The Diary of a U-boat Commander | Page 5

the front line.
It was rather curious feeling that one was looking at men, each in
himself a unit of civilization, and yet many of whom were about to die
in the interests thereof.
Their faces were an interesting study.

Some looked careless and debonair, and seemed to swing past with a
touch of recklessness in their stride, others were grave and serious, and
seemed almost to plod forward to the dictates of an inevitable fatalism.
The field hospital, where we met some very charming nurses, on one of
whom I think I created a distinct impression, was not particularly
interesting. It was clean, well-organized and radiated the efficiency
inseparable from the German Army.
* * * * *
Back at Wilhelmshaven--curse it!
Yesterday morning, when about to start on a tour of the ammunition
supply arrangements, I received an urgent wire recalling me at once!
There was nothing for it but to obey.
I was lucky enough to get a passage as far as Mons in an albatross scout
which was taking dispatches to that place.
From there I managed to bluff a motor car out of the town
commandant--a most obliging fellow. This took me to Aachen where I
got an express.
The reason for my recall was that Witneisser went sick and Arnheim
being away, this has left only two in the operations ciphering
department.
My arrival has made us three. It is pretty strenuous work and, being of
a clerical nature, suits me little. The only consolation is that many of
the messages are most interesting. I was looking through the back files
the other day and amongst other interesting information I came across
the wireless report from the boat that had sunk the Lusitania.
It has always been a mystery to me why we sank her, as I do not
believe those things pay.
* * * * *

Arnheim has come back, so I have got out of the ciphering department,
to my great delight.
I have received official information that my application for U-boats has
been received. Meanwhile all there is to do is to sit at this ---- hole and
wait.

2nd June, 1916.
I have fought in the greatest sea battle of the ages; it has been a
wonderful and terrible experience.
All the details of the battle will be history, but I feel that I must place
on record my personal experiences.
We have not escaped without marks, and the good old König brought
67 dead and 125 wounded into port as the price of the victory off
Skajerack, but of the English there are thousands who slept their last
sleep in the wrecked hulls of the battle cruisers which will rust for
eternal ages upon the Jutland banks.
Sad as our losses are--and the gallant Lutzow has sunk in sight of
home--I am filled with pride.
We have met that great armada the British Fleet, we have struck them
with a hammer blow and we have returned. I was asleep in my cabin
when the news came that Hipper was coming south with the British
battle cruisers on his beam. In five minutes we were at our action
stations. We made contact with Hipper at 5.30 p.m., [1] and Beatty
turned north with his cruisers and fast battleships and we pursued.
[Footnote 1: This is 4.30 G.M.T.--Etienne]
Two of the great ships had been sunk by our battle cruisers, and we had
hopes of destroying the remainder, when at 6.55 the mist on the
northern horizon was pierced by the formidable line of the British
Battle Fleet.

Jellicoe had arrived!
Three battle cruisers became involved between the lines, and in an
instant one was blown up, and another crawled west in a sinking
condition. Sudden and terrible are events in a modern sea-battle.
Confronted with the concentrated force of Britain's Battle Fleet we
turned to east, and for twenty minutes our High Seas Fleet sustained the
unequal contest.
It was during this period that we were hit seventeen times by heavy
shell, though, in my position in the after torpedo control tower, I only
realized one hit had taken place, which was when a shell plunged into
the after turret and, blowing the roof off, killed every member of the
turret's crew.
From my position, when the smoke and dust had blown away, I looked
down into a mass of twisted machinery, amongst which I seemed to
detect the charred remains of bodies.
At about 7.40 we turned, under cover of our smoke screen, and steered
south-west.
Our position was not satisfactory, as the last information of the enemy
reported them as turning to the southward; consequently they were
between us and Heligoland.
At 11 p.m. we received a signal for divisions of battle fleets to steer
independently for the Horn