Chapter 10 – noon until dusk, 19 of December

Although all of his men are tired from the stormy night, there is no time to rest. Walker gives his orders, the merchant have to take their places in the columns again, the securing ring has to be reorganized and those which lost their ways have to be gathered.

It will be the business of Lt Cdr HR White and the slop Deptford to look for those ships and to bring them home, Walker cannot spare any other escort ship, now that the convoy is spread out over the seas. But at least White will be assisted be the Martlets.

Walker feels that the defenses is spread out too far, that his convoy is very vulnerable. Lookouts are intensively staring out, but still there is no sign of any German boat. It is like fighting a phantom, Walker thinks. Maybe there is nothing out there; maybe they lost the convoy in the storm. Well maybe they just launched a torpedo to attack the Stork.

Walker changed the course of the convoy to northwest, and slowed it down, to give the missing ships an opportunity to return faster. The Martlets are already out. The southeastern formation was still on the wrong course, northwest, now they changed and will reach the convoy soon. White is already on the way. Walker worries more about the southern ships, the Sheaf Crown. It will take until dusk for her to reach the rest of the convoy.
Then the Stork receives a radio message: SSS – SSS- Rucking attacked submarines – hit by torpedo - SSS.
The Rucking is one of the ships in the southeast. Walker hurries to the radio installation. He wants to call White, but before he is able, other messages come in:
“SSS – Adjutant – attacked by submarines – burning”
“SSS – Fylingdale, … “
The last message is interrupted. The operator cannot get contact anymore. Instead there is a message from the Martlet, which operates over the combat area: “Here M1 - submarine – under surface – need reinforcement”
Walker finally reaches White, but the Lt Cdr heard the messages and is already within eyeshot. He hurries to the position, where the plane found the submarine.
In the meanwhile there is another message from the Adjutant:
“SSS – Adjutant – burning – Fylingdale sunk after torpedo attack, Rucking attacked twice and rapidly sinking - need help – urgent – SSS”

But now, HMS Deptford enters combat. The Martlet reports that the submarine is still close under water. When Deptford approaches, it is not diving deeper but just turning her bow against the English sloop. The Deptford passes the place where the submarine should be and throws a row of ash cans. The water is boiling. Deptford makes a tight turn and returns throwing cans again. When she returns she finds spill and wreckage on the surface of the sea. White reports Walker that he sunk a German submarine and that there are no survivors. As there are no other signals of German submarines, he turns to the place where the Rucking went down. The Sea is filled with wreckage and lifeboats. HMS Deptford begins to rescue the sailors, when there is a strong detonation at her heck. Ten minutes later, HMS Deptford disappears in the seas.

Half an hour later the Fagersten joins the convoy and takes her place in the column. The Adjutant radios that the fire went out and that the ships is able to run with 4 knots. At the same time, Walker receives a message from the Sheaf Crown. She is also hit by torpedoes and rapidly sinking. The captain asks for help.

Walker looks into the sinking sun. Three ships are lost, the Fylingdale, the Rucking and the Sheaf Crown. Adjutant is still behind the convoy. She is damaged and only able to run slowly. The worst news is that the Deptford is lost.

Walker shakes his head. There is no time to regret, the Adjutant needs help, there are still sailors from the sunk ships in need of rescue. Furthermore it is getting dark and the Germans may attack the convoy this night. And there is no doubt left that there are German submarines out there. And after all, Walker has to inform the headquarter about the latest events.

Before he makes decisions, he receives too new messages. One comes from the Audacity, telling him that all Merlets are ready for combat, again. The other one comes from England, telling him that there are four other submarines coming from the French coast to meet his convoy.