Chapter 16U966, The Baltic Sea, 1945
Two days out from Kiel, and already the interior of what was now officially U966 was taking on the atmosphere of a submarine at war. The air was heavy with the smell of diesel fumes, mingled with the scent of the sweat of those who crewed the boat. Most of the young men who served in U966 had stopped shaving as soon as they'd left their home base just two days ago, and soon the lack of proper sanitation, a deprivation standard to U-Boat crews would increase the heady atmosphere within the boat, which would only be relieved when Ritter ordered the submarine to surface to recharge its batteries, and the hatches could be opened.
As soon as the boat had cleared Kiel and headed north towards the coast of Denmark, Ritter had called Engel to his tiny berth w
