Somewere in the Ionian Sea

[maddox]

12 september 1914, dogwatch, somewere in the Ionian sea, joint Italian/French training operation "Le Grand Bleu/La grande blu.


Mon Capitain, what moron figured out that we could carry 10 tons of large seamines on this small boats deck?

That is of no concern to you ensign, your concern is to get those 10 laid down in the pattern given to us by the admirality. And don't take to long. Because you're right, this boat can't take 10 tons extra, unless we leave 10 tons of something on the quay. in our case, as you know, the 4 torpedo's , half the range in the fuel tanks, and all the food and the fresh water tank is empty too. So, if we don't return today, we'll all go very thirsty and hungry.

Still Mon Capitain, I believe this training and test is rather useless. Why not using a larger, faster ship for this?

Do you know larger, faster ships that can hide as well as our boat? Ensign, it is your job to obey orders, not to question them, and even if I encourage independend and original thinking in the crew, I think it's time you start to execute your orders, not to complain. It won't be reflected well in your evaluation.

Aye-aye capitain.

Near dawn.

Release mineanchor, roll out cable. Splash.

At last Capitain, that was it. The last of these heavy suckers is off board, and except for the dent in the port divetank by that stupid mine, the sailors did well. I'll reflect that in the report.

Ensign, think what would have happened if that mine was loaded with explosives and not concrete like this one?

Gulp, I guess the report will reflect that too then, capitain.

The report will mention that this way is not the best way we can use. Nearly useless even, not enough mines, to slow to lay them, 10 minutes each at least. Surfacing, trimming, getting the right spot, crew outside, dump the mine and then the whole thing reversed. No, it's a desperate way to do this, and that will be my report.
But now it will get interesting, a few Italian warships are now searching for us, and they have a clue were we must be, so, all below deck, we'll get 2 hours divetime and 10 miles distance. And ensign, don't sound the dive alarm, we have time, get the men below deck, count them, and when ready, before sunrise please, close the hatch and give the order to dive. I'll be at my plank.

Aye-aye capitain.

5 minutes later

Seaman Gerard, what took you so long?

Sorry sir, I was checking that dent near the vent of the port divetank.

Good excuse, but next time, hide the sigarette better *Wink*, what is the state of the vent?
It looks functional to me sir.

Clank- grack, thunk.
Hatch secure, overpressure test?

Ok sir.

Dive, depth 12 meters, set course 135°, speed 5 kts.

30 minutes later.

Screeeach, fuzes blowing, a shudder trough the boat, darkness. A few sparks from a circuit still having power.
STATUS report, and get some light going!

Capitain, the electrical motor just seized, and took half of the breakers with it. We don't know yet why.
(a lightbulb is replaced)

We'll know soon enough.Blow divetanks.

Hissing of air, depth gauge shudders and slowely the depth increases.
Merde, why ain't we surfacing?   
(And depth increases)

How deep is it here?

Capitain, charts shows 70 meters.

Parbleu, that's on the edge.

Slowely the boat settles on the bottom.

[maddox]

2 hours later

Mon capitain, we tried everything to blow the balast tanks, nothing helps. We expended all the compressed air except tank 6, what should be enough to equalise the pressure in the torpedo room. Then we can open the torpedo loading hatch, and try to get to the surface from there.

Ensign, that plan will be the last thing we would try, as that isn't only deadly, but utterly painfull too. The Dutch Docteur Haldane has done extensive studies on that.You slept during the class when the Haldane tables were discussed? Do you want to be floating on the surface, under the summer sun twisted in cramps, even breaking bones before you die?

No capitaine, but its the only way to get out of here if we can't surface.

We'll consider that as a last hope, but I myself won't be in that torpedo room when somebody opens the hatches. Ironicaly, a capitain stays with his ship, or in this case, boat.
But what do we know, why can't we surface? What caused the motor to seize?

The seized motor can have only 2 main reasons.  Externaly, something that wrapped around the propeller. And internaly, the bearings we can access are all in good shape, so the only part left, and something we can't open under water, is the stuffing box. But I never heared about a stuffing box seize, only about badly adjusted ones damaging the shaft.

