U-121

It 1944 and Steele has joined the Germans in the invasion of Europe. Steele is put in command of a U-boat and its U-109 one of the new class of submarines made by Germany. Steele is on the dock when his crew arrives and they pile out of the trucks. They form ranks in front of their new command. Steele walk up and down the line looking at his crew.

Steele then gave them a speak, my name is Steele and I am your commander. I expect nothing less of prefect and with that I want you to get to now your new home. Yes sir and then the crew began to get on the sub while Steele counted them off. Lets see 1, 2, 3, a minute later 34, 35, 36 yes there all here. Then Steele went inside to keep the men n check.

He climbed down the ladder to the bridge and he look into the next room. He saw the men had already claimed their beds then he got on the speaker. “Men your stations I repeat men your stations were going to see what this baby can do”. Then men rushed to their stations with in three minutes the entire crew was ready to go. The lines were cut and Steele ordered the wheelman to take her out to sea.

Then when they were out to sea Steele got back on that speaker. Listen up boys were going to take this new girl through the sea trails so be prepared. Then as soon as he said that he orders to go down then a man pushed two buttons and they were going down. Were going to see how deep she can go boys Yes sir they replied then a man said were at 600 ft sir. Good deeper you hear me deeper yes sir were now at 1200 ft down sir.

Good lets see if she cam go down to 3500 ft hopeful she will hold. Sir were now at 1600, 2000, 2300, 2600, 3000 and dropping sir. She’s holding only 500 more ft you what is it now. It only at 3105 ft sir then they started to here the haul starting to bend. Sir I don’t know if she can hold any more, don’t say that she will hold.

Sir were now at 3500 ft then as he said it a pipe bust and water started to come in. Steele sigh and said you boys need to get that pipe patched lets go come on. One man grabbed a pipe clamp and him and another man pushed through the water and clamped the pipe. Steele then dragged his hand through his hair got the water out. Good job boys all right take us up, yes sir right away then they began to rise.

Then the radar man clutched his headphones, sir hold I got something over here. What is, it looks like a destroyer sir, ok what depth are we at. We are at 2000 ft sir, all right down periscope then Steele looks through the scope. O boy guess you boys get to fire on a live target. We got a Royal Navy destroyer in front of us then Steele walked over to the phone.

He pushed the button that said torpedo room and waited then the torpedo chief answered the phone. Yes sir what is it, Load tubes 1 and 2 and get ready to fire, yes sir. Steele hangs up and headed back to the periscope and then looked at the target. Ok the target is about 200 to 230 yards he tells the torpedo chief to get ready to fire. Ready, aim, FIRE 1 then the sub jolted and the torpedo was off FIRE 2 and then the second torpedo was off.

Then the sub fell quiet and the men waited for the torpedo to hit its target. Steele watched his stop watch then he herd the torpedo’s hit he then went to the periscope. He scanned the sea and he saw the sinking ship the crew cheered. Then Steele got on the seeker and said lets go home boys we’ve earned are kill for today. Then the wheelman turned hard and they were off for Germany.

With in hours they were back at the dock repairing the broken pipe. Steele is kicking back and relaxing when an alarm goes off and then he hears someone yell fighters. Steele jumps up and yells at his crew to get inside. Get the hell inside unless you want to be blown to hell. The crew ran to get into cover a group of men were caught in the open.

An American fighter came down and unloaded on the men. Steele say them disappear in a cloud of red mist then when mist cleared. He saw the men’s arms and legs torn apart from the body’s Steele then got up and ran to his sub. Then two bombs hit the sub and Steele ran the other way. Then he saw a wounded sailor and ran to help he saw the sailors leg had been blown off.

Steele grabbed him and through him over his shoulders and carried him to house and they crawled under it. Steele saw his man being killed and his sub was on fire. Then finally the fighter’s left and the men came out from the hiding places. Steele dragged the wound sailor out and a medic came by and helped the man. Steele walked toward his sub he saw the bodies of the men who where not lucky then he saw his sub.

