January, 23th 1941
Boat is getting loaded with torpedoes, food,
and ungoing minor repairs and updates.
--
March, 14th 1941
15:31 - Boat is ready. We have a few new crew
members and our crew is now complete. We also
got a medic.
16:04 - We passed by U-xx, the type IIB under
command of xx
--
March, 16th 1941
00:12 - convoy sighted at AE7959 but we are
too far away and slowly reaching south of
Norway.
07:24 - U-110 reports sighting a convoy,
10/20 steamers and large tankers. AE7959.
--
March, 17th 1941
06:41 - U-100 reports attack by destroyers.
Rammed and heavy flooding. Forced to surface
boat, abandoning boat.
--
March, 22th 1941
07:47 - Aircraft spotted!
Took minor damage from its gun, no wounded.
Diving.
21:03 - U-124 reports both diesel engines
damaged and inoperable. ES5551
--
March, 23th 1941
03:45 - Tribal class destroyer spotted on
our left, bearing 328. Diving to periscope
depth to attack with one torpedo.
03:56 - More contacts. It's not a warship
cruising alone, it's a convoy!
04:00 - My god. It's a task force!
We found the HMS King George V.
She is 8 km away and running fast.
Trying to close in.
04:08 - Attacking HMS Nelson.
04:12 - Destroyer class found us while we
were closing. Ordering crash dive to
140 meters.
05:12 - It's been an hour. We are cruising
at 140 meters, the ship is dropping depth
charges around. The rest of the task force
is gone.
6:42 - Enemy still pinging but they seem
to have run out of depth charges.
23:30 - Enemy has no depth charge left.
They keep pinging and tracking us.
We can't evade him it seems.
Battery at 60 % but CO2 is rising too high,
we are at 44 % CO2 and close to the red zone.
23:48 - Another destroyer has come. Taking
damage. Hydrophone and radio operator are
dead. We lost two crew to injuries in bow
quarters. Flooding under control.
--
March, 24th 1941
05:24 - We now have three destroyers around
us. Taking a lot of depth charges. Heavy
damage : stern torpedo damaged. Stern dives
planes out of order: we have bottomed the ocean
floor at 150 meters deep. Propeller is damaged
and we are stopped. Compressor is destroyed,
starboard electric engine damaged. port
electric engine damaged. Both diesel engines
damaged and not working. We have flooding
on the diesel engines compartement. Batteries
at 1600 A and we are critical on oxygen: we
are at 59 % CO2.
06:22 - We cannot control flooding. We have
to blow ballast. If we keep at bottom oxygen
will run out in about 2 maybe 3 hours. But
with the flooding, we will never make surface
if we dont blow ballast. Ordering our situation
to be enciphered using Enigma, and have all
codes and Enigma destroyed. Radio operator will
transmit our last message while our crew
abandons ship.
06:26 - surfaced. Under heavy attack. Ordered
radio operator to transmit our last message.
Crew is evacuating ship and jumping on water.
Several wounded and dead on surface. They keep
attacking us. Four boats on surface : one
Town class, one Hunt I class, one A&B and one C&D. Four dead on dead.
--
U-99 was destroyed and sunk at 06:30
All 54 crew dead.
jeudi 18 mars 2010
Patrol 12 (20DEC40 - 23JAN41)
= Patrol 12 =
November, 23th 1940
Been promoted to Oberleutnant zur See.
Tonnage for this patrol : 23900.
Matrosenobergefreiter Karl-Heinz Kohler has been
transfered to another Uboat. He is replaced by
Matrosenobergefreiter Georg Etzkorn.
Got a full load of type II torpedoes. Boat just
needs some minor repairs. Optics of the attack
and observation periscope have been changed,
as all the needles of the attack computer (the
previous ones just look the same, no change.
Why are they changing those needles anyway ?)
--
December, 20th 1940
06:49 - Boat is ready. It's covered in snow,
as with everything around. It's quite cold
this morning. The sea is rocking a lot.
Ordered patrol grid is AM41. That's a grid
far away, south of the Rockall Banks. Well, we
will be in the middle of Nordsee when christmas
comes. For the second year, I am spending this day
at sea.
16:19 - We reached the exit of the Kanal.
It's a beautiful day. Cold, but clear sky. Not
a single cloud.
--
December, 23th 1940
15:17 - Aircraft spotted, grid AN21.
--
December, 25th 1940
Diving and offering the crew an evening of good
food and rest. Will resume course to patrol area
tomorrow around midday.
--
December, 30th 1940
21:02 - Radio reports another massive raid from
German air forces has attacked London last night.
--
December, 31th 1940
22:34 - Diving to search for ship reported
around.
--
January, 5th 1941
00:00 - Weather is so bad we have not spotted any
ship for weeks. It is like being alone in a world
of sea.
--
January, 6th 1941
11:01 - Traking an hydrophone contact. Merchant.
11:39 - Merchant spotted. Setting torpedoes to
depth of 0, impact. Visibility is 300 meters,
ship is 250 meters away. Firing tubes 1 and 2.
11:47 - Torpedo 1 is a dud. Torpedo 2 did hit.
11:49 - Ship has stopped. Huge fireballs.
She is burning a lot. Surfacing.
--
January, 7th 1941
14:09 - Hydrophone contact. Heading north.
Weather pretty bad. Very low visibility.
14:50 - Contact lost. No ship in sight.
20:58 - Hydrophone contact. We are stuck in bad
weather. Clouds everywhere, and poor visibility.
--
January, 10th 1941
22:39 - Hydrophoene contact. Diving to periscope
depth.
22:30 - Firing tubes 1 and 3. Contact, set to
0 meters.
22:34 - Both torpedoes hit!
--
January, 11th 1941
19:17 - Taking the passage between Ireland and
England.
--
January, 12th 1941
03:25 - Hospital ship. Lights on.
Cancelling attack.
10:20 - Hunt I Class warship spotted! At 800
meters in front of us. Ordering crash dive.
They emerged from the mist!
10:21 - Diving. Ship is using ASDIC against us.
10:49 - Over 50 depth charges and they are still
searching us. We hear ASDIC but they keep attacking
astern of us. Ordering 50 RPM rotations and changing
course.
11:18 - They have run out of depth charges. They
are moving away. Raising depth to 25 meters and
going away.
15:17 - Caught on surface by enemy warship.
Took damage from attack. Ordered crash dive,
and put flooding under control.
15:21 - Depth 93 m. Ordered silent running.
Warship using ASDIC. Depth charges close, but no
damage.
15:41 - Enemy destroyer still sending depth charges.
Counted 16 charges until now.
16:10 - Stopped engines. Once speed nul, we slowly
bottomed the boat on the ocean's floor, at 94 meters.
Ordered crew to rest and sleep. Warship is still
going around, but no ASDIC and not launching depth
charges anymore. They lost us. We counted 18 depth
charges.
17:09 - Counted 36 depth charges. Another warship
is closing on us.
17:31 - The second warship is dropping depth charges
while the other one is going around helping her
to find us. 48 depth charges, still no damage
except all dials have exploded around.
17:42 - 63 depth charges. They are exploding farther
from us now.
17:51 - 79 depth charges.
18:51 - 3 warships going around us. 129 depth
charges. Hydrophone operator reports a convoy
is coming to us!
19:40 - Depth charge exploded near bow. Torpedo
tubes 2, 3 and 4 are destroyed. Tube 1 is damaged.
Observation periscope is destroyed. Radio antenna
is damaged, we cannot receive or emit.
21:04 - 135 depth charges. Convoy is passing
south of us but we can do nothing with those
three warships attacking us.
23:03 - Attack is over. 138 depth charges.
Surfaced and recharged batteries. We are at the
entry of Irish sea.
--
January, 13th 1941
00:01 - Waited for reported ship.
00:09 - Ship sighted. Periscope depth. Will pass
south of us. Using stern tube.
00:12 - First stern torpedo did miss.
00:19 - Torpedo did miss.
10:21 - Dived for hydrophone check, convoy reported
north of us. Many contacts. Plotting interception
course.
10:43 - Convoy detected. Closing slowly and
avoiding front. Hearing escort doing slow
ASDIC search in the front.
11:10 - One torpedo hit. Two dud, one miss.
Targeted large cargo. Ordered crash dive
and running silent away. Destroyer looking for
us.
12:54 - The ship we did hit sunk about 20
minutes ago. It's been almost two hours
and the destroyer is still tracking us and
launching depth charges.
13:16 - Pinging and depth charges have
stopped. Almost two hours evading the
attacks. Crew exhausted. Took no damage.
Waiting one hour then we will move away.
Battery at 4000 A, CO2 at 1.3 %
14:45 - Still trying to evade the warship.
She is over 100 depth charges launched.
15:01 - Warship is out of depth charges.
They almost lost of 10 minutes ago. we
are slowly getting out of reach and she is
out of ammo.
21:05 - Warship gave up. Keeping underwater
and silent running until midnight. We are
out of torpedoes.
--
January, 14th 1941
01:12 : Surfacing. Setting course back to
Kiel.
--
January, 23th 1941
10:24 : We reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
Been awarded the Knight's Cross.
November, 23th 1940
Been promoted to Oberleutnant zur See.
Tonnage for this patrol : 23900.
Matrosenobergefreiter Karl-Heinz Kohler has been
transfered to another Uboat. He is replaced by
Matrosenobergefreiter Georg Etzkorn.
Got a full load of type II torpedoes. Boat just
needs some minor repairs. Optics of the attack
and observation periscope have been changed,
as all the needles of the attack computer (the
previous ones just look the same, no change.
Why are they changing those needles anyway ?)
--
December, 20th 1940
06:49 - Boat is ready. It's covered in snow,
as with everything around. It's quite cold
this morning. The sea is rocking a lot.
Ordered patrol grid is AM41. That's a grid
far away, south of the Rockall Banks. Well, we
will be in the middle of Nordsee when christmas
comes. For the second year, I am spending this day
at sea.
16:19 - We reached the exit of the Kanal.
It's a beautiful day. Cold, but clear sky. Not
a single cloud.
--
December, 23th 1940
15:17 - Aircraft spotted, grid AN21.
