Chapter 607: Everything Has a Beginning

“I am the commander of the British destroyer fleet. We are not here to seek help; we are here under orders to help you fight back against the Japanese,” the middle-aged man wearing a German naval cap with his British naval uniform said solemnly.

“If you don’t mind, we have eight submarines outside the harbor, and another one needs repairs,” the German officer said with a smile in fluent English. “Our great Führer hopes you can believe that even if the whole world abandons Australia, the Führer and the German people stand with you.”

“God bless you! Your arrival is wonderful news,” the Australian officer said, excitedly shaking the German general’s hand. “After they left, you are the first army to come back and help us fight the Japanese!”

For days, any ship flying the American flag had only come to evacuate personnel and supplies. These Americans even took away barges and fishing boats to prevent them from being left for the impending Japanese arrival. The port of Sydney was as still as stagnant water, and the local people felt they had been completely abandoned. They never expected that at a time like this, they would receive reinforcements from afar.

The Germans’ journey in the Pacific had not been entirely smooth. Several men had adverse reactions from being unable to acclimate to the new environment, and one submarine was forced to turn back mid-journey due to mechanical failure. That submarine, carrying the sick men, had offloaded all the ammunition it could, and even some spare parts for the remaining submarines, doing everything it could.

Then, just as they were approaching Australia, another submarine developed problems and had to be towed by the destroyer to see if it could be repaired. If it couldn’t be fixed, it would have to be stripped for parts in Australia to supply the other submarines. No one had expected that just on the voyage to Australia, two out of ten submarines would run into trouble.

For the German navy, which rarely conducted long-range deployments, this distance was still a bit too far. But thankfully, they had reached Australia, and here they were not met with hostility but with a good reception.

The Germans did not risk approaching the Australian port; they remained anchored at sea. Only the one damaged submarine entered Sydney for repairs. Furthermore, according to orders, this submarine did not carry an enigma machine; it maintained contact with the distant fleet using the radio on the accompanying northern British destroyer.

The Australians held an emergency meeting for this fleet, attended by military personnel and some patriotic politicians who had remained. Many held a hostile attitude towards the Germans’ arrival, since, after all, the German army had wiped out an Australian division in North Africa. But this sentiment was quickly suppressed by military representatives who were in desperate need of support, especially naval support. They hoped to unite all available forces to defend Australia.

The matter was quickly settled. The Australian authorities would maintain a neutral stance towards this fleet from Europe: they would neither interfere with any of the fleet’s non-destructive activities in the port, nor would they take the initiative to provide strong official support. To put it simply: “You fighting the Japanese is none of my business, and if you dock to repair a submarine, I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.”

This attitude perfectly encapsulated the mentality of Australia’s current leadership. They were afraid of being held accountable by the Americans for cooperating with the Germans if they returned, yet they hoped the Germans would stay and help them resist the vicious Japanese. In the end, they chose an attitude of not helping and not hindering. While there was a risk of pleasing neither side, it was also a prudent choice that left them room to maneuver on several fronts.

“If you need anything, you can contact me.” The person who appeared before the Germans again was not a high-ranking military officer, but a young Australian major. He was clearly a poor soul pushed forward as a proxy. If the Japanese came or the Americans returned, he would have no choice but to clear out with the Germans.

“I’m already in the same boat as you. Any help I provide will ultimately be my personal action and have nothing to do with Australia,” he said, sitting helplessly on the sofa, clearly still in the shadow of being blatantly sold out by his own compatriots. “My grandmother was German, so I have one-quarter German blood.”

The German officer took out a French cigarette and handed it to the young man with a smile. He had quite a few medals on his uniform, including a U-boat War Badge, an enviable Iron Cross, and a medal for outstanding combat contributions. “My name is Günther Prien. I’m a captain, commander of the German Navy’s Pacific Submarine Flotilla. You haven’t introduced yourself yet.”

