Hardly a ripple stirred the sea when darkness stole down over Waterford on the evening of August 4. The fisherfolk along the coast, gathering in the village inn, spent an hour or two smoking and chatting over the doings of the day. Some were still standing before the doors of their cottages about midnight when they were startled by the sound of a terrific explosion at sea, a sound that reverberated over the water in the absolute silence of the night. Then, faintly, cries were heard. The cries sent the fishermen speeding to the quay. In a short time three fishing boats were speeding over the sea, heading in the direction whence the cries came. None knew what lay ahead of them, none troubled even to ask. Death might be lurking for them, but that aspect of the case did not concern them. The sound of the explosion and the cries still rang in their ears, betokening a disaster which sent the fishermen on their swift errand of mercy to succour whomsoever they could find. Standing alert in the prows of their boats, the fishermen scanned the sea for signs of wreckage. From time to time they called, and listened vainly for an answer. They were about 4 miles from shore when a dark object loomed in the water, a faint cry answered their calls. A minute later a man was dragged over the side of one of the boats. The stranger was in a bad state. It was obvious he could not long survive. Heading about, the fishermen landed the man as quickly as possible, but stimulants liberally administered had little effect. Just for a time he rallied and managed to gasp out the information that he was a member of the crew of the U.44, and that they were laying mines when a tremendous explosion occurred and shot him up to the surface. His end came suddenly soon afterwards. The U.44, laying mines in the stilly night to deal death and destruction to others, strayed unwittingly into one of our minefields. One of her mines in floating upwards after its release knocked against one of ours, and the two exploded with such terrible force that the stern of the submarine was practically blown away and the men who manned her were drowned like rats in a trap. Thus Nemesis overtook the Germans. By Monday, August 6, Commander G. Davis of the Admiralty Salvage Section was recalled from another salvage case with instructions to recover the sunken U-boat. All that night the salvage officer and his men laboured at getting the necessary gear aboard the salvage ship, and at midnight on the Tuesday they reached Waterford. Early next day minesweepers were at work clearing a passage for the salvage vessel. It was dangerous to move in that area at all, as was manifested during the morning when one of the minesweepers herself struck a mine and foundered. Without waste of time, Commander Davis tackled and raised the minesweeper as a preliminary to the important task of raising the U-boat.