Chapter 39: Don't Mess with Me

After the lessons learned, especially during the early stages of the war and the Norwegian campaign, German submarine torpedoes were adjusted to the optimal ready-to-fire state. Although Logan was unaware of the specifics, witnessing the British destroyer being ravaged by two torpedoes, he couldn't help but exclaim from the depths of his heart:

"Fortune, it's all about fortune!"

"What are you talking about?" Stephenberg, having finally retrieved his completely soaked cap, asked Logan curiously.

"Charms, immensely powerful charms!" Logan offered him a composed smile. "Blessings for our victory!"

The sinking of one destroyer wouldn't necessarily save the fate of the minesweeper. Even though the distant British destroyer had its bridge obliterated by bombardment, its three independently sighted twin guns were still operational. As these guns unleashed their full fury, the towering columns of water they stirred up nearly engulfed the minesweeper!

Under Logan's watchful eye, Thomas Miller led his gun crew in rapid fire. Two successive shots hit their target, but for the destroyer, the 76mm naval guns were somewhat akin to scratching an itch. Meanwhile, each hit from the enemy's shells caused significant damage to their minesweeper: the first shell struck the stern, unceremoniously tossing the quad-mounted anti-aircraft machine gun into the sea, while the second pierced the amidships, tearing a gaping hole in the hull. In just those two hits, casualties among the crew skyrocketed!

"Hold on!" Logan gritted his teeth, both to encourage himself and to pray for the safety of the entire crew along with their precious radar equipment.

It typically took 10 to 20 minutes for a regular German submarine to reload torpedoes. Therefore, submarine captains often opted to turn and use their stern torpedoes, which usually only required a few minutes. However, these few minutes were still a significant challenge for Logan and his subordinates!

At a distance of just 500 meters, a state-of-the-art destroyer armed with six 120mm caliber guns and a full ship sighting system should have easily dispatched a minesweeper with just one 76mm gun and minimal armor protection, without needing to resort to torpedoes. However, when Logan peered through his binoculars from the bridge, he realized with surprise that the British sailors across had already aimed two quintuple torpedo tubes towards their ship. Who knew they might launch deadly torpedoes at any moment!

After successive hits, the minesweeper was ablaze in multiple locations. The only silver lining was that the vessel continued to twist and turn at maximum speed.

"Thomas!"

Logan called out twice before the sergeant, who remained steadfast at his gun position, turned around. At this moment, his face, somewhat scholarly in appearance, was smeared with blood!

"Aim for their torpedo tubes!"

At this point, Logan felt a tinge of regret. If they had targeted those earlier, they might have detonated the torpedoes and finished off the destroyer in one fell swoop. Now, how many more casualties would there be?

Experience was sometimes a good thing, but once it formed a mindset, it probably led to side effects!

"All right, give me a shell!" Thomas Miller rolled up his sleeves and adjusted the barrel. At this moment, a paratrooper, whose cap was nowhere to be seen, his face likewise covered in blood, brought a shell, but before he could load it into the breech, another shell landed a few meters away on the sea surface. The unfortunate paratrooper was instantly knocked down!

If it weren't for Thomas reflexively crouching, he might have also been hit. He glanced angrily at the British destroyer approaching on the port side, eyes seemingly spewing fire. The resolute German man picked up the shell, staggering as he stuffed it into the breech, slammed the bolt shut defiantly, and, after one last look through the sighting scope, decisively pulled the firing lanyard!

The shell shot out and exploded moments later in the destroyer's amidships. However, before the smoke cleared, Logan realized that the shell had only struck the rear bridge, situated between the two torpedo launchers. While it caused considerable casualties among the British sailors stationed at the torpedo tubes, it couldn't save the minesweeper from its near-tragic fate!

A few seconds later, the twin guns at the rear of the British destroyer erupted with vengeance once more. The shell slammed fiercely into the front of the minesweeper's hull, the tremendous shockwave almost causing Logan to faint on the spot, his eardrums feeling as though they had been torn apart. If it weren't for the steel plates on the bridge blocking most of the shell fragments, he might have ascended into the heavens by now.

When he opened his eyes again, paratroopers on the foredeck were all sprawled out, the open gun emplacement presenting a terrifying sight: a gaping hole larger than a basin had appeared on the thick gun shield, the rear sight on the gun barrel had disappeared, and even the wheel controlling the gun carriage's steering was severely distorted!

Feeling a rush of heat on his face, Logan reached out and found his hand covered in crimson blood...

Perhaps the pleasure of ravaging the opponent clouded his judgment, or perhaps the intense combat noise interfered with the sonar, but as the deck of the "J-36" minesweeper was cleared and rendered completely combat ineffective, the opposing British destroyer suddenly ceased its barrage. It circled counterclockwise to the stern, signaling for surrender. Just then, a torpedo emerged from beneath the surface, hurtling towards the unprepared destroyer.

If the "J-class" destroyer hadn't maintained its swift speed, if the two vessels weren't still separated by 500 meters, if Lady Luck hadn't decided to favor the heavily battered British Navy that day, the oldest active German submarine in the fleet might have set a new record!

The British sailors on board were understandably sweating bullets. They were too preoccupied to even consider the near-lifeless minesweeper; all their attention was focused underwater. Thus, the U-6 bought Logan and his crew the most precious ten minutes.

Ten minutes later, a large number of German warhawks finally appeared on the southern horizon. Seeing such a formidable force, the British destroyer intended to sink the "J-36" minesweeper with torpedoes. At this critical moment, the U-6 fired two torpedoes in rapid succession, forcing the British destroyer to desperately evade. By the time it wanted to come back to deal with the "J-36," the howl of Stuka had already descended from the sky...

Around 11 a.m. on June 27, 1940, a battered British minesweeper slowly sailed into the port of Dieppe in northern France. To everyone's surprise, the personnel standing on this minesweeper were a mix of German Air Force and Navy officers. At the stern flagpole fluttered a hand-painted flag of Germany.

The long-forgotten air raid siren astonishingly sounded over the harbor. Not long after, a large group of black dots appeared on the northern horizon, but before they could approach, dozens of Bf-109 fighters with iron cross insignias on their wing undersides had already taken off to intercept. After an extremely fierce aerial battle, only a few British bombers managed to reach the airspace above the harbor, only to be shot down or scattered by nearby anti-aircraft guns in the blink of an eye!

People were still in shock, yet they witnessed an astonishing scene: the British minesweeper had just docked, and some German military police eagerly escorted away an officer with a white bandage wrapped around his head, dressed in a German paratrooper uniform. At the officer's collar, the Knight's Iron Cross gleamed brightly in the sunlight...