon, besides its deck guns, was the torpedo. Most torpedoes currently being used by the Germans were straight runners and ran a fixed course in the direction of their targets, which usually were dead ahead in the water. Occasionally the torpedoes would malfunction and run at improper depths toward their targets and either fail to explode or explode prematurely. The newer Type IX subs were now, however, carrying a new acoustic homing torpedo which initially ran straight for about 300-400 meters and then converged on the propeller noise from its target, adjusting its course toward its target. The subs played a game of cat and mouse with the Allied forces and both the British and Americans were now mounting more effective attacks on them because of new and better sonar devices on their ships. The new sonar units allowed the Allies to detect the submerged U-boats beyond the visual sight of their lookouts, however, it still wasn’t very effective for detecting the boats while they ran surfaced, which was what Himmler’s boats were doing most of the time. The newer Type IX U-boats had recently been fitted with new radar warning receivers that gave them warning of any enemy ships or planes approaching. Unbeknownst to the Germans, however, was the fact that many of the Allied ships had recently been retrofitted with new types of radar that rendered many of the German’s counter detection systems ineffective. Both U-boats also carried new chemical powered bubble making decoys, which helped deceive the sonars and new types of torpedoes used by the Allies.
Both Captains ran a series of diving drills with their boats to make sure they would be able to dive quickly and efficiently if any military vessels detected them. Repeated drills were done until the Captains were sure that their crews knew exactly what was expected of them in an emergency. Salman also decided to take his Type IX boat to the fringe of crush depth to make sure that everything was tight and secure on his boat. As the sub descended toward its maximum depth of 755 feet, the hull began to make strange noises and pings and popping could be heard throughout the ship. Crewmembers looked at each other with concerned faces as this type of drill always worried them and entailed a certain degree of danger should the U-boat not be able to stop its decent. Some Captains pushed their boats to the limits and Salman was one of these men. The sub approached 600 feet as the men watched the depth gauges tick off the meters toward the sub’s limits. Thankfully at 685 feet, Salman ordered a halt to the sub’s decent and ordered the ballast tanks blown and an emergency surfacing conducted. When the sub burst through the final few meters of ocean, the hatch was opened and men scrambled to their battle stations while the Captain and the watch observed the activity from the conning tower.
While the two Captains drilled their crews, Captain Falke and the crew of the U-576 focused their attention on the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Ridge that they soon would be approaching and how they would maneuver through this deep trench should they be forced to leave their surface running mode. Falke, the youngest of the three Captains, was an experienced commander, however, he preferred piloting his boats through the more southern waters of North America. His boat was also a newer Type IX and carried a crew of 56 men, including two men who had boarded at the sub pens and were members of the Waffen SS. Although he knew why the men had been brought on board he didn’t like having non-sailors aboard his vessel. His boat carried the latest in electronics and armaments and it carried 22 torpedoes, 44 TMA mines and a 105 mm deck gun and over 100 rounds of ammunition. Like Salman’s boat the crush depth was over 700 feet and at that depth, not even the most advanced Allied sonar would detect him. He just worried about the possibility of navigating the Mid-Atlantic Ridge for the first time and especially when carrying their special cargo, which Himmler said could change the course of the war. Fake would like nothing better than to return to civilian life as a law attorney although he did enjoy the challenge and adventure of a U-boat Captain. Day 2 ended with no incidents of a serious nature.
DAY 3
The Waffen-SS men assigned to each U-boat had only two main duties during this crossing. Keep a close eye on the special cargo that was locked away and under guard in a room aboard the sub and get the package to land when they finally hit the coastline of America. Like the Captains onboard, they also had special orders that were to be opened only after they had been at sea for four days. Himmler himself had briefed the men before their mission and stressed the importance of their cargo and the fact that safe delivery of it could change the course of the war. The men mingled with the regular crew, however, they were instructed not to reveal their true identities or their affiliation with the SS. Most would be happy once they got back on dry land and returned to their regularly assigned duties.
The three U-boats maintained their courses and, other than some drills that their Captains conducted, continued to run on surface in order to keep to their projected schedules and to conserve fuel. Other than a few minor adjustments, all the s
ubs were running at peak and the new instruments installed during their retrofits at the sub pens made things monitoring the radar and sonar units easier. The Captains busied themselves with reviewing their navigation charts and ensuring that they were staying the course.
Sentries stood watch over the rooms housing Mengele’s virus and although they knew this was a very special cargo, they had no real idea just how dangerous the cargo on the other side of the door was. Other members of the crew also took note of the special security in place and wondered why this cargo was getting such treatment.
Many of the crew was new to the submarine service and a few had just completed their U-boat training before going on this special assignment. U-boat seamen entered German’s military as infantry and were trained in the basic military skills of a foot soldier. If they elected to do so, they could then go on to basic naval training aboard a merchant or military vessel for several months to learn basic seamanship. At that point, they could remain on a surface vessel or opt for the elite, but much more dangerous, submarine duty and attend Germany’s U-boat training school. The course was long and very demanding and they were expected to learn every part and function of a U-boat and sat for specialized exams throughout their training. Failure to score satisfactorily on any test meant being ejected from the course. As they progressed through their training they would earn ranks and eventually become officers, radio operators, mechanics, torpedo men or just basic seamen. They also got a first hand look at U-boats during their construction at the sub pens and boatyards and would tour and be tested on the many aspects of submarining they were expected to learn and know. When they had completed their land training they were taken on training missions where they put their skills to a final test before finally being assigned to an active U-boat. The full course of training would take between three to five years before they would finally wear the insignia of the submarine service. After they completed two wartime patrols they would be awarded the U-boat War Badge for their uniform. The badge, which was originally designed during the First World War, consisted of an oval shaped wreath with a submarine across the center and on the top had the German eagle, swastika and Prussian Crown. It was worn on the left side of the uniform and it was considered a great honor for crew to be awarded the badge. Captains of U-boats could also be awarded the U-boat War Badge with Gold or Diamonds after they had first been awarded at least one Iron Cross. Only a small number of boat commanders had lived long enough to earn these prestigious medals. Both Captains Falke and Salman had already earned two Iron Crosses and both also wore the elite German War Badge in Gold.
