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Old 10-29-21, 08:04 PM   #14
CPTLTJASON
Kapitan.z.S Hartmann
 
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November 1, 1938 Kiel Harbor 1st day at sea

Loading was completed late on the 31st at 23:00 hrs. the I. Officer KKpt Baumgartner informs the Kommandant “All crew present and accounted for, Ship clear for sea” at midnight the starboard watch is called, and at 01:10 hrs. Ship 44 raises anchor and casts off no bands nor crowds are there to see them off the raider silently pulls away from the harbor unbeknownst to all aboard that this is the last they will see of Germany for a very long time.................

Hartmann has orders to proceed to the Mediterranean and conduct commerce warfare against Spanish republican shipping coming down from Odessa, USSR. Since the attack on the Panzerschiff Deutschland on May 27, 1937 and another attack on the cruiser Leipzig on the 15th and 18th of June, Germany withdrew from Nonintervention patrols uboats have since been sent, albeit secretly however these operations have failed. The orders for Ship 44 were quite specific,* *“The auxiliary cruiser must only sink merchants flying the Spanish Republican flag or the flag of the USSR. Before engaging a merchant, it must be certain that the identity of the enemy has been positively established to avoid the destruction of an allied or neutral vessel”**. The area of operations of Ship 44 is between the ports of Cartagena and Barcelona, and no further east of the Baleares Islands. Furthermore, the operational orders state, **“If the operations of the auxiliary cruiser become known the ship is to leave the area immediately and return once the situation has settled down”**. Mining operations are to be carried out according to the SKL’s recommendations, **“The areas in which mines must be laid are as follows, 1.) On the approaches to the Ports of Valencia and Barcelona. 2.) on the Odessa-Cartagena/Barcelona/Valencia routes”.** More details will come as the ship heads out. Hartmann will take the short route through the English Channel. No escort will be taken out of Kiel to avoid being seen or announcing our departure.

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"The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him" Sun Tzu


Kapitan.z.S Hartmann's (U-35,U-46-U-204-U-332-U-256-U-293, U-838, U-830, U-834, U-1188, U-1180, U-835, U-840, U-839, Schiff 44 “AFRIKA”, Schiff 77 "Stortebecker", "Schiff 66 "WOLF", Schiff 19, Schiff 30) motto: Eastward Ho!
"Be more aggressive"

Schiff 30 wird sie alle versenken!

Last edited by CPTLTJASON; 07-08-23 at 06:20 PM.
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