Transcription
It’s the night of August the 27th, 1942. In the Caribbean sea, the German submarine U-94 has slipped inside a screen of warships protecting a convoy of Allied merchant ships and oil tankers.
The U-boat is running on the surface and Captain Otto Ites is ready to strike a large Canadian corvette when he hears a shout from the lookout. “Enemy patrol plane coming our way!”
“Damn it, take us down. Crash dive now!” The lookout scrambles down the conning tower and slams the top hatch shut. “Ready!” “Flood the tanks!” The helmsman throws the controls forward and the submarine’s tanks fill with water as U-94 plunges down into the deep.
“10 meters… 20 meters...” “Come on… faster!” But it's not enough. The US Navy PBY Catalina has zeroed in on their position and it drops four 650-pound depth charges. The charges sink down into the water and explode around U-94.
Inside, the submarine rocks with every blast. The helmsman fights with the controls. The boat starts to angle downwards but then stops. "She doesn't want to go, Captain!" The depth charges have torn off the bow hydroplanes. Without these control surfaces, U-94 can’t get to full depth.
Up above, the Catalina circles. It's used up all its depth charges. All it can do now is mark the location and call for reinforcements. The PBY drops a flare on the submarine’s last known position. Then, it turns and flashes a morse code signal to the convoy escorts.
The nearest ship is the Canadian corvette HMCS Oakville under the command of captain Clarence King. “Submarine spotted! Crew to action stations!” Alarms ring out over the ship as sublieutenant Hal Lawrence rushes along the deck to his station, wearing nothing but his tropical shorts. In the rush, he hasn't had time to dress properly, yet still takes up his position as Chief Sonar Officer.
“Lawrence, get a fix on their position!” "Aye aye, sir." Lawrence hunches over the system, straining through the headphones. The sonar system pulses out through the ocean ahead of Oakville. “Contact dead ahead!”
Down below, the crew of U-94 hear every ping as it bounces off the hull of their boat. To them, it sounds like someone is flinging handfuls of gravel at the metal shell of the submarine. The German sailors stay as quiet as they possibly can, even as Ites throws them into evasive maneuvers. “Take us to starboard!”
Lawrence keeps the beam trained, straining his ears on the sonar system. They are closing in. Then the headphones go silent. “We are almost on top of her!” King gives the order to attack. "Depth charges away!"
Captain Ites knows exactly what is coming: “Brace for depth charges!” Sailors at the stern heave the heavy canisters into position on the racks. Safety pins are yanked free and one by one the heavy canisters rumble down over the rack and they tumble into the sea. Oakville clears the scene. Then, the ocean erupts with a chain of mighty explosions sending towering columns of water rising high behind the corvette.
U-94 shudders under the concussions. There is a sound of rivets popping and water rushes into the compartments. “Damage report! Now!” “Captain, we’ve got flooding!” Ites knows that they are dead if they stay below. Their chances are only slightly better on the surface, but at least they might live. Reluctantly, he gives the order. “Take us up. We will fight them topside.”
Water blasts out from U-94’s tanks and the boat surges upwards. The German sailors ready themselves on the ladders waiting to jump out of the hatches and man the guns. Over on Oakville, the crew scan the sea with their binoculars. Then they see it. The U-boat erupts from the depths and settles in full view of the Canadians.
“Submarine 100 yards to starboard!” At this range, King has only got seconds to react. “Full ahead! Ram it!” The helmsman adjusts course and Oakville steams forward aiming directly at the long grey form. As the Germans open the hatches they immediately see the awesome sight of the Oakville at full speed ready to ram the Germans. "Oh my God... They are going to ram us. Brace for impact!”
Both crews brace for impact. Oakville slams into U-94’s hull. But it’s only a glancing blow. Inside the U-boat the crew are rocked as they get thrown sideways. At the same time the Corvette shudders with impact and gets smacked off course. “Bring us alongside! Man the guns!”
The helmsman swings the ship around in a wide turn and Oakville heals over with the strain and brings her broadside in line with U-94. Canadian sailors sprint across the deck and take up their positions, loading machine guns and aiming down the sights. "Open fire!" Oakville's four-inch gun opens up first and flames burst from its muzzle as the shell smashes into the U-boat’s conning tower.
Ites needs to respond. “Man the deck gun!” The two men clamber out and head towards the bow of the submarine and climb up the ladder. Staying low, they get onto the deck and dash towards the 88mm deck gun. “Spray that 88!” Machine guns chatter as tracers rake the U-boat’s deck and sparks explode across the gun shield. The Germans dive back down the hatch. Behind them, the 88mm hangs twisted and useless.
Another hatch slams open just aft of the conning tower. A crewman lunges for the 20mm anti-aircraft gun. He barely clears the hatch before bullets rip through the mount. The gun jerks violently and it is torn to pieces. Oakville’s 4-inch gun fires again, slamming into the conning tower and smashing through the metal skin of the submarine. The crew reload and make ready to fire again… But the gun jams! “Misfire!”
King’s jaw tightens. “Ram her again!” Oakville comes around and heads for the U-94 once more. The bow smashes through the churning water as the helmsman fights the waves and lines up his target. "Hold her steady!" King watches the submarine growing larger and larger as Oakville closes in on its dark form.
