Chapter 25: The True Nature of a Hunter

  "Torpedo number one, torpedo number two, fire!"

  After giving this order, Heisen slammed the periscope handle shut. "Retract the periscope, one-third slow ahead, dive to 25 meters!"

  Hessen's actions over the past few minutes had indeed confirmed Zhang Hainuo's speculation, and the small cargo ship was just his bait. The British destroyer in the port was his real target! At this time, the British destroyer that came rushing from the port with a menacing attitude and prepared to "catch the murderer" did not expect that this German submarine would be waiting for them between the ship and the port!

  What a "madman of the sea", no matter how great the final harvest of this battle will be, Zhang Haino must admire his extraordinary courage and meticulous thinking. In an era where there was no wolf pack tactics, Hersen was like a cunning and ferocious lone wolf, those British naval commanders who always regarded themselves as gentlemen, were rigid in their ways and disdained to study new and unusual tactics, would not be his match!

  One minute and ten seconds later, two consecutive explosions came from the water's surface, sounding as if someone was pounding a big drum on your head with great force: Boom...Boom!

  "Engine shutdown!"

  The crew applauded again, but Hessen remained as impassive as ever. After the electric motor was shut down, the entire submarine was as silent as a sleeping fish, and the crew listened quietly to the sounds from the surface - scattered explosions, faint engine noises, and various other noises.

  Compared with the quietness under the water, Zhang Hainuo thought that the surface of the sea must be very lively now.

  Less than 10 nautical miles from the Grand Harbour, a British destroyer was rapidly sinking into the water. The lucky British sailors who had narrowly escaped the massive explosion now faced the icy sea's invasion. In front of them, less than 5,000 yards away, the previously hit British freighter had already disappeared without a trace, and its few survivors were also struggling to survive...

  To avoid the sinking friendly ship, a British destroyer and several accompanying gunboats had to make an emergency turn, but the dangerous anti-submarine nets and minefields on both sides of the channel forced them to make a second sharp turn in a short time. On the bridge of this destroyer, the neatly dressed commander looked exceptionally angry.

  "For Pete's sake, didn't any of you dimwits see which direction that torpedo came from?"

  "Midshipman, no one saw the torpedo's trail on the surface! You see, it's really too dark here, every sailor is keeping his eyes peeled!" a junior officer excused.

  "Maybe they hit a mine? Look, the Pesley exploded at the bow, would a German submarine launch a torpedo from the front? I heard that Germany recently built some submarines that can lay mines underwater, could it be..." Another officer was also helping to analyze on the side.

  "No, impossible! There must be a submarine around here somewhere, that damned German submarine!" The British naval commander in his forties struck his classic deep-thinking pose and thought for a moment.

  "Pass the word, turn on the searchlights on the ship, and keep a sharp lookout for any signs of trouble on the water, especially between 500 to 1500 yards off the port bow! Everyone get down and take cover, those damned Germans may be watching us through their periscopes, waiting for us to come in and rescue survivors so they can sink us just like they did at Dover Strait in 1914! Continue full speed ahead, let the gunboat go in and pick up survivors!"

  Only a minute later, the searchlights on this destroyer opened up, and powerful beams of light swept back and forth across the nearby sea surface, illuminating not only the destroyer with its stern raised high in the air and its propellers spinning wildly three or four meters above the water's surface but also the crewmen who were still desperately trying to swim for their lives.

  The scene there was like a pot of boiling dumplings, but no one thought it was ridiculous.

  As they passed near the survivors, the British naval officers and men, known for their gentlemanly conduct, could only hastily throw out some life rings and rubber boats. Once they lost speed, this destroyer had almost zero defense against torpedoes. Fortunately, the few gunboats following behind like hunting dogs were small in size and draft, and the Germans would not consider them prey - it was difficult to win a gun battle, and using torpedoes was both wasteful and hard to hit the target.

  They opened their searchlights and approached to rescue the people who had fallen into the water.

  Taking advantage of the spare time, the torpedo men on U-21 loaded spare torpedoes into tubes 1 and 2, which had just fired. Hessen seemed very patient, he had Oster bring over two cups of coffee, one for himself and one for Zhang Hainuo.

  "Captain, how many do you plan to take down tonight?" By this time, Zhang Haino had a general understanding of Hersen's combat thinking for today. Now the only thing he wanted to know was how many more British warships it would take to satisfy the appetite of this German ace submarine.

  "Herr Leutnant von Fenkenstein, you seem to dislike being addressed by your name?" Herr Hessen sipped his coffee, the remark seemed completely off-topic.

  "Oh?" The coffee was a bit hot, and Zhang Hainuo just held the cup in his hand.

  "My full name is Roderick von Hessen, and like you, I also come from a Prussian noble family. My ancestors were all military men, my grandfather died in the Franco-Prussian War, and my father died in a car accident when I was ten years old. It was my mother who raised me and my younger siblings! Although we are nobles, our family is not wealthy, and by the time I grew up, our family's savings had almost been depleted!"

