To the Last Salute: Memories of an Austrian U-Boat Commander

Thirty-Eight. In the East

“Which nationalities do you have on board?” “Your Majesty, nearly all that there are in the monarchy: Germans , Hungarians, Italians, Romanians, Slavs, Poles . . . but on U-boats everyone must be able to speak German.” “Do you see how important the German service language would be in Austria!” I am at a loss for an answer. Thirty-Eight.In the East In Romania a small Russian U-boat is captured on the Danube and I receive an order to evaluate whether it could be used in the Adriatic. I am to travel to Bucharest to inspect it. They know nothing there. I am sent on. I should get information in Braila near the Danube monitors. So I travel the twelve hours to Braila. There I discover that the boat has been brought to the shipyard at Turn-Severin; I should go there. I find a steamer that brings me back on the Danube through all of Romania in two days, and finally find the U-boat. It is much too small and quite neglected. It could not be used in the Adriatic; at best it could give tours on one of the Upper Austrian lakes. It was supposed to have operated in the Danube against her monitors; after the Russian armistice, it was hidden by her crew between steamers and tugboats and then abandoned.1 In Romania the position of the monarchy is judged pessimistically . Here, in proximity to Hungary, Russia, and the south Slav lands, you hear many things that you dare not think about in Vienna and near the Adriatic. The possible abdication of the monarchy is spoken of openly, also of “Emperor Karl, the last.” These questions are not considered problems, no, only as something unavoidable. I am indignant. Such discussion among officers! I want to snap in reply, to refuse to tolerate that kind of talk. INTHE EAST 167 “My dear friend, that’s the way it is; we cannot do anything about it! Why play the hiding game? You must also have the courage to face the facts of the matter. We are finished! We could have known that for a year already, had we removed our blinders. We simply did not want to see. Our Emperor has already tried, but we can no longer get peace. Germany still insists on “peace through victory.” Wherever you look mistakes have been made, and they are still being made. From the peace with Russia we anticipated food from the Ukraine. Yes, Schmarrn!2 The little bit that came to Austria did not go far. In the forests of Slavonia the “green guards” prowl about, deserters from all lands of the monarchy. You would have to send an army over to capture them. The rural police don’t dare to take action against them anymore; they are too strong. Whenever things aren’t going well, he just joins the troops; it is a strange coming and going over there. Fig. 31. A “harmless” steamer, but the U-boat’s downfall 168 INTHE EAST Carniola, Bosnia, and Herzegovina are already breaking away. Look at the newspapers: the most beautiful real estate in Carniola is dirt cheap. Anybody German is fleeing toward German lands. Everything is falling apart. INTHE EAST 169 Fig. 32. The trip home toward Pola Now they hold meetings in Vienna, one after another; they want to make amends for what for years has been neglected. But what they could have granted earlier is now demanded—and God knows what more. They could have relied on gratitude previously , now only disdainful laughter. But what am I saying? We must expect that those “above” know what is to be done. We will be the ones to take the consequences . Besides, tomorrow a Hungarian steamship leaves for AdaKal é. A pleasure trip. Come along! All the officers are invited. It’s going through the Iron Gate; you could look at that, for once.3 Totally disheartened, I turn away and cannot sleep for a long time. Ada-Kalé is a Turkish island in the Danube. It was forgotten by one of the peace treaties and remained Turkish. The people make their living from smuggling. Here you can get Turkish cigarettes! In the morning I am on the pleasure cruiser. It is swarming with guests, chiefly German officers. Everyone is invited by the steamship line. On the foredeck the captain pours out shots of cognac. It...