An Operational NecessityIt is January 5, 1945. A French freighter is torpedoed in the South Atlantic. By the laws of war, the shipwrecked survivors should be beyond further attack. But when the U-boat commander orders that they be shot, he justifies it as "an operational necessity." He believes that the safety of his own boat and crew depends on destroying all traces of the sinking. Only later, at an Allied tribunal after V-E Day, are the grim facts fully brought to light in a dramatic confrontation between the sole survivor and the captured German officers. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
accused asked Barragold boat breath British calm Captain Crawshaw Captain Kaye Colonel Rostwood Colonel Whaley-Wren control room course Court crew Dar es Salaam dark death deck Defense depth charges destroy Emerald Emil Emil's enemy Eugen eyes face felt fire float French Gaston German glanced Glenberyll grenades grinned Guéroult guns hands head hospital Huberein Judge Advocate Kalewski Kapitänleutnant Kielbasa killed knew Kommandant Korvettenkapitän Kümmerol later looked Maréchal Oudinot merol meters Monsieur Mozambique never officer once pain pangolin perhaps periscope Philippe Post prison question quick quickly raft Rayner sailors seemed Sehlte Shellybeare ship silent Singlefield sinking slowly smiled Spencer stared stern Stusser submarine suddenly sunk sure surface survivors tell thing thought told Tony took torpedoes turned U-boat voice waiting watch witness wounded wreckage Wutsdorf Yatchett young Zared