--
December, 25th 1940
Diving and offering the crew an evening of good
food and rest. Will resume course to patrol area
tomorrow around midday.
--
December, 30th 1940
21:02 - Radio reports another massive raid from
German air forces has attacked London last night.
--
December, 31th 1940
22:34 - Diving to search for ship reported
around.
--
January, 5th 1941
00:00 - Weather is so bad we have not spotted any
ship for weeks. It is like being alone in a world
of sea.
--
January, 6th 1941
11:01 - Traking an hydrophone contact. Merchant.
11:39 - Merchant spotted. Setting torpedoes to
depth of 0, impact. Visibility is 300 meters,
ship is 250 meters away. Firing tubes 1 and 2.
11:47 - Torpedo 1 is a dud. Torpedo 2 did hit.
11:49 - Ship has stopped. Huge fireballs.
She is burning a lot. Surfacing.
--
January, 7th 1941
14:09 - Hydrophone contact. Heading north.
Weather pretty bad. Very low visibility.
14:50 - Contact lost. No ship in sight.
20:58 - Hydrophone contact. We are stuck in bad
weather. Clouds everywhere, and poor visibility.
--
January, 10th 1941
22:39 - Hydrophoene contact. Diving to periscope
depth.
22:30 - Firing tubes 1 and 3. Contact, set to
0 meters.
22:34 - Both torpedoes hit!
--
January, 11th 1941
19:17 - Taking the passage between Ireland and
England.
--
January, 12th 1941
03:25 - Hospital ship. Lights on.
Cancelling attack.
10:20 - Hunt I Class warship spotted! At 800
meters in front of us. Ordering crash dive.
They emerged from the mist!
10:21 - Diving. Ship is using ASDIC against us.
10:49 - Over 50 depth charges and they are still
searching us. We hear ASDIC but they keep attacking
astern of us. Ordering 50 RPM rotations and changing
course.
11:18 - They have run out of depth charges. They
are moving away. Raising depth to 25 meters and
going away.
15:17 - Caught on surface by enemy warship.
Took damage from attack. Ordered crash dive,
and put flooding under control.
15:21 - Depth 93 m. Ordered silent running.
Warship using ASDIC. Depth charges close, but no
damage.
15:41 - Enemy destroyer still sending depth charges.
Counted 16 charges until now.
16:10 - Stopped engines. Once speed nul, we slowly
bottomed the boat on the ocean's floor, at 94 meters.
Ordered crew to rest and sleep. Warship is still
going around, but no ASDIC and not launching depth
charges anymore. They lost us. We counted 18 depth
charges.
17:09 - Counted 36 depth charges. Another warship
is closing on us.
17:31 - The second warship is dropping depth charges
while the other one is going around helping her
to find us. 48 depth charges, still no damage
except all dials have exploded around.
17:42 - 63 depth charges. They are exploding farther
from us now.
17:51 - 79 depth charges.
18:51 - 3 warships going around us. 129 depth
charges. Hydrophone operator reports a convoy
is coming to us!
19:40 - Depth charge exploded near bow. Torpedo
tubes 2, 3 and 4 are destroyed. Tube 1 is damaged.
Observation periscope is destroyed. Radio antenna
is damaged, we cannot receive or emit.
21:04 - 135 depth charges. Convoy is passing
south of us but we can do nothing with those
three warships attacking us.
23:03 - Attack is over. 138 depth charges.
Surfaced and recharged batteries. We are at the
entry of Irish sea.
--
January, 13th 1941
00:01 - Waited for reported ship.
00:09 - Ship sighted. Periscope depth. Will pass
south of us. Using stern tube.
00:12 - First stern torpedo did miss.
00:19 - Torpedo did miss.
10:21 - Dived for hydrophone check, convoy reported
north of us. Many contacts. Plotting interception
course.
10:43 - Convoy detected. Closing slowly and
avoiding front. Hearing escort doing slow
ASDIC search in the front.
11:10 - One torpedo hit. Two dud, one miss.
Targeted large cargo. Ordered crash dive
and running silent away. Destroyer looking for
us.
12:54 - The ship we did hit sunk about 20
minutes ago. It's been almost two hours
and the destroyer is still tracking us and
launching depth charges.
13:16 - Pinging and depth charges have
stopped. Almost two hours evading the
attacks. Crew exhausted. Took no damage.
Waiting one hour then we will move away.
Battery at 4000 A, CO2 at 1.3 %
14:45 - Still trying to evade the warship.
She is over 100 depth charges launched.
15:01 - Warship is out of depth charges.
They almost lost of 10 minutes ago. we
are slowly getting out of reach and she is
out of ammo.
21:05 - Warship gave up. Keeping underwater
and silent running until midnight. We are
out of torpedoes.
--
January, 14th 1941
01:12 : Surfacing. Setting course back to
Kiel.
--
January, 23th 1941
10:24 : We reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
Been awarded the Knight's Cross.
Patrol 11 (28OCT40 - 22NOV40)
= Patrol 11 =
September, 20th 1940
Got the deck run removed on my boat. Discussed it
with the Chief Engineer and he think we will get
a quieter boat under water, doing far less noise,
and it will greatly reduce our drag too.
We will use the ammunition reserved compartements
to store more food and needed supplies. Patrols
are getting longer and I need the morale of the
crew to remain high.
Transfers : Leutnant zur See Fritz Deckert got
transfered and is replaced by Leutnant zur See
Johann Kosel. His fame for saving a destroyed bow
Uboat has reached and he has been transfered to
a prime naval ship.
--
October, 29th 1940
We have a problem finding type II torpedoes.
Only been able to get 8 of them this month.
Loaded tubes 1/2 with type II and tubes 3/4 with
type I. We have enough to reload those tubes
exactly one time like this. Got 2 type-II and
2 type-I as reserve.
23:24 : Boat is loaded and we departing for
our 11th patrol. Ordered patrol grid is AM23.
Our boat received a new control in the engine
room to set the RPM to the most fuel-economical
setting. Speed will vary according to sea state,
but this knob will give us the longest range possible
for our fuel.
--
October, 30th 1940
08:46 - U-32 reports attack by destroyer. Damaged
and forced to surface the boat. Scuttled.
Those destroyers are getting better and better
at catching us.
--
November, 2nd 1940
15:55 - We are one grid away from ordered patrol
zone. Aircraft spotted: ordered flak gun manned.
16:00 - Plane did not spot us. Depth is over
1000 meters. Diving for security. This plane might
have been out of ammo and reported our position.
A good time to make a test crash dive and see how
the boat handles 150 meters and 200 meters deep.
16:04 - Reached 162 meters. Some noises on hull,
we hear it working a little. Checking the Uboat
for any leaks.
16:20 - ordering a 200 meters deep dive.
16:37 - Boat is handling well. We are at 200 meters.
No leaks. Chief enginner advises not to go deeper.
We are 50 meters below maximum depth. That's enough.
Estimates crush depth between 230 and 250 meters.
Our little ship has been built properly to specs.
--
November, 3rd 1940
11:38 - Spotted starboard a Tribal class
warship. It's getting dark, weather is turning
around and they are around 8 or 10 Km away from us.
The ship has not spotted us. Cloud are overcast,
it's like being at dawn. The visibility is not
very good and winds are getting quite strong.
Rain should soon reach us.
--
November, 4th 1940
14:54 - We reached the ordered patrol grid. Starting
patrol. Clouds are overcast, with some precipitation.
Visiblity is moderate, a few Km at best.
--
November, 5th 1940
21:01 - Roosevelt has been re-elected as USA
president.
--
November, 10th 1940
12:34 - U-43 reports leaking fuel. Turning back
to base.
--
November, 11th 1940
15:52 - Hydrophone contact. Merchant moving slow
at bearing 019 and long range.
16:56 - Fired two type I torpedoes at Empire-type
freighter. Torpedo 1 was a dud but torpedo 2 did
hit.
17:04 - Ship has changed course. Adapting ours.
We are 1 Km too far to fire a type II. Increasing
to full speed ahead.
17:06 - U-65 reports having refueled from Bordmark
at grid ER 6126. No trafic encountered.
17:12 - Ship is zigging a lot. Getting closer.
She has no fire and no visible damage. She's
a tough one.
17:15 - Ship is tilting to its starboard side,
especially at its stern. Going to send another
torpedo at her stern on her board side. Flooding
should send her down.
17:18 - Fired tube 1 with type II torpedo.
Hit within 3 minutes.
17:20 - Torpedo hit.
17:30 - We are leaving. Ship is now on our south.
She is sinking slowly. Its bow has gone down,
and the stern of the ship is 20 meters high above
the water line. We say people fell from the stern
to the water. She is going to sink straight down
with her bow first.
Moving up north. Weather is not very good, we
cannot move external torpedo from reserve to
inside of sub. Diving to 80 meters to let the crew
relax a little and have some beer. We need to check
if any warship is coming to us too.
Ship identified as SS Empire Byron. She was
carrying textiles. crew of 89, 32 lost.
21:03 - Send patrol report. Radio news reports
the British carrier-based aircraft have attacked
the Italian fleet at Taranto. Three battleships
have been sunk.
--
November, 12th 1940
16:50 - Tribal class sighted. Diving to periscope
for attack. Using type II to avoid bubble trails.
--
November, 13th 1940
01:15 - Sigthed an ASW escort. Dived. Sky all
black, almost no light. No moon.
01:30 - Behind the ASW we can see a passenger ship.
Sending torpedoes type I from tubes III and IV.
01:35 - Torpedoes 1 and 2 have hit ! We hear
explosions. That ASW escort is not gonna be happy.
Ordering dive planes for deep dive, under silent
running.
01:37 - Depth 32 meters. We hear more explosions.
I wonder what kind of cargo that ship had. Stopping dive at 40 meters, setting both engines RPM to 50.
01:45 - Engines stopped. Ordered periscope depth
to check for the ship on surface.
01:52 - The ASW is on surface. Stopped. Its lights
are searching for survivors around her.
The passenger ship has sunk, we see nothing but
the ASW. She's a small ship and she's trying to
save that crew. Deciding not to attack and kill
people being rescued. They survived the attack,
they deserve to get out of this alive.
02:01 - Slowly moving away at 40 meters deep.