The sub was a blazing wreck two bomb holes were in the deck the scanning tower was full of holes. Then Steele went inside he climbed down what was left of the ladder to the bridge. Inside it wasn’t as bad but it was still going to need repair then he headed to he engine room. He was met by the men trying to get the fires out in the room he came up to one of them. What’s the damage here, well the engines are going to need work that’s it for down here.

With that Steele headed to the torpedo room to see what the damage was. He entered the room to see a hole from a bomb but where was the bomb. Then Steele looked down and got his answer the bomb had not blown. Then another sailor walked in and saw the bomb and froze he slowly came up to Steele. Sir what should we do, well hears what I want you to do get the men tell them to get some rope.

Then with in minutes a group of men came in they saw the bomb and then they went to Steele. Steele told them to tie the rope to the bomb and then head up and then he would throw the rope to them and then they would pull it out. Then Steele came top side and came up to the men, Well push it over, what sir, I said push it over, yes sir. The men began to push the bomb to the side then it went over the bomb splashed into the water.

Then a second later the bomb went off water cover the men and the sub. Steele turn to the group of men, Well that’s out of the way now I want repairs started now. The men got to work to repair there damaged sub Steele went to his Commander. He walked in and saw the man sitting at the desk Steele then put a list down on his desk. His command look surprised, what is this Steele, it’s a list of thing I need to repair me sub.

You got a lot here but I think I can get it for you, Thanks sir then Steele left. Then four days later Steele and his crew had fixed as much damage as they could with out the supplies they needed. Then three trucks pulled up then Steele went over to see what it was. A man stepped out of one of the tucks and walked up to Steele and put a clipboard in front of him. Can you please sign at the bottom of this please, Sure but what is this, and these are the parts and supplies you ordered.

Steele smiled and signed the paper and told his crew to unload the supplies and get to work. Then in a week and a half the sub was repaired and Steele and he’s crew were ready for action. Then one day Steele commander came out and handed him his orders. Steele read over the piece of paper and it said his mission was to sink cargo ship. Steele yelled to his crew to get ready to cast off the men began going into the sub then Steele went in.

Steele climbed down the ladder and then told the wheelman to head toward Torpedo Alley. Steele then got on the phone and called the engine room the chief engineer picked up. Yes sir what do you need, I want you to get this baby to go as fast as she can, Yes sir. The chief engineer hangs up and takes out a bottle of rum and took a drink and then opened the full tank and put it in. What are doing that for, rum gets 10 more knots out of this then the sub was sailing through the water at 31 knots.

Then a half hour later the radar man picked up a convey of four enemy war ships. Sir I’m picking up four ships and their all Heavy Cruisers, All right how many torpedos’ do we have? We have around twenty sir ten in the torpedo room and ten in the storage room. Ok target the first cruiser, yes sir then the men begin to target the cruiser then they have it targeted. Sir we have it targeted, ok here what were going to do were going to head down the line of cruisers.

What do you mean sir, were going to go from one to the other so get ready, yes sir. Then Steele ordered tubes one and two to fire with in seconds the torpedos were off. Then Steele ordered to move to the next cruiser then tubes three and four fire. The four torpedo’s hit their targets and Steele look through the periscope and the cruiser are going under. Then the tubes are reloaded and Steele sees his last two targets but this two aren’t flying the British navy flag.

They were flying the U.S flag but Steele ordered the tubes to be fired at them he then looks through his scope. He sees that his torpedo’s hit and the U.S ship are going down but then he turns the scope. He’s sees that there are five destroyers almost on top of him he orders a fast dive. U-109 goes under fast but then an explosion rocks the sub then a man yells out DEPTH CHARGES! The men rushed to close the doors to the compartments they did this so if they were hit and water started coming in the water would only flood that compartment.

The men then grabbed hold of something and held on until the depth charges stopped. Steele and the men waited and hoped they wouldn’t get hit but the destroyers were unrelenting. Depth charge after depth charge rocked the sub then a charge hit the subs tower and water came down from the tower to the bridge. Get up there and fix that hole before we all drown, then a group of men with a patch climbed up the ladder. They found the hole and patched it and water stopped coming in.

