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N 1943, OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH-WEST AFRICA A GROUP OF GERMAN U-BOATS CLOSED UPON UNGUARDED PREY — A PAIR OF SLOW-MOVING BRITISH FREIGHTERS SEEMINGLY ABANDONED BY THEIR CONVOY AND ITS PROTECTORS. COMMODORE HANS DIETRICH, LEADER OF THE WOLFPACK, WAS EAGER TO CLAIM SOME SCALPS AFTER MANY FRUITLESS WEEKS AT SEA.

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HIMMEL! EASY PICKINGS INDEED! THEY MUST HAVE FALLEN BEHIND AND THEIR ESCORTS LOST THEIR NERVE…

STORY SEAN BLAIR ART JOHN RIDGWAY COVER JOHN RIDGWAY

4 THE FIRST TARGETED VESSEL HOWEVER WAS SURPRISINGLY MANOEUVREABLE. AT A SHOUT FROM AN ALERT LOOKOUT, ITS CHURNING PROPELLERS NUDGED IT OUT OF THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION BY A HAIR’S BREADTH.

MISSED US — JUST!

AYE, BUT HE’LL BE BACK, THE DEVIL!

WATCHING THROUGH HIS PERISCOPE, THE BLOODTHIRSTY DIETRICH’S ANGER ROSE AS HE SAW THE VESSEL ESCAPE.

VERDAMMT, WE MUST FIRE AGAIN! ORDER THE OTHER BOATS TO SURROUND THEM. THEY SHALL NOT ESCAPE US!

5 A SECOND TORPEDO FROM ANOTHER U-BOAT STRUCK TRUE. THOUGH IT FAILED TO EXPLODE COMPLETELY, THE MERCHANTMAN SHUDDERED UNDER THE CONCUSSION.

UNNHHHH!

DIETRICH, LIKE A SHARK SCENTING BLOOD, MOVED IN FOR THE KILL. FIRE AGAIN! THEY CANNOT ESCAPE US NOW!

HERR KAPITAN.

WE’RE HIT!

WHAT IS IT? WHY ARE YOU INTERRUPTING ME?

SONAR ECHOES TO PORT, HERR KAPITAN, MANY OF THEM!

6 TOO EAGER FOR THE KILL, DIETRICH HAD ENTIRELY MISJUDGED THE SITUATION. THE VESSELS HAD NOT BEEN LEFT BEHIND — INSTEAD THEIR ROOKIE SKIPPERS HAD INADVERTENTLY PUSHED AHEAD OF THE MAIN CONVOY THAT NOW HOVE INTO VIEW. WE’VE CAUGHT UP WITH OUR LOST SHEEP — AND JUST IN TIME TOO!

QUITE A CHOICE OF TARGET…I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN.

LESS JAW JAW — OPEN FIRE!

THE BRITISH GUNNERS HAD PRACTICED WELL — ONE U-BOAT WAS STRUCK A DIRECT HIT, ITS CONNING TOWER SHATTERED. THE REST BEGAN TO MAKE THEIR ESCAPES.

WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! DIVE, DIVE, DIVE!

ARRGGH!

7 THE GERMAN U-BOATS WOULD PAY FOR THEIR COMMANDER’S RECKLESS EAGERNESS FOR THESE WERE SPECIALISED ANTI-SUBMARINE WARSHIPS THAT HAD THEM IN THEIR SIGHTS. THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO BUT RUN FOR IT.

SUBMERGING WAS NO DEFENCE AS THE FASTAPPROACHING DESTROYERS SIMPLY FILLED THE WATERS WITH DEPTH-CHARGES. EVEN A NEAR MISS FROM ONE OF THESE COULD CRACK A SUBMARINE OPEN LIKE AN OLD TIN CAN.

ARRGH!

SEND A MESSAGE TO ALL VESSELS TO SCATTER. EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!

8 IN DIETRICH’S U-BOAT, THE HYDROPHONE OPERATOR PULLED OFF HIS EARPHONES IN HORROR. GOTT IN HIMMEL! I HEARD AN EXPLOSION THEN A TEARING SOUND. THE U-BOAT MUST HAVE BROKEN UP!

THAT COULD BE OUR WAY OUT! BEAR TOWARDS THAT EXPLOSION.

THE BROKEN FRAGMENTS LEFT BY THE IMPLOSION OF THEIR SISTER U-BOAT WOULD CONFUSE THE BRITISH DESTROYERS’ SONAR AND GIVE THE GERMANS COVER TO SLIP THE TIGHTENING NOOSE.

FULL AHEAD, NOW! IT IS OUR ONLY CHANCE!

DIETRICH’S DESPERATE MOVE PAID OFF — BUT HIS WAS THE ONLY U-BOAT FROM THE WOLFPACK TO MAKE IT AWAY.

IT’S WORKED! THEY DON’T SEE US!

THE OTHERS HAVE NO CHANCE BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE ESCAPED UNDER COVER OF THEIR DESTRUCTION!

MOVING ON BATTERY POWER ALONE, THE U-BOAT NOW CREPT AWAY SLOW AND DEEP — ESCAPING DETECTION AS THE BRITISH SHIPS MOPPED UP THE OTHER SUBMARINES.

9 HIS NERVE BATTERED AFTER THE RAPID TURN OF EVENTS, DIETRICH REFUSED TO SURFACE. HE WANTED TO BE QUITE CERTAIN THEY HAD EVADED ALLIED PURSUIT FIRST. THE AIR IN THE BOAT GREW MORE AND MORE FOUL.

HERR KAPITAN! WE MUST SURFACE OR WE WILL POISON OURSELVES ON FUMES AND OUR BATTERIES ARE ALL BUT EXHAUSTED. SURELY IT IS SAFE NOW…

SINCE THE SEA APPEARED EMPTY AROUND THEM, HE BROUGHT THE BOAT TO THE SURFACE. AS DAWN FILLED THE SKY DIETRICH FELT HIS SPIRITS RISE. HIS FIRST OFFICER’S THOUGHTS REMAINED BLACK.

VERY WELL, LET ME CHECK. COME UP TO PERISCOPE DEPTH.

THE ALLIES HAVE DONE THEIR WORST BUT THEY COULD NOT FINISH US! WE LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY, AND TO AVENGE THE COMRADES WE LOST!

YOU LOST, YOU MEAN, YOU THOUGHTLESS GLORYHUNTER. IT WAS A BAD DAY WHEN WE ENDED UP UNDER YOUR COMMAND.

10 IT SEEMED THEY DID NOT HAVE THE ENTIRE OCEAN TO THEMSELVES AFTER ALL, THOUGH, FOR THE DRONE OF AN AIRCRAFT ENGINE RANG THROUGH THE LIGHTENING SKY. DIETRICH WAS FIRST TO PINPOINT IT. LOOK THERE — WE ARE DISCOVERED! A PLANE, BUT WHERE COULD IT HAVE COME FROM? WE’RE OUT OF RANGE OF ANY LAND.

IT’S A FLOATPLANE. AND IF THIS AIRCRAFT IDENTIFICATION CHART IS CORRECT, IT IS FRENCH.

THE NEWS CAME AS A RELIEF TO THE NERVE-SHREDDED COMMANDER, BUT THERE WAS A STING IN THE TAIL. FRENCH? THAT’S ALL RIGHT…WE HAVE A PEACE TREATY WITH THEM REMEMBER?

NOT ALL OF THEM! DE GAULLE AND HIS FREE FRENCH RABBLE DID NOT SURRENDER! GUNNERS, OPEN FIRE!