Here the second chapter. The other ones will be translated in some time, critical factor as usual...

Jean / dak69



A submariner on reconnaissance

On August 28th, 1942, returning from his second patrol along the US East Cost, KptLt Peter-Erich Cremer, U-333 commander, his submarine seriously damaged following an encounter with a British escort vessel, and himself with an arm in a sling, was, at his great surprise, greeted by Admiral Doenitz personally. The Admiral informed Cremer that he was entrusted for a mission of the greatest importance. The same evening, Cremer said goodbye at his crew, and, half joking, half seriously, added we will certainly meet again.

In September, BdUs personnel department searched in his files to find submariners with a former experience on canals as bargemen.

By the end of the same month, Cremer and Winkler came to the same conclusion: no existing tug in the different German fluvial harbours could be used as it was. Winkler decided to use the hull of the smallest one (15 m, 50 feet) as starting point, to put a 100 HP Diesel engine inside, the towing speed being limited to 6 kilometres per hour on canals by the French regulations. The occupation authorities agreed reluctantly for the sake of Reichs interests, and against French regulations forbidding towing on canals. The Rhine Shipyard, at Mainz (Rheinwerft Mainz-Mombach), would build those tugs, two of their being expected at Kiel by mid November, the other ones having to be delivered directly at Strasbourg.

[From here, the bulk of the action will happen in Alsace. A few historical facts have to be reminded:

-        Before 1870, Alsace is French since 1648, but only a few Alsatians are speaking French (less that 10 %). But all are speaking Alsatian (a German dialect) and understand the official German.
-        In 1870, after the war between France and Prussia, Alsace is annexed by Germany. All the French favourable Alsatians are expelled to France. The French language is no longer taught in Alsace, and Bismarck imposed very hard conditions on the Alsatians. Later, between 1900 and 1910, those conditions were revoked and the situation of the Alsatians became very similar to German citizens one.
-        During WWI, all the able Alsatians were serving in the Kaisers Army, mainly on the eastern (Russian) front. A lot of fights were happening along the border with France, which obtained small territorial gains in 1914.
-        In 1919, after WWI, Alsace returned to France. This time, the German citizens living in Alsace are expelled to Germany. Nobody spoke French in Alsace at this time. French was reintroduced at school, and taught by the same German only speaking teachers that were working before 1914, but was practically not used outside.
-        In 1940, Alsace is invaded again, after the withdrawal of the French troops holding the Rhine. After the June 18th truce (OTL) or the end of the fights in France (FTL), Alsace is under German administration, headed by Gauleiter Wagner (an old friend of Hitler). All the non Alsatian persons are expelled to the rest of France. German regulations are full implemented starting January 1941, with the exception of the military obligations, which will only be mandatory later (OTL and FTL). Wagner also implemented specific regulations, some of their will be illustrated in the FTL context.]



On the first days of October, Peter Cremer was ready to go aboard S-Boot S-152, which was scheduled to make the journey from Strasbourg to Marseilles, with other boats of the same class. In his book (U-Memories, 1975), he gave a precise and sometimes ironic narration of this travel:

I was welcomed in Strasbourg, late in the afternoon, by KKpt Hans Trmmer, leader of the S-Boat flotilla which was scheduled for the Mediterranean. He asked me immediately to leave my bag on the S-152, apologizing for the reduced space available on his boat, despite the well known taste for comfort of the Dutch who designed and built these speedboats. I answered that the accommodations on the U-333 where not better, and will be a lot more cramped on the new super-dugouts that were now built. After a brief encounter with the officers of his flotilla, we went to town, who the harbourmaster invited us for dinner, before our departure the next morning. The harbourmaster, an Alsatian named Paul Kuntz, was an interesting fellow. Oberleutnant zur See in the Imperial Navy, he took part on the Battle of Jutland, serving on the Markgraf. His colourful tale of the events took the best part of the evening, the Tokay wine providing a very good mood !