Then a few minutes later the depth charges stopped and then Steele looked through the periscope. He saw the destroyers heading away thinking they did there job. Steele whipped away the sweat from his head and told the wheelman to keep heading for torpedo alley. Then Steele asked for a damage report and a man climbed down the ladder and came up to Steele. Sir that is a pretty good hole up there are you sure you still want to do the mission.

Yes I am so patch it up as best you can and leave it but then a waterfall of water came down the ladder. The man ran to the ladder and pushed several men out of the way. Move goddamn it then Steele stopped him, hey calm down and just get the job done, yes sir. Then he climbed up the ladder and minutes later the water stopped. Then they were off to torpedo alley again but now they had to go slower do to the hole in the tower.

Then a day later they made the hole repairs good enough so that they could go full speed. Then with in two days they arrived in torpedo alley and were ready to find their prey. Steele probed the surface for hours but didn’t see a thing until he spotted a Canadian convoy. Steele sounded the alarm and got on the intercom. Man your stations convoy ahead Man your stations convoy ahead and torpedo room load all tubes.

The men ran to there station some in there under where because it was 6:00p.m and most of the men hadn’t sleeped in day’s. Even with out cloths they were ready to go in minutes. All right listen where going to disable the warships first and then use the deck gun. Yes sir but what’s are main target in the convey sir. Are main targets are oil and gas tankers but if there are none troop ships.

Man looked through the site and looked for tankers but didn’t see any. Sir all I see is troop ships and a few escort ships. Can you tell me how many, yes there’s three leading and two in back. All right lets take out those escorts Steele then grabs the phone and calls the torpedo room. Yes sir what is it, get ready to fire and put some power behind these ones, yes sir.

Steele looked through the scope and targeted the escorts; all right steady steady Fire Fire! The torpedo’s headed towards their target but something happened that they didn’t expect. Torpedo one hit the first destroyer and then torpedo two when across the front of destroyer one and hit the lead destroyer. Wow that was the shot of the day wasn’t it boys, the crew just shouted and Steele targeted the next destroyers. Then Steele order tube three to fire and it fired and torpedo went straight to its target and took the 3^rd to last destroyer out.

All right are tubes one and two ready to go these last two look tough, yes sir there ready. Steele looked through the scope and targeted the last destroyers and then yelled fire. The torpedo’s headed towards there targets the first one hit the destroyer then Steele did it again and then the other one hit the other destroyer. Now with the destroyers out of action Steele surfaced to use his deck gun. Steele ordered the deck gunners on deck but Steele stopped one of them.

How many shells do we have for the deck gun, well sir you know all those boxes I brought onboard? Yes what are those, those would be shells for the deck gun. Really were do you get them well they were right there and I got a truck. Oh-ok get up there I’m right behind you Steele watched as he headed up the ladder. Steele then walked over to his second in command.

Hey do me a favor and radio command and tell them we have the Bismarck’s 5-inch shells. Then Steele climbed up the ladder to find the deck gunners already firing. He looked through his binoculars to see his gun hitting the last cargo ship. He watched as they sink beneath the surface but then something caught his eye. It was an American heavy cruiser heading his way.

Heavy cruiser ten o’clock fire fire fire, with that the gunners turned and fired at the cruiser. The shell just bounced off, aim for the bridge, yes sir, then they loaded they gun again. The gunner aim and fire and they shell went through the air and hit the bridge. All right we can make out are target every one get back inside. The men rush down the hatch as Steele watched his enemy burn and then he went down and closed the hatch.

Ok you target that cruiser and put three torpedos into that ship. The men went right to work and had the ship in their site. Steele gave the order to fire and the three torpedos were off. Seconds later the torpedo’s hit and the ship fell beneath the surface. Steele watched as it went beneath the surface but then something caught his eye SURVIVERS.

