9 a.m.
Weissman immediately dived and , without deviating a degree from his course , held on at three-quarters speed on the motors . Some time later the hydrophone watchkeeper reported the sound of propellers in his listeners , and that he judged them to be close at hand , so I imagine we passed very nearly directly underneath whatever it was . After an hour 's submerging we rose , and found dawn breaking over a leaden and choppy sea . Nothing being in sight , we continued on the surface for an hour , charging batteries with the starboard engine -LRB- 500 amps on each -RRB- , but at 9 a.m. , the clouds lying low and an aerial patrol being frequent hereabouts , we dived and cruised steadily down channel at slow speed , keeping periscope depth . Several times in the course of the forenoon we sighted small destroyers and convoy craft -LSB- 1 -RSB- in the distance , all steering westerly . They were probably returning from escorting troopships over to France last night . In every case we went to sixty feet long before they could have seen our `` stick . ''