To submerge head on to this sea will be from all experience sheer madness....
But what am I to do?
The destroyer may have seen us already....
Down we must go, and as quickly as possible.
Below me, in the control-room, the crew are working in speechless haste. The emergency air valves are opened, the compressed air hisses out of the tanks—the submersion valves sing in all their scales....
I stand with compressed lips, looking through the tower window over the tossing sea around me, waiting for the first sign of sinking....
But still I can see our deck, still the waves toss us up high into the air.... We have no more time to lose.
I order more play to diving rudders, and give the command, "Both engines full speed ahead!"
The whole boat trembles and sways under the increased engine power, and gives a couple of springs; she staggers and reels. Is she never going to sink?... Then with a jerk she dips suddenly under by the bow and disappears rapidly at an ever-increasing angle beneath the waves.
The daylight which is just dawning in at the conning-tower window disappears, the depth gauge shows in rapid succession one—one and a half—three—five fathoms.... But still the angle of the boat increases.