Chapter 3: Darkness Descends

Having finally made it to the torpedo compartment at the stern of the boat, Lynn felt relieved that he had managed to keep his life intact, though his whole body was trembling with exhaustion. He had thought that the torpedo compartment on a submarine, based on the images he had seen before, would be relatively spacious. However, to his surprise, even this stern torpedo compartment resembled little more than a small storage room. The only torpedo tube was located in the center, with racks on either side. Currently, there were no spare torpedoes stored; instead, blankets had been laid out to serve as beds. With the assistance of Wolfgrum, Lynn quickly lay down on the left side, resting for a while before feeling like he was back among the living.

Soon after, Tanze, Techimel, Brühl, and Frederick arrived, each carrying their own weapons and equipment, crowding the small stern torpedo compartment even more. Poor Tanze, burdened by his leg injury, appeared just as tired and heavy-footed after the ordeal.

Perhaps due to its proximity to the diesel and engine rooms, the mechanical noise in the stern compartment seemed particularly loud. Nevertheless, as long as he could lay comfortably, Lynn had no complaints. However, to his dismay, the sailor who led Lieutenant Commander Ziegenc to the compartment announced in front of everyone that the two empty torpedo racks were designated for the "exclusive use" of officers. Although Lieutenant Commander Motchigeg tried to insist that Lynn stay where he was, it was merely a personal gesture, and Lynn couldn't comfortably occupy the space for an extended period.

After all the Waffen-SS personnel entered the compartment and the submarine started moving, a naval lieutenant in a dark uniform came to the stern. He politely conveyed the captain's respects and greetings to the Waffen-SS personnel present, informing them that, in order to free up loading space, the submarine had reduced the number of crew members before departure. However, the duty rosters and watch rotations would remain unchanged. To ensure the smooth operation of the "ship of life" for all personnel during the upcoming voyage, the captain requested that the Waffen-SS soldiers also contribute to the work as much as they could.

After explaining the reasons, the rather handsome naval lieutenant said, "Lieutenant Commander Ziegenc, if possible, Commander Gros hopes you can take over command when he rests."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Ziegenc unexpectedly replied, offering no further explanation, which left the naval lieutenant feeling awkward. After hesitating for a moment and seeing no sign of change in Ziegenc's mind, he apologized and then asked Motchigeg if he would be willing to take on the role of the officer on duty aboard the submarine.

Motchigeg did not refuse.

The naval lieutenant breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the other soldiers in the compartment, and then said, "For the remaining personnel arrangements, I would like to know if anyone has expertise in mechanics, electronics, or firearms."

Seeing his soldiers hesitating, Lynn raised his hand and said, "I can drive various vehicles and have received training in small boat operations, though it was brief!"

Before the naval lieutenant could respond, Wolfgrum interjected, "Captain Gergo's leg was injured by a gunshot, and he just had surgery yesterday. It's inconvenient for him to move around. Please consider him!"

This statement revealed genuine concern among comrades, and Lynn looked at the veteran with gratitude. Through the crucible of the battlefield, not only combat skills and combat will were honed but also the emotions between individuals became richer.

The naval lieutenant nodded, "Alright, we'll try to take this situation into account, and the submarine should have enough basic medical supplies."

Then, the soldiers began speaking one by one. First was Tanze, who introduced himself, "Captain, I have some mechanical knowledge... from school. Additionally, I know a bit about radios, but my leg is injured, so I'm not very mobile!"

Next was Noah, "I can handle the position of gunner!"

Following suit, even the usually quiet Frederick spoke up, "I've been a messenger, and I'm also fine with doing manual labor if needed!"

The naval lieutenant didn't take notes but instead focused intently on each person's face as they spoke, apparently committing their information and faces to memory—a skill that required good facial recognition.

"Thank you all for your cooperation! Those with expertise will be assigned to corresponding technical positions on the submarine, and vacant duty positions will still need assistance. There may be some basic training arranged accordingly!" After finishing, the lieutenant saluted Lieutenant Commander Ziegenc, who was lying on the torpedo rack on the right side, and cautiously added, "If there are any special circumstances, Lieutenant Commander Ziegenc, we may need to disturb you. Please understand!"

Lynn saw Lieutenant Commander Ziegenc nodding expressionlessly, as if he had a deep grudge against the German Navy. Initially, during their time at the headquarters of the "Vampire" assault team, Lynn didn't find this guy particularly odd. However, his behavior on the dockyard suggested a certain level of neuroticism. Was it due to the pressure of war leading to intermittent mental abnormalities, or was he always like this?

After the naval lieutenant left, Motchigeg said he was going to inspect the soldiers' accommodation and left after reporting to Lieutenant Commander Ziegenc. The rest of the personnel found their comfortable positions, either sitting or lying down. With no crew members on watch, the stern torpedo compartment became even more crowded, making it difficult to fit even two or three more people.

