[*The following takes place shortly before the beginning of World War II in 1939, aboard the German cruise liner Columbus.]
At the height of our summer cruise in the Caribbean many young couples used hatch no. 3 for sleeping instead of their hot and stuffy cabins. This hatch was directly under the bridge. Here they had the bright stars over their heads and the slightly rolling vessel lulled them in a soft, fresh breeze. Here there were kisses and whispered promises of love.
They were never quite alone in their romantic reverie. From time to time two round, dark binocular eyes appeared on the railing of the bridge, scanning the lovers. Each couple had been secretly numbered clockwise by the young officers on the bridge. When the watch changed at midnight the young officers reported on the progress of each couple. One night an officer dropped an apple and it fell on a couple. Desperately embarrassed, he tried to murmur an apology. The couple continued their lovemaking undisturbed.
Source:
Giese, Otto, and James E. Wise. “West Indies Cruise.” Shooting the War: The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in World War II. Naval Institute, 2003. 10. Print.
Further Reading:
SS Columbus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Columbus_(1924)
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