Sunk ship identified as SS Lina Matkovic, passenger
ship with crew og 66, 21 lost.
--
November, 14th 1940
21:02 - Luftwaffe raid has devastated Coventry.
--
November, 15th 1940
12:58 - Very bad weather. The sky is filled with
gray skies, there is so much rain we can't even
see over 100 meters, and the winds are very strong.
No way we can move torpedo from external storage
inside. Sea is black like oil.
--
November, 16th 1940
18:11 - Moving E to try to find a convoy headed
W since 15:00 - Been diving for hydrophone checks
every 30 minutes. I think the convoy is just north
of us now. But weather is pretty bad: it is totally
dark, and the boat is rocking all around, we will
have trouble firing at anything under those conditions.
18:48 - Periscope check. We are on the path of
the convoy. While cheking around, we found an A&B
class destroyer just 200 meters behind us.
Ordered silent running and stopped engines.
19:02 - Fired most torpedoes. One did hit a ship
astern of us. Three torpedoes hit a ship passing
in front and a fourth hit a merchant too. Of the
three hit ships, only the ore carrier did sink
immediatly. Diving to 60 meters and going silent.
19:14 - Went back to periscope depth using
ballasts. Rear tube reloaded. Searching for a
target.
19:15 - Hydrophone operator reports a second
ship is going down.
19:19 - Second torpedo hit on the passenger
carrier. Turning around to shoot tube II to her.
19:23 - Dived to 60 meters, running silent.
We have used all our torpedoes. The only two
left are in external storage. Slowly moving
away after attack.
19:29 - Depth charges in water. Exploding behind
us. Moving away.
20:32 - Sent patrol report. Sunk 4 cargo ships for
over 20000 tons. We only have two torpedoes left
but with current weather we cannot move them
inside. Setting course back to Kiel.
Two sunk ships identified as SS Port Adelaide,
ore carrier loaded with bauxite, Crew of 68 and
31 lost. SS Empire Geraint, empire-type freighter
carrying iron ore. Crew of 59, 7 lost.
--
November, 20th 1940
21:01 - Hungary and Romania have joined the Axis.
--
November, 22h 1940
21:01 - Greek forces have defeated the Italian
9th Army.
23:43 - Reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
--
Been promoted to Oberleutnant zur See.
Tonnage for this patrol : 23900.
September, 20th 1940
Got the deck run removed on my boat. Discussed it
with the Chief Engineer and he think we will get
a quieter boat under water, doing far less noise,
and it will greatly reduce our drag too.
We will use the ammunition reserved compartements
to store more food and needed supplies. Patrols
are getting longer and I need the morale of the
crew to remain high.
Transfers : Leutnant zur See Fritz Deckert got
transfered and is replaced by Leutnant zur See
Johann Kosel. His fame for saving a destroyed bow
Uboat has reached and he has been transfered to
a prime naval ship.
--
October, 29th 1940
We have a problem finding type II torpedoes.
Only been able to get 8 of them this month.
Loaded tubes 1/2 with type II and tubes 3/4 with
type I. We have enough to reload those tubes
exactly one time like this. Got 2 type-II and
2 type-I as reserve.
23:24 : Boat is loaded and we departing for
our 11th patrol. Ordered patrol grid is AM23.
Our boat received a new control in the engine
room to set the RPM to the most fuel-economical
setting. Speed will vary according to sea state,
but this knob will give us the longest range possible
for our fuel.
--
October, 30th 1940
08:46 - U-32 reports attack by destroyer. Damaged
and forced to surface the boat. Scuttled.
Those destroyers are getting better and better
at catching us.
--
November, 2nd 1940
15:55 - We are one grid away from ordered patrol
zone. Aircraft spotted: ordered flak gun manned.
16:00 - Plane did not spot us. Depth is over
1000 meters. Diving for security. This plane might
have been out of ammo and reported our position.
A good time to make a test crash dive and see how
the boat handles 150 meters and 200 meters deep.
16:04 - Reached 162 meters. Some noises on hull,
we hear it working a little. Checking the Uboat
for any leaks.
16:20 - ordering a 200 meters deep dive.
16:37 - Boat is handling well. We are at 200 meters.
No leaks. Chief enginner advises not to go deeper.
We are 50 meters below maximum depth. That's enough.
Estimates crush depth between 230 and 250 meters.
Our little ship has been built properly to specs.
--
November, 3rd 1940
11:38 - Spotted starboard a Tribal class
warship. It's getting dark, weather is turning
around and they are around 8 or 10 Km away from us.
The ship has not spotted us. Cloud are overcast,
it's like being at dawn. The visibility is not
very good and winds are getting quite strong.
Rain should soon reach us.
--
November, 4th 1940
14:54 - We reached the ordered patrol grid. Starting
patrol. Clouds are overcast, with some precipitation.
Visiblity is moderate, a few Km at best.
--
November, 5th 1940
21:01 - Roosevelt has been re-elected as USA
president.
--
November, 10th 1940
12:34 - U-43 reports leaking fuel. Turning back
to base.
--
November, 11th 1940
15:52 - Hydrophone contact. Merchant moving slow
at bearing 019 and long range.
16:56 - Fired two type I torpedoes at Empire-type
freighter. Torpedo 1 was a dud but torpedo 2 did
hit.
17:04 - Ship has changed course. Adapting ours.
We are 1 Km too far to fire a type II. Increasing
to full speed ahead.
17:06 - U-65 reports having refueled from Bordmark
at grid ER 6126. No trafic encountered.
17:12 - Ship is zigging a lot. Getting closer.
She has no fire and no visible damage. She's
a tough one.
17:15 - Ship is tilting to its starboard side,
especially at its stern. Going to send another
torpedo at her stern on her board side. Flooding
should send her down.
17:18 - Fired tube 1 with type II torpedo.
Hit within 3 minutes.
17:20 - Torpedo hit.
17:30 - We are leaving. Ship is now on our south.
She is sinking slowly. Its bow has gone down,
and the stern of the ship is 20 meters high above
the water line. We say people fell from the stern
to the water. She is going to sink straight down
with her bow first.
Moving up north. Weather is not very good, we
cannot move external torpedo from reserve to
inside of sub. Diving to 80 meters to let the crew
relax a little and have some beer. We need to check
if any warship is coming to us too.
Ship identified as SS Empire Byron. She was
carrying textiles. crew of 89, 32 lost.
21:03 - Send patrol report. Radio news reports
the British carrier-based aircraft have attacked
the Italian fleet at Taranto. Three battleships
have been sunk.
--
November, 12th 1940
16:50 - Tribal class sighted. Diving to periscope
for attack. Using type II to avoid bubble trails.
--
November, 13th 1940
01:15 - Sigthed an ASW escort. Dived. Sky all
black, almost no light. No moon.
01:30 - Behind the ASW we can see a passenger ship.
Sending torpedoes type I from tubes III and IV.
01:35 - Torpedoes 1 and 2 have hit ! We hear
explosions. That ASW escort is not gonna be happy.
Ordering dive planes for deep dive, under silent
running.
01:37 - Depth 32 meters. We hear more explosions.
I wonder what kind of cargo that ship had. Stopping dive at 40 meters, setting both engines RPM to 50.
01:45 - Engines stopped. Ordered periscope depth
to check for the ship on surface.
01:52 - The ASW is on surface. Stopped. Its lights
are searching for survivors around her.
The passenger ship has sunk, we see nothing but
the ASW. She's a small ship and she's trying to
save that crew. Deciding not to attack and kill
people being rescued. They survived the attack,
they deserve to get out of this alive.
02:01 - Slowly moving away at 40 meters deep.
Sunk ship identified as SS Lina Matkovic, passenger
ship with crew og 66, 21 lost.
--
November, 14th 1940
21:02 - Luftwaffe raid has devastated Coventry.
--
November, 15th 1940
12:58 - Very bad weather. The sky is filled with
gray skies, there is so much rain we can't even
see over 100 meters, and the winds are very strong.
No way we can move torpedo from external storage
inside. Sea is black like oil.
--
November, 16th 1940
18:11 - Moving E to try to find a convoy headed
W since 15:00 - Been diving for hydrophone checks
every 30 minutes. I think the convoy is just north
of us now. But weather is pretty bad: it is totally
dark, and the boat is rocking all around, we will
have trouble firing at anything under those conditions.
18:48 - Periscope check. We are on the path of
the convoy. While cheking around, we found an A&B
class destroyer just 200 meters behind us.
Ordered silent running and stopped engines.
19:02 - Fired most torpedoes. One did hit a ship
astern of us. Three torpedoes hit a ship passing
in front and a fourth hit a merchant too. Of the
three hit ships, only the ore carrier did sink
immediatly. Diving to 60 meters and going silent.
19:14 - Went back to periscope depth using
ballasts. Rear tube reloaded. Searching for a
target.
19:15 - Hydrophone operator reports a second
ship is going down.
19:19 - Second torpedo hit on the passenger
carrier. Turning around to shoot tube II to her.
19:23 - Dived to 60 meters, running silent.
We have used all our torpedoes. The only two
left are in external storage. Slowly moving
away after attack.
19:29 - Depth charges in water. Exploding behind
us. Moving away.
20:32 - Sent patrol report. Sunk 4 cargo ships for
over 20000 tons. We only have two torpedoes left
but with current weather we cannot move them
inside. Setting course back to Kiel.
Two sunk ships identified as SS Port Adelaide,
ore carrier loaded with bauxite, Crew of 68 and
31 lost. SS Empire Geraint, empire-type freighter
carrying iron ore. Crew of 59, 7 lost.
--
November, 20th 1940
21:01 - Hungary and Romania have joined the Axis.
--
November, 22h 1940
21:01 - Greek forces have defeated the Italian
9th Army.
23:43 - Reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
--
Been promoted to Oberleutnant zur See.
Tonnage for this patrol : 23900.
Patrol 10 (03SEP40 - 20SEP40)
= Patrol 10 =
May, 26th 1940
Ludwig Lassen tranfered to another Uboat and replaced by Gerhard Garner.
Promoted Oberfahnrich zur See Fritz Deckert to Leutnant zur See. He saved the boat and allowed us to return to Kiel with a critically damaged boat. Also got him awarded the Iron Cross Second Class.