Akado had told Dönitz to find a suitable candidate to command the entire German long-range submarine fleet. Dönitz had searched for a long time but couldn’t find anyone who commanded enough respect. As it happened, Prien , having just returned from a hunt off the northern coast of the Soviet Union, applied for leave, and Dönitz roped Germany’s number one submarine ace into the job. The capable man does more work, after all. Having your superior remember you is a double-edged sword: the good part is you get promotions and raises, the bad part is you become his go-to person for every difficult problem.

And so, poor Prien, having just gotten used to the frigid Arctic waters, was dispatched to lead a fleet across the equator to experience the hot southern climate before he even had a chance to catch his breath. However, compared to the turbulent waves of the North Atlantic and the cold desolation of the Arctic Ocean, Prien still preferred this calm ocean, which was comparable to the Baltic Sea.

“My name is Williams,” the young officer replied softly, clearly influenced by the veteran and energetic German officer. He took the cigarette and put it in his mouth.

“William, may I call you that?” Prien struck a match, helped Williams light his cigarette, and then continued to ask.

“Of-of course,” the young Australian officer, Williams, replied immediately, clearly a little flattered.

Prien nodded and then listed all the things he wanted: “Some lathe workers, and qualified raw materials. I need to make some simple parts as spares, though of course, we have most of our own. In addition, you’ll need to prepare food for our fleet—bread, vegetables, meat, fresh water, and so on.”

“In such a hurry?” Williams asked, surprised.

“Everything has a beginning, kid. We need to choose an island to establish a base, since I know you’re not exactly welcoming us. Then there’s fuel and various other supplies, houses, tents, even medicine… we need a lot of things,” Prien said. He wasn’t much older than the Williams in front of him, but hardened by battle, he was a soldier as old as they come. The dangers he had faced in command were probably more than the legends of the entire Royal Australian Navy combined, and his personal combat record seemed to surpass that of the entire Australian Navy as well. So when he called him “kid,” no one found it strange, because compared to a submarine commander who had sunk over 100,000 tons of battleships, everyone else seemed quite young.

“I need you to prepare these things within four hours, because four hours from now, I will lead a portion of my submarine force that is in good condition north to seek and attack Japanese targets,” Prien’s eyes became incredibly serious as he mentioned combat. He took out a small notebook, glanced at it, and added, “Right, I also need naval charts for the entire sea area around Australia. The most detailed military charts, the more accurate the better.”

He looked at Williams as he spoke, finally stopping his chatter and pointing at Williams’ empty hands. “Aren’t you writing this down?”

“I can remember everything you’ve said,” Williams replied with a hint of pride.

Prien frowned, but finally spoke his mind: “Get a notebook and write down everything important. Don’t forget a single small detail. When you’re busy, you will inevitably forget things, and those forgotten things can often decide victory or defeat.”

He was a typical German officer, meticulous in training and meticulous in combat. That was why he and his men had been able to escape death time and again in the cruelest of naval battles, and why he was able to stand here alive, enjoying the beauty of the sun. Because of his personal experience, he was convinced that every matter needed to be repeatedly confirmed. For him, this was definitely a good habit.

He firmly believed that by not cutting corners on anything, he would have the ability to save himself when needed. As a German submarine commander, he knew that every detail would ultimately affect the battle. He always tried to do his best, which was why he could always complete his missions in critical battles and return to port alive with his men to receive the cheers and admiration of the people.

“Yes, Captain Prien,” Williams was already completely deferential to Prien. After all, he was still young and had no combat experience. Moreover, he knew clearly that he and the German officer before him were now two grasshoppers on the same rope; they had to stick together to survive the brutal war.

“Delay the operation plan by two hours,” Prien nodded, then turned to the adjutant behind him and instructed, “The preparations here are too slow. Get some men to help, help Major Williams get the things we urgently need, including fuel, medicine, and food.”

Just as Captain Prien said, everything has a beginning. The Germans had just arrived in Australia and were already beginning to set up their simple offensive base, preparing to launch their first attack on the arrogant Japanese Navy.

For the many battleships of the Japanese Navy, this was definitely unfortunate news. Because while there were hundreds, even thousands, of German submarine commanders, there was only one Prien —only one man with the nickname “The Battleship Killer”

Published: 2025-09-10T05:18:15.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-01-19T15:55:22.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c607-has-138561396

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