Steele ordered the sub to surface and he and a few others went out on deck. Some of the men were armed and then one began to help one of them out of the water. Then the sailor pulled a pistol and shot the man fell back on the deck. Then one of Steele’s men shot the sailor he went to shoot the rest but Steele stopped him. Hold your fire drag the rest aboard and take them below but then two of the three sailors in the water pulled pistols.

Steele’s men shot them on the spot but Steele stopped them and saw one sailor left in the water. All right that’s it take him below and I’ll talk to him in a minute. Steele watched as his men took the man below then he turned and looked at the burning water. The price of war, the price of war then Steele went do below. He came up to the crowd of men cheering and beating at the prisoner.

All right that’s it if I wanted him to be died we would had shot him in the water. Steele pushed the men out of the way and came up to the prisoner now covered in blood. So tell me what is and American cruiser doing out here with a Canadian convey. I’m not going to tell you anything, and then one of Steele man came up. Sir maybe this will help, the sailor handed him a life vest.

Steele looked at it and on the vest it said USS REVANGER Steele’s eyes widened. So we sank the mighty Revanger so tell me who are you, the man just starred at Steele. Then Steele took a good look at him, Well I don’t believe it Balto is that you. The Sailor spit some blood out of his mouth and looked up at Steele. Yah Steele its me, while it good you still recognize me boys I what you to meet an old friend of mine.

Guy’s this is the dog that got me thrown out of my hometown. Balto watched as the German shepherds growled at him. Hold on boy’s I want to talk to him first, Steele then helped Balto up and headed towards his quarters. O before I go you take control until I get back stay on the surface, yes sir. Steele and Balto went into his quarters and sat down, so Balto tell me how’s life been.

Well Steele after you left it was great, don’t give me that crap tell me what’s happened sense I’ve been gone. Well Jenna and I became mates then it was good for a while then you guy’s started your push across Europe. So what you ended up on the Revanger and sunk a lot of my follow U-boats. Well yah until I ended up here, so tell me what happened to Nicky, Kaltag, and Star.

Well they signed up for the army and landed on D-day and there pushing towards Paris now. So what’s Jenna doing for the war, She’s a nurse in medical camp in Nome ever sense the japs came in. Well Balto now tell me about this major British operation. What, we learned a few days ago that the British have something big plan for Holland. I don’t know anything about that, Bull shit I know you know something.

Steele I really don’t know anything, that’s it I have had it with this Solz. Then a soldier walked in, Yes sir, take him and get rid of him. Baltos eye’s widened Steele please don’t kill me I have a family, then another soldier came in and they started to drag Balto out. Steele please think about what you’re doing, Steele just fell back into his desk chair. He robbed the top of his head thinking about what he was doing with his life.

The Soldiers dragged Balto to the front of the sub and forced him to his knees. The soldier then put a gun to his head and put his finger on the trigger. Then Steele came out of the hatch and told him to stop the soldier pulled the gun away and Steele came up. So Balto you watch to show me your family if you got a picture. Balto breathed a sigh of relief then Steele helped him up.

Well Steele I happen to have one for you and I would be happy to show you. The two walked to the hatch and went below then back into Steele’s office. Steele’s crew was surprised to see Balto alive as Steele took him into his office. The two sat down and Balto took out the photo of his family and put it on the desk. Steele pickup the picture and took a good look at it he just smiled as he looked at the picture.

It looks like you got a good family, Yah it is isn’t it and for a minute there I thought I wouldn’t see them again.  That’s what made me change my mind I couldn’t let your family go on with out there father. So Steele tell me how did you get to Germany from Alaska. Well it’s a long story; well I’m not going any were. Well all right were do I start well… but before Steele could say anything a crewmember came in.

Excess me sir command is on the radio and they want to talk to you. All right thank you, Steele got up and went to the bridge and got on the radio. Command this is Commander Steele what is it, Commander we need you to do a long-range mission. What kind of long-range mission, well we need you to follow a Canadian convey caring about 120,000 troops to Panama. Panama, yes there mission is to block all traffic through the canal which means are u-boats and are jap friends won’t be able to move from sea to sea.

