Just One More Time

By A.L. Lundy

What if a group of Muslim extremists found a possible source of weapons of mass destruction?

What if the extremists created a workable plan to take control of the weapons? Learn the dangers and excitement that four ex-U.S. Navy divers experience in trying to find a missing, secret WW II German U-Boat with probable weapons of mass destruction aboard and to keep them from al-Qaida control.

Learn how the four get "re-enlisted" in the Navy, just one more time, to make sure they complete the job and what they learn about themselves in the process.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503524507

A.L. Lundy

"Scrap" has had a lifelong interest in diving. Even though he is from the Midwest, the author's interest in diving started in the late 1950s. Because there was no training available at the time, Scrap started SCUBA diving in a rock quarry in Iowa by using instructions the equipment manufacturers suggested. Upon graduating from Marquette University in 1961, he was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy. After a tour aboard a ship, he volunteered for diving and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) training. Scrap volunteered for a one year tour of duty in Vietnam and then left the Navy in 1966. He worked in commercial diving to 1969 when he entered the investment business. He has been an avid sports diver since then. Scrap retired in 2009 and lives in Santa Barbara. He has dived on the U-859 and two USN boats.

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Copyright © 2015 by A.L. Scrap Lundy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 03/12/2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1    1944 — The Type XXI U-boat

Chapter 2    1944 — The Voyage of the U-2601

Chapter 3    September, 1944 off Penang Island, Malaysia

Chapter 4    1944, Penang Island, Malaysia

Chapter 5    Present — in Santa Barbara

Chapter 6    Present – San Pedro

Chapter 7    Present – Washington DC, and Los Angeles

Chapter 8    Present — Los Angeles and San Pedro

Chapter 9    Present — in Santa Barbara

Chapter 10    Present Day — San Pedro

Chapter 11    Present — Flight to Singapore

Chapter 12    Present Day — Georgetown, Penang Island, Malaysia

Chapter 13    The Terrorists

Chapter 14    Present Day — The Boat

Chapter 15    The Search — Day 1

Chapter 16    The Search — Day 2

Chapter 17    The Search — Day 3

Chapter 18    The Search — Day 4

Chapter 19    The Search — Day 5

Chapter 20    The Hospital — Georgetown

Chapter 21    The Hospital — Honolulu

Chapter 22    Flight to L.A.

Chapter 23    Going Home

Chapter 24    The Party in Santa Barbara

Author’s Postscript

This book is dedicated to the men and women of our Armed

Forces who do their best to keep us and our country safe.

Undersea adventure, romance and al Qaida terrorists await the reader in Scrap’s latest book about salvaging secret weapons out of a WWII German U-boat sunk off Penang Island, Malaysia. Though fiction, Scrap weaves real people, locations, and events to tell his story.

— Torrance R. Parker, author of 20,000 Jobs Under the Sea,

a History of Diving and Underwater Engineering

Just One More Time is a fast-paced, realistic and suspenseful thriller. It balances all the elements of an enticing novel with action, adventure and romance. Scrap Lundy writes with a high level of technical accuracy that parallels the late Tom Clancy.

— Don Barthelmess, Professor of Marine Diving

Technology, Santa Barbara City College

This story is replete with patriotism, romance, secret terrorists, very dangerous diving to obtain the weapons that were aboard the sub that the ex-Navy divers recovered.

— Steve William Cook, Ph.D., English Department

(Retired), Westmont College

If you are a fan of maritime adventures, as I am, it always pays to listen to an expert in the field. As an ex-Navy EOD diver, Scrap Lundy tells a great story laced with fine detail and historical probability. It makes one wish to go along for the ride. An enjoyable read to say the least.

— Thomas Steinbeck, author

Drawing upon five decades of military, commercial and recreational diving, and U-boat research, Scrap Lundy weaves a fast-paced underwater adventure of international intrigue. The blend of modern day diving technology with well-researched German weapon secrecy takes the reader on a swift underwater adventure. Internationally acclaimed for his earlier books on the characters of Cannery Row and the history of California abalone diving, Scrap delivers an underwater suspense story that is hard to put down.

— Leslie Leaney, Publisher, The Journal of Diving History

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In order to write this book the author, the author required the assistance of a number of other people as without their help, there would have been no book. At least not in its current form.

Therefore, I would like to thank the following people.

Don Barthelness, Dan Vasey and Geoff Thielst of Santa Barbara City College’s Marine Tech Department for their assistance in bringing me up to date on current commercial diving equipment and its uses. Also for their help on such topics as current decompression tables, side scan sonar, and use of the KM-27 diving hat.

I would also like to thank Steve Cook, Ph.D. for urging me to get started, his constant help and encouragement when I got stuck and his help on editing were critical for its completion.

