Morning Departure
By Bunts

This is an entirely fictitious story and has no relation to any know ship of the Royal navy or any particular set of circumstances.

It was 7.00 am on a typical January Monday morning. It was jut before dawn and a chill wind blew off the sea with a few tentative flakes of snow flying in the wind. The off duty crews of the various submarines that made up the sixth squadron, reluctantly left their warm beds and their wives and families to report back to their boats. These were the lucky ones; the ones who were allowed to live ashore with their families when they were off duty.

 They walked in a steady silent  stream down the hill to the dockyard, in one’s and two’s huddled in their overcoats, their collars turned up against the morning chill air and their hands deep in their pockets. They made their way to the dockyard, to catch the liberty boat out to the submarine depot ship. At this time of the morning no-one was talking very much. They were all cold and thinking about the day ahead.   

As they arrived on board the depot ship HMS Rochester, they hurried away to their respective messes to change into their sea going kit; joining their mess mates who were already dressed for sea in their white sweaters, and having the last mug of tea at the breakfast table before joining their respective boats. Sometimes, they would be lucky enough, and have enough time, to scrounge a spare plate of egg and bacon before going on board the boat.

Tony Nash the Leading Signalman was one of these, and he responded happily to the “Morning Bunts” from all his mates. Going on board HMS Sirocco, Tony tried to keep clear of his boss Lieutenant Nick Holmes the Navigating Officer, who was also the Signals Officer. It was only an hour ago, that Tony had left Nicks wife in bed at her home, and he felt really guilty about the whole affair, he did not like  deceiving such a nice bloke...

Fortunately, his own wife Fran was away looking after her sick mother. He had not spoken to her for about two weeks, as every time he called to speak to her, she was either out shopping, or visiting friends. However, her sister assured him that she was well, but Mother was still very ill and she thought it would be some time before Fran was able to come home again.   

Tony knew he could not avoid Nick for ever and eventually he came face to face with Nick who gave him a cheery “Good Morning Tony – is everything OK?”
 “Yes sir” Tony replied hoping that his guilt did not show on his face. 
“Any news on your Mother in law?” Nick asked.
“It’s seems as though its going to be a long job sir, and it looks as though my wife will be away for another couple of weeks yet.” 
Tony wondered for a moment, whether Nick knew something about the affair that he was having with his wife as he was looking a bit ill at ease. 
Then he tried to be a little facetious as he said 
“Well you are looking a bit knackered. I bet you’ve been burning the candle at both ends with Fran away? I had better warn all the girls that you are on the loose. 
Then more seriously he said. “Anyway Tony I think it’s about time we had a chat.”

 Tony felt really guilty, and felt himself panicking.  He hoped he was not showing it. If only Nick knew that he had slept with his wife every night Nick had been duty officer, which had seemed to be on most nights for the past three weeks. 

 At times, he almost felt like blurting the truth out to Nick, who was really a nice guy for an officer. Every time he had slept with Izzy, and then had to face Nick afterwards he had determined to break it off with Izzy, and make a full confession to Nick.. But his courage failed him every time, and then when he saw Izzy again he was lost. She was a very addictive woman.

He turned his mind to getting all his gear ready for sea. Once again, pushing his guilty thoughts to the back of his mind. He had to make sure that all the binoculars were in good condition, and ready for the Captain and the Officer of the watch ,the lookouts and himself, and that the signal lamp was working and stowed handily in the conning tower on its rack...    

The “S” boats submarines were all veterans of the war, but they were still not very old. But now they had given way to the newer and larger “T” and “A” class boats that did most of the patrol work. Now they were largely employed as training squadrons for the local Royal Navy Asdic training schools. Their main function was to act as target boats, for the young seaman asdic trainees who were spending the day doing sea training in the accompanying anti submarine corvettes. 

