was recognized as a hostile
destroyer by Captain Koenig. He tells us that he "Made one jump into
the turret and slammed the cover fast."

"Alarm! Dive quickly! Flood!"

"Set diving rudder!"

"Twenty meters' depth!"

The commands were uttered in almost one breath. But the execution
of them!

To attempt to dive with such a sea running was sheer madness, as
experience has taught us. What was I to do? The destroyer might
have seen us already!

Well, we knew we must get under--and as quickly as possible.

The men in the central below me were working away in silent
haste. All the exhausts were opened wide, the compressed air
hissed from the tanks--the diving vents were chanting in all
possible keys.

I stood with my lips pressed together and stared out of the
turret window upon the tossing sea, and watched for the first
sign of our going down. But our deck remained still visible and
we were continually lifted into the air by some wave. There was
not a moment to be lost.

I ordered the diving rudder to be set still more sharply and both
engines to drive ahead with full power.

The whole vessel quivered and thrilled under the increased
pressure of the engines and made several leaps. She staggered
about in the furious seas--but still seemed loath to leave the
surface. Then she gave a jerk and her bows suddenly dipped and
cut into the flood. She began to sink into the depths at an
ever-increasing angle. The coming daylight vanished from the
windows of the turret, the manometer in rapid succession showed
2--3--6--10 meters' depth. But the angle of the boat also began
to increase.

We staggered about, leaned back, slipped off our feet. We then
lost our footing entirely--for the floor of the _Deutschland_
slanted sharply toward the front. I was just able to catch hold
of the ocular or eye-piece of the periscope. Down in the central
the men were hanging on to the hand-wheels of the diving rudder.
A few terrible seconds passed thus.

We had not yet seized the full significance of this new situation
when there came a severe shock. We were hurled to the floor and
everything that was not fastened down went flying in all
directions.

We found ourselves in the queerest attitudes--and stared into one
another's faces. The