To Thom Steinbeck for providing encouragement and helpful information through the writing process.

Duane Unkefer gets a big thank you for his work on editing the book.

Nancy Stouffer for taking the time to read the book and make valuable suggestions.

Torrance Parker whose encouragement was invaluable and who provided me the information on San Pedro, California.

Also a big thanks to Donna Ryczek of Goleta Typing Service for her word processing abilities and several very useful suggestions that I used in the story.

CHAPTER ONE

1944 — The Type XXI U-boat

In mid-1943, Germany was losing the war in the Atlantic due to a number of new technical devices employed by the Allies. These new methods included hunter-killer carrier groups, vastly improved radar, and sonar systems and radio detection equipment.

Most of these new methods were successful because the standard German U-boat of the war was the type VIIC. It was really a surface ship that could operate for a minimal time underwater before it had to surface to recharge its batteries. When it surfaced, it became a target for all the new Allied technology, which is the reason 30,000 German submariners out of 40,000 did not return.

Recognizing the problem, in mid-1943 the German High Command ordered construction of a new type of submarine, the type XXI. It was called the Elektroboote due to the large amount of batteries it carried. By way of example, the type VIIC could travel 81 miles underwater at 4 knots whereas the type XXI could travel at 5.8 knots for 2 or 3 days underwater. The type XXI was also much quieter underwater than the VIIC, making it harder to detect. It was 251' long and had a beam of 26'. Due to an improved hull design and increased electrical power, the type XXI could – even underwater – outrun many surface ships.

The type XXI also carried new advanced sonar and radar detectors. It had a new torpedo reloading system that allowed all six forward tubes to be reloaded in the time it took a VIIC to reload one.

The U-2601 was a type XXI boat. It was constructed by AG Wiser of Bremen in early 1944. It was fitted out and then underwent sea trials in the Baltic, which was relatively safe from Allied air attacks.

Using its snorkel to recharge the diesel electronic batteries every 2 days, the XXI had an underwater range of 9,000 miles at 6 knots. It was truly the first real submarine in existence. In fact, it was the bridge between the standard WWII sub and the nuclear powered subs that came later.

After its shakedown, trials were successfully completed in the Baltic, and it made a passage to Bergen, Norway via Kristiansand, to take on a secret cargo: the type and destination would be known only to the Captain and Executive Officer. However, they could not open the destination orders until they reached a latitude of 10˚ N and 40˚ W.

While in Bergen, the U-2601 received four special cylinders that weighed 650 lbs. apiece. They were carried in wooden racks, designed for that purpose, in a specially built compartment near the forward torpedo tubes. The contents of each cylinder was loaded through a deep screw-in cap that was held in place by four locks. Their size was five feet long and twelve inches wide. There would be an armed guard in the passageway at all times near the storage area. No one, including the Captain, would ever know what was in the cylinders except the people who were to eventually receive them – the Japanese.

CHAPTER TWO

1944 — The Voyage of the U-2601

The Captain’s name was Erhard Kober and the Executive Officer was Ernst Krancke. Prior to departing from Bergen, both men were told by the area naval commander that under no conditions were they to attack any enemy ships, naval or civilian. Their voyage was to be conducted in total secrecy as much as possible.

The U-2601 was to pass around the northern tip of Norway, and then above Iceland on its way to the north Atlantic. The Captain felt he could rely on the boat’s new anti-radar gear and underwater speed to make their journey successful. Since the areas the U-2601 were particularly well patrolled, they would have to be extra vigilant by traveling on their electric motors as much as possible.

As the U-2601 continued its voyage southward, the crew had many pools and bets going as to their destination. Of all the destinations chosen, no one had the correct one of Malaysia.

The U-2601 was depth charged once at night when the snorkel was up. No one could figure out how an enemy plane’s radar could have picked up their snorkel head which was covered by anti-Wesch mat or a radar absorbing material, unless the anti-radar material had come all or partially off exposing the metal snorkel head to the radar. The lesson they learned was to take more sweeps with their radar detection and radar gear prior to using the snorkel. If the bomber pilot had been more accurate in dropping the depth charges, the mission would have been over.

The Captain ordered the boat to 600' at silent running speed for an hour, then he gave orders to return to their normal cruising depth of 300' and speed of 6 knots. U-2601 had a usual diving depth of 240', a fighting depth of 726' and a crush depth of almost 1100'.

After an appropriate length of time, the boat partially surfaced so the navigator could get some star sights to determine their position. Since their star sights produced a position close to the navigator’s dead reconning position, the Captain decided that tomorrow was the day they would cross the line – and open the envelope. Somehow the news of the envelope opening spread throughout the boat and the betting contentions were running at a high level.