Down on the German vessel, sailors on the bridge hold on tight to the railings as they prepare for impact. But the corvette slices past at arm’s length, missing the conning tower by a little more than feet. The sailors fire their rifles and pistols across the gap, sending bullets snapping across Oakville's deck. The Canadians fire back with their own weapons. Some even hurl whatever objects they can find, sending empty coke bottles shattering onto the U-boat’s bridge.
Oakville passes beyond U-94’s bow and starts coming around again for another attack. Captain Ites knows that he is running out of options. His only chance is to make a break for it. “Hard to starboard! Increase speed!” The U-boat’s engines strain, but the damaged U-boat can't possibly outrun Oakville.
"Prepare to ram!" This time Oakville smashes directly into the bow of U-boat. It is a fatal hit. The submarine's motors and screws come to a juttering halt. Ites knows it is all over. All he can do now is prevent his valuable U-boat from falling into enemy hands. “Out! Out! Scuttle the boat!” Sailors open the vents and water starts pouring into the compartments.
Up on Oakville’s bridge, King looks down at the submarine wallowing helplessly in the ocean. It's a golden opportunity to capture an intact U-boat. Someone needs to get in there and close those valves. “Lawrence, get your team ready to board.” "Aye aye, sir." Lawrence dashes down to the boarding locker to gear up for battle. He and his 12-man team load themselves up, each taking a .45 revolver, hand grenades, and flashlights. Like Lawrence, they are all barefoot and wearing only their shorts. They dash down to the deck and gather at the bow right next to the 4-inch gun. They peer over the rail as Oakville inches closer and closer to the stricken U-boat.
“Prepare to jump!” But then, there is a catastrophic miscommunication. For some reason the gunners decide that now is a good time to test the 4-inch gun. Lawrence sees the barrel moving around to a firing position and shouts a warning. “Get down!” But it is too late. An enormous blast erupts from the muzzle just a few yards from his boarding party. The pressure throws Lawrence to the floor and he blacks out before he hits the deck.
“Lawrence! Lawrence! Wake up, man!” Lawrence strains his eyes open and peers to find his number two, Petty Officer Art Powell, slapping his face. Powell helps him to his feet. "Alright boys. Let's do this." Lawrence leaps over the railing down to the deck of U-94, 8 feet below. Landing on the deck, he feels a snapping sensation, He looks down and sees that his shorts are dangling around his ankles. The elastic is broken and Lawrence kicks the useless shorts over the side.
Art Powell comes crashing down next to Lawrence. He can't believe what he is seeing, but they have got bigger problems than missing shorts. Behind them, Oakville is in trouble. The ramming attacks have torn open some of the ship’s hull plates. Down below, water rushes into the boiler room. It could be catastrophic. “Cut the engines!”
The rough seas begin pushing Oakville away from U-94. The gap opens up and it is too far for the rest of the boarding team to jump. Lawrence and Powell are on their own. The two men move forward towards the conning tower, steadying themselves as the deck rocks in the foaming ocean. Finally, they reach the ladder and get ready to climb up onto the bridge.
Suddenly the rear hatch slams open, just a few meters in front of them. Two men raise their weapons, ready to face the new threat. “Come out with your hands up!” Captain Ites and his executive officer climb out of the hatch and pull themselves up in front of the Canadians. "Hands up!" The German captain locks eyes with the Canadian. Then he looks down. Then up again. He is equal parts confused and horrified. “What do you think they have planned for us?” “I don’t want to find out.” Ites and his executive officer leap off the side of the submarine and start swimming away as quickly as possible.
Lawrence and Powell dash over as the two Germans disappear off into the darkness. And if you want to fight in some of the battles that we have covered, you can with our new game, Brass Rain. It's available to wishlist on Steam! It is going to be multiplayer and free-to-play. So join the community on the battlefield and wishlist Brass Rain today!
“They won’t make it far in these waves.” “Right. Up to the bridge!” They scramble up the ladder, pulling themselves up onto the bridge. "Let's get them all out!" Lawrence shouts down to the Germans. "I promise I won't shoot! Come up and you will be alright!" It’s a simple choice — stay below and drown, or come up top and surrender. The Germans rush up the ladder and scramble onto the deck.
Art Powell quickly takes control of the situation. "Everybody get down onto the deck!" Lawrence free to climb down the ladder and into the conning tower. Hand over hand he descends into the pitch black void. Steadying himself, he recognises the submarine’s control room from the captured manuals he has studied over the years. Somewhere on the port side should be the flooding valves. If he can switch those off, he can save this U-boat. He reaches out and runs his hands across the handles. But something is wrong, he can’t find the controls he needs. The Germans might have smashed the handles off before he arrived.
Suddenly there is an enormous thud that rocks the entire hull. The compartments are collapsing under pressure. “Come on, sir, she is going down!” With disappointment Lawrence pulls himself away from the search and swims through the flooded interior towards the ladder. He climbs the slick metal rungs. He realizes the Germans got the better of him and admits defeat. “Get everyone off now!”
The prisoners and the Canadians leap into the water and swim away from the sinking U-boat. They watch solemnly as the boat tips its nose down, raises its screws into the air, and sinks beneath the waves. Lawrence, Powell and their German prisoners were rescued from the water shortly afterwards. The two Canadians received medals for their bravery while Captain Otto Ites was taken prisoner with his crew and spent the rest of the war in the US as a POW. If you want to see another incredible engagement with a U-Boat, check out our film on the USS Borie.