Awarded the Wounded badge to Ebehard Hauber and Wilhem Schulz.
Damage to Uboat is extensive. The whole bow
torpedo area is destroyed. Will take two monthes
to repair it. When the moved up the ship for
drydock part of the bow broke. Engineers say it is
a miracle we have been able to come back alive
from this.
--
August, 28th 1940
Damage to Uboat has been repaired. Boat has been
filled with type II torpedoes and received the
following upgrades.
Upgraded our hydrophones from Gruppenhorchgerat to
the new Kristalldrehbasigerat. Will cover 160 degrees
on each side of the boat compared to the previous
140 degrees on each side.
We also replaced the base AFA 27 MAK 740 batteries
with the new model AFA 27 MAK 800 that has the
same capacity in Amps but has a shorter recharge
time.
The anti-aircraft gun, 2 cm Flak C/30 has been
replaced with a dual barrel version of the same
gun.
Italian forces from Ethopia have invaded the
British Somaliland. The British garnison survived
and has been evacuated to Aden. On August 13th the
operation Adlertag sent the Luftwaffe attack in a
major offensive the RAF airfields. They retaliated
on 25th and bombed Berlin. Operation Seelowe has been
delayed until late September, at least.
--
September, 3rd 1940
Heinrich Witt has been transfered to another Uboat.
Emil Scholtz is dead, he was killed by local
partisans. He has been replaced by Albert Fabian.
13:11 - We are departing from Kiel for our 10th
patrol. It's a beautiful day. Sadly, our boat
was under extensive repairs so we did not have the
chance to sail under august's sun at sea.
There is a type IXB on dock under the pen. Those
boats are huge!
08:02 - U-57 reports having collided with norwegian
ship. Six dead.
--
September, 5th 1940
09:15 - We are getting closer to ordered patrol
grid. Received contact report by radio. Plotted
interception course. Dived at 5 Km of guessed
area : ship is bearing 310. Estimated range
is 10 Km.
09:54 - Found target. Coastal freighter.
Dived to periscope depth, sent one torpedo
set to contact pistol.
09:59 - Torpedo did miss. Bad angle, we saw
the ship too late to fire with proprer 90 degree
angle (shot at 116).
10:19 - Surfacing. Resuming course to patrol area
AN51. Moving external reserve torpedo to internal
stores.
--
September, 6th 1940
21:27 - Merchant ship spotted. Diving to
periscope depth.
21:30 - Fishing boat. Surfacing close for
deck gun attack. Will give some training to
the crew.
Ship identified as MV Waveflower, Fishing boat,
83 tons. Crew of 10, 6 are lost.
--
September, 7th 1940
08:20 - U-28 attacked convoy. One sunk for 14000
tons, still attacking. Grid AM36. Ordering full
speed ahead to AM36 which is 100 Km away.
14:03 - U-46 ordered to provide beacon for other
Uboats.
20:00 - Reached AM36. Searching for convoy.
21:01 - Luftwaffe has launched major air strikes
against London.
--
September, 9th 1949
03:02 - U-47 reports sinking one convoy in AM,
no precise grid in message. One freighter for
6000 tons.
06:54 - Large trawler spotted.
07:08 - Fired torpedo 1. Impact.
07:09 - Torpedo hit!
Ship identified as MV Arlita, Large trawler,
547 tons. Crew of 16, 13 are lost.
12:45 - ASW Trawler spotted. Attacking
with torpedo set for Impact. Diving slow
to 25 meters and going away.
12:48 - Torpedo did miss.
18:22 - Spotted ASW Trawler. Moving stern to
target. Should pass behind us at 600 meters.
Ordering machines stop.
18:34 - Torpedo in the water.
18:36 - Torpedo did miss.
22:29 - Came back to periscope depth. ASW Trawler
coming back on stern. Firing torpedo at 4 meters,
Contact. Sea is calm, dark night without moon.
22:40 - Torpedo on the water.
22:43 - Torpedo did hit!
Depth 19 meters, still slowly going down to 80 m
Ship identified as HMS Retriever, 1100 tons.
Cew of 54, 13 survivors.
--
September, 10th 1940
00:48 - Surface. Sent patrol report. Restarted
moving external stern reserve torpedo inside Uboat.
04:45 - Spotted ASW while charging batteries.
Dived to periscope depth, sending one torpedo.
Two others contacts, too far for visual.
04:49 - Torpedo hit!
Ship identified as HMS British Honduras,
1100 tons. Crew of 56, 31 are lost.
Setting course back to ordered patrol area.
Keeping below water for now.
05:12 - Surfaced. Many boats looking for us:
two motor torpedo boat behind us, two Elco
motor boats in front of us. Ordering deck gun
to be manned and shooting at Elco torpedo boat
before crash diving. We're going to teach them
a lesson they will not forget.
05:14 - Started shooting at closed Elco torpedo
boat, 3 Km away. Preparations for crash dive.
05:15 - Several of our hits on Elco torpedo boat.
Ordering crash dive !
05:18 - Reached 150 meters deep. Boat is doing
some weird noises but is handling well. One small
leak at stern of boat, chief engineer took care of
it. We are at 152 meters and the boat handles the
pressure properly. Going silent running. Hydrophone
operator reports 5 ships going around above of us.
05:26 - Chief engineer reports there was a small
leak in the electric engines compartement. It has
been fixed.
07:27 - No ship close to us. Ordering a 25 meters
depth level. Still cruising submerged to ordered
patrol area.
11:19 - checking around at periscope depth.
12:36 - We have 5 warships going around us.
Setting course to intercept the closest one.
13:14 - Dived to 180 meters. 30 meters below test
depth. Boat is working perfectly, no leaks at all.
13:23 - They are dropping depth charges but they
have no ASDIC. Boat is stable at 160 meters deep.
We have to keep at least 3 knots or we start
going down.
13:49 - Two warships have come around. Still no
ASDIC, they have launched over 50 depth charges.
Electric engines slightly damaged, Diesel engines
compartement had little flooding.
Depth charges are continuing, but they are
attacking a position behind us. We are slowly going
away from area.
14:18 - They have gone out of depth charges.
No contact. Keeping underwater at 50 meters
until sun goes down.
21:17 - Surfaced. Course set for AM51.
--
September, 11th 1940
04:36 - Hunt II Class spotted. Setting course
for attack.
05:00 - 2 torpedoes on the water.
05:03 - Hunt II spotted us!
It is directly charging for us.
Heading for destroyer bow to shoot torpedo at
close range.
08:02 - U-28 reports attacking convoy in AL6369.
Two hits observed, one damaged.
Did surface.
Reached ordered patrol zone.
--
September, 12th 1940
05:51 : Spotted Pelagic Trawler. Ordering
surface attack with deck gun.
06:06 : Shooting target at close range.
06:12 : Ship going down!
Ship identified as MV Sindonis, 889 tons.
Crew of 17, found 4 survivors.
--
September, 13th 1940
12:49 : Finished patrolling on ordered area.
Sending patrol report.
80 % of fuel left, 5 torpedoes left.
20:53 - Ore carrier spotted. Setting course for
interception. This ship is leaving England.
Probably empty, but she will go down anyway.
21:02 - Italy has invaded Egypt.
21:18 - Fired a three torpedo salvo, impact,
with 1 degree spread.
21:19 - All torpedoes did hit. Surfacing.
Ship identified as SS Port Brisbane, 8083
tons. Ship was empty, returning after delivery
to England. Crew of 75, 36 are lost.
--
September, 15th 1940
00:07 : Spotted large merchant. Setting course
for interception.
00:37 : Calm sea, merchant has no weapons
Attacking on surface using Deck Gun.
Shooting last torpedo, impact at 0 meters deep.
00:44 : Torpedo hit! SHip is going down.
00:48 : Setting course back to Kiel.
00:49 : We hear the ship going down. Bulkheads
exploding...
Ship identified as SS Glenbeg, 10615 tons.
Was carrying machinery. Crew of 101, 29 are lost.
--
September, 16th 1940
21:02 : Italian advance in Egypt has been stopped
at Sidi Barrani. USA has passed a conscription
bill.
--
September, 17t 1940
19:19 - Reached 50 % of fuel reserve. We are south
of Stavanger and in direction of Kristiansand.
--
September, 20th 1940
01:47 : Reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
May, 26th 1940
Ludwig Lassen tranfered to another Uboat and replaced by Gerhard Garner.
Promoted Oberfahnrich zur See Fritz Deckert to Leutnant zur See. He saved the boat and allowed us to return to Kiel with a critically damaged boat. Also got him awarded the Iron Cross Second Class.
Awarded the Wounded badge to Ebehard Hauber and Wilhem Schulz.
Damage to Uboat is extensive. The whole bow
torpedo area is destroyed. Will take two monthes
to repair it. When the moved up the ship for
drydock part of the bow broke. Engineers say it is
a miracle we have been able to come back alive
from this.
--
August, 28th 1940
Damage to Uboat has been repaired. Boat has been
filled with type II torpedoes and received the
following upgrades.
Upgraded our hydrophones from Gruppenhorchgerat to
the new Kristalldrehbasigerat. Will cover 160 degrees
on each side of the boat compared to the previous
140 degrees on each side.
We also replaced the base AFA 27 MAK 740 batteries
with the new model AFA 27 MAK 800 that has the
same capacity in Amps but has a shorter recharge
time.
The anti-aircraft gun, 2 cm Flak C/30 has been
replaced with a dual barrel version of the same
gun.
Italian forces from Ethopia have invaded the
British Somaliland. The British garnison survived
and has been evacuated to Aden. On August 13th the
operation Adlertag sent the Luftwaffe attack in a
major offensive the RAF airfields. They retaliated
on 25th and bombed Berlin. Operation Seelowe has been
delayed until late September, at least.
--
September, 3rd 1940
Heinrich Witt has been transfered to another Uboat.
Emil Scholtz is dead, he was killed by local
partisans. He has been replaced by Albert Fabian.
13:11 - We are departing from Kiel for our 10th
patrol. It's a beautiful day. Sadly, our boat
was under extensive repairs so we did not have the
chance to sail under august's sun at sea.
