noon
Everything movable was being thrown about in utter disorder , while to add to the discomfort of the crew the covering-plates of one of the lubricating-oil tanks had been strained , and at every jerk jets of viscous fluid would squirt through the fracture and trickle sullenly over the floor of the crew-space . Since the watertight doors were still closed , Ross and Vernon were unable to get back to their bunks . Feeling thoroughly wretched , they were glad to accept Hans Koppe 's offer to lie down on a long locker . At noon , U75 came to the surface . The storm , being short forecasted , had quickly blown itself out , but the waves still ran high . It was a prearranged plan on the part of the three U-boats operating in the English and Bristol Channels to communicate with each other by wireless at noon and at midnight . U75 's wireless had a range of about 180 miles , and although it could be `` jammed '' , the call could not be tapped by vessels other than the one for which it was intended .