t hand, and began a series of artistic curvings
and twistings to weave his way through the narrow lanes. And he was as
calm and confident as if he had done nothing all his life except steer
U-boats through mine fields. I could leave him in charge of it.

After ten minutes we had passed the mine field. We estimated we had
sifted through about eight hundred mines.

At high speed we then steered toward the second batch of mines.

Then came a series of reverses which made this the most eventful day so
far experienced by any U-boat crew in the war.

It was ten forty-two by the clock.

Beyond the second mine field an English destroyer was patrolling. We had
to dive quickly and go through the mines under the water, a detested and
very dangerous proceeding!

The destroyer had not seen us. The sea became more violent; the
barometer fell rapidly; the heaven was filled with black rain clouds.
The clearness of the atmosphere disappeared, and the ocean was restless
and covered with white foam. The sea washed over the periscope again
and again with white-combed, rushing mountains of water, so that for
several long seconds I could see nothing. Suddenly we were in the midst
of the mines. I could make out those that were close by, because the
water had risen so that only the tops of the black balls, which here and
there bobbed up for a second, could be seen.

To turn away from the mines at the right moment was almost impossible.
We were running straight for a mine--the next second it was on top of us
and passed only a few meters from the periscope. At the same time, on
the other side, three mines clustered together in a group were floating
past us. It was a hellish journey, and the destroyer was all the time
waiting for us on the other side of the mine field, and compelled us to
continue below the surface. He had no consideration for our
difficulties.

Oh, how he would enjoy it if we suddenly went up in the air, surrounded
by a cloud of smoke and fire! Good God! Now we are about to give him
this joy. I had already shut my eyes and thought we were doomed--because
one of the mines had just struck hard with a metallic clang against the
periscope, a sound which I will never forget until I am in a better
world! But the mine, which I saw just before the wave washed over the
periscope, had been carried away behind us and had better sense than to
blow us up; it only twisted on its axis and didn't do us any harm. Maybe
it was old and da