There is a type IXB on dock under the pen. Those
boats are huge!
08:02 - U-57 reports having collided with norwegian
ship. Six dead.
--
September, 5th 1940
09:15 - We are getting closer to ordered patrol
grid. Received contact report by radio. Plotted
interception course. Dived at 5 Km of guessed
area : ship is bearing 310. Estimated range
is 10 Km.
09:54 - Found target. Coastal freighter.
Dived to periscope depth, sent one torpedo
set to contact pistol.
09:59 - Torpedo did miss. Bad angle, we saw
the ship too late to fire with proprer 90 degree
angle (shot at 116).
10:19 - Surfacing. Resuming course to patrol area
AN51. Moving external reserve torpedo to internal
stores.
--
September, 6th 1940
21:27 - Merchant ship spotted. Diving to
periscope depth.
21:30 - Fishing boat. Surfacing close for
deck gun attack. Will give some training to
the crew.
Ship identified as MV Waveflower, Fishing boat,
83 tons. Crew of 10, 6 are lost.
--
September, 7th 1940
08:20 - U-28 attacked convoy. One sunk for 14000
tons, still attacking. Grid AM36. Ordering full
speed ahead to AM36 which is 100 Km away.
14:03 - U-46 ordered to provide beacon for other
Uboats.
20:00 - Reached AM36. Searching for convoy.
21:01 - Luftwaffe has launched major air strikes
against London.
--
September, 9th 1949
03:02 - U-47 reports sinking one convoy in AM,
no precise grid in message. One freighter for
6000 tons.
06:54 - Large trawler spotted.
07:08 - Fired torpedo 1. Impact.
07:09 - Torpedo hit!
Ship identified as MV Arlita, Large trawler,
547 tons. Crew of 16, 13 are lost.
12:45 - ASW Trawler spotted. Attacking
with torpedo set for Impact. Diving slow
to 25 meters and going away.
12:48 - Torpedo did miss.
18:22 - Spotted ASW Trawler. Moving stern to
target. Should pass behind us at 600 meters.
Ordering machines stop.
18:34 - Torpedo in the water.
18:36 - Torpedo did miss.
22:29 - Came back to periscope depth. ASW Trawler
coming back on stern. Firing torpedo at 4 meters,
Contact. Sea is calm, dark night without moon.
22:40 - Torpedo on the water.
22:43 - Torpedo did hit!
Depth 19 meters, still slowly going down to 80 m
Ship identified as HMS Retriever, 1100 tons.
Cew of 54, 13 survivors.
--
September, 10th 1940
00:48 - Surface. Sent patrol report. Restarted
moving external stern reserve torpedo inside Uboat.
04:45 - Spotted ASW while charging batteries.
Dived to periscope depth, sending one torpedo.
Two others contacts, too far for visual.
04:49 - Torpedo hit!
Ship identified as HMS British Honduras,
1100 tons. Crew of 56, 31 are lost.
Setting course back to ordered patrol area.
Keeping below water for now.
05:12 - Surfaced. Many boats looking for us:
two motor torpedo boat behind us, two Elco
motor boats in front of us. Ordering deck gun
to be manned and shooting at Elco torpedo boat
before crash diving. We're going to teach them
a lesson they will not forget.
05:14 - Started shooting at closed Elco torpedo
boat, 3 Km away. Preparations for crash dive.
05:15 - Several of our hits on Elco torpedo boat.
Ordering crash dive !
05:18 - Reached 150 meters deep. Boat is doing
some weird noises but is handling well. One small
leak at stern of boat, chief engineer took care of
it. We are at 152 meters and the boat handles the
pressure properly. Going silent running. Hydrophone
operator reports 5 ships going around above of us.
05:26 - Chief engineer reports there was a small
leak in the electric engines compartement. It has
been fixed.
07:27 - No ship close to us. Ordering a 25 meters
depth level. Still cruising submerged to ordered
patrol area.
11:19 - checking around at periscope depth.
12:36 - We have 5 warships going around us.
Setting course to intercept the closest one.
13:14 - Dived to 180 meters. 30 meters below test
depth. Boat is working perfectly, no leaks at all.
13:23 - They are dropping depth charges but they
have no ASDIC. Boat is stable at 160 meters deep.
We have to keep at least 3 knots or we start
going down.
13:49 - Two warships have come around. Still no
ASDIC, they have launched over 50 depth charges.
Electric engines slightly damaged, Diesel engines
compartement had little flooding.
Depth charges are continuing, but they are
attacking a position behind us. We are slowly going
away from area.
14:18 - They have gone out of depth charges.
No contact. Keeping underwater at 50 meters
until sun goes down.
21:17 - Surfaced. Course set for AM51.
--
September, 11th 1940
04:36 - Hunt II Class spotted. Setting course
for attack.
05:00 - 2 torpedoes on the water.
05:03 - Hunt II spotted us!
It is directly charging for us.
Heading for destroyer bow to shoot torpedo at
close range.
08:02 - U-28 reports attacking convoy in AL6369.
Two hits observed, one damaged.
Did surface.
Reached ordered patrol zone.
--
September, 12th 1940
05:51 : Spotted Pelagic Trawler. Ordering
surface attack with deck gun.
06:06 : Shooting target at close range.
06:12 : Ship going down!
Ship identified as MV Sindonis, 889 tons.
Crew of 17, found 4 survivors.
--
September, 13th 1940
12:49 : Finished patrolling on ordered area.
Sending patrol report.
80 % of fuel left, 5 torpedoes left.
20:53 - Ore carrier spotted. Setting course for
interception. This ship is leaving England.
Probably empty, but she will go down anyway.
21:02 - Italy has invaded Egypt.
21:18 - Fired a three torpedo salvo, impact,
with 1 degree spread.
21:19 - All torpedoes did hit. Surfacing.
Ship identified as SS Port Brisbane, 8083
tons. Ship was empty, returning after delivery
to England. Crew of 75, 36 are lost.
--
September, 15th 1940
00:07 : Spotted large merchant. Setting course
for interception.
00:37 : Calm sea, merchant has no weapons
Attacking on surface using Deck Gun.
Shooting last torpedo, impact at 0 meters deep.
00:44 : Torpedo hit! SHip is going down.
00:48 : Setting course back to Kiel.
00:49 : We hear the ship going down. Bulkheads
exploding...
Ship identified as SS Glenbeg, 10615 tons.
Was carrying machinery. Crew of 101, 29 are lost.
--
September, 16th 1940
21:02 : Italian advance in Egypt has been stopped
at Sidi Barrani. USA has passed a conscription
bill.
--
September, 17t 1940
19:19 - Reached 50 % of fuel reserve. We are south
of Stavanger and in direction of Kristiansand.
--
September, 20th 1940
01:47 : Reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
vendredi 12 mars 2010
Patrol 9 (23APR40 - 26MAY40)
= Patrol 9 =
April, 10th 1940
I have been awarded a new Uboat : a type VIIB.
The U-99. Last of the two number series. And she
has just been finished !
That new boat is over 500 tons heavier than our
previous one and will offer us about six times the
previous range.
From the type IIA to the type VIIB the tonnage
goes from 254 to 753 tons (+499 tons)
Maximum speed should be close to 17 knots compared
to the IIA 13 knots. Range is heavily modified,
we go from 1000 nautic miles to over 6000.
Diving depth has been improved from 100 to 150 m,
but the biggest change is the torpedo load capacity.
From our 3 tubes and 5 torpedoes at at any time
we now have 4 forward tubes and 1 back tube,
and can 8 torpedoes spare to reload (7 front, 1
back).
Ordered in December, 15th 1937 she was laid down
in March, 31th 1939 and commissioned April, 18th 1940.
We then took her back to Kiel, it only took a few
hours at standard ahead, she's a fast one. We reached
Kiel in the evening of the 18th.
We have the standard GHB hydrophones, the ship should
have received the new version, the KDB, but the new
model came in supply too late and we cannot delay any
longer our next patrol.
--
April, 23th 1940
06:45 - Took a few days to load her with a full set of
type II torpedoes.
Matrosengefreiter Hans Walter has been transfered to
another Uboat, and is replaced by Matrosenobergfreiter
Karl-Heinz Kohler.
08:05 - As we are going out and close to Laboe
Memorial, we are saluting U-120 coming back from
patrol, under command of Ernst Bauer (who got the
Knights Cross recently). My god, he even has grown
a beard ! Looks like a godfather with his crew
around. We are no longer the young trainees we were
two years ago.
10:59 - U-32 reports leaking gasoline fumes.
11:13 - We have received new orders : all boats
are to cancel future gasoline supply missions.
13:26 - U-46 reports having attacked destroyer,
no hits.
--
April, 25th 1940
03:01 : U-25 reports mechanical failure. Returning
to port.
08:02 - BdU reports U-22 failed to report!
Possible mine. Can't believe it. Been commanding
that little type IIA for two years and now she
might be gone!
Would have we died too if we had kept the U-22
instead of moving to the U-99 ?
--
April, 26th 1940
12:01 - All North Atlantic boats are now released
from operations in Norway. Looks like we missed
all of the fun while moving from U-22 to U-99.
And the U-22 has been lost all hands to sea...
--
April, 27th 1940
Reached grid AN44. One grid away from patrol area.
Depth under keel is 110 m. We are diving machines
stopped to 100 meters to check the boat.
08:30 - Depth 20 meters. Everything seems good.
Chief engineer and crew are checking all valves
before we go to 50 meters.
08:43 - Ordering dive to 50 meters and another
check of all valves. Not a single hull sound.
08:55 - Ordered closing of all compartements.
Ordered dive to 100 meters. First hull sounds
because of pressure started at 84 meters. Light.
09:10 - Reached 100 meters. No leak anywhere.
Normal pressure sound noise from hull. All good.
Surfacing and setting course to reach ordered
patrol area : AN18.
18:18 - Found a small depot ship stopped in
patrol area. Perhaps they are having engine trouble ?
Ordered dive and closing on ship slowly. She's at
3 km for now. Preparing attack and getting close to
identify nationality.