Each day the submarines would go to sea accompanied by two anti submarine corvettes and dive in a prescribed area. The trainees in the accompanying ships would go through a number of maneuvers to test or enhance their asdic skills. Sometimes, the submarines trailed a float on the surface to avoid accidents and help the trainees find their targets. In really rough weather they would attach an inflated condom to the float, to make it easier for them to see.

In the afternoon when the exercises were finished the corvettes would drop two grenades as a signal to surface. The submarine would fire two smoke candles when they were on their course to surface. As soon as they were safely on the surface, the Corvettes would then say “Goodbye” and rush away back to harbour...  Meanwhile, the boats would be left having to pump low pressure air  into their  main ballast tanks to get full buoyancy, and gradually work up to full speed, being  left following a long way behind.

This was a normal Monday morning and HMS Sirocco was unlucky enough to have the farthest area from harbour and was to be the first submarine to slip from the depot ship. This morning as usual,  Leading Seaman Frank Carson the Second Coxswain was already on the casing, well before special sea duty men were called. He was dressed ready for sea, and was busy getting the cables singled up, and ready for slipping. 

Frank was a big man. He had been born in Sheffield and had been in the Navy for fourteen years. He was a three badger which meant that he had three good conduct badges, which was respected by both officers and men alike. He was a stickler in making sure that everything was maintained in the correct order on the casing. He was a man of few words, but he had the ability to get all the casing party working as a team.  Frank was a professional seaman, he had been in the navy since he was sixteen when he had joined the boys’ service, and the sea was the only thing he knew. He had survived five years of war service in boats, and now was moving rapidly towards his retirement age.

Frank had been married once during the war, but his wife had found the long separations, and the uncertainty of having a husband in submarines had been too much. They had separated, and she had gone home to her parents in Liverpool, only for her  to be killed in one of the many nightly air raids on the port.  

Frank would ensure that later, when the boat slipped from the depot ship that the cables were all stowed, and lashed down properly, and that there would be no loose ends rattling to give away their position to the hunting ships overhead. His work on the casing was ostensibly supervised by Sub Lieutenant Mark Ransom, who was the young officer in charge of the casing party. But Mark knew from past experience that all would be well, if he left everything to Frank Carson and did not get in his way or countermand his orders...  

Within a few moments special sea dutymen was piped and the Captain, the First Lieutenant Alan Marshall   and the Leading Signalman Tony Nash were soon all on the bridge. The Coxswain took his place on the wheel in the control room below and reported to the bridge 
“Coxswain on the wheel Sir.” 
The First Lieutenant reported to the Captain. ”Ready to proceed sir all hands are aboard, and the next of kin book had been sent aboard the depot ship. Sir”
“Thank you number one.” The Captain replied.

The Captain Mick Saunders was a Lieutenant and had finished his Perishers course to qualify him for command three months previously. He had previously served as the Pilot (Navigating Officer), and then First Lieutenant on two of the slightly bigger T Class boats, before  being selected for the command course. 

The standard of training was very high on the course, and only the best passed to eventually take command of a submarine. The officers, who failed, never had another appointment in submarines and were returned for duty in general service.

 Sirocco was Micks first command and he was proud of her. He had a good crew and with this boat he was getting valuable command experience. His wife was not at all happy about him being in Submarines, and he was inclined to worry about having to leave her at times. She had in fact threatened to leave him, if he did not apply to go back to general service. But Mick was proud of his achievement, and longed to graduate to the command of one of the bigger boats, perhaps eventually a nuclear boat. His wife had known he was a submariner when she had married him, and he was not going to let her dictate his career path to him now.

