[Arnold]

U-4
9 NOV 39 18:03
On a routine sound check at 40 meters depth, Heller hears slow engine turns at 90 degrees, long distance.
Battle stations. Steer North.
18:06 Ship spotted. We slow to 1 knot. Turn to 140 degrees. Open bow caps. British flag identified.
18:16 Angle on the bow: 90 degrees. Fire! That slowed her down. Fire! Dud eel. Fire! That did it. Three eels to sink one small merchant. *sigh*
We surface. No survivors in the wreckage. We find a life ring, "Benjamin Hill", it reads. I check the manifest, 2042 tons. Sunk within seven kilometers from the Mount Kyle. I decide to remain in this area. Good hunting here.
We are down to one electric eel. 60% fuel remains.
Just one more merchant, boys, and we'll head for the barn.
10 NOV 39 09:55 Dawn. Sea calm. Conrad is on the machine gun. Tottenhagen & I are on the bridge. It looks like we will have another clear day. My thoughts are on that kid, Murphy, from the Mount Kyle. Hope they get back home okay.
I know the rules of war require me to stop and search these merchants.
Unfortunately, they don't listen to my request to stop, via the megaphone and keep going on as if nothing is wrong.
10:38 I climb down to the control room. I survey the compartments, quietly. Men sleeping in the petty officer's quarters and bow compartment.
10:45 I return to the bridge as the morning sun appears off our port side.
A half moon aft. Sea calm. I light a cigar.
It's mornings like this when I think of the times I went fishing with my Grandfather. We'd get up before daylight and quietly wait for the daylight in his metal row boat. He could always catch more fish than I. I'd spend my summers with him and my Grandmother, fishing almost every day.
I learned how to wait for the fish to bite, rather than always moving the boat to find them. In other words, if the fish were bitting, stay put.
I can be very content on the bridge, watching the waves, smoking a cigar, while the boat's routine goes on below me.
18:45 Ship spotted, bearing 20 degrees, long range.
Dive, periscope depth. Scope up. There she is! A big one!
With only one eel left, the best I can hope for is to slow her down and maybe lighten her deck cargo a bit with the machine gun.
18:55 Open bow caps. She's 1000 meters away. We slow to 1 knot.
British flag identified.
19:00 Fire! Surface. She has slowed to 6 knots. She begins to zig-zag, yet, at this slow speed she can't outrun us.
19:39 Using rudder controls I bring us along side her and machine gun her deck cargo. Fires start on her deck. Cargo explodes and flys in all directions. In the middle of all this an enemy plane arrives and drops a depth charge. We stay up and fight!
20:00 Out of ammunition. Quite a battle! I'd call it a draw.
No battle damge to us. No injuries among us either.
20:08 Status report to Bdu. No eels left, no shells, 60% fuel remains.
Well done, men. 1/2 bottle of Beck's for the officers and crew.
21:09 Message from Bdu: Return to base.
11 NOV 39 Daylight comes at 10:30 hrs. We dive and remain below all day until 20:50 hrs.
14 NOV 39 17:15 We enter the harbor of Wilhelmshaven with 10% fuel remaining. Ahead slow. All stop.
Now we dive into the foaming beer because U-4 is back at the pier!
Carl A. Lange Jr. sub-Lt.