Lookouts stood watch on the conning towers of each boat and other than an occasional merchant vessel passing in the distance, the passage routes seemed fairly empty of any boat traffic. The sentries knew that they also had to be vigilant to the possibility of enemy aircraft passing over the areas, however, the newly installed sonar and radar seemed to be working well and the boats had adequate time to clear the bridge and dive to avoid detection. Many wondered, however, why they were not engaging and sinking any of the cargo vessels they had come across so far.
After three days at sea all boats were right on schedule and had met with no difficulties that could hinder their mission.
DAY 4
Day 4 started as a bright sunny day with all three U-boats still taking advantage of light to no Allied merchant and military traffic and cruising the surface of the Atlantic. Captain Falke was steering a route that would take him south of Iceland before he began his approach to Canada and North America. He had decided to submerge for a few hours so that his crew could get used to their new instrumentation should they have to run the approaching trenches submerged. He dreaded this possibility but knew he had better prepare both himself and his crew for this possibility.
Captain Walkerling of the U-532 was steering a course of 26 23’ north 62 47’ west and was somewhere off the coasts of Portugal and Spain and heading on the most direct route to his destination. Captain Salman was cruising a little more south on a course of 26 31’ north 60 39’ west, which would take him on a more southerly heading toward Florida before he turned sharply north to the Carolinas. All the Captains were happy with the time they were making and with how the crews had performed so far, especially given the fact that many of the men were on their first wartime patrol as submariners. Each hoped that the new men would continue to perform well especially if they ran into any military convoys along the way. Even though they had strict instructions not to engage the enemy, they would be allowed to engage them as a last resort should the Captains believe that they were in eminent danger of being sunk.
As Himmler had instructed them, the U-boat commanders were to read the sealed orders that had been placed in the captain’s safe on their fourth day at sea. This had more specific instructions on their final destination, how the boat landing parties were to link with their German operatives on land, emergency procedures to evading detection, and more information about what their secret cargo was. It also had specific instructions on what actions the U-boat captains should take in the unlikelihood that their boats were on the verge of being captured by the Allies.
At varying times during Day 4 each Captain returned to his private cabin and opened the ship’s safe to withdraw the envelope that had been placed there before they departed. Each envelope was wax sealed with the SS emblem pressed into it so that the Captains were sure the contents had not been tampered with. Withdrawing the papers the envelopes contained, the Captains sat and read their Special Orders from both Himmler and the Fuhrer himself. Hitler started out by congratulating each Captain for being chosen for such a prestigious and important mission. Hitler said that if the mission were successfully carried out, the tide of the war would greatly turn in Germany’s favor. He said that the blow they were about to inflict on the Americans would cripple that nation beyond repair. He concluded his letter by wishing the Captains and their crews the best of luck in carrying out their mission.
The Captains then read the message from Himmler which was more of an operational nature although he too stressed the importance of their mission and wished them the best in making it to America and back home safely. Himmler’s message fine-tuned a number of things, specifically where each boat was to rendezvous with the German operatives on land. All boats would eventually converge on the North Carolina coast, Salman in the U-751 would arrive just off the shoreline near Sea Breeze, North Carolina; Falke in the U-756 would come down from the North and met his operatives near New Bern, North Carolina and Captain Walkerling in the U-532 would steer his boat toward Wrightsville Beach off Wilmington, North Carolina.
Himmler said that the Waffen-SS on board each boat had more specific instructions on linking up with the German Intelligence Agents once they made their way ashore. He said that the Captains should coordinate the beach landing with the SS personnel on board and that they would have the final details regarding this aspect of the operation.
Himmler again stressed that the Captains should not engage any enemy sea traffic as the success of this mission was more important than sinking a ship or two. He said that the new instrumentation installed on their boats should aid them in evading Allied convoys and that they should try to avoid any contacts with them at all costs.
Himmler then further explained what the cargo was that the Captains were transporting and why it was so important. He explained that the German doctors and scientists had developed a new virus strain, which when introduced into the American population would have devastating effects. Although he did not get into the particulars of the virus, he did stress that it was very dangerous and that the special cargo should not be tampered with and had to be protected at all costs, even if this meant the loss of the U-boat and its crew. He concluded his letter by instructing the Captains that they must not be captured at any cost. Delivery of this cargo to the operatives on shore was of the utmost importance and Himmler could not stress this too much. He also said that the Captain should not, unde
r any circumstances, break radio silence unless they felt the sub was lost and the Captain was destroying his ship. If this did happen, then the Captain was instructed to transmit a single message of only his U-boat number. This would be received by Berlin as meaning the sub was lost. Himmler finished by again wishing the Captains success on their mission and a safe return to the homeland.