So you want me to follow them to the canal in Panama and sink the convoy if they try to take the canal. Yes that’s what we want you to do so return to base and refuel and head for that convoy. Yes sir, Steele then put the radio down and told the crew. The reaction to the news wasn’t good after so long at sea they were hoping for shore leave. Steele then went back into his office were Balto was waiting.

What was that about Steele, oh command is telling us to follow a Canadian convoy to Panama. Balto sighed and said the one with 100.000 men to take the canal. Yes how did you know that, well the Raven was to escort that convoy. Well Balto my orders are to sink the troop ship if they try to take the canal. What why, well we use it to get to the Pacific to help the japs when they need it.

Why Balto what’s wrong, well I got a letter from Nikki saying they were going with a Canadian unit to Panama. What, don’t worry you don’t have to sink the convoy. Yes I do I’ve got to follow my orders, well then is there any way to warn them. Well yes but it going to be hard, well what do we have to do. Well we have to find out what ship there on and then try to get contact with it.

Well that doesn’t sound hard, what do you mean it’s not hard it is hard. No Steele it isn’t when Nikki sent me that letter he told me what ship he was on. Well what is it, he said there sailing on the Yukon, the Yukon, I know just forget it. With in hours Steele refueled at a German fuel tanker off Scotland and started toward the convoy. With in hours they arrived a half mile off the convoy.

Steele ordered up periscope and tried to look for the Yukon he turns the periscope to a destroyer heading toward them. Destroyer heading right for us I want this sub down now. Steele crew rushed to get the sub down the destroyer passed above them with only an inch to spare. Steele ordered everyone to hold on to something a wait for the depth charges. Steele and his crew waited for a minute then the depth charges started going off around them.

It was five minutes until the depth charges stopped and Steele and he crew checked everything to make sure there was no damage. Then remember Balto he went to the engine room were Balto was helping the engineer. Steele opened the door to engine room and saw Balto he had a metal bar in his chest. The engineer was trying to stop the bleeding Steele yelled for the doctor. The doctor came in and told Balto that what he was about to do was going to hurt a lot.

The doctor wrapped his hands around the bar and pulled it out. Balto screamed in pain and the doctor then took him down to the medical room. Steele didn’t follow he had to tend to unfinished business so he went to the bridge. He ordered down periscope and began looking for the Yukon again and this time he found it. He then went to his office to use his private radio to contact the Yukon.

It took him ten minutes but he final got a hold of the Yukon and asked for Nikki, Kaltag and Star. The radioman got them and Steele told them the plan. Ok list this is he OSS we have a new mission for you guys. As soon as you reach Panama you to jump over board and a sub will pick you up and take you to the new target. The guys agreed and went to there rooms to prepare.

 Then Steele went to check on Balto in the medical room. He went down the hall and opened the door and saw Balto sleeping then he went to the doctor. He’s going to be ok but that bar hit some of his organ I patched them up but where going to have to wait and what’s going to happen. Steele went back to the bridge and sighed but went back to work. Then with in hours they were at Panama and the ships began to unload.

Steele had no choice and surfaced and his crew began to use the deck gun. Steele thought it was safe to use it sense the destroyer escorts left the convey. With in a half hour Steele’s men had sunk all the ships then he searched the water for his old friends. After five minutes he spotted them and he saw them swimming toward him. His men helped them on the deck and he saw that they were shocked so he went down.

Steele came up to them and greeted them, welcome Nikki, Kaltag and Star it’s been a long time. They just stared at him then Nikki came forward, I’m sorry do we know you. You should I’m an old friend of yours then Star’s eye’s widened and stepped forward. Steele is that you good god it is you then the rest of the guys realized it was Steele. But before they could talk Steele stopped them and started o talk.

Even though it’s good to see you all you guys need to come with me there’s something I need to show you. So Steele led the guys down below and to the medical room were they found Balto. They all stared in shock at the blood-covered body of Balto. Steele went over to the doctor were he got an up date on Baltos health. What Steele heard from the doctor was not good and if they didn’t do anything Balto would die.

