New recruits on the German submarine U-405 were expected to sing opera over the ship’s speakers!

[**The following takes place in the North Sea in 1941.**] >Operatic songs were popular with the crew. Greenhorns had to deliver three, preferably women’s roles, over the boat’s loudspeaker system. The worse they sang, the more jubilant the crew became. The loudspeaker crowed in high soprano tones all day long. ______________________ **Source:** Giese, Otto, and James E. Wise. “First Patrol.” *Shooting the War: The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in World War II*. Naval Institute, 2003. 130. Print. ______________________ **Further Reading:** [German Submarine U-405](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-405)