"I am the commander of the British destroyer fleet. We are not here to ask for help, we are here to help you fight back against the Japanese. The middle-aged man wearing a German military cap but wearing a British Navy uniform said solemnly.

"If you don't mind, we have eight submarines out of port and another one that needs to be repaired. The German officer smiled and said in fluent English: "Our great Führer wants you to believe that the Führer and the German people stand with you even when the whole world abandons Australia." ”

"God forbid! It's great that you're here. The Australian officer excitedly shook the palm of the German general's hand: "After they leave, you are the first army to come back to help us fight the Japanese!"

These days, as long as it is a ship flying the flag of the United States, it is only here to carry away people and supplies. These Americans even had to take barges and fishing boats with them, so as not to leave them to the incoming Japanese. Sydney Harbour is like a backwater, and the locals feel that they have been completely abandoned, but they did not expect that at such a time, they can still wait for reinforcements from afar.

It wasn't all smooth sailing for the Germans in the Pacific, with several of them having adverse reactions due to unadaptability, and a submarine was forced to return home due to mechanical problems. The faulty submarine carried the sick on board, unloaded all the ammunition that could be removed, and even removed some parts for the remaining submarine, which was a bit of a miracle that it could.

Then, when we were about to arrive in Australia, another submarine had a problem and had to be dragged to Australia by a destroyer to see if there was a chance to repair it. If it can't be repaired, then it can only be thrown away in Australia as a spare part for other submarine repairs. No one could have imagined that just by sailing to Australia, two out of 10 submarines would have problems.

This distance was still too far for the German Navy, which rarely carried out ocean-going deployments. Fortunately, they arrived in Australia, where they were not offended, but were well received.

The Germans did not venture close to Australian ports, they remained anchored in the sea, and only one broken down submarine sailed into Sydney to be repaired. And according to the order, the submarine did not carry a cipher machine, using the radio on the accompanying British destroyer in the north to maintain contact with the fleet at a distance.

The Australians held an impromptu meeting for the fleet, both military and some patriotic politicians who remained. Many were hostile to the arrival of the Germans, because after all, the Germans had taken out an Australian division in North Africa. But the voices were immediately silenced by representatives of the military, especially the Navy, who desperately needed support, hoping to unite the forces they could find to defend Australia.

The matter was quickly settled, and the Australian authorities remained neutral to the European fleet: neither interfering in any non-destructive activities of the fleet in the port, nor offering strong official support. To put it simply, it is none of my business for you to fight the Japanese, and I will not be able to see you docking to repair submarines.

This attitude is a good illustration of the mentality of Australia's leaders at this stage, who fear that the Americans will come back and liquidate them for cooperating with the Germans, and hope that the Germans will stay behind to help them resist the ferocious Japanese. In the end, they chose not to help or destroy, although there are two unflattering concerns, but it can also be said to be a safe choice that leaves room in several aspects.

"You can contact me if you need anything. "Once again, it was not a high-ranking officer of the military who appeared before the Germans, but a young Australian major, who was apparently the wretched worm who had been pushed out as a proxy, and who would have to follow the Germans if the Japanese came or the Americans returned.

"I'm already with you, and any help I give you is ultimately my own and has nothing to do with Australia. He sat helplessly on the sofa, apparently not yet out of the shadow of being blatantly betrayed by his own compatriots: "My grandmother was a German, so I have a quarter of German ancestry. ”

The German officer pulled out a French cigarette and handed it to the young man with a smile, and he had many medals on him, including the Order of Service in the Submarine Force, the enviable Iron Cross, and the Medal for Outstanding Achievements: "My name is Gott Prien, and I am a colonel, commander of the German Navy's Pacific Submarine Fleet. You haven't introduced yourself yet. ”

Accardo asked Dönitz to find a suitable person to be the commander of the entire German ocean-going submarine fleet. Dönitz searched for a long time, but could not find a candidate to serve the public. As a result, Prien, who happened to return from hunting on the northern coastline of the Soviet Union, applied for a vacation, and Dönitz pitted the number one trump card of German submarine warfare. The good thing is that you will be promoted and raised after he remembers you, and the bad thing is that you will be the best person for him to deal with the problem.