Then we probably catched a floating wire or fishermans net.
And any conclusions about the surfacing issue?

It seems that the dive tanks are still open on the top, so all the air we pump in them is vented to the sea, but why that is, no idea.

The dent?

Seaman Gerard looked at that before diving, and he declared it looked functional. But it is a possibility that it leaks heavy or can't close completely after reopening to vent the tank. But, should the starboard tank be able to carry us up?

Not really, on the starboard tanks alone, we could at best achive neutral buyancy. And then we would have a heavy list, we settled down on even keel.

The tanks are cross connected to avoid that list. Merde, we didn't close that connection when we noticed the problem.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Scott_Haldane

[The Rock Doctor]

Gran Colombia was contemplating construction of a submarine rescue vessel.  This might make up their minds for them, if it becomes public.

Good stuff, Maddox.

[maddox]

The crew is breathing shallow.
Using any surface flat and not metallic enough to rest in reasonable comfort, in the hope to conserve oxygene.
Asperines ,taken with whatever drinkable liquid on board ,to combat the CO2 induced headache.
Condencation drips from all surfaces in slow,flat oily drops

The captain scribbling a last report before the last chance procedure of pressurising the torpedo room and escaping the tomb French Submarine X IV is becoming.

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Men, I'm not going to waste words on this. The air won't support us for more than a few hours. And the last one will be a slow suffocation untill you lose consciousness. Ensign Marpé has a plan to escape, but I do not recommend it. But for those who want to try that last hope I will not stand in the way. It's time to act, before all air is used. Ensign , here are the last reports ,take them with you. And rig a cable to something boyant, so the boat can be found easely.

Yes Mon Capitain.
Volunteers for the excape , join me in the Torpedo room

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11 of 20 men on board join Jean Maplé in the narrow torpedoroom

Opening airtank 6 slowely, the first thing that happens is that the 12 men breath a lot easier, some taking deep breaths others just feeling the relief of the headache.
Men start to swallow to keep the pressure in the ears steady, eardrums popping.

at 2.5 bar overpressure, creaking noises are heared, the hull settling. In the command room, a joint in a pipe against the torpedo bulkhead cracks, oil drips from it.
5 bar, the noises are becoming more prononced. The bulkhead is visualy bulging. Never meant to take more than this pressure.

6 bar, the people in the torpedo room are trying to open the torpedo loading hatch, others clutching their eyes in agony.

6.2 bar, the bulkhead bursts, the 2m² surface was keeping a force of  124 tons, and that expands in 1 blow in the command room.  Pieces of steel, brass and people intermingle, and the hull, already strained by depth, collapses violently, a big airbubble rises to the surface

[maddox]

Januari 18th 1915

Even with a war going on, people need to eat, and Tony's fishing boat slowely putters south. As the richest man in the village of Isola Di Capo, he can afford the small petrol engine and the fuel for it.

Suddenly the boat heels over, and even if the engine happely turns the propeller, no headway is made. The net is catched on something.
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Shit, why now? It was almost time to haul it up.  I hope I can get the net back.

Heave, HEAVE. 
Muttering to himself . "No avail, it's firmely stuck. Oh well, I should have listened to mama, and taken Guiseppe with me today. There is isn't anything he can't lift, that Hercules. But alas, now he's reparing the gardenwall.  I'll add a buoy to the net, and we"ll return tomorrow.  Who knows, it's a treasure chest." :)

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Next day, noon
Come on Guiseppe, don't fail la Familia. We need that net back. (veins stand out on the bull sized Guiseppe, and not all of that bulk is fat)
Ok Uncle Tony,  But with using the block and tackle even I can pull more, so, lets rig that up. But then it's the question, will the net rip, or will we capsize.
We'll try , and if the risk of capsizing is to great, we'll stop . But I want to know what's down there.

The block creacks, the rope of the net is straining- TWANG-, the block barely misses Tony's face,  Crack, the mast stops the projectile. A foul smelling bubble erupts from the sea, and the rope of the net wiggles free in the water. 