The engines and machinery on the boat continued to rumble mechanically, and to Lynn, an inexperienced sailor, it was impossible to tell if the submarine was submerged or floating. He also couldn't discern if the speed was fast or slow, only feeling the increasing intensity of the swaying and rocking. As time passed, his head gradually felt heavy and dizzy, followed by nausea and vomiting. The constant rumbling became a significant factor contributing to his ringing ears and throbbing head. Around noon, Tanze became the first to "go live," followed closely by Techimel. Unfortunately, the onboard toilet had been occupied by similarly seasick Waffen-SS soldiers, and there was a line outside. In desperation, lunchboxes were temporarily used as vomit basins, and the "ugh, ah" sounds of retching echoed continuously.

In an attempt to alleviate Tanze's suffering, Lynn gave up the torpedo rack, but sitting against the bulkhead for over half an hour, he found his dizziness and nausea intolerable. This battle-hardened elite soldier, who could endure various tortures on the battlefield, couldn't suppress his seasickness symptoms and ended up vomiting out the half-digested bacon bits and mushroom chunks from last night's dinner, mixed with brownish liquid.

"A bunch of poor souls!" Lieutenant Commander Ziegenc, lying on the torpedo rack, suddenly remarked.

Lynn had no retort and continued to vomit out the partially digested food, even the fish soup from yesterday afternoon didn't escape. Apart from drunkenness at a college graduation party, the last time he vomited seemed to date back to his childhood when he had a cold and fever!

Perhaps anticipating that this group of landlubbers would suffer from severe seasickness, several sailors brought warm saltwater in water bottles. Although it tasted strange, it provided some relief from the stomach churning and pain. Leaning against Wolfleum's knee, Lynn breathed heavily, once again picturing the figures of Alice and Catherine in his mind. Unconsciously, they had become his spiritual motivation to overcome various difficulties. But would he have the chance to see them again?

In the afternoon, the previous naval lieutenant appeared. Although more than half of these Waffen-SS officers and soldiers were suffering from seasickness, they were not exempt from their duty rotation. The lieutenant did not name anyone but individually notified them of their duty assignments. Lynn served as a backup helmsman, Tanze helped out in the engine room, Noah was a backup gunner, Bruhl and Wolfleum were assigned to rest well and take the night watch on deck.

Lynn was not beaten down by his injuries, but the seasickness drained the strength from his limbs. Fatigued, he propped himself up with his hands on the cabin walls, hopping on one leg as he followed the lieutenant. This sight attracted quite a few surprised glances. Despite the short distance from the rear torpedo compartment to the command cabin, the continuous hopping still left Lynn feeling exhausted. Upon entering the command cabin, the array of dials, pipes, and equipment was overwhelming, and he nearly passed out again — but perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing to pass through this most difficult part unaware.

Watching the officers and sailors in the command cabin busy with their tasks, Lynn quickly recalled an old movie he had seen, "Das Boot." Its special effects were naturally not as dazzling as those in 21st-century Hollywood blockbusters, but the carefully crafted submarine scenes and gripping battle scenes left a deep impression on him. What was even more valuable was its faithful depiction of the tension and cruelty of naval warfare, especially the German submarine officers and crew members who endured long periods of monotony and depression, evoking both admiration and pity.

The captain, with his pipe, was not seen in the command cabin. Lynn turned his head to check the depth gauge. At that moment, the naval lieutenant stopped him and said, "Corporal, follow Lambert — the one on the left. He'll teach you how to handle things!"

Unlike the circular wheels on surface ships, the steering wheel on this German submarine resembled a car steering wheel. Two helmsmen, one for horizontal movement and one for depth, sat side by side. A navigation officer sat a bit further back. At this moment, a Waffen-SS officer stood behind the helmsman on the right, apparently another "substitute" like Lynn.

Upon hearing the lieutenant mention his name, the helmsman on the left, wearing a tilted military cap, immediately turned his head. It was a young face, somewhat similar in contour to Teckimell, but much more mature and resilient, although fatigue made him look weary.

"Hello, Corporal, what should I call you?" the helmsman asked, his gaze already back on the dial in front of him, which did not have the depth gauge Lynn was looking for — it was in front of the depth helmsman, with the pointer resting at the 5 mark, and the units clearly marked below: meters, in metric.

Floating, perhaps?

In the face of uncertainty about the rank of the helmsman before him, Lynn chose to be easygoing: "Just call me Lynn!"

The helmsman had no time for pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Comrade Lynn, this is the steering wheel for horizontal movement of the submarine. Turn clockwise or counterclockwise, similar to on a regular ship!"

Having played "Silent Hunter" and "Destroyer Command" series games during college, Lynn felt that although there might be some differences in actual operations, he had a basic understanding of the principles. However, he still cautiously added, "I've had a few hours of boat driving training, but only on small boats!"

The young helmsman seemed somewhat dismissive: "That's okay, the principles are pretty much the same. Actually... all you need to do is follow the instructions of the Chief Machinist, and the turning angle is clearly displayed here!"

After watching for a few minutes, the helmsman stood up and gave up his seat, "Here, give it a try!"