Wentzel Ahbe was a highly decorated U-Boat captain in the Kriegsmarine, having survived numerous depth-charge battles during the Battle of the Atlantic. In March 1945, he led U-1324 out of Kiel, Germany, on what would be its final mission: transporting Lt. Col. Matsuda back to the Japanese base in Batavia (now Jakarta), located in the South China Sea. Ahbe also took aboard another passenger—SS Lt. Col. Spielberger, who was carrying an undisclosed cargo.
For the most part, U-1324 had remarkable luck: encountering few enemies and even torpedoing an enemy tanker. However, as it neared Batavia, it encountered a U.S. Navy patrol group and went into silent running. They might have escaped if the group hadn't used active sonar. U-1324 was severely hit by depth charges, driving its nose-first into the ocean floor. The forward torpedo crew managed—at the cost of their own lives—to seal off their flooding compartment from the rest of the submarine, but there was no escaping their fate. It was then that Captain Ahbe relieved his crew of their duties to the Third Reich so they could face death on their own terms.
While waiting for his end, Captain Ahbe met Lt. Col. Spielberger (Lt. Col. Matsuda had already committed seppuku, or ritual suicide, earlier). It was at this moment that Spielberger, after asking Ahbe about the chances of escape, revealed he was carrying a painting—"The Twelve Knights Led by Brunhilda," allegedly painted by Adolf Hitler (later revealed to be a meaningless piece). Although Ahbe was a patriot, he wasn’t a Nazi, and openly expressed his disgust toward Spielberger's lack of concern for his family. Spielberger was offended by Ahbe's lack of loyalty to the Nazi cause and murdered him. Spielberger was later killed by Ahbe’s loyal crew.
Though Ahbe’s story was one of heroic valor, Revy didn’t hesitate to seek Ahbe’s Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, which he earned during his service in the Atlantic. She only wanted it to make some quick money.
(source: Absolute Anime)
