CHAPTER 290: CHAPTER 290: THE FATE OF THE SUBMARINE

"Emergency surfacing!" Colonel Hering shouted, his voice trembling with fear: "Immediately!"

Europeans, including the Germans, choose to save their own lives and those of their soldiers when they know the battle’s result cannot be changed.

Colonel Hering was no exception—he chose to surrender.

Unfortunately, a submarine can’t raise a white flag underwater, and Colonel Hering didn’t even know what was attacking the submarine.

If he could raise a white flag, the destroyers on the surface would stop their attack immediately upon seeing it.

If Colonel Hering knew he was being attacked by depth charges and understood their method of attack, he should have ordered the submarine to stop immediately or change course, causing the destroyers to misjudge its position and drop the bombs elsewhere.

But war knows no "ifs."

Under Colonel Hering’s orders, the U-21 submarine surfaced at full speed, trying to emerge more quickly by moving forward while ascending.

However, three destroyers were already above them, sailing in a line at 9.5 knots per hour while continuously dropping bombs ten meters deep into the sea from their sterns.

(Note: The maximum underwater speed of a U-19 submarine is 9.5 knots)

The outcome was inevitable.

Just as Colonel Hering ordered the communications officer to destroy the telegraph cipher machine and classified maps and documents in preparation for surrender...

"Boom Boom"

The submarine violently shook, and seawater flooded in amid the crew’s screams and wails.

Colonel Hering sighed deeply, feeling that everything was over; they wouldn’t even have the chance to surrender!

...

The sun leaped over the horizon, turning the world from darkness to brightness in just a few minutes.

The battleship "Gaul" continued to bombard the enemy on V Beach, but almost everyone’s eyes, including those of Captain Mayer, were fixed on the three destroyers operating on the sea.

They were throwing "barrels of explosives" into the water, soon creating towering columns of water that fell back down, mixed with the bright white bellies of dead fish.

"What are they doing?" The deputy captain’s voice was filled with derision: "Do they think they can hit a submarine like this? This method seems more suited to fishing; we’ll have a bonus meal tonight!"

Laughter rippled through the crew, sharing the deputy captain’s view that this method of dealing with submarines was too primitive—throwing barrels of explosives to destroy a submarine?

But Captain Mayer’s expression turned serious, watching the sailors use the barrels with binoculars, as if he understood the logic behind them:

The destroyers were following the submarine’s possible escape route, dropping bombs set to explode at a certain depth under the water. Though primitive, it was simple, cheap, and likely effective.

"Charles!" Colonel Mayer put down his binoculars and asked the deputy captain, still keeping his eyes on the destroyers: "If that was Shire’s invention, would you still think it was meant for fishing?"

The deputy captain said nothing, knowing Shire’s inventive genius was widely recognized.

Yet a disdainful smirk remained on his lips.

In the deputy captain’s mind, Shire didn’t understand naval warfare. Naval equipment represented a country’s most advanced technology and strongest industrial capability, entirely different from the army casually inventing a grenade.

Now, Shire attempted to invent a "grenade" for the navy, and reality would surely give him a hard slap...

Suddenly, someone shouted excitedly: "Look, what’s that?"

Someone answered: "It’s oil, submarine fuel! My God, they’ve sunk the submarine!"

Cheering erupted instantly.

The deputy captain frowned, still thinking, a bit of oil didn’t mean the submarine had been sunk!

But soon some debris floated to the surface—books, boxes, backpacks, all sorts of things, and finally, a few bodies.

The cheering grew louder, even the gunfire stopped, as everyone waved towards the destroyers in salute:

"Well done, you did it!"

"You gave the Germans a lesson!"

"Great job, you sorted out a big problem!"

...

Indeed it was a big problem, even having strategic significance:

The Allies’ battleships had dared not provide firepower support for the landing troops due to the presence of this submarine, one reason for the repeated failures of the landing forces.

...

Tijani felt like a happy child, excitedly hugged Shire and kissed him on the cheek, shouting: "We did it! You’re amazing, Colonel! Unbelievable! You’re invincible, you can do anything!"

Shire wiped his face in disgust, considering whether he should keep his distance from Tijani in the future.

"What should we do next?" Tijani panted, eyes still sparkling with excitement, seemingly eager to charge ashore and continue the conquest.

"What else can we do?" Shire replied calmly: "Today’s mission is complete, return."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Tijani’s eyes, but he nodded and relayed the order.

...

Vice Admiral Robek was in the "Queen Elizabeth" dining room, having breakfast with the ship’s captain, Colonel Forbes.

The breakfast was modest: steak, wine, caviar, and some fruit.

Yet, for troops fighting on the front lines, it was luxurious; soldiers had to ration even their fresh water and bread.

"Do you think Shire can successfully land at V Beach?" Colonel Forbes skillfully cut his steak and asked.

"I’m not sure." Vice Admiral Robek shook his head: "It’s complicated. Sometimes I hope he succeeds, sometimes I hope he doesn’t."

Colonel Forbes nodded, understanding Vice Admiral Robek’s dilemma:

If Shire lands successfully, it means the French Army is stronger than Britain.

If Shire fails, it means the landing operation remains in trouble and could suffer significant losses under the Ottomans’ counterattack.

After a moment’s thought, Colonel Forbes suggested: "If we have the ’Queen Elizabeth’ provide firepower support for the landing troops, I think we might succeed..."

"No." Vice Admiral Robek interrupted Colonel Forbes firmly: "German submarines are active, Forbes. With the submarine threat, the ’Queen Elizabeth’ must not be deployed."

Then Vice Admiral Robek added: "The ’Queen Elizabeth’ is the spiritual pillar for everyone; she is the symbol of the Royal Navy, representing Britain. She cannot be put in any danger!"

"Yes, General!" Colonel Forbes responded.

Vice Admiral Robek had emphasized many times that if the ’Queen Elizabeth’ was sunk, it would severely damage the morale of Allied forces, and even disgrace Britain.

Just then, O’Connell rushed into the dining room, exuberantly shouting: "General, he’s done it, he’s succeeded!"

"What?" Vice Admiral Robek looked at O’Connell in confusion.

It had been just over an hour since the "Gauls" started firing, and they had already successfully landed?