Alan Marshall the First Lieutenant was jealous of his Captain. In seniority as a Lieutenant he was senior to the Captain, and at times delighted in being unobtrusively obstructive. He had twice been passed over for a place on the command course, and he knew that his time in submarines was now limited, unless his present Captain gave him a glowing recommendation. He hated having to take orders from him, and having to call him “Sir”   

The Captain Mick Saunders was very aware of this petty behaviour, and was prepared to cut him a bit of slack; he did everything possible to ease their relationship. But in his heart he knew that Alan Marshall was not command material, and would never make it to his own command. His petty behaviour had not gone unnoticed and the time was coming when he knew he would have to take action  

The First Lieutenant called down to the casing. “Let go Forrard. Let go aft” As the springs were released. And HMS Sirocco moved away slightly free from the adjoining boat in the trot.  The morning swell in the harbour causing her to toss around slightly like a frisky colt glad to be free to run. The casing party on the adjoining boat quickly dropping fenders between them in case Sirocco should swing back and damage their ballast tanks. 

The Captain ordered Starboard 10 down the voice pipe. Slow ahead both. As the boat started to move, the Leading Signalman piped the still and the First Lieutenant called “Attention on the casing.” As they all came to attention and the officers saluted the depot ship.

The depot ship signaled the “Carry on.” And within minutes the Sirocca was heading for the breakwater. Soon the main engines clutches were in and  running, The casing party had cleared away and secured everything quickly and efficiently and had made their way via the bridge conning tower to go  below. This would be the last time they would see daylight until they got back to harbour later that day.

In the control room Nick Holmes was bent over the charts.  He called up to the Captain, giving him the recommended course to steer to get to their allotted diving area and their estimated time of arrival. Nick was quite popular with the crew, and like all good submariners he enjoyed the relaxed discipline of the submarine service. He too was feeling guilty at meeting Tony. He was determined that he would have it out with him sometime today, if he could get Tony on his own. He could not keep putting off the evil moment for their confrontation.  

The weather was quite choppy and the Captain went below, leaving the First Lieutenant on the bridge for a few moments and changed into his Ursula suit that would keep him warm and dry on the passage out to the diving area, before returning to the bridge. Tony also went below and changed into his Ursula suit, and they both strapped on safety belts and locked themselves to the bridge rail.

It took about an hour to reach their allotted diving area, by that time the sea was beginning to ease, and the two Corvettes had almost caught up with them. The Captain had a good look round with his binoculars and called down the voice pipe.
 “Diving stations.”  And then he turned to Tony, he ordered. “Clear the Bridge.” Tony Nash took the white ensign from its socket at the after end of the bridge and slid down the ladder to the control room just as the klaxon sounded twice, and the boat began to move slowly into the depths, as the vents on the main ballast tanks were opened one by one, spurting long streams of spray into the morning air... 

Tony Nash checked that the Captain had closed the upper hatch safely, and then he closed and latched the lower hatch as soon as the Captain had reached the control room. Tony knew that if anything went wrong in closing the upper hatch, he would have to close the hatch and leave the Captain to his fate. In peacetime, the boat would surface quickly and pick him up. But in wartime when the boat was under attack then the Captain would have to be left to his fate.
 
The Captain ordered Periscope Depth. The boat steadied on 32 feet and the Captain had a good look round with the periscope and then he ordered “Sixty feet, steer 110.” 
 He was taking his wet Ursula suit off as the boat started her descent to sixty feet.  
Suddenly the First Lieutenant ordered:” For Christ’s sake hold her.”
The Second Coxswain on the forrard hydroplanes said “She is not responding sir.”
The Captain ordered. “Full ahead both motors”, but it made little difference.
“Both hydroplanes to surface” still with little effect.
Then the order came “All hands aft”  “Close main vents” “Pump A”
All the crew off duty rushed aft to the motor room and stokers mess to see if the extra weight at the after end would force the nose to come up, but it was to no avail as the Sirocco gently hit the sea bed at 130 feet.
“Stop Motors.” The Captain ordered then. “Full astern both.” The motors raced, the lights dimmed but nothing happened. They were stuck. 
 The Captain then ordered. “Stop Both” Twice more the Captain ordered full astern to no avail. There was a sudden silence in the boat as the realisation sunk in that the Sirocco was not going to come free easily.
The Captain Mick Saunders said “What happened Number one?” 
“I don’t know sir. I checked the trim before we left.” 
“Did you, then why did you not log it then?
“You forgot to log it or forgot to check.?”
“I must have forgotten to check sir.” He said sheepishly.
It was obvious to everyone that the First lieutenant had slipped up, and had failed to carry out on of the most basic routine checks. 
They all knew that the Captain would eventually carry the ultimate blame for the First Lieutenants negligence and would face a court of enquiry for hazarding his ship if they eventually got free.
After some consultation with all the other officers the Captain said. 
 “OK number one, release the distress buoys, but we shall have to see if the tide change is any help to us later in the day. But the Corvettes will now know we are in trouble and should issue the Subsmash 2 alert. We can not attempt to make an escape until the sea is calmer anyway, and we have some more ships on the surface. Cut all unnecessary lights and cut all none essential power, all hands not on duty to their bunks we must save battery power and air at all costs. Keep one watch at diving stations.”

