The Dead Walk The Earth II by Duffy Luke

Author:Duffy, Luke [Duffy, Luke]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2014-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

13

All was virtually silent inside the pressure hull of the U-boat. Many of the men were still asleep and all that could be heard was the low electrical whine of the motors, the occasional drip, and the dull clunk of the deck plates as the crew on duty moved about within the cramped and dank interior. They had been travelling submerged for almost a full day and the humidity within the boat had risen substantially. The air was stale and the lack of space was beginning to make some of the soldiers feel claustrophobic and short tempered. Those that were not used to life on a submarine could not wait to get out into the fresh air and feel dry land beneath their feet again.

Up on the surface, the sun had already set and fifteen minutes earlier the Captain had ordered them to switch to red light to help their natural night vision adjust in anticipation of continuing their journey above the waves. As the boat entered into the Thames estuary, Werner ordered them up to periscope depth so that he could take a look around and check their bearings. A few minutes later, after confirming their exact position, he turned to his chief engineer and gave the order to surface.

The Chief blew the ballast tanks and ordered an upward angle on the diving planes. With a loud hissing noise and a series of gurgles as the compressed air was pumped into the tanks, the men on board could feel the boat begin to rise. In the dim glow of the red light, the crew moved about and attended their stations with an expertise that came natural to them due to years of practice. They barely had to look where they placed their hands. They knew exactly what each valve and wheel did, and they were able to carry out their duties in pitch darkness if the situation occurred when they needed to.

“Tower is clear, Captain,” the Chief announced a minute later.

The Captain nodded and instructed the Chief to equalise the air pressure inside the hull and began to climb the ladder leading up into the cramped conning tower. As the atmosphere inside the boat changed, Werner threw open the hatch and pulled himself up onto the bridge to have a look around. The watch crew, along with Stan and the other team commanders followed him up into the cool night air.

The wind had picked up considerably while they had been submerged and the clouds had grown heavy overhead in the dark sky. A few cold droplets of rain splashed against the faces of the men on the bridge and they knew that it would not be long before the heavens fully opened up on them.

“Visibility is shit,” Captain Werner grumbled to Stan who was standing beside him in the conning tower. “But we have radar and at least the wind and rain will allow us to use our diesels without being heard for miles around.”

Stan nodded as he continued to scan the blackness all around him.

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