August 2, 1939. From the personal log of Leutnant Becker
We left Wilhelmhafen yesterday evening and this is the first time I have had a moment to sit down and write something. The boat and her crew are performing well, the daily trim dive went as expected and the boat is tight. The only thing that seems to be against us is the weather. It's been windy since we left port and now a steady rain has been beating down upon our little boat for several hours. Visibility is poor.
Currently, we are in grid square AN69, heading almost due west along the Dutch coast. I have decided to take the boat through the English channel, even though that might be a risk with the diplomatic tensions between our countries at the moment. However, we can always dive out of trouble and it might be entertaining to see if we can evade the English patrols. I have every confidence in my boat.
I am lucky to have Leutnant Heise with me as weapons officer. He is an experienced U-boot man and knows precisely how the boat will react. He also holds the Iron Cross second class! Wish I could say the same.
Some of the boys seem worried that we might be at war soon, while others can't wait for the war to start. Personally, I think war with England is inevitable if we wish to have any kind of breathing room. But not yet. The fleet isn't ready yet. In a few years, we will be ready to take on the English anywhere though!