Jointly uncle and nephew pull in the net.  "A strange catch Uncle Tony, you have caught a steel door fish."
150 kg of thick steel hatch is pulled in jointly, with great effort.

They look at each other and " That lost French submarine Giovani told us about, the secret that wasn't to be told. "

Uncle , we must report this to the authorities. We'll get a reward for sure.
Guiseppe, you're a friendly guy, law abiding and all, but you never will be rich.  Why wouldn't we get rich of the French secrets, before reporting this find. I believe a lot of people will be interested in certain aspects of that boat.
But uncle, it's 70m deep here, I can dive for a sponge that deep, but I don't like it, and it won't help me any to get something out of the wreck.
That is why we need a diving suit. And somebody to use it. I'm to old for such things, and I doubt we'll find a suit your size. But first, the suit. And Giovani knows about such things, he's was in the navy after all.

Yes, untill he got kicked out.  And not because he insulted the commanders wife as he told everybody.

No nephew, he got kicked out because he was selling stuff that wasn't his. But don't tell him you know.

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Again, next day.

Hello Giovani. we need your advice, and we have money that you can earn.

Sounds like a fair trade Don Tony, what do you want to know, then I can see what it will cost.

I need a diving suit and the stuff that goes with it, and somebody that can use it.

Hmm, expensive issues. I myself won't enter such a suit, I start itching all over just touching it, that's why I kept away from those suites, and the snotty specialists that used them.
But Nico is the adventerous sort, so we can ask him. But he'll need some payment.

What would it cost? It's not that we'll need it longer than a week or 2.

Oh, I know you can afford a lot, so what about 6 months wage for a foreman to rent the suit from me, and get me and Nico to help you with what you're planning. A year if I'm not wanted.

That's expensive, and I could only afford 3 months, unless we hit jackpot with the endeavor I have in mind, then we can split up the profit, but for that, you'll have to let go of the payment of course.

Hmm, you'll need to tell me more then.

It's simple, you told us that you were on a search for a lost French submarine boat,  but never found it, just before your trial.  I have found it. Of course, I won't tell  you were it is unless it's sure we can get money from such a discovery.

Tony, my man, just getting those torpedo's up would mean we have  3 or 4 yearwages per man. And if we're lucky, we can find the ships codebooks. About any country not kissing French ass would  give the right nut of its second in command for those.

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February 15th, the sea still a bit choppy from a winter storm that passed over.

Nico, you know what to do.  We're going to lower you down ,and there you will see a ship, a submarine. In that wreck some things are of interest. The main thing would be a small safe, should be in the commanders bunk or nearby the telegraph set. When you find that , secure it with a rope, and get back up, getting back up means go back outside, letting go of that buoy that is strapped to your helmet, just cut the rope.Then we'll pull you up.
Guiseppe, you're the pump man, do not stop pumping untill Nico is back on the surface.
No problem Giovani, I'll pump. But shouldn't we try a bit more shallower water first? I don't feel comfortable with this.
Nonsense young man, the suit is approved by the Navy, and has 100meters of hose. 70 meters is a triffle for these state of the art tools.

Nico, I'm closing you up. Give me a sign if you feel the air coming trough the hose, but make sure. If it doesn't come, make sure you make it clear.
No problem Giovani. I'll give tumbs up when the air is felt.

2 tumbs go up.

Tony, it's up to us now.  We're going to keep the winchrope tight, and let him go down gently, we don't want to kill him, don't we?

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5 minutes later.

Giovani shouldn't he need more rope? It's as if he doesn't move, and he's on the bottom for a minute now. If something went wrong, 5 minutes won't kill him, but it will take a lot of effort to ressucitate him.

You're right Giuseppe. Lets get him up Tony.  Winching up Nico as fast as the winch can handle.

[maddox]

February 20 1915

a small group of people  ,dressed in black, an older gaunt woman and a obviously pregnant girl are crying ,sobbing and asking why.