So poor Prion had just gotten used to the icy Arctic seas, and before he had time to catch his breath, he was sent to lead a fleet across the equator to enjoy the hot southern style. However, compared to the rough waves of the North Atlantic and the cold and bleak of the Arctic Ocean, Prien still likes the calm ocean comparable to the Baltic Sea.

"My name is Williams. The young officer, apparently infected by the sophisticated and energetic German officer Prien, took the cigarette and put it to his lips and replied softly.

"William, can I call you that?" Prien struck a match, helped Williams light his cigarette, and continued.

"When, of course. Williams, a young officer in Australia, was apparently flattered and immediately replied.

Prien nodded, and then said all kinds of things he wanted: "Some turners, and qualified raw materials." I need to make some simple parts as spare parts, and of course we have most of them ourselves. In addition, you will need to prepare food, bread, vegetables, meat, fresh water, etc., for our fleet. ”

"In such a hurry?" William asked casually, stunned.

"Everything has a beginning, child. We need to choose an island to build a base on, after all, I know you don't welcome us either, and then there is fuel and all kinds of supplies, houses and tents and even medicines...... We needed a lot of things. "Prion is not much older than William in front of him, but he is already an old soldier who has been on the battlefield for a long time. He may have commanded more dangers than the entire Australian Navy, and he alone seems to have more records than the entire Australian Navy combined. So when he called out the child, no one thought it strange, because compared to a submarine commander who sank a battleship with a total tonnage of more than 100,000 tons, everyone seemed to be very young.

"I need you to have these things ready within 4 hours, because after 4 hours, I will lead a part of my submarine force in good condition to the north, and the driver will look for Japanese targets to attack. As soon as Prion mentioned the battle, his eyes became solemn. He took out a small notebook of his own, looked at it again, and said, "By the way, I also need a chart of the entire sea around Australia, the most detailed military chart, the more accurate the better." ”

He looked at William as he spoke, and finally stopped his chatter, pointed to William who was empty-handed and asked, "You don't record?"

"I can remember these things you said. William replied with a little pride.

Prion frowned, but finally said what was in his heart: "Find a notebook to record all the important things, and don't forget any small details." When you're busy, you're bound to forget something, and these forgotten things can often make the difference between victory and defeat. ”

He was a typical German officer, meticulous in training and meticulous in battle, so that he and his soldiers were able to survive the most brutal naval battles again and again, and he was able to stand here alive and enjoy the beauty of the sun. Because of his own personal experience, he is sure that everything needs to be confirmed repeatedly, and for himself, this is definitely a good habit.

He was convinced that if he did not cheat in anything, he would have the power to save himself in times of need. As a German submarine commander, he knew that every detail would ultimately affect the battle, and he tried to do his best, so he was always able to get the job done in crucial battles and returned to port alive with his men to be cheered and adored.

"Okay, Colonel Prion. "William has already listened to Prien's words, after all, he is still young and has little combat experience. And he himself clearly knew that he and the German officer in front of him were grasshoppers on the same rope, and they had to work together to survive the brutal war.

"The action plan was postponed by 2 hours. Prien nodded, then turned back to the adjutant behind him and explained, "The preparations here are too lagging behind, call some people to help prepare and help Major William get what we urgently need, including oil, medicine and food." ”

As Colonel Prion said, everything has a beginning. As soon as the Germans arrived in Australia, they began to prepare their own improvised offensive bases, preparing for the first attack on the arrogant Japanese navy.

This was definitely unfortunate news for the many battleships of the Japanese Navy, because there were hundreds of German submarine commanders, but there was only one Prien, and there was only such a Prien, nicknamed the "Battleship Killer".