occupied by Alten, myself, the engineer, and the Navigating Warrant
Officer. Proceeding further aft one enters the control room, in which
one periscope is situated, and the necessary valves and pumps for
diving the boat.

The next compartment is the crew space; ten of the company exist here.

Overhead on each side is the gear for releasing the torpedoes from the
external torpedo tubes, of which we carry one each side. I think we
borrowed this idea from the Russians.

Then comes the engine-room, an inferno of rattling noises, but
excellent engines, I believe. At the after end of the engine-room are
the two main switchboards, of whose manner of working I am at present
in some ignorance.

The two main sets of electric motors are underneath the boards, in the
stern, where we have a third torpedo tube.

* * * * *

I had hardly written the above words when a message came that the
captain would like me to come to the bridge.

I went up in a leisurely fashion, through the conning tower, which is
over the control room, and reported myself. He indicated a low-lying
patch of smoke on the horizon far away on the starboard bow. I was
obliged to confess that it conveyed nothing to me, when he aroused my
intense interest by stating that it was, without doubt, being emitted
from a British submarine, who are known to frequent these waters. He