[The following is taken from Otto Giese’s memoir, Shooting the War: The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in World War II. In particular, the following events take place in 1943.]
Shortly before our departure for the Indian Ocean in mid-March I visited an old friend, a former petty officer and wireless operator of the U-405, at La Pallice, France. We reminisced about bygone days over some fine French wine. Later we walked down the middle of the dark, narrow streets deeply involved in conversation, our holsters unbuckled and pistols cocked. Suddenly glass splintered a few feet behind us, then to our left and right. It all happened fast, and with threatening thuds. The penetrating stench of strong acid enveloped us. The glass vessels must have been wafer thin, since in the bright moonlight we did not detect glass fragments in the large and gradually spreading puddles of hot acid.
We jumped from the middle of the street into the darkness, pistols drawn. There was no sound of a moving door or window, only a menacing calm. We hurried from the area and reached the base safely. The next morning I detected some large spots in my leather pants where the acid had done its work. I could only wonder what would have happened had the maquis (members of the French resistance) scored direct hits.
A few weeks before we were due to sail from Bordeaux the crew was put on a train northbound for a visit to Paris. Shortly after our arrival at the Gare de Midi, we heard that the maquis had used a time bomb to destroy the train following us. Up to this point we had been convinced that our German guard and defense were impregnable. I was soon to learn the reality of our defense.
Source:
Giese, Otto, and James E. Wise. “Reporting Aboard the U-181.” Shooting the War: The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in World War II. Naval Institute, 2003. 176. Print.
Further Reading:
The French Resistance (French: La Résistance)
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