We lifted anchor early in the morning, our departure saluted by the harbours brass band. Before noon, the haze disappeared, and the Vosges and Black Forest mountains were now clearly visible. Our speed was a gently 6 kilometres per hour, and our advance was only little hindered by the transit through the locks, which were separated by long sections of calm water. Coming from the other side were barges, loaded with potash, extracted near Mulhouse, and hauled by small electric locomotives from the bank. Having nothing better to do, I discussed with Trmmer on the last night dinner. He certified that Kuntz was a reliable person, and the help he granted him was very welcomed by the crews of the S-Boats. However, some details seemed a little odd for Trmmer, like this one : In his office, they are hanging several naval paintings. The first one, on the back wall, represents the Markraf, the second one, on the right wall, the cruiser Stassburg from the Imperial Navy days, but the last one, on the left wall, represents another ship with his City name, but this modern battlecruiser belongs not to the Kriegsmarine !
In the afternoon, as I discussed with our pilot, in fact a Canal overseer, I had another hint about the political mood of some Alsatians. We were passing through some nice villages, and, as I asked him if the storks whose nests were standing on the church towers were already gone, he answered me, with a loud laughter : They flow to De Gaulle, in Algeria ! I dont know if he wanted to do the same, but he understood that his words were perhaps too incriminating, as he turned crimson I restored his confidence by saying that the Gestapo was not allowed to embark on Kriegsmarine ships, and asked him to explain the apparently complicated dispositions that were used at the locks with the electric locomotives. Our decision to use small tugs seemed very wise, because hauling the submarines through the locks with the capstan would be a very time consuming process. But I understood also quickly that the increased number of boats that will have to pass the locks will delay our transit.
Two days after the incident with the storks, we crossed Mulhouse a Sunday morning, with a lot of onlookers. Then, very fast, the landscape changed: no longer a flat plain, but hills. The Canal had yet to cross a ridge. Our guide explained me that, and, for the 60 kilometers (40 miles) between Mulhouse and Montbeliard, three days could be needed, because 40 locks had to be passed, someone only separated by roughly 300 meters. My 27 submarines and about 15 tugs convoy will stretch endlessly ! Actually, somewhere, we had to pass upstream six nearly following locks, and we waited two hours at the top for the last of our eight boats. And the crossing barges, loaded with coal for the Reich, were stopped and had to wait our transit.
At Montbeliard, our pilot leaved us, since we were now on theoretically French soil, despite our occupation. I had honestly not understood all his explanations upon the complicated status of Alsace and the Alsatians, but, at least, I grasped that their own interest was the first priority, nationality coming only a lot later. Another man replaced him, a taciturn inhabitant of Franche-Comt. I exchanged only few words with him, despite my good knowledge of French. Now, since we leaved Alsace, at each stop, some crewmen mounted guard, armed with rifles. We navigated now on the Doubs River, which was channelled on the locations where the current would be too strong. I marked on my notebook all the locations where special attention would be needed, because, at the expected date of our own transit, with the melting of the snow, the river will certainly be less bucolic! As much as possible, and with the pilots approval, Trmmer accelerated, but I would not have the same opportunity, the profile of a Typ II pressure hull mounted on floats could not allow that.
We reached then Chalon sur Sane, and stopped at a large fluvial harbour. An important industrial complex was nearby, and I spent some time to take a look. To my great surprise, it was in fact a shipyard, and a submarine whose construction was stopped since at least two years lay inside, between surface ship hulls with a few men working on their. Finishing our Type IIE here rather that in Toulon could be a good idea, if the end of their journey would not be too complicated.
We continued then on the Sane River, first in a dense fog, and one of Trmmers boats drifted outside the channel and ran aground for a short period, delaying everyone. Speed has to be pushed, and it was only by dawn that we came near Lyon. To change from boats everyday fare, we decided, Trmmer and me, to have dinner at a little restaurant in the vicinity of our anchorage : the Auberge Bocuse. The owners wife, despite complaining bitterly upon the difficulties to found good supplies, served us fried Sane fishes, and a bottle of white Macon wine. Familys son, Paul, watched us attentively with a bad grin, but said nothing. Thirty years later, as I returned in now the most famed French restaurant, I told my first visit at the famous cook. He answered me: Yes, I remember me very well. But, that day, cooking was not my concern, but rather find grenades to throw on your boats!
Next morning, we crossed Lyon. Terrorist or Resistance acts (depending on which side you are) were not impossible, and, therefore, soldiers on trucks, rolling on the embankments, escorted us. They were armed with rifles and machine guns. All the bridges were closed, other soldiers mounting guard. On the boats, the machine guns were also manned.
After Lyon, the pleasure boating was at end. The Rhne River awaited us, with his currents, his swirls, and the waves caused by a strong north wind. My Type IIE hulls on floats could never navigate safely here! And if the submarines where finished at Chalon, the bridges would be too low if the water was high. The only solution was therefore to load the hulls on barges at Chalon, and finish the assembly at Toulon.
I said good bye at Trmmer near Marseilles, and took the train for Paris. All the stuff I had discovered during this travel had now to be discussed with Admiral Doenitz, at the submarine HQs, Boulevard Suchet.