There was, apparently, an urgent need for young men to train as naval officers; the programme had even been drastically shortened to meet the demand. During a week’s leave at home, his father talked with him. ‘Germany must be fully prepared for war, if necessary, Reinhard. Personally, I don’t care much for our Führer and his party, but if they can end our twenty years of humiliation and suppression by the Allies, then I’m prepared to go along with them. Our country was treated shamefully at Versailles. They took away our land and all our resources and we have every good reason to rebel against those injustices.’ Reinhard said, ‘The English don’t seem very anxious for another war.’ His father agreed. ‘The British lion is dozing peacefully at the moment, but if we poke him with a big enough stick he will wake up and roar. That is why our new U-boat force must be ready. Those pathetic little two hundred and fifty tonne submarines that we have been allowed in our navy will be useless against the British Royal Navy.
