This was only a few months before the war began. Alex sat there cross-legged, unable to take his eyes
“All the way through our training in the off Walter’s face. I very soon found I was lost in his
my side. And then we found ourselves serving on “There were over 2,000 men on board,” Walter
the same ship. The Bismarck. We could not have went on, “and every one of us believed that nothing
been more proud. We knew this was the finest in the world could beat us. We were young and full
battleship in the German navy, the fastest in the of – the word is bravado, I think. Everyone was like
world, thirty knots, 50,000 tons. Every sailor in the this in those early days of the war. Our commander,
Fatherland wanted to serve on her. It was a great Captain Lindemann, promised us victory. Of course,
honour and privilege to be chosen to sail in this we believed him; we believed everything we were
To start with I worried that Alex would interrupt Navy dared to come within range of our guns we
him to ask some stupid question or other, but could blow it out of the water. So when we steamed
then I realised that he was completely absorbed. out of Gotenhafen that day – this was in the spring
56 57
of 1941 – we had no doubt in our hearts, only pride, “The captain told us afterwards, Manfred and
a fierce and foolish pride. When we went into me and the others on the gun crew, that it was a
our first battle in the Denmark Strait, we were shell from our gun that destroyed the Hood. The
quite sure of victory. Hood was the pride of the Royal Navy, the biggest
58 59
Little Manfred Part Two
their country like us. I think this was the first time
60
Little Manfred Part Two
“The other British ships made smoke and turned Bismarck ruled the seas. With Prinz Eugen,
away. Our first battle was over and we had won a another of our most powerful ships, we steamed
famous victory. It was just as we had been told: out into the Atlantic. The ocean was ours. The
Bismarck was the most powerful battleship in the world was ours. We could sink any ship we found.
world. All over the ship we knew we had beaten the Of course, we knew the British would come after
best the Royal Navy could send against us, so of us, that there would be more battles ahead. We did
course we were even more sure that nothing could not ‘give a monkey’s’ as you say, I think – I like
stop us now. Everyone on the ship was happy, and I this expression. And by now we believed we were
At night when I closed my eyes, I could see the “Even when the torpedo from the bomber
Hood blowing up, and I could not sleep. I heard the plane hit our rudder, and we knew we could no
cries of drowning sailors. I thought I would never longer manoeuvre properly, even when the British
sleep again. fleet was closing in all around us, still we believed
“For a few days after this, it was as if the that we would fight them off and reach the safety
62 63
Little Manfred Part Two
of a French port, that we would be able to make broken – I do not know how, but I found I could
our repairs and come out again to finish what we not use it. Manfred had hold of me and was
wanted to believe it. Even when we were being the Bismarck disappear beneath
bombarded from all sides and the ship was not the waves.
able to move any more and all our guns were out of
66