No enemy entered your decks.

[**The following takes place during the opening phases of World War II in 1939. Here, the German cruise liner SS *Columbus*, having already disembarked its passengers in neutral territory following the declarations of war in Europe, has been attempting to restock provisions and prepare to run the Allies blockade back to Germany. When making the attempt, a British destroyer intercepted the vessel just outside the neutral zone off the US coastline and, knowing the value of the large ship as a potential Allied troop transports, has attempted to seize it. Prepared for this scenario, the German crew skillfully scuttles the ship and the survivors are taken aboard a nearby American battleship. Here, Otto Giese, an officer of the vessel, watches her sink from aboard the American craft.**] >Soon the first of our crewmen were called down into spacious mess rooms where they received warm and ample food. Captain Dähne remained with us on deck to watch the final throes of our beloved *Columbus*. Her flames reddened the dark rainclouds for many miles around. Although hundreds of tons of water must have entered the interior of the ship by now, cracked and burst open the bulkheads and decks, and rushed into the remotest corners, she was still afloat, listing about fifteen degrees to port. >I remember saying to myself, “Goodbye, dear old friend. You had a heart and soul, and everybody who had ever gone to sea on your planks had loved you, whether the tens of thousands of your happy passengers, who will soon read about you in newspaper headlines around the world, or the many crewmembers who served on you through the years. Forgive us for what we had to do to you. You died in honor, no enemy entered your decks. Farewell, old friend.” >We stood silently watching the death of our ship, our home at sea, as the *Tuscaloosa* picked up speed to depart the area. There was no pathos expressed, no “Heil [Hitler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Hitler_portrait_crop.jpg)” calls with outstretched hands – nothing. We only had a sad feeling of emptiness in our hearts. ___________________________ **Source:** Giese, Otto, and James E. Wise. “We Scuttle the Columbus.” *Shooting the War: The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in World War II*. Naval Institute, 2003. 36. Print. ___________________________ **Further Reading:** [Adolf Hitler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler) SS Columbus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Columbus_(1924)