Word: oaks
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...heels of Mr. Churchill's statement, a flash came from Germany that Lieutenant Commander Günther Prien and the boyish crew of his U-boat, safely back at Kiel, were congratulated by Grand Admiral Erich Raeder for smiting not only Royal Oak but also Repulse. A. Hitler sent his personal plane, Grenzmark, to fetch them to Berlin for an ovation in which Propaganda Minister Goebbels managed to share the spotlight...
Members of Prien's crew seemed to be suppressing amusement as he continued what sounded like a set recitation: "The British ships could not be seen distinctly, but one could determine the location by dimmed lanterns at the anchoring buoys. Repulse was partly covered by Royal Oak. Nevertheless her two forward turrets protruded. So I first aimed in their direction, then sent a second torpedo into the very heart of Royal Oak, then another, and another. I saw distinctly how water first spurted high before Repulse and then was followed by high red flames...
...Royal Oak, water and fire rose even higher. We saw one waterspout after another followed by a series of huge explosions-white, red and green lights in a fireworks display such as I never had seen before. Pieces of deckwork, masts and smokestacks flew up into the air, giving the impression that the entire ship was blown completely to smithereens...
...whole thing was over in 30 seconds. After that only a dark cloud of smoke was visible. Royal Oak had disappeared, while Repulse listed heavily forward...
Fiercely, repeatedly the British denied their Repulse was hit. Seaman Vincent Marchant, who managed to get overside from Royal Oak and swim ashore through the tons of oil which cloyed and dragged down others, tended to corroborate Prien's 30-second version as against the Admiralty's 2O-minute one. Marchant's story seemed to refute Prien's belief that he hit Repulse. Marchant told of four hits on Royal Oak. After the first explosion, he just had time to get from his hammock to the deck. Then followed the second, third and fourth blasts. Evidently...