  At this time, a dull thud came from the sea surface, but Hesen was not moved at all, and continued to tell Zhang Hai about his life in the command cabin.

  "Afterwards, I joined the Navy and served on the light cruiser Hanson at first, then transferred to the submarine corps in 1913. Two years ago my brother joined the Army, but last year he was killed in action during an attack on Verdun; I have two sisters, one already grown up and the other only 15! Such a life is not perfect, but I am quite satisfied with it, my mother is healthy, my elder sister will get married after the war ends, and my younger sister goes to school every day! If I were to die in battle someday, the country would also give my family a generous pension!"

  These originally heavy topics sounded casual when spoken by He Sen, perhaps it was this attitude that allowed him to let go and become an excellent submarine commander, a "sea madman" in the eyes of others, a super ace!

  Although the surface of the sea has been transmitting a drum-like sound every now and then since just now, it's a bit like the scene where deep-water bombs attack submarines in movies, but Hesen seems to have not heard it at all, and other crew members are also calm and composed.

  "Ensign Hino, if I may, I'd like to call you Hino. It would make me feel more at home, just as I do with the others on this boat!"

  "Of course!" Zhang Hainuo said without hesitation, "Captain Roderick von He?, if I may, please allow me to address you as Captain Roderick!"

  "Call me Roderick, no need to be so formal on the submarine!" Hessen said sincerely. "Actually, I have a great appreciation for you as a person, you're straightforward, have a strong sense of responsibility, and are easy-going, but I've always felt that there's something holding you back. This reserve makes you unwilling to open up to others! I'm not talking about conversation, but opening up, you seem unwilling to engage in deeper communication with others! Of course, this is just my personal opinion, maybe a week of interaction isn't enough to say anything conclusive! I hope you won't mind me saying these things, because as a submarine commander, I have to be responsible for every single crew member, including you! I certainly don't want anyone on U-21 to go into battle with emotional baggage!"

  Psychological burden...

  Zhang Hainuo was stunned, having been in this era for more than half a year. He had never realized that he had psychological baggage, but when Hersen mentioned it just now, he suddenly discovered that his interactions with others were always brief and to the point. Even with Edwin and Anna, he had never revealed his true thoughts. This seemed to be a necessary condition to protect that secret, but over time, it would make a person become introverted, even subject to an inescapable psychological constraint.

  Zhang Hainuo now feels that this is indeed a psychological problem that needs to be taken seriously. If he wants to truly trust others and gain their true trust, he needs to interact with them wholeheartedly, rather than hiding himself in the dark to observe the people around him.

  "You're right, Roderick!" Zhang Hainuo finally didn't add any other titles after this name, which made him feel a sense of closeness, just like talking to Edwin.

  "There are indeed some knots in my heart that can't be untied, which affects my mentality when interacting with everyone! I'm very sorry about this, but please forgive me for not being able to speak these things out!" By the time he said this, Zhang Hainuo had already seen understanding in Hersen's eyes, so he didn't continue saying those apologetic and explanatory words.

  "U21 was the first submarine I served on, maybe later I will serve on a new submarine and make new friends, but I will always remember every day here, remember every face here, and you, Roderick, thank you! I think you are not only an excellent submarine commander, but also a good person! You are all good people!"

  Hesen smiled, this was the second time Zhang Hainuo saw him smile, in his impression, such a very faint smile had become Hesen's trademark.

  "Alright, now it's time for us to go up and greet those British people, they were really noisy just now! Does everyone agree?"

  "Aye!" The sailors replied in unison, their voices not loud but full of confidence.

  "Today our goal..." Hesen walked up to Zhang Hainuo, winking his left eye at him, "is to use up all the torpedoes if possible!"

  Recommend two good books:

  Honor and Loyalty Great "Strong Han", book number 188417.

  Honorable production, accompany you and me!

  In this era, the soldiers' struggle has given a country unprecedented dignity!

  Endless passion and honor have forged an ethnic group's confidence that stands tall for thousands of years!

  The national name of this world's superpower has become a nation's eternal name...

  Go China!

  ……

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  If you are a Great Han nationalist, then this book is a must-read for you!

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  ……

  Since our great ancestors, the Great Han has been repeatedly threatened and bullied by the Xiongnu iron cavalry. Now is the time for revenge!

  Behold the great Han military flag pointing towards the Huns' royal court, the Han army's iron cavalry heavily attacks the Parthian Empire, creating a prosperous era for Great Han, and marching west to conquer Rome!

  Nanhai Fourteen Lang's "Usurper", book number 1003399, "The Mountains and Rivers are so Many Heroes" has been completed, the update speed is impressive!

  He was the most lethal guard in Zhongnanhai, calm and intelligent, ruthless and cold-blooded. Because he accidentally killed Putin's bodyguard, he was locked up for 15 days. But on the 10th day, he was mysteriously sent to a turbulent otherworld... At that time, the otherworld was full of wind and clouds, with undercurrents surging, heroes vying for power, and conflicts erupting at every touch. In such a chaotic world, would one be oppressed or stand above all?