The Captain and the Executive Officer went into the Captain’s tiny cabin, opened his safe and removed the envelope. After he read the documents, he gave them to the Executive Officer, with an astounded look on his face. Well, that is a real surprise to me, the Captain commented. I had better inform the crew. He clicked on the mic. Attention, this is the Captain speaking. Our destination is Malaysia. The groans of all the bettors could be heard throughout the boat.

Because the voyage was very long, the crew was bored by the monotony of the same routine day after day. After several weeks of boredom, the only breaks in their daily routine were the emergency drills that the Captain ordered. Even though the drills were designed to save the boat and crew in case of an emergency, the crew was getting to the point of just going through the motions while performing their lifesaving duties.

On their voyage, the U-2601 saw many targets, especially in the southern Atlantic and Pacific but they had to let them go to maintain the secrecy of their presence.

CHAPTER THREE

September, 1944 off Penang Island, Malaysia

In the darkness, the Captain’s and the lookouts’ faces were very tense as they constantly swept their sectors of the sea surrounding them. The Captain knew that several German submarines had been sunk in the surrounding waters by the British and Dutch navies. The U-2601 was about 15 miles south of Penang Island which is just off the coast of Malaysia, and is about 15 miles wide and 18 miles long.

As the port lookout trained his glasses forward and turned to look aft, he saw what he thought was a trail of bubbles in the water coming directly at them. He had just started to yell, Torpedo on the port beam! when there was a tremendous, ear-shattering explosion on the port side aft of the forward torpedo compartment.

The Captain and the lookouts were knocked off their feet by the explosion. The Captain ordered the lookouts below and followed them down the ladder to the control room. He found utter confusion in the form of a sharply tilted deck, crewmen falling and sliding over each other and water rising in the lower level. The Captain was yelling for reports from various parts of the boat so he could assess the damage and create a course of action.

As the water level rose higher in the control room, the only report he received was from the engine room which said it was being completely flooded because supposedly water-tight hatches had been damaged and would not stay closed.

He and the others in the control room had nowhere to go to avoid the rising peril. Some started fighting about who could go up the ladder to the hatch, not realizing it wouldn’t open until the water pressure was equalized from outside and inside.

Then because he was no longer alive to wear it, the Captain’s white covered hat floated by as the last man died.

The U-2601 had been underway when the torpedo hit. The crew and boat were rigged at full battle stations which meant that the hatches between compartments were closed and dogged shut; however, most had opened due to the torpedo’s explosion, and the violent impact that occurred when the boat slammed into the bottom 130' down.

The lights kept flickering on and off and -- finally went out. The emergency lights came on but were soon covered by water as the flooding level rose. Many of those who were not killed by the explosion had been trapped by falling debris. All they could do was to scream for help as the water level gradually rose to silence them forever. Some cried while awaiting their end, others prayed. Screaming for help allowed water to fill their mouths, drowning them quickly as their vision of being saved flickered out.

Because the bow went down first, many of the initial casualties were forward. After the bow hit bottom, the stern gradually settled to the sand. During this slow dance-like scene, some of the after compartments contained air bubbles which were visible before the emergency lighting went off. Those crewmen who had not died immediately or had drowned by being caught in the tangled debris which now filled all the compartments, worked their way to the bubbles and finally breathed. Their good luck, however, was short-lived, the water level was rising.

They were going to die.

The only possible exception to eventual death by drowning was for the six men in the compartment forward of the engine room to get to the emergency breathing equipment. As they struggled to get free of falling debris, they only entangled themselves more. As the crewmen approached death, many tried to scream which, ironically forced the remaining air in their lungs to escape, hastening their deaths. The grim scenario in the torpedo room was repeated in other compartments of the boat.

Because the boat had been travelling low in the water when the torpedo hit, sea water rushed into the hole in the side and the boat’s forward motion took it very quickly at a steep angle to the bottom.

Some of the after compartments had air bubbles in them. The men who were not killed outright or entangled by debris, found the bubbles by using their flashlights. They fought and clawed their way to the life saving air bubbles and when they reached them, put their heads above water and took gagging, life-saving breaths. At the realization the water level was rising, a new wave of panic swept over all the surviving, terrified crewmen who started to scream, but the water quickly reduced their screams to watery, muted noises… then nothing but silence.

The only exception to this slow watery death was in the compartment just forward of the engine room. There, the doors had stayed in place but water was coming in from broken pipes and the main sea water intake for the engines. The senior man there was an older, rated petty officer who understood that the biggest enemy was panic. Since all the escape breathing devices were in their compartment, he quickly took charge of the men by ordering them to form a line behind him whereupon he would open the door to where the breathing devices were and hand them out.

As he did so, he could see sheer terror on each man’s face as he took a breathing unit and put it on. He forced himself to remain calm. While they were still in an air bubble he pointed out the escape ladder that lead to the escape hatch.