The pastor of the town is vehemently denying the ladies a look in the casket.

the girl pulls herself out of the priests grip and rushes to the casket, and tries to open it. The cheap wooden box  doesn't open, but falls on the ground lightly. The light wood cracks, and a divers helmet and 10 meter of hose rolls out, the smell of dead meat rises.

The crowd gasps, but doesn't understand.

WHERE IS NICO!!!  Where is my Man!!!!

Calm my child, calm, Nico is with the good lord, as the good young man he was. 
But he isn't in the casket, why isn't he in his casket! The policia assured us that his body was recovered and that there wasn't any doubt of his death. This casket with junk isn't NICO.

The lords ways are unfathomable. But your husband has returned to our maker. That is sure. But it's best to get Nico to his last resting place. Visibly swallowing. 

The noise of retching comes from the last row in the church, the giant Giuseppe bend double, heaving.

The gaunt woman steps to him, and slaps full in Guiseppes face. YOU KNOW WHERE MY SON IS, slapping again. TELL US NOW OR I'LL.

Mam, you don't want to know , I cannot tell you.
SLAP goes it trough the silent church. SLAP.  But before the next slap lands, Tony steps in and holds the womans hand.

Maria, stop this, you're using violence in Gods house. Guissepe can't tell,but pastor Grigoro is telling the honnest truth.

You're a liar, LIAR, the casket just contains junk. raising the other hand. Guiseppe stands up and holds Maria. I cannot allow this Mama Maria. But my uncle, nor the prist is lying. If you don't believe them, have a look inside the helmet. But I will say, Don't do it, remember Nico as the young, nice man he was.

The girl at the casket hears this, and struggles to lift the helmet. Looks in the faceglass, and sees a medallion in a kind of raw, and not fresh meatpaste as if a large sausage was pushed in the helmet. 

She shrieks and faints.

[maddox]

June 20th 1915.

At the buoy marking the last resting place of the Orange Republic build French Submarine X IV, also lovingly know as Couchon.

A large floating platform and one of the Chardon Class sloops are riding the gentle waves under a scorching sun. Several petrol engines are powering piston airpumps, and the airhoses follow the cables running down from several cranes.

Jean, do you believe there is anything to be saved after al this time?
No Marcel, except knowledge. We want to avoid this kind of accidents in the future.

I arrived yesterday, without briefing, just because I'm a docteur of the navy. What can you tell me?

Oh, a lot. Thanks to the luck of a few Italian fishermen, the wreckage was found. Unfortunatly, the information took a lot of time seeping trough the official channels.
We found out by the first inspections with the diving chamber that the propeller cought a mine wire, one of the dummy mines they have set themselfs.
That wouldn't cause the loss I think, there is no reason they couldn't resurface, even with the balast of the mine attached.

That's true, and we're searching for the reason they did sink, and explode.

Explode?

Yes ,the submarine is in tiny pieces, as if a torpedo exploded or so. But they weren't carrying any torpedo's, so that can't be it.

Sabotage? Enemy action? Fuel vapors?

We'll know soon enough, we have found the ships safe and it will be up any moment. At least the latest ships log entries should be in there.

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June 23 1915
Paris, ministry of defence.

Messieurs, we came to the conclusion that the loss of submarine X IV was an accident, resulting from the experiments conducted to determinate the suitability of a submarine as minelayer.

We were lucky that Capitain Mercredi could write all concerning this issue.

Direct conclusions.
-Submarines of the type OR O1 and OR O2 are not suited to this purpose. Minelaying subs can be feasable, but not with the current technology. A study group is needed to look deeper into this matter.
-Escaping from a sunken submarine by overpressurising is strictly adviced against.
-All submariners are to be required to know the Haldane tables. Also, diving suits for the full crew are not an option.
- underwater resque technology needs to be developed if France is extending the submarine fleet.

[maddox]

Just rereading the story,

This is what happened to poor Nico

[Walter]

Yes, I remebered your story when I was watching that episode. Not a pleasant way to go and also not pleasants for those who had to deal with it...