Then to the First Lieutenant.” I want you to break out and check all DSEA sets and immersion suits and log the results. I want no man to die today through faulty escape gear if we have to use it.” 

Tony Marsh the Leading Signalman lay on his bunk. He thought about their situation. The First lieutenant had been bloody negligent, his petty jealousy of the Captain had been behind it. He had endangered all their lives, and they all knew it.  Situations like this was something they had trained for, but hoped would never happen, and like the others he was fairly optimistic that they could all get out alive. Each one of them had requalified in the escape tanks only two months previously 

 He thought about his wife Fran and what she would do if he did not make it.  Fran had been a good wife, but somehow things had gone a bit flat between them recently. He had been glad in a way, when she had gone home to look after her mother, although, he did not understand why her sister could not manage to look after her mother without her. 

Then he reflected about his affair with Izzy and he felt guilty for having an affair with her when Fran was away.  He thought about the circumstances of their meeting. and how the affair had started and cursed his weakness and the fact that he had been so easy to seduce.
       
It had been a normal day just like today and they had returned to harbour at about 5.00pm. He was just about ready to go ashore to his apartment; although he knew his wife was at home with her mother following his Mother in laws heart attack. Just as he was about to go down the ladder to the Liberty Boat, the  Navigating Officer Lieutenant Nick Holmes called out to him and asked him if he would pop in to his home with an envelope for his wife Izzy.

Nick had seemed rather emotional at the time and could hardly look Tony in the face.  Tony had noticed it, and briefly wondered what was behind it all. He assumed that he had been called on for extra duty or something and was upset at not being able to go home.  He knew where Nicks apartment was, and he had met his wife Izzy several times before with Nick  when they were out shopping... She was a real little cracker, a small slim blonde girl with blue eyes and a beautiful vivacious personality and a real live wire.

Tony knocked at the apartment door, and Izzy had answered it with a big welcoming smile on her face when she saw him. He gave her the envelope and she pulled him in to the apartment saying. 

 “Let me read it Tony because he may want something taken back to the boat in the morning.” She took him into the lounge and sat down to read the note.
“Oh  shit.” She said, as if speaking to herself. She looked briefly at Tony.
“Do you know anything what is in this? She asked.
“No, he just gave me the envelope and asked me to deliver it.
He remembered that just watching her read the note  had given him an erection . 
 Izzy stood up without speaking and walked over to a cupboard. Standing on a chair she tried, as if to reach for something on the top of the cupboard.  She couldn't reach it, and so she asked Tony if he could stand on the chair and reach and she would steady him.

Tony agreed and clambered on to the chair, he reached up, there was nothing there as he felt around, and he felt her hands reach for his groin and fondle his hardness. Within seconds her fingers were pulling his Zip down, and as he reacted and turned round to climb down off the chair, his groin was on a level with her mouth and she had very quickly put his cock in between those beautiful red pouty lips. Her lips moved all the way down as she bobbed her head up and down at different speeds. Her hands were clutching on to his buttocks pulling him even closer to her. Tony was about to come, when she stopped just in time. 

