"Target sighted; commence warning shots!" Upon catching up to the British merchant vessel, the captain of the German submarine U-113 prepared to enforce the surrender of the ship according to established protocol.
Typically, the detonation of shells near a British merchant vessel would induce sheer terror among the crew. At that point, they would have no choice but to comply with the orders of the German submarine. A mere contingent of soldiers sent aboard could easily secure the vessel's critical compartments and then navigate it to rendezvous with the German naval raiding fleet, which would subsequently escort the ship back to Germany.
"Boom! Boom!" Two shells exploded near the British merchant vessel, startling its crew.
"Damn it, where did those shells come from?" Captain Schmidt shouted.
"Sir, the German submarine is two kilometers away!" reported a British sailor.
"A German submarine? Ha! God bless, they have finally arrived. Everyone, keep your composure. Under no circumstances are we to fire without my command!" Captain Schmidt ordered, wary that his crew might prematurely open fire out of panic and scare off the submarine. If the submarine sensed danger, it would undoubtedly dive, and given the capabilities of their merchant ship, there was little hope of detecting a submerged vessel. Moreover, any such misstep would jeopardize their carefully laid plans, eliminating any future opportunity.
"Sir, the Germans are signaling for us to stop immediately," a sailor informed Captain Schmidt.
"Follow their orders! Prepare everyone; when I give the command, uncover the canvas and commence firing. This time, we must eliminate the German submarine!" Captain Schmidt issued his directives with calm authority, though his slightly trembling hands betrayed his inner anxiety.
The German submarine U-113 remained unaware of any peculiarities with the British merchant ship. Once assured that the vessel was complying with their orders and had begun to halt, they approached swiftly.
As the submarine drew nearer, the British crew felt palpable tension; silence engulfed the ship.
Before long, the German submarine was less than two hundred meters away.
"Attack immediately!" Captain Schmidt commanded.
The British sailors on the merchant vessel swiftly removed the canvas covering the deck, revealing a number of two-pound and one-pound quick-firing cannons, all ready to fire. With brief aim adjustments, they opened fire.
The German crew soon realized something was amiss. Upon spotting the armed cannons, their faces paled.
"Blast it! This is a trap set by the British! Dive! Dive immediately!" the captain of U-113 ordered.
Despite the crew's frantic attempts to flood the ballast tanks and dive, the technology of the time necessitated at least two to three minutes for the submarine to submerge. The British, clearly, would not afford them such luxury.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
The British merchant ship's cannons roared to life, unleashing a barrage of shells that screamed toward the German submarine.
The shells detonated in the water, sending geysers of spray skyward.
While the power of the two-pound and one-pound cannons was limited, their rapid rate of fire was considerable. Furthermore, the submarines of that era lacked robust defenses, as their hulls were constructed of thin steel that could not withstand the British shells.
"Faster! God help us!" the captain of U-113 prayed desperately.
Yet, they could not escape their fate. The British shells struck the submarine's hull, creating a series of varying-sized holes. Water surged into the vessel. Despite the crew's desperate attempts to control the damage, it was in vain; they could only watch helplessly as their submarine sank into the frigid depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Inevitably, the submarine became their steel coffin.
"Excellent work! We have sunk the German submarine!" Upon witnessing the U-boat descend, the surface churned with oil and debris—clear evidence of their victory.
"Hurrah! Hurrah!" The British sailors erupted in jubilant cheers. This was an extraordinary triumph for them, having suffered numerous defeats against the German navy. Their chances of achieving success had seemed woefully slim.
Caught off guard by the British tactic, the German submarine forces had incurred heavy losses, with more than a dozen submarines sunk. Such concentrated casualties quickly captured the attention of the German Navy. Even in their fiercest encounters with the British, they had never before sustained such significant losses.
When Admiral Tirpitz reported this alarming news to Qin Tian, the latter was taken aback, fearing the British had developed some advanced weaponry to counter the German submarines, perhaps sophisticated sonar systems that could render their vessels ineffective.
The strength of submarines lay in their stealth. Once discovered, their primary advantage vanished.
Fortunately, perhaps it was simply poor luck for the British; as they engaged one of the German submarines, the latter managed to escape. Once out of danger, the German submarine reported the encounter to command, prompting Qin Tian and senior naval officials to realize that the British had not deployed any advanced weaponry but had instead resorted to cunning tactics. With knowledge of the British strategy, the issue seemed far more solvable.
"Your Excellency, while the British merchant vessels are indeed valuable, our submarines and the lives of our sailors are far more precious. Order the submarine forces to cease capturing British vessels! Any British ships encountered should be sunk on sight!" Qin Tian commanded.
Admiral Tirpitz nodded in agreement, empathizing with the plight of the elite submarine crews.