He quickly explained that in order to open the hatch, they would have to wait until their compartment filled with water so the outside water pressure on it would equal that inside. Suddenly the last of the boat lighting system failed and he told the men to use their flashlights.

As the water level rose, the petty officer had the men gather around the escape ladder and use it one at a time. He barked out the order for escape. Due to the petty officer’s taking charge and telling the men how and when to escape, the men seemed to have calmed down, even as the water level continued to rise around them.

While awaiting the pressure to equalize, the petty officer went up the ladder and undogged the hatch. When the pressure equalized and the hatch opened, the petty officer, using a flashlight, took each man, put him on the ladder and gave him an upward push.

During their ascent to the surface, three young and inexperienced sailors had air embolisms and died. The others panicked and drowned.

CHAPTER FOUR

1944, Penang Island, Malaysia

In late 1945, the industrial war machines in Germany and Japan were increasing their need for raw materials to maintain their military campaigns. To that end, the two countries entered into trade agreements to supply each other with badly needed war materials. Japan had a great need for mercury which was used for the making of munitions and other items while Germany required raw rubber in addition to other products.

The two countries agreed that the best way to help each other was to use large, long range submarines that had the capability to carry significant tonnage.

The Japanese commander of the island and its naval facilities, an Admiral, walked down from his office to the pier that the German submarine would tie up to. Because the sub was expected any day, he wanted to see for himself that the preparations for handling the sub and its cargo were on schedule.

The admiral knew the German submarine was transporting a special cargo that was critical to Japan’s war effort and very survival.

As he slowly walked along the pier, the admiral was thinking of Japan’s current military situation which was not good as the Americans were in the process of taking one Pacific stronghold after another until they would eventually invade Japan itself.

Satisfied that preparations were progressing in good order, the admiral turned to start walking back towards his office when one of his aides rushed up and said some survivors from the U-859 which had been sunk 20 miles north were being brought into the harbor.

He was chagrined about the loss of the U-859 and its cargo of mercury that he vowed to provide more protection for subs coming to and leaving Penang harbor.

At that time, the admiral had no way of knowing that the U-2601 had been sunk early that morning 15 miles south of the island by a Dutch submarine.

CHAPTER FIVE

Present — in Santa Barbara

Upon awakening, Lars Larsen discovered that today was a day not unlike many other days he had experienced lately. He felt depressed over his life, which included the past, present and the future. He wanted something exciting to do that would take at least several months to accomplish and would provide him with a satisfying experience.

Occasionally he recalled that four or five months ago he had sent in an application for just such a job, but since he had not heard anything yet, he assumed his application wound up in the round file.

Since the morning was still early, he decided a solution to his unrest would be to go to Jeannine’s for some coffee, a scone, and the paper. That always seemed to reduce his anxieties, if only for a short while. Unless he had something planned for the day, no matter how insignificant, his seemingly constant anxieties always returned.

He seemed to want to become involved in some activity that offered a fair degree of action of some type. At such a moment, he thought, I’m in my mid-70s, in OK shape, but who would hire me for anything exciting? At such times, he would willingly volunteer to drive a dynamite truck.

What he really wanted was to have a diving job on an exciting expedition out of the country. Some activity that when he thought about it, Lars was reminded of the rush and excitement he received from some of his activities in Vietnam. Things such as rendering safe Vietcong munitions or diving in the totally black Saigon River feeling for mines on our ammunition ships.

But thinking of such projects only made him feel worse. When he felt this bad he would drive to the Santa Barbara harbor and sit in front of the Chandlery, hoping some brilliant idea would come to mind. Today, it seemed, the tide took all the good ideas out to sea and left him with negative thoughts.

So here was the same problem again. Living in paradise with nothing to do.

As he got up from the bench, he found himself reflected in the large window which acted as a mirror. Lars viewed the visual snapshot of himself as a somewhat older man with graying hair in good shape; however, the negative self thoughts he had previously been thinking were still there. Damn, he said, I wish they’d go away.

It was now lunch time and one of his favorite restaurants, Brophy Bros., was just 100' away. Brophy’s served one of Lars’ favorite dishes, steamed mussels, with their juice and great sourdough bread. He felt that a bowl of mussels would possibly make the bads go away. Since there was only one way to find out, he went up to the second floor of the restaurant and was lucky enough to get an outside table.

After getting seated at his table, Lars decided that with the view he had of the mountains, the entire harbor, 30 miles down the coast – and the steamed mussels – cheered him up.

Nora, an attractive waitress, asked him if he wanted his usual which was iced tea and mussels. He said, Yes.

Since Brophy’s was filled with people, Lars could not help but scan the bar for an older, attractive female patron that he might