She looked up at him with a lovely smile on her face. "You like that?" she said teasingly, "You want more?"

"Yes!” Tony replied. Izzy helped him down from the chair and took his hand leading him to the bedroom.

They quickly undressed and Tony lay down on the bed to watch her finish undressing. To his amazement, he saw that  she wore no panties. Her bald shaven womanhood stared right at him as her jeans dropped to the bedroom floor.  She jumped on the bed and straddled him, kissing him passionately. He could feel that she was very hot and wet, and he wanted her more than anything. She took his cock in her hand; put the tip to her vagina lips, rubbing it against them. Her warm juices moistened his cock He raised his hips and tried to thrust into her, but she raised off him enough to avoid it.

"Patience darling." she taunted.
She looked down at him with a sex crazed look and asked. 
"Do you want me to fuck you? Do you really want to feel your cock pushing right up inside me, feeling me slide up and down your cock until you can't take anymore and you will go mad? Do you want to cum inside me and make a baby with me?"
"God Yes!" he groaned.

Grasping his cock in her small hand she pointed it at the entrance to her love tunnel this time she let her body sink gently down on to him. Her pulsating vagina muscles gripped him tightly, lovingly, as they took him inside her. He could feel every ripple of every muscle vibrate his cock, until she had taken him all the way in. The pleasure was intense. She fucked him hard, picking up the pace, slowing down, and then going faster. Again and again she repeated this tactic, bringing Tony very near to the point of spending time after time.

Izzy reached over and turned the radio on to muffle their moans. He couldn't believe he was fucking one of his officer’s wives. She was really hot, as she rocked on him her eyes were closed, and her moans were coming incessantly.  The look in her eyes told him she had totally abandoned herself to the act. It was a fantastic feeling as she worked away driving his cock ever deeper inside her.  Sex with Fran had never been like this.

Sweat started pouring off them both as she drove up and down on his cock. Her buttocks slapping his leg in time with their movements.  The sensation was too great, but before he could cum, she stopped without warning. Izzy removed herself from him completely. She slowly let her body slide down his legs.  She took his cock back into her mouth, tasting herself. Her lips worked up and down his cock very slowly.  His climax started building. She sensed it and stopped.

She rose and straddled him again. This time he slid inside her very easily as she started riding him at a very fast pace. Izzy stopped, and gave him a very passionate long kiss again, before continuing. She slammed into him hard until she climaxed and came with a mind blowing orgasm and collapsed onto him. They stayed there, holding each other for several minutes, sticking together from the sweat drying on their bodies. Izzy started fucking him again, after catching her breath. A few seconds into it, he started to cum. As their passion waned. She said “I will go and get us a drink .Stay there I’m not done with you yet." She had not and it was daylight before Tony staggered home, to change and shower before going back to the boat. 

Now as Tony lay there in the cold semidarkness. He thought he felt the boat give a little  shudder. He could hear  that there  was increased activity above on the surface, and the sound of propellers as ships started to take up position for them to surface, or to start their escape. His mind kept wandering back to Izzy,  in fact he thought about nothing  else these days. His only regret about the possibility of dying today  was that he had not met her long ago and married her instead of Fran.

Their affair had continued over the following weeks, their love making was reaching new heights and now he was making excuses to go to her, every time her husband Nick was on duty. Tony thought that he seemed to be duty officer a lot and wondered whether other officers were taking advantage of him. He always seemed to be away weekends, apparently on courses, and he sympathised a bit with Izzy being left alone so much. Izzy now claimed she was pregnant, and he was the father, but she seemed to be quite delighted about it. When she talked about it, she had said, she would still dump the responsibility on to Nick, unless of course Tony darling you are prepared to stay with me?