Ship is an English depot ship carrying ammunition,
and she is probably waiting for a submarine or ship
to come for resupply. She is full of fuel and
ammunition. Flag shows Netherlands. The ship is
neutral, we cannot open fire on her. She has some
pretty heavy guns loaded. Going around her while
submerged.
--
April, 28th 1940
00:52 - Large convoy reported south-east of our
position. Moving into attack position. Setting
full ahead, 14 knots. We have no clouds, no
precipitation but visibility is moderate because
of fog. Perfect for surface attack.
02:00 - Ordered slow speed ahead. Moving along
a 1 Km radius of where the convoy should soon
come. Going to 25 meters deep for hydrophone check.
Depth under kill close to 100 meters. Good spot
for attack.
--
May, 2th 1940
00:43 - U-101 reports mission complete. She is
returning to base after supply missions.
06:35 - Spotted a J&K Class. Diving. Depth under
keel is 130 meters. Attacking.
06:39 - Stopped engines. Destroyer should pass
in front of us at 1.5 Km ahead. Sending one
torpedo set to magnetic at 5 m and diving to
100 meters using ballasts.
00:43 - U-101 reports returning to base after
resupply mission.
--
May, 3rd 1940
01:25 - En route for grid AM53. Sighted a tugboat.
Diving for attack.
20:30 - Spotted a small escort boat with a medium
cargo. Shooting tubes 1 and 3, Impact because of
bad sea. Target is at 3-3.5 Km. away
20:42 - Torpedo 1 and 2 did hit. Ship is burning
but still going 7 knots steady. Sending another
torpedo, aiming at bow. Impact.
Ship identified as SS Hastings, Medium cargo
class for 5081 tons. Was carrying sugar. 33 of
the crew died over 65.
20:45 - Hydrophone contact reports warship at
medium range coming straight at us. Some escort
trying to find who attacked their cargo. Depth
under keel 90 meters, diving to 80 meters then
going silent running.
20:46 : Third torpedo did hit the ship!
20:57 - Escort moving away. Checking surface with
periscope. Ship is slowly going down. She's burning
and tilting a lot, but she is still afloat.
21:20 - She's going down.
22:00 - Surfacing. Sea is calm. Moving torpedo
from external storage to inside of sub.
23:00 - External torpedo moved inside.
--
May, 7th 1940
05:55 - Weather pretty bad. Visibility is very
low. We just stopped an Ore Carrier. Ordered
immediate dive and sent two torpedoes, Impact to
attack her. We probably got spotted.
05:56 - Tubes 1 and 2 have hit!
05:57 - Firing a third torpedo. That ship has
heavy tonnage. She is fully loaded : we must
sink her.
05:58 - Third torpedo did hit.
06:02 - Ship is going down. Four torpedo shots,
three did hit and one dud. Ship is heavily loaded,
both of water line level and crates all over her
deck.
Ship identified as SS Tyndareus, Ore Carrier,
8083 tons. Was carrying Iron Ore. Of the 77 crew,
43 were lost.
--
May, 8th 1940
01:00 - Moving to intercept convoy. Clouds overcast,
medium precipitation and poor visibility. Diving
for hydrphone check as soon we reach area. Full night
with no moon. It's totally dark.
08:49 - Searched for 5 hours trace of the convoy.
Nothing found. But hydrophone operator reports a
merchant closing at slow speed bearing 081. Moving
for interception.
08:51 - Merchant is going N-NW. Going to periscope
depth, increasing speed to standard ahead.
08:53 - Target speed estimated between 7 and 12
knots. Plotting interception course for surface
search.
08:55 - Surfacing and increading speed to full
ahead then dive for search.
09:36 - Found ship. Small motor vessel. No use
as target.
--
May, 9th 1940
00:32 - Received message from U-9 ; they torpedoed
a submarine in grid AN 8511.
12:02 - Message from BdU. Extension of area C
as result of outbreak of war with Holland and
Belgium.
15:39 - Convoy reported north of us. Moving for
interception. Visibility is still very poor.
16:49 - Received two messages, for the same
convoy. Hydrophone check shows the convoy is
still far ahead. Stopping at 25 meters and waiting
for convoy to get closer.
17:02 - At least six contacts.
17:13 - Calculated route of convoy. Moving to
within 1 Km of where central ship should pass.
18:03 - 15 or 16 ships including escorts.
18:19 - Escort is about 4 Km ahead and can't see
a thing. Trying to get closer to find ships.
18:26 - Ships are around 1500 to 2000 meters now.
Can't see anything yet. Getting closer.
18:30 - Closest ship seems to be 500-600 meters
away according to hydrophone operator. But
visibility is so low we can't see past 100 meters.
Even if we find a ship we are below arming range
or torpedoes!
18:32 - Granville freigher! 150 meters away.
Full emergency back, opening tube doors.
Can't fire below arming range!
18:36 - Destroyer alerted. Coming closer and
pinging around to try to find us. Ordering crash
dive. Can't shoot anything with such weather.
18:38 - Levelled at 80 meters. One depth charge
almost got us and slightly damaged the bow.
Going silent.
18:44 - Enemy stopped pinging. Stopping engines
and coming to periscope depth.
18:49 - Went back to 80 meters. Escorts is going
around throwing depth charges around to keep us
away from convoy.
--
May, 10th 1940
21:02 - German forces have invaded France. Winston
Churchill has become the British prime minister.
--
May, 13th 1940
21:02 - Germany has invaded Holland, Belgium and
Luxembourg.
--
May, 14th 1940
15:14 : We have used half our food reserve. We
have about 60 % fuel left, and 7 torpedoes.
Plotting interception course for contact reported
north west of us. Clouds overcast, no precipitation,
visibility moderate.
15:31 : Hydrophone contact. Moving for interception.
Trying to get within 1 Km. After days I hope to be
able to shoot and move the crew morale up a little.
They're starting to get tired of shifts under bad
weather and using fuel for nothing.
15:41 : This is a joke. It's a leisure sailing
boat, not even 20 tons ! English flag. This little
boat... is going to be our first deck gun training
target. Getting close and surfacing for attack.
15:49 : Only took three shells. Small boat made
of wood, explosive shells ruined it.
Ship identified as Bab el Farag, Schooner,
17 tons. Had a crew of 11, 7 of which dead on first
explosive shell hit.
Ship identified as Nisr, Schooner, for 17 tons.
No survivors. We counted over 10 bodies floating.
--
May, 15th 1940
09:49 : Flower Class Destroyer sighted!
Could be escort for convoy. Diving to periscpoe
depth and attacking with magnetic-set torpedo.
09:56 - The crew is yelling! Our single torpedo
fired at the extreme range of the type II torpedo
just hit the Flower Class destroyer! And she's
going down and we hear many explosions, we just
hit its weapons store!
Ship identified as HMCS Bradon, Flower Class
for 950 tons. Crew of 113. Lost 1.
21:02 - Dutch army has surrendered. Holland too.
--
May, 17th 1949
08:19 - Spotted A&B Class. Diving for attack.
Sending two torpedoes : depth under keel too small
to miss attack.
08:34 - Sent two torpedoes. Diving and running
silent. Let's hope they will hit the ship.
08:36 : Both torpedoes exploded before reaching
target.
08:39 - Sending last torpedo available in front
tubes. Exploded too before reaching target.
Giving up.
18:11 - Spotted Tribal Class. Setting course for
attack using rear tube.
18:23 - Rear torpedo is away. Set for Impact.
Diving slowly under silent running to 25 meters.
18:35 - Torpedo missed.
23:52 - Surfacing. Moving rear torpedo from
external reserve to inside of sub.
--
May, 18th 1940
01:00 - Finished moving external casing torpedo
to inside of sub. Going north by following Irland
coast.
04:45 - Spotted Coastal freigher. Attacking
using rear torpedo. Surface attack.
04:59 - Torpedo away. Diving with engines
stopped.
05:00 - Torpedo did explode before reaching
target. Diving and moving away.
07:08 - Aircraft spotted. Depth under keel 95 m,
ordering crash dive!
12:48 - Hydrophone contact. Moving for
interception.
14:07 - Out of torpedoes. Sending patrol report
and heading back to base.
18:22 - Navigator reports we have a 3380 Km
trip back home passing south of Norway, at current
standard ahead speed of 12 knots we will reach Kiel
in about 149 hours (6 days or so).
20:35 - Spotted a huge Whale Factory.
Surfacing and attacking with deck gun.
20:36 - The explosive shells do wonder against.
Ship identified as SS Jan Wellem, Whale Factory
Ship, for 12017 tons. Ship was carrying aviation
fuel and it exploded and burned after two rounds
of explosive ammo. They are using civilian ships
to carry military fuel !
Crew fo 120. 98 died.
--
May, 19th 1940
03:00 En route to Kiel. Spotted warship medium
range in grid AM64. Started shooting at us,
ordered crash dive. Depth charged. Dived to 80,
then 100, then 120 meters. Warship circles and
depth charges us.
03:44 : Warship has given up and his heading south.
Setting depth to 80 meters, running silent running
for one hour. Then periscope check and surface if
possible.
06:06 : Spotted ship while on surface. Ordered
crash dive. Will remain below water until night.
23:00 : Spotted warship. This place is crawling
with patrol boats and destroyers. They know we
are travelling the passage and want us sinked.
23:30 : Took a depth charge directly on side of
Bow Torpedo. All four torpedo tubes are destroyed,
and pressure doors destroyed. Could not block
flooding from tubes : ordered evacuation of Bow
torpedo quarters, and pressure door is now closed.
Bow torpedo quarters are fully flooded, but ballast
tanks are still working, helping level the ship.
We have no wounded.
23:42 : We have bottomed the ocean floor. Engines
are stopped. Destroyers are circling around and
throwing depth charges. Ordered full stop and
silence.
--
May, 20th 1940
00:10 : Another depth charge close to us.
Flooding in bow quarters. Bow torpedo flooding
is increasing. We hear their sirens on top of us.
00:14 : Flooding in bow torpedo tubes under control.
Damage team working on bow quarters. Raising depth
to 30 meters and moving away.
00:17 : Stern is moving up but bow remains on
ocean floor. Depth remains at 39 meters. Trying
to move the sub up.
00:22 : Warship still running around. No ping,
no depth charges. We are waiting. Will have to
blow ballast to surface.
