Submarine HNLMS K34, 53 dgs 46 min North, 5 dgs 40 min East, Monday, 12 April 1948
The submarine K34 has been on a routine training mission, aboard her were a fresh crew, destined to form the crew of the O23 which was currently still under construction.
Her hydrophone operators has heard lots of activity all day as they cruised submerged, ASDIC pings and small charge explosions and plenty of cavitation noises.
"Sir, what do you make of it?" One of the young Lieutenants asked the captain, de Jong, an experienced submariner in the Navy, the "Den Helder Schoolmaster, as he was commonly known.
"It sounds like a major exercise, there is nothing scheduled or in the Notice to Mariners, we'll surface and make a sighting report to headquarters." de Jong then gave the necessary orders.
The K34 had only been on the surface a few minutes before a dark shape appeared, a flying boat. The officer of the watch didn't dive, after all there was no reason too. Suddenly the plane descended and dropped smoke markers accurately around the submarine.
"Alarm! Dive the boat! What are those fools doing!" de Jong shouted.
No sooner had the K34 dived to periscope depth than a sonobuoy landed not far from their position, its pings audible to the crew. Nobody but de Jong had taken the care to look at the aircraft carefully before jumping down the hatch. A quick flick through the recognition guide confirmed de Jong's identification, "a Dornier, a German. What are those idiots doing!"
The K34 maneuvered to get as far from it as possible but within a quarter of an hour two or three vessels had appeared, their ASDIC pings lashing the submarine. One or two of the nervous ratings began to get rattled, "Sir are we at war or something!" one the radio operators shouted. Even the junior torpedo officer was rattled, "Sir, shouldn't we open fire, we're being attacked!"
de Jong, was a steadying rock, "Don't be stupid, we are not in danger, they aren't dropping real charges on us. Get a grip of yourself man." The young officer lowered his head, de Jong shrugged, "even if we wanted to attack we haven't any torpedoes aboard!" He laughed and the crew felt a little more cheerful.
As the pings continued and the sound of dummy charges banged overhead de Jong had enough, "Surface the boat! Let's find out who these damn fools are! Blow main ballast!"
The conning tower erupted from the sea, then the hull broached and even before the spray had subsided de Jong was up the ladder, out of the hatch and shaking his fist at the two ships nearby. A signaller was scrambling after him.
As he used his blinker to signal de Jong's message 'I am HNLMS K34, identify yourself and cease your foolish actions,' the Captain was shouting a more salty version while still shaking his fist. The young signaller wondered if his efforts were in vain as he felt sure the two German sloops would hear his Captain quite clearly.
Meanwhile below the radio operator was tapping out a clear message to the Home Fleet Command;
From HMLNS K34.
Have been harassed by several German aircraft and ships and forced to surface at position 53 dgs 46 min North, 5 dgs 40 min East.
No damage sustained but crew shaken.
Germans aims unclear.
Am attempting to get vessels to identify themselves. Request urgent support.
Within minutes three Fokker T.XM maritime patrol aircraft were scrambled from Naval Air Station Valkenburg, followed soon after by eight Bloch MB.1050D Milan Royal fighters from Bloch MB.1050D Milan Royal de Kooi. The only ship with steam up was the destroyer Z96 which was ordered to leave Den Helder immediately and the 7th Escort Flotilla was directed to get as many of its sloops to sea as soon as possible. Meanwhile the telephones from Naval HQ to the Ministry of the Defence and the Prime Minister's office were hot with activity. Within an hour the German Naval Attache would hear heated voices in his telephone earpeice.