Captain Kurt Beitzen was asleep in his bunk but woke instantly and flicked on an overhead lamp.
Kapitän , Ive spotted a large vessel approaching from the southeast approximately ten kilometers off. I caught a brief glimpse of her profile. A British warship, possibly a battleship, Voss reported excitedly.
Beitzen nodded as he sat upright, flinging off a blanket. He had slept in his clothes and quickly pulled on a pair of boots, then followed his second officer to the control room. An experienced submariner, Beitzen took a long look through the attack periscope, then barked out range and heading coordinates.
Shes a warship, he confirmed nonchalantly. Is this quadrant clear of mines?
Yes, Voss replied. Our nearest release was thirty kilometers north of here.
Stand by to attack, Beitzen ordered.
Beitzen and Voss moved to a wooden chart table, where they plotted a precise intercept course and relayed orders to the helm. Though submerged, the submarine rocked and pitched from the turbulent seas overhead, making the urgent task more stressful.
Built in the shipyards of Hamburg, the U-75 was a UE-1 class submarine, designed primarily for laying down mines on the seafloor. In addition to a large stock of mines, she carried four torpedoes and a powerful 105mm deck gun. Her mine-laying duty was nearly complete, and none of the crew was expecting an encounter with an enemy warship.
Under Beitzens command, the U-75 was on only its second mission since being launched six months earlier. The current cruise had been deemed a minor success already, as the subs mines had sunk a small merchant ship and two trawlers. But this was their first crack at a prize of major stature. Word quickly rippled through the crew that they were targeting a British warship, boosting the focus and tension to high levels. Beitzen himself knew that such a kill would guarantee him the Iron Cross.
The German commander gently guided the submarine to a position perpendicular to Marwick Cape. If the warship held her bearing, she would pass within a quarter mile of the lurking sub. The U-boats torpedoes had an accurate range of less than half a mile, necessitating an uncomfortably close firing position. In World War I, most merchant ships were actually sunk by the U-boats deck guns. The U-75 didnt have that option against the heavily armed cruiser, particularly in the present rough seas.
Positioned for the kill, the captain hung to the periscope, waiting for his quarry. Another flash of moonlight revealed that the Oberleutnant was close to the mark. The vessel appeared to be an armored cruiser, somewhat smaller than the fearsome dreadnoughts.
Tubes one and two, stand by for firing, Beitzen commanded.
The cruiser was now less than a mile away, its imposing size nearly masking the horizon. Beitzen quickly double-checked the torpedoes firing profile, then eyed the target once more. The vessel was quickly approaching their strike range.
Open bow caps, he ordered.
A few seconds later, a reply rang through the control room, Bow caps open.
Tubes one and two ready.
Ready, came the reply.
Beitzen tracked the cruiser through the periscope, waiting patiently while the crew around him held their breaths. He watched until the big
surface ship appeared directly in front of them. Beitzen parted his lips to give the fire command when a bright flash suddenly filled his eyepiece. A second later, a muffled explosion rocked through the subs steel bulkheads.
Beitzen stared dumbfounded through the periscope as flames and smoke burst from the cruiser, lighting the night sky with a blaze of persimmon red. The big warship shuddered and shook, and then her bow burrowed under the waves. The stern quickly rose up, hung suspended in midair for a few moments, then chased the bow down toward the seafloor. In less than ten minutes, the mammoth cruiser disappeared completely from sight.
Voss you are certain there are no mines in this quadrant? he asked hoarsely.
Yes, sir, the officer replied, double-checking a chart of mine-field locations.
Shes gone, he finally muttered to the anxious crew awaiting his orders. Close bow caps and stand down.
As the disappointed crew resumed their duties, the captain clung to the periscope, staring blankly through the eyepiece. A handful of survivors had escaped in lifeboats, but there was nothing he could do to help them in the turbulent waters. Watching the empty black sea before him, he struggled to find an answer. Yet none of it made sense. Warships just didnt blow up by themselves.
It was a long while before Beitzen pried himself away from the periscope and staggered quietly to his cabin. Fated to die later in the war, he would never learn the truth of why the Hampshire had blown up. But in his remaining days, the young Kapitän never shook the image from his mind of the cruisers last minutes, when the massive warship seemingly died without cause.
PART I OTTOMAN DREAM
1
Situated in eastern Cairo some two miles from the Nile, al-Azhar stood as one of the citys most historic structures. Originally constructed in the year 970 A.D. by Fatimid conquerors, the mosque was rebuilt and expanded through the centuries, ultimately attaining status as Islams fifth most important mosque. Elaborate stone carvings, towering minarets, and onion-domed spires vied for the eyes attention, reflecting a thousand years of artistry. Amid its fortress-like stone walls, the centerpiece of the complex was a wide rectangular court surrounded by rising arcades on every side.