01:07 : Blowing ballasts.
01:11 : We are on surface. Ordering full ahead
speed. We have three dead : Bootsman Gert Eppen,
Matrosengefreiter Henning Hansen and Harald
Clausen. Two heavily wounded : Eberhard Hauber
and Wilhelm Schulz.
01:39 : Water has been pumped out of Bow Quarters.
But we cannot dive again or we will bottom the ship.
The Bow torpedo is full of water reducing our speed.
Chief engineer is taking care of wounded and then
will try to path the Bow Torpedo if possible to
increase level of bow.
--
May, 21th 1940
08:50 : Chief engineer has finished working on
the bow compartement. We have a huge hole on the
right, the depth charge must have exploded very
close. We have welded metal plates to try to avoid
too much water pouring in and slowing us down,
but the compartement is flooded. We have moded all
recipients we could find, filled with air, to
that compartement to level it higher than sea
line. Boat is almost level and we are running at
12 knots to Kiel. If any aircraft catches us on
surface, we might not make it.
--
May, 22th 1940
19:34 : Aircraft attacking us from stern. Ordered
flak gun to fire. Speed to flank ahead.
--
May, 23th 1940
06:00 We buried at sea our three dead.
11:01 - BdU orders to stop any use of the
magnetic pistols henceforth.
--
May, 26th 1940
00:52 : We are below 10 % fuel
We are 50 Km from Kiel.
03:24 : We have reached Kiel. End of patrol.
Sunk 1 tanker
4 cargo ships
1 warship
Total tonnage : 26165 tons
3 dead
Been awarded Iron Cross, First Class
Damage to Uboat has been very high. Hull integrity
loss is estimated to 85 %
April, 10th 1940
I have been awarded a new Uboat : a type VIIB.
The U-99. Last of the two number series. And she
has just been finished !
That new boat is over 500 tons heavier than our
previous one and will offer us about six times the
previous range.
From the type IIA to the type VIIB the tonnage
goes from 254 to 753 tons (+499 tons)
Maximum speed should be close to 17 knots compared
to the IIA 13 knots. Range is heavily modified,
we go from 1000 nautic miles to over 6000.
Diving depth has been improved from 100 to 150 m,
but the biggest change is the torpedo load capacity.
From our 3 tubes and 5 torpedoes at at any time
we now have 4 forward tubes and 1 back tube,
and can 8 torpedoes spare to reload (7 front, 1
back).
Ordered in December, 15th 1937 she was laid down
in March, 31th 1939 and commissioned April, 18th 1940.
We then took her back to Kiel, it only took a few
hours at standard ahead, she's a fast one. We reached
Kiel in the evening of the 18th.
We have the standard GHB hydrophones, the ship should
have received the new version, the KDB, but the new
model came in supply too late and we cannot delay any
longer our next patrol.
--
April, 23th 1940
06:45 - Took a few days to load her with a full set of
type II torpedoes.
Matrosengefreiter Hans Walter has been transfered to
another Uboat, and is replaced by Matrosenobergfreiter
Karl-Heinz Kohler.
08:05 - As we are going out and close to Laboe
Memorial, we are saluting U-120 coming back from
patrol, under command of Ernst Bauer (who got the
Knights Cross recently). My god, he even has grown
a beard ! Looks like a godfather with his crew
around. We are no longer the young trainees we were
two years ago.
10:59 - U-32 reports leaking gasoline fumes.
11:13 - We have received new orders : all boats
are to cancel future gasoline supply missions.
13:26 - U-46 reports having attacked destroyer,
no hits.
--
April, 25th 1940
03:01 : U-25 reports mechanical failure. Returning
to port.
08:02 - BdU reports U-22 failed to report!
Possible mine. Can't believe it. Been commanding
that little type IIA for two years and now she
might be gone!
Would have we died too if we had kept the U-22
instead of moving to the U-99 ?
--
April, 26th 1940
12:01 - All North Atlantic boats are now released
from operations in Norway. Looks like we missed
all of the fun while moving from U-22 to U-99.
And the U-22 has been lost all hands to sea...
--
April, 27th 1940
Reached grid AN44. One grid away from patrol area.
Depth under keel is 110 m. We are diving machines
stopped to 100 meters to check the boat.
08:30 - Depth 20 meters. Everything seems good.
Chief engineer and crew are checking all valves
before we go to 50 meters.
08:43 - Ordering dive to 50 meters and another
check of all valves. Not a single hull sound.
08:55 - Ordered closing of all compartements.
Ordered dive to 100 meters. First hull sounds
because of pressure started at 84 meters. Light.
09:10 - Reached 100 meters. No leak anywhere.
Normal pressure sound noise from hull. All good.
Surfacing and setting course to reach ordered
patrol area : AN18.
18:18 - Found a small depot ship stopped in
patrol area. Perhaps they are having engine trouble ?
Ordered dive and closing on ship slowly. She's at
3 km for now. Preparing attack and getting close to
identify nationality.
Ship is an English depot ship carrying ammunition,
and she is probably waiting for a submarine or ship
to come for resupply. She is full of fuel and
ammunition. Flag shows Netherlands. The ship is
neutral, we cannot open fire on her. She has some
pretty heavy guns loaded. Going around her while
submerged.
--
April, 28th 1940
00:52 - Large convoy reported south-east of our
position. Moving into attack position. Setting
full ahead, 14 knots. We have no clouds, no
precipitation but visibility is moderate because
of fog. Perfect for surface attack.
02:00 - Ordered slow speed ahead. Moving along
a 1 Km radius of where the convoy should soon
come. Going to 25 meters deep for hydrophone check.
Depth under kill close to 100 meters. Good spot
for attack.
--
May, 2th 1940
00:43 - U-101 reports mission complete. She is
returning to base after supply missions.
06:35 - Spotted a J&K Class. Diving. Depth under
keel is 130 meters. Attacking.
06:39 - Stopped engines. Destroyer should pass
in front of us at 1.5 Km ahead. Sending one
torpedo set to magnetic at 5 m and diving to
100 meters using ballasts.
00:43 - U-101 reports returning to base after
resupply mission.
--
May, 3rd 1940
01:25 - En route for grid AM53. Sighted a tugboat.
Diving for attack.
20:30 - Spotted a small escort boat with a medium
cargo. Shooting tubes 1 and 3, Impact because of
bad sea. Target is at 3-3.5 Km. away
20:42 - Torpedo 1 and 2 did hit. Ship is burning
but still going 7 knots steady. Sending another
torpedo, aiming at bow. Impact.
Ship identified as SS Hastings, Medium cargo
class for 5081 tons. Was carrying sugar. 33 of
the crew died over 65.
20:45 - Hydrophone contact reports warship at
medium range coming straight at us. Some escort
trying to find who attacked their cargo. Depth
under keel 90 meters, diving to 80 meters then
going silent running.
20:46 : Third torpedo did hit the ship!
20:57 - Escort moving away. Checking surface with
periscope. Ship is slowly going down. She's burning
and tilting a lot, but she is still afloat.
21:20 - She's going down.
22:00 - Surfacing. Sea is calm. Moving torpedo
from external storage to inside of sub.
23:00 - External torpedo moved inside.
--
May, 7th 1940
05:55 - Weather pretty bad. Visibility is very
low. We just stopped an Ore Carrier. Ordered
immediate dive and sent two torpedoes, Impact to
attack her. We probably got spotted.
05:56 - Tubes 1 and 2 have hit!
05:57 - Firing a third torpedo. That ship has
heavy tonnage. She is fully loaded : we must
sink her.
05:58 - Third torpedo did hit.
06:02 - Ship is going down. Four torpedo shots,
three did hit and one dud. Ship is heavily loaded,
both of water line level and crates all over her
deck.
Ship identified as SS Tyndareus, Ore Carrier,
8083 tons. Was carrying Iron Ore. Of the 77 crew,
43 were lost.
--
May, 8th 1940
01:00 - Moving to intercept convoy. Clouds overcast,
medium precipitation and poor visibility. Diving
for hydrphone check as soon we reach area. Full night
with no moon. It's totally dark.
08:49 - Searched for 5 hours trace of the convoy.
Nothing found. But hydrophone operator reports a
merchant closing at slow speed bearing 081. Moving
for interception.
08:51 - Merchant is going N-NW. Going to periscope
depth, increasing speed to standard ahead.
08:53 - Target speed estimated between 7 and 12
knots. Plotting interception course for surface
search.
08:55 - Surfacing and increading speed to full
ahead then dive for search.
09:36 - Found ship. Small motor vessel. No use
as target.
--
May, 9th 1940
00:32 - Received message from U-9 ; they torpedoed
a submarine in grid AN 8511.
12:02 - Message from BdU. Extension of area C
as result of outbreak of war with Holland and
Belgium.
15:39 - Convoy reported north of us. Moving for
interception. Visibility is still very poor.
16:49 - Received two messages, for the same
convoy. Hydrophone check shows the convoy is
still far ahead. Stopping at 25 meters and waiting
for convoy to get closer.
17:02 - At least six contacts.
17:13 - Calculated route of convoy. Moving to
within 1 Km of where central ship should pass.
18:03 - 15 or 16 ships including escorts.
18:19 - Escort is about 4 Km ahead and can't see
a thing. Trying to get closer to find ships.
18:26 - Ships are around 1500 to 2000 meters now.
Can't see anything yet. Getting closer.
18:30 - Closest ship seems to be 500-600 meters
away according to hydrophone operator. But
visibility is so low we can't see past 100 meters.
Even if we find a ship we are below arming range
or torpedoes!
18:32 - Granville freigher! 150 meters away.
Full emergency back, opening tube doors.
Can't fire below arming range!
18:36 - Destroyer alerted. Coming closer and
pinging around to try to find us. Ordering crash
dive. Can't shoot anything with such weather.
18:38 - Levelled at 80 meters. One depth charge
almost got us and slightly damaged the bow.
Going silent.
18:44 - Enemy stopped pinging. Stopping engines
and coming to periscope depth.
18:49 - Went back to 80 meters. Escorts is going
around throwing depth charges around to keep us
away from convoy.
