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Part 4
On the night of the 13/14th October
U-47 commanded by kapitanleutnant Gunther Prein sneaks through defences of Scapa flow and at 00:27 enters Scapa flow proper. Kapitanleutnant Prein spots the battleship Royal Oak, the Heavy cruiser Norfolk and the seaplane carrier Pegasus which Prein mistakes for a battlecruiser of the Renown class as only bow is visible.
At 01:03 Prein orders for two torpedoes to be fired at Royal Oak the first one runs deep and misses but the second hits the bow, The crew wake up thinking that there has been an explosion in the magazines. Most of the crew try go back to sleep but the Admiral on board calls for battle stations.
Prien next fires his last two bow torpedoes at Royal Oak both hit blowing out her hull and setting afire in her magazines. HMS Belfast anchored 5 miles away with half power gets her crew to battle stations and slips her moorings when the first torpedo hits Royal Oak. Armour piercing shells are brought up from Belfasts magazines and loaded within 2 minutes. Prein orders a 180° turn and to reload the bow tubes, as U-47 turns Prein orders the stern tubes to be fired at Norfolk. Both torpedoes miss Norfolk one detonates prematurely the second hits Norfolk but doesn't explode. With the bow tubes needing to be reloaded Prein fires his last stern torpedo at Royal Oak but it runs deep and explodes prematurely. U-47 turns 180 ° and fires a torpedo that has been reloaded from the bow tubes at what Prein believes to be a Renown class battlecruiser it jams in the tube. Most of the crew start to evacuate from Royal Oak all the boy sailors are evacuated along with Rear Admiral Henry Blargrove and most of the crew apart from 150 men trying to get the damage under control. HMS Belfast already at 18 knots and closing fast on U-47 starts to fire her primary armament of 12 6 inch guns at U-47, The first salvo misses to port the second salvo brackets U-47. Prein orders a hard turn towards Belfast and for the bow tubes reloaded as fast as possible. Belfasts captain G.A. Scott orders a hard turn to avoid U-47s probably torpedoes, as Belfast turns her 12 6 inch guns are turned towards u-47. With the bow tubes reloading Prien fires two torpedoes at Belfast which is closing fast at 25 knots. Captain Scott carefully combs the torpedo tracks and fires a full broadside which nine shells miss but three shots bracket the u-boat which is turning to flee from the cruiser out for revenge.
With the reloading of Belfasts main battery in under 8 seconds Captain Scott orders a hard turn to follow the u-boat. The front two triple turrets fire the three shells from A turret bracket the fleeing u-boat but one of the three shells from B turret hit the conning tower damaging it. Unable to submerge U-47 trys and escape fortunately for Prein Belfast breaks off to rescue the crews of Royal Oak and Pegasus.