Kapitel 50: Chapter 50: Returning to the Submarine Unit
Repairing the walls, tidying up the cellar, and milking the cows were all tasks Zhang Hainuo had never done before. Although he sometimes felt clumsy, he still enjoyed the peaceful life at Fenck Manor very much, which was much more interesting than staying foolishly in the arsenal!
The only one who felt "unhappy" at Fenck Manor was probably the old butler, Hastin. He had to be on edge all the time for fear that his master would get his hand smashed by a hammer or kicked by a cow. Fortunately, these unfortunate events were unrelated to his lord.
In the third week of his holiday, a telegram arrived delivered by the postman. Zhang Hainuo was initially surprised by who would send him a telegram, but as soon as he read the contents, he suddenly realized.
"Hastin, I have to return to Kiel Harbor ahead of schedule! I entrust everything at the manor to you. I will definitely come back to visit you when I have the time!"
At the parting moment, Zhang Hainuo felt a little reluctant.
As for Hastin and the others, they also felt the warmth from their master. In their view, the war had made their master more mature. He was no longer as indifferent as before, nor was he obsessed with a woman rather than military achievements.
The reason for Zhang Hainuo's early return to Kiel was simple. As expected, Germany suffered a fiasco in the Battle of the Dover Strait, just as in history. It was said that the German Emperor was furious about it and even replaced a batch of senior officers. Although "Uncle" did not explicitly mention it in the telegram, Zhang Hainuo guessed that those high-ranking figures who had looked unfavorably upon him had most likely fallen out of favor.
Shortly after returning to Kiel Harbor, Zhang Hainuo received a new assignment from the Navy Department. Thanks to "Uncle's" efforts, he finally returned to the submarine unit. Unfortunately, the nest had already been occupied, so he couldn't go back to U171. Instead, the Navy Department assigned another submarine to him.
U7. When Zhang Hainuo saw this number on the transfer order, he was very surprised. You see, the numbers of German submarines were usually arranged according to the order of construction and commissioning. In other words, this submarine with the number 7 was undoubtedly an elder-class submarine in the German Navy.
When Zhang Hainuo stood on the submarine dock at Wilhelmshaven once again, the scene before him was even more surprising than when he received the transfer order. The so-called elder-class submarines were UBI-type submarines with a displacement of less than 300 tons underwater. They were definitely the antique submarines of the German Navy!
In fact, what surprised Zhang Hainuo even more was yet to come. After the initial training camp in France, American soldiers had been deployed in batches to the French front line. Germany faced increasing pressure on land, and the well-established escort system, anti-submarine measures, and even escort warships from the Far East made it even more difficult for German submarines to operate in recent months. Not only had their combat effectiveness greatly decreased, but their casualties remained high. This made the already insufficient German submarine force even more stretched, to the extent that even submarines like U7 with a range of only 950 nautical miles had to be sent to the English Channel for combat. The previous captain had suffered a heart attack due to the intense excitement of crossing the death zone back and forth and had been transferred to the submarine school to serve as an instructor. Now, Zhang Hainuo, a ace captain with more than 50,000 tons of achievements and multiple trips into the North Atlantic, naturally became the Navy Department's top choice.
Although U7's displacement was nearly half that of U171, it still had a crew of 17, which meant that the space on board would be even smaller. At the same time, the submarine was equipped with only three 350mm torpedo tubes and one 37mm deck gun, with a pitiful supply of only two spare torpedoes. The only consolation for Zhang Hainuo was that every person on board had been in the submarine force longer than himself. In other words, these were all seasoned veterans!
Zhang Hainuo's luggage was very simple, just a backpack, which he could easily carry. However, on the second day after boarding the submarine, the Navy Department issued an order to set sail...
Zhang Hainuo's first mission commanding U7 was almost completed under the guidance of the veterans, especially the first mate, Jorg Ral, who was the first person to break through the British blockade line at Dover.
In order to prevent German submarines from entering the Strait, the British deployed a large number of mines and anti-submarine nets between Dover and Calais. However, this still could not stop the brave German submarine commanders from using their excellent abilities to pass through that blockade line and enter the English Channel. After all, the British couldn't turn the 34-kilometer-wide vigilance line into a completely watertight dam. The gaps between those mines and anti-submarine nets were penetrated by the German captains as "the passage to hell"!
Finally, one day, Zhang Hainuo also became one of the many "passers of hell". However, just passing through the blockade line did not mean success. Hundreds of ships were transported daily from Britain to France, carrying troops and supplies, and returning with wounded soldiers. But to sink them, one not only had to contend with the turbulent waves of the Channel but also be wary of the anti-submarine vessels that could appear at any time.
On his first mission, Zhang Hainuo expended four torpedoes, sinking a French barge and a British gunboat converted from a trawler. He was pursued by British warships three times and encountered danger once. After sailing for two weeks, he returned to Wilhelmshaven feeling more exhausted than he had when he set out for two months.
At this point, Zhang Hainuo finally understood why the former captain of U7 had suffered a heart attack.
On the other hand, Hessen would write to Zhang Hainuo after each voyage. In his ninth letter, he informed Zhang Hainuo that his total score had reached 140,000 tons. However, the situation in the Mediterranean was becoming increasingly unfavorable for Allied submarines. The escort system, anti-submarine technology, and even escort warships from the Far East had made
it more difficult for German and Austrian submarines to hunt in this area. Even he, as a super ace, had limited options against the heavily guarded convoy and powerful anti-submarine weapons.
(PS: During World War I, Japan dispatched a batch of destroyers to the Mediterranean region to escort British and French ships.)
All of this foreshadowed that Germany was developing along the trajectory of history. In Zhang Hainuo's view, the collapse of the Empire was only a matter of time.
Before Christmas, Zhang Hainuo and his U7 twice crossed the "passage to hell" into the English Channel. Although each time was not long, each time made him feel death was close at hand. In the process of repeatedly evading pursuit by enemy anti-submarine vessels, he felt more and more like a fox using all means to survive. Although he could only steal one or two chickens occasionally when the hunter was dozing off, he could always escape from the hunter's furious retaliation.
The high frequency of sorties made Zhang Hainuo deeply feel mentally and physically exhausted. Fortunately, Christmas of 1917 arrived soon, and although the shortage of supplies in Germany was more severe this winter than ever before, the Navy Department still provided them with some smoked meat, bacon, canned fish, and even a bottle of wine (Germany was famous for white wine), and gave them a rare 7-day leave. Although Zhang Hainuo really wanted to get drunk and sleep for seven days and nights, he decided to visit Lübeck again.
After all, some things needed to be planned ahead!
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein