Fips by Geoffrey Brooks

Author:Geoffrey Brooks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 1999-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

EGG-LAYING WITH UC-70

After having expended a great deal of effort laying a small minefield off Le Havre in the position prescribed in our operational orders, UC-70 was now on the lurk for a convoy to attack, preferably under the cover of darkness. I took up position north of Ushant on the north-west corner of France, which our agents had reported to be the French end of the convoy route from Portland. A heavy swell set in during the early hours and continued to strengthen so that the boat, motoring at low speed, rolled and pounded alarmingly. This was the harbinger of a strong westerly gale which reached us about midday. Our course was diagonal to the sea direction and the boat was so lively in the conditions that it became distinctly unpleasant. I was rarely seasick nowadays, since I had grown accustomed to the sea, but nevertheless I still felt as sick as a dog, and experienced those depths of morale and thought such as can only arise in low physical states.

I braced myself against the bridge coaming to avoid being thrown around. I cursed the evil spray, which would suddenly come flying into my face or neck, but I knew how much worse it would be for me if I descended into the fuel oil stink inside the boat. I prayed for some feverish activity to arouse me from this terrible listlessness, but the horizons were empty of all but the roaring, foaming wave-crests. Gazing out on this tumult of nature, I pictured in my mind’s eye the millpond conditions in which we had laid our mines off Le Havre. Heaven knows, a sea like a mirror was ordinarily the last thing we wished for for U-boat handiwork, and especially not when sowing mines on an enemy coast. That was something we had found out only too well off Le Havre. It was nothing short of a miracle that everything had eventually gone as planned.

It was our task to lay twelve mines in the navigable channel shorewards of the lightship moored just clear of the harbour entrance. In order to set the mines at the most effective depth, the state of the tide had to be allowed for and the boat had to be ready to drop the mines at 2330 hrs on that particular evening.

In the first place, it had been no easy matter to reach the Fécamp lighthouse, from where we had a fix for Le Havre, by the scheduled time. The air was absolutely calm and this, together with the enormous visibility, was very unfavourable for an approach unseen. We were frequently forced to submerge which greatly reduced our speed of advance towards the objective.

We made Fécamp eventually with not a moment to spare. At dusk we steered for Le Havre. If possible I wanted to lay the mines while surfaced. Soon we were standing close in to the coast, occasionally passing in the vicinity of the odd fishing boat with navigation lanterns weakly lit, when suddenly to starboard I spotted a low shadow on the water.

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