--
May, 10th 1940
21:02 - German forces have invaded France. Winston
Churchill has become the British prime minister.
--
May, 13th 1940
21:02 - Germany has invaded Holland, Belgium and
Luxembourg.
--
May, 14th 1940
15:14 : We have used half our food reserve. We
have about 60 % fuel left, and 7 torpedoes.
Plotting interception course for contact reported
north west of us. Clouds overcast, no precipitation,
visibility moderate.
15:31 : Hydrophone contact. Moving for interception.
Trying to get within 1 Km. After days I hope to be
able to shoot and move the crew morale up a little.
They're starting to get tired of shifts under bad
weather and using fuel for nothing.
15:41 : This is a joke. It's a leisure sailing
boat, not even 20 tons ! English flag. This little
boat... is going to be our first deck gun training
target. Getting close and surfacing for attack.
15:49 : Only took three shells. Small boat made
of wood, explosive shells ruined it.
Ship identified as Bab el Farag, Schooner,
17 tons. Had a crew of 11, 7 of which dead on first
explosive shell hit.
Ship identified as Nisr, Schooner, for 17 tons.
No survivors. We counted over 10 bodies floating.
--
May, 15th 1940
09:49 : Flower Class Destroyer sighted!
Could be escort for convoy. Diving to periscpoe
depth and attacking with magnetic-set torpedo.
09:56 - The crew is yelling! Our single torpedo
fired at the extreme range of the type II torpedo
just hit the Flower Class destroyer! And she's
going down and we hear many explosions, we just
hit its weapons store!
Ship identified as HMCS Bradon, Flower Class
for 950 tons. Crew of 113. Lost 1.
21:02 - Dutch army has surrendered. Holland too.
--
May, 17th 1949
08:19 - Spotted A&B Class. Diving for attack.
Sending two torpedoes : depth under keel too small
to miss attack.
08:34 - Sent two torpedoes. Diving and running
silent. Let's hope they will hit the ship.
08:36 : Both torpedoes exploded before reaching
target.
08:39 - Sending last torpedo available in front
tubes. Exploded too before reaching target.
Giving up.
18:11 - Spotted Tribal Class. Setting course for
attack using rear tube.
18:23 - Rear torpedo is away. Set for Impact.
Diving slowly under silent running to 25 meters.
18:35 - Torpedo missed.
23:52 - Surfacing. Moving rear torpedo from
external reserve to inside of sub.
--
May, 18th 1940
01:00 - Finished moving external casing torpedo
to inside of sub. Going north by following Irland
coast.
04:45 - Spotted Coastal freigher. Attacking
using rear torpedo. Surface attack.
04:59 - Torpedo away. Diving with engines
stopped.
05:00 - Torpedo did explode before reaching
target. Diving and moving away.
07:08 - Aircraft spotted. Depth under keel 95 m,
ordering crash dive!
12:48 - Hydrophone contact. Moving for
interception.
14:07 - Out of torpedoes. Sending patrol report
and heading back to base.
18:22 - Navigator reports we have a 3380 Km
trip back home passing south of Norway, at current
standard ahead speed of 12 knots we will reach Kiel
in about 149 hours (6 days or so).
20:35 - Spotted a huge Whale Factory.
Surfacing and attacking with deck gun.
20:36 - The explosive shells do wonder against.
Ship identified as SS Jan Wellem, Whale Factory
Ship, for 12017 tons. Ship was carrying aviation
fuel and it exploded and burned after two rounds
of explosive ammo. They are using civilian ships
to carry military fuel !
Crew fo 120. 98 died.
--
May, 19th 1940
03:00 En route to Kiel. Spotted warship medium
range in grid AM64. Started shooting at us,
ordered crash dive. Depth charged. Dived to 80,
then 100, then 120 meters. Warship circles and
depth charges us.
03:44 : Warship has given up and his heading south.
Setting depth to 80 meters, running silent running
for one hour. Then periscope check and surface if
possible.
06:06 : Spotted ship while on surface. Ordered
crash dive. Will remain below water until night.
23:00 : Spotted warship. This place is crawling
with patrol boats and destroyers. They know we
are travelling the passage and want us sinked.
23:30 : Took a depth charge directly on side of
Bow Torpedo. All four torpedo tubes are destroyed,
and pressure doors destroyed. Could not block
flooding from tubes : ordered evacuation of Bow
torpedo quarters, and pressure door is now closed.
Bow torpedo quarters are fully flooded, but ballast
tanks are still working, helping level the ship.
We have no wounded.
23:42 : We have bottomed the ocean floor. Engines
are stopped. Destroyers are circling around and
throwing depth charges. Ordered full stop and
silence.
--
May, 20th 1940
00:10 : Another depth charge close to us.
Flooding in bow quarters. Bow torpedo flooding
is increasing. We hear their sirens on top of us.
00:14 : Flooding in bow torpedo tubes under control.
Damage team working on bow quarters. Raising depth
to 30 meters and moving away.
00:17 : Stern is moving up but bow remains on
ocean floor. Depth remains at 39 meters. Trying
to move the sub up.
00:22 : Warship still running around. No ping,
no depth charges. We are waiting. Will have to
blow ballast to surface.
01:07 : Blowing ballasts.
01:11 : We are on surface. Ordering full ahead
speed. We have three dead : Bootsman Gert Eppen,
Matrosengefreiter Henning Hansen and Harald
Clausen. Two heavily wounded : Eberhard Hauber
and Wilhelm Schulz.
01:39 : Water has been pumped out of Bow Quarters.
But we cannot dive again or we will bottom the ship.
The Bow torpedo is full of water reducing our speed.
Chief engineer is taking care of wounded and then
will try to path the Bow Torpedo if possible to
increase level of bow.
--
May, 21th 1940
08:50 : Chief engineer has finished working on
the bow compartement. We have a huge hole on the
right, the depth charge must have exploded very
close. We have welded metal plates to try to avoid
too much water pouring in and slowing us down,
but the compartement is flooded. We have moded all
recipients we could find, filled with air, to
that compartement to level it higher than sea
line. Boat is almost level and we are running at
12 knots to Kiel. If any aircraft catches us on
surface, we might not make it.
--
May, 22th 1940
19:34 : Aircraft attacking us from stern. Ordered
flak gun to fire. Speed to flank ahead.
--
May, 23th 1940
06:00 We buried at sea our three dead.
11:01 - BdU orders to stop any use of the
magnetic pistols henceforth.
--
May, 26th 1940
00:52 : We are below 10 % fuel
We are 50 Km from Kiel.
03:24 : We have reached Kiel. End of patrol.
Sunk 1 tanker
4 cargo ships
1 warship
Total tonnage : 26165 tons
3 dead
Been awarded Iron Cross, First Class
Damage to Uboat has been very high. Hull integrity
loss is estimated to 85 %
Patrol 8 (30MAR40 - 09APR40)
= Patrol 8 =
February, 21th 1940
Been awarded the Uboat badge.
Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Ganzer is transfered to
another Uboat and is replaced by Matrosenobergefreiter
Otto Batsch.
--
March, 30th 1940
11:27 - Boat is ready. We have a whole new set of
batteries. There are new models available but none
are available so our boat just got a standard
exchange for the basic model. We have a full load
of type II torpedoes, with new magnetic pistols.
We have been asked to test them at sea.
--
April, 1st 1940
We are patrolling in ordered grid area. Some clouds,
and moderate visibility with no rain. Wind speed is
moderate at 8 meters per second.
22:30 - Weather is getting bad.
--
April, 2th 1940
00:40 - U-38 reports having sunk one steamer in
small convoy, 1 torpedo. AN 2671.
09:26 - Spotted a ship far away.
It's an English A&B Class in transit.
Diving.
--
April, 5th 1940
Attacked and sunk Coastal Tanker. Tubes 1 and 2
type-II did hit using magnetic pistols. They seem
to work better than previous models. Sending patrol
report and surfacing to check for survivors.
Strong winds, ship is burning badly and escape
boats are located under heavy fire. If there are
any survivors, they won't make it with this sea.
17:23 - Attacked Granville-type Freighter.
Last three torpedoes are duds. Ship escaped.
Out of torpedoes : heading back to base.
18:12 - Attacked by plane! Bomb exploded
behind boat, we have heavily damaged bulkhead
at the rear.
19:00 - The rear of the boat is black, burned
and heavily damaged. It's like it has been crushed,
but we got lucky since the properllers are still
working. We are going full ahead but getting only
half speed as a result and the boat is doing strange
noises at the back.
--
April, 6th 1940
03:31 - U-59 reports sinking one steamer at
grid AN 1537.
06:01 - Received radio message : Operation
Hartmut is beginning. Ordered Uboats should soon
receive orders.
--
April, 9th 1940
07:02 - Our forces have invaded Denmark.
11:33 - Reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
February, 21th 1940
Been awarded the Uboat badge.
Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Ganzer is transfered to
another Uboat and is replaced by Matrosenobergefreiter
Otto Batsch.
--
March, 30th 1940
11:27 - Boat is ready. We have a whole new set of
batteries. There are new models available but none
are available so our boat just got a standard
exchange for the basic model. We have a full load
of type II torpedoes, with new magnetic pistols.
We have been asked to test them at sea.
--
April, 1st 1940
We are patrolling in ordered grid area. Some clouds,
and moderate visibility with no rain. Wind speed is
moderate at 8 meters per second.
22:30 - Weather is getting bad.
--
April, 2th 1940
00:40 - U-38 reports having sunk one steamer in
small convoy, 1 torpedo. AN 2671.
09:26 - Spotted a ship far away.
It's an English A&B Class in transit.
Diving.
--
April, 5th 1940
Attacked and sunk Coastal Tanker. Tubes 1 and 2
type-II did hit using magnetic pistols. They seem
to work better than previous models. Sending patrol
report and surfacing to check for survivors.
Strong winds, ship is burning badly and escape
boats are located under heavy fire. If there are
any survivors, they won't make it with this sea.
17:23 - Attacked Granville-type Freighter.
Last three torpedoes are duds. Ship escaped.
Out of torpedoes : heading back to base.
18:12 - Attacked by plane! Bomb exploded
behind boat, we have heavily damaged bulkhead
at the rear.
19:00 - The rear of