Tony had told Izzy about how guilty he felt, but she just shrugged it off saying. “Nick is no angel, and how is it he does all these extra duties. I think he has another woman somewhere.” She had not told Tony that the letter that Tony had brought, had told her that Nick wanted a break in their marriage, following a massive argument because she wanted children and he did not. 

Tony meanwhile being totally unaware of Izzy and Nicks marital difficulties could not help feeling so guilty, because he liked Nick, and now he felt guilty about deceiving him.  As he lay there, he was steeling himself to go to the wardroom and confess everything to Nick, but there was no room anywhere on this boat for a private chat.  Meanwhile Nick lay on his bunk in the wardroom listening to the increased activity overhead. He too was feeling guilty. He knew that he must face up to Tony and have it out with him soon, or he would go mad. 

He could not carry on like this knowing and not facing it.  He liked Tony, and hoped that they could both act like mature adults when the truth came out as it must in time...  

It was about this time that back at her apartment Fran stretched and became fully awake. She reflected on her growing attachment to Tony. The day that he had come with the note from Nick, telling her that he was In effect leaving her, she had reacted with anger.  Tony had been available so, she had deliberately seduced him, and she had enjoyed it. To her surprise she found that Tony was good in bed, and as enthusiastic as she was. He was a far better lover than Nick. Now she waited every day for him to come to her. The nights that they were apart when Tony was on duty, were pure misery. She was now certain that she was in love with him. At first it had been lust but now she was sure that it was pure unadulterated love. The thought of losing Tony again to Fran was unbearable. 

Last night had been particularly good and she was now sure she was pregnant. It was probably too early for a test, but somehow her body was telling her that she was with child.. She felt pregnant and she wanted to be pregnant and she had to admit she was glad that Tony was the father. The fact that Tony was not an officer, but a lowly rating did not bother her at all. Her family had money, but they were not snobs, and she was sure that they would accept Tony with no problem at all. She had to act quickly now, and get Tony to commit to her unless she was prepared to lose him. 

She made up her mind that morning she definitely wanted Tony.  If she had to play dirty to get him, then  she would play dirty.  The news of her separation from Nick would soon become public anyway. She felt a little sorry for Fran, but if Fran felt her mother was more important than her husband, she had to face the risk of losing him to someone else.  

It was now three o clocks in the afternoon Nick and the Captain had their heads together over the chart table “The Captain said to Nick.
”Well I guess it’s now or never. Tell number one to call all hands to diving stations.” 
Once everyone was closed up, the Captain told everyone over the speaker what he intended .
“I want all spare hands in the after ends. If we break free, we will probably go up like a cork .So hold on tight”  
It was easier than he had anticipated. He ordered.  “Close main vents” then he gave the order to blow all ballast tanks and almost immediately, the Sirocco broke free, and she went up very fast to the surface despite efforts to slow her down. 

A big cheer went up from the surrounding ships as she broke surface like a bobbing cork. It was two hours later in the growing darkness  that HMS Sirocco entered harbour and returned to the deport ship. The ships in harbour sounded their sirens, and Tony still on the bridge, breathed a sigh of relief, as once again he knew where he intended to spend the night. 

Half an hour later, the majority of the crew of Sirocco landed on the jetty. The news had soon got out that she had been in trouble, and all the wives and girl friends had been let in to the landing stage area to meet them as they came ashore. As Tony leapt ashore his eyes immediately lit on to the blonde bundle of womanhood that was hurtling towards him wrapped in a fur coat. Izzy  threw herself into his  arms and was smothering his face with wet  kisses. 

When he managed to calm her down he turned to see Nick standing close to him with his arm round Fran. Nick was the first to speak “Look Tony there is no easy way to say this, but I have been seeing Fran. I am in love with her. I am so sorry, and she feels the same way about me. But it looks as though you have been seeing Izzy and you have something going between you. Perhaps we should consider a double divorce and a double wedding?   

The End