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                      THE ADVENTURES OF THE U-202

                          AN ACTUAL NARRATIVE

                                  BY
                             BARON SPIEGEL
                        VON UND ZU PECKELSHEIM
             (CAPTAIN-LIEUTENANT, COMMANDER OF THE U-202)


                               NEW YORK
                            THE CENTURY CO.
                                 1917


                          Copyright, 1917, by
                            THE CENTURY CO.

                          Copyright, 1917, by
                         JOHN N. WHEELER, INC.

                      _Published, February, 1917
                  by arrangement with New York World_




PREFACE


I was sitting on the conning tower smoking a cigarette. Then the splash
of a wave soaked it. I tried to draw another puff. It tasted loathsome
and frizzled. Then I became angry and threw it away.

I can see my reader's surprised expression. You had expected to read a
serious U-boat story and now such a ridiculous beginning! But I know
what I am doing. If I had once thrown myself into the complicated U-boat
system and used a bunch of technical terms, this story would be shorter
and more quickly read through, but you would not have understood half of
it.

Seriousness will come, bitter and pitiable seriousness. In fact,
everything is serious which is connected with the life on board a
submarine and none of it is funny; although in fact it is the hundred
small inconveniences and peculiar conditions on a U-boat which make life
on it remarkably characteristic. And in order to bring to the public a
closer knowledge concerning the peculiar life on board a U-boat I am
writing this story. Good--therefore my log-book! Yes, why should I not
make use of it? To this I also wish to add that I not only used my own
log-book but also at many places had use of other U-boats' logs in order
to present one or another episode which is worth the while relating.
Thus, for example, the story of the many fishing-smacks, which are
spoken of in the chapter called "Rich Spoils," is borrowed, but the
happenings in the witch kettle, the adventure with the English bulldog,
and also most of the other chapters are my own feathers with which I
have adorned this little story. This is the only liberal right of an
author which I permit myself. The style of the story from a log-book is
simple and convenient, and one buys so willingly such stories. See there
two valid reasons for making use of it.

                                                            THE AUTHOR.




CONTENTS


   CHAPTER                                PAGE

     I OUR FIRST SUCCESS                    3

    II AN EVENTFUL NIGHT                   21

   III THE SINKING OF THE TRANSPORT        46

    IV RICH SPOILS                         68

     V THE WITCH-KETTLE                    91

    VI A DAY OF TERROR                    115

   VII A LIVELY CHASE                     140

  VIII THE BRITISH BULL-DOG               163

    IX HOMEWARD BOUND!                    189




THE ADVENTURES OF THE U-202




THE ADVENTURES OF THE U-202

I

OUR FIRST SUCCESS

     _At the hunting grounds North Sea, April 12, 19--. Course:
     northwest. Wind: southwest, strength 3-4. Sea: strength 3.
     View: good. Both machines in high speed._


We were very comfortable in the conning tower because the weather was
fine and the sun burned with its heat our field-gray skin jackets.

"Soon we will have summer," I said to the officer on guard, Lieutenant
Petersen, who was sitting with me on the conning tower's platform. I
felt entirely too hot in my thick underwear.

Petersen, who, like me, was sitting with his legs dangling in the open
hatch on whose edge we had placed ourselves, put his hand on the deck
and loosened the thick, camel's wool scarf, twice wrapped around his
neck, as if suddenly he realized it was too hot for him, too.

"I think I'll soon discharge this one from service," said Petersen, and
pulled at the faithful winter friend as if he wished to strip it off.

"Don't be too hasty, my dear lieutenant," I replied laughing. "Just wait
until to-night, and then I am sure that you will repent and take your
faithful friend back into the service."

"Are we going to keep above the water to-night, Herr Captain-Lieutenant,
or are we to submerge?" he asked me.

"It depends on what comes up," I answered. "It rests as usual with the
weather."

Thus we were talking and smoking on the conning tower while our eyes
scanned the horizon and kept a sharp lookout all around us