The doctor said Balto had some internal bleeding and it was getting worse. The options to stop it were surgery or well that’s it so they choose surgery but it would be hard. Steele thought about it and thought it would be the best thing to do. Steele ordered all stop to make it easier for the surgery and took one of the bunkrooms for the surgery. Then the doctor set up the bunkroom for the surgery and then they wheeled Balto in and started.

Steele and the rest of the guys waited as the surgery went on for hours. Then after five hours of waiting the doctor stepped out of the room. He went up to Steele and whispered into his ear when he finished Steele put his hand on the doctor. Steele then thanked him and went to the guys and told them that the surgery was a success and Balto would be fine. Steele hen went to the bridge and ordered a course toward Nome.

Several hours later in Nome life was going on as usual and Jenna was heading home after her shift at the medical camp. Then Captain Drago a Blackish white husky stopped her. Jenna I’m sorry to hear about Balto, well thank you Drago but its Kodi I’m worried about. Well maybe your right he has seemed kind of different sense Baltos ship went down. Oh by the way do you know were he is, yes his right they’re helping refuel a seaplane.

Do you want to talk to him try to make things better, that would be nice. Drago then yelled for Kodi and he came running up to Jenna and Drago. Sir, mom, um Kodi ever sense your father die you have change and I want to know is there something wrong. No mom there is nothing wrong I’m ok, Kodi I know that’s not true now tell me the truth. Mom I’m telling you there’s nothing wro… Then they were interrupted by the alarm from the harbor.

They ran to see what was wrong and when they got down there they saw the problem. They saw a U-boat sailing into the harbor then they saw the flag it was flying. It was the flag of the Nazi fleet and it was flying high the u-boat. The U-boat came to a stop and men started coming out of the hatch on top. The soldiers on shore stood at ready, then two Germans carried out an injured man.

The men then jumped into the water and headed to shore Drago went do to meet them along with Kodi and Jenna. They waited ass a large husky like dog came up to them. Jenna looked at him and thought he looked like someone she knew. He came up to them and started to speak, Hello my name is Captain Steele of the U-boat 109. Drago and Jenna stepped back in shock Kodi stood his ground even though Steele had a good 3 feet on him.

Steele looked down at the lad and put his hand on his shoulder, so you most be Kodi your father has told me a lot about you. What are you talking about he’s died, well I would say other wise. Steele then turned and called for Nikki and Star to carry in Balto. Jenna, Drago and Kodi watched as the guys carried in Balto. Jenna out and ran to Balto and ran through the water and hugged him happy to see him alive.

She was followed by Kodi who also hugged him after they hugged they went to the shore. It good to see you alive dad, well you can thank Steele for that. Everyone turned to Steele and looked at the nazi inform he had on and then Jenna spoke up. So Steele you’re a nazi, well no I’m just working in there fleet. So you’re not a nazi, no I will never be one of them I just work for them.

Then Drago stepped forward, um Steele nothing toward you but you met want to get out of here. Why, well if high command get down here your under arrest. Well if you forgot I have a crew that can man those guns on the deck in less then a minute. Well we have six five inch guns trained on your ship. Well then I guess I will leave, but before Steele could head back to the u-boat Balto stopped him.

Hey Steele maybe after this is all over you can come back and restart your life here. Sure why not I’ve been getting a little home sick latterly so ya why not. I’m glad to hear that and thanks again for save me and sparing me. Hey it no problem so ya I’ve got to go and with that Steele went back to U-109. Then he started to sail out of the harbor he waved and then he disappeared in to the sea mist.

Jenna broke the silence and said, “He has charged”. Well Jenna we all can change in time in time.

A week after Steele left Nome his U-boat was sunk.

Steele and several others were captured.

And after six months in a POW camp they were released

Steele wouldn’t see Nome again he was killed in a car crash in Juno

On the way to Nome

Balto and everyone else buried him not as an enemy

But as a friend