RUNNING THE BLOCKADE
Night had set in as we approached the danger zone. In front of us
sparkled the steady fire from Cape Henry, while astern Cape Charles
threw out her lights at short intervals through the darkness. With these
as our bearings we went on calmly to face the decision.
Suddenly two searchlights flashed out over the water to starboard. The
accursed rays passed quick as lightning over the dark waves. I counted
several seconds mechanically, then the full glare of the searchlight
struck us in the eye....
It was already too late to submerge, and the treacherous light held fast
on to the "Deutschland."
A rapid glance passed between the two of us in the tower, our features
showed up distinctly in the beautiful free illumination....
Then we saw that the rays of the searchlight, after they had made sure
of us, rose twice high in the sky and suddenly disappeared. As our eyes
grew accustomed to the darkness again, we discovered two black vessels
to starboard which looked like fishing trawlers.
"The cursed gang!" murmured Krapohl, at my side; "now they have betrayed
us!"
And he was right, unfortunately.
For over yonder on the coast a gigantic searchlight flashed high in the
sky, obviously as a signal to the English cruisers waiting outside.
"Now was the moment," I thought.
"Make ready to submerge," my orders rang out.
"Ten fathoms down!"--at the same time we took a course to the south.
Half an hour later we rose to the surface again, as I wanted to take my
bearings once more. Hardly had I taken a glance round, however, than we
were obliged to avoid immediate danger by submerging again. For close
by, barely 200 yards off, an American armoured cruiser was bearing down
on us.
She also had seen the remarkable flash signals, and was coming along
to watch over the proceedings in the vicinity of American territorial
waters. Although, according to the newspapers, the armoured cruiser was
supposed to have been ordered into Chesapeake Bay for manoeuvres, I am
of opinion that the American Government had ordered the ship to go out
to the three-mile boundary line, in order to watch events in connection
with our escape. I am also personally strongly convinced that the
excellent tone in the officers' mess and among the crews of the American
marine would not have allowed the men of the armoured cruiser, in
the event of any violation of the territorial water zone, to restrict
themselves merely to observation, but that they would have taken an
energetic part in the proceedings.
That such a violation was not by any means beyond the realms of
possibility, and that it was probably only prevented on that memorable
night by the sudden appearance of the American armoured cruiser,
is borne out by the following circumstance. Several days before our
departure an English cruiser had passed Cape Henry under cover of
mist and darkness and searched the whole of Chesapeake Bay in the most
shameless manner, after which, without making her identity known, she
disappeared again.
In the meantime we had quickly forced our boat heavily down by the head
into the deeps, and did not rise to the surface again till the noise of
the American's propeller had died away in the distance.
We knew that the most dangerous moment of our whole voyage was near at
hand. We took a careful view of the situation once more, and made all
the necessary preparations for our "Deutschland."
Then we submerged again and went on, all our faculties strained to the
uttermost, our nerves filled to overflowing with that cold excitement
which inwardly, so to speak, causes one's hair to stand on end, while
outwardly one is quite calm, gripped in that icily clear deliberation
which only comes to those who are fully conscious that they are face to
face with an unknown danger....
We knew our way. It had been already brought to our knowledge that
fishermen had been bribed to lay nets in stated positions outside the
three-mile boundary line--nets in which we were to be caught fast, in
which, moreover, devilish mines had been interwoven.... Or perhaps
the nets might be merely attached to buoys, which we should drag along
behind us, and thus betray our position....
We were prepared for all contingencies, and had made everything ready to
free ourselves from the nets if the worst should happen. But the worst
did not happen.
It was a dark night. The lights from the two capes shone calmly, with
friendly eyes on land, while a few miles farther out death lurked in
every conceivable form.
But while the English ships travelled backwards and forwards,
lighting up the waters with their searchlights and seeking us in every
conceivable spot, they little knew that at times, close on their
heels, a periscope proceeded on its leisurely way, and underneath this
periscope--the "U Deutschland."
At 12 p.m. that night, after hours of indescribable tension, the command
rang out: "Rise to the surface!"
We were through.
Slowly the "Deutschland" rose through the water, the tanks were blown
out and the oil engines started.
At full speed we rushed on out into the open freedom of the Atlantic,
while behind us in the north-west, the English, with whole bundles of
searchlights, sought the waters in vain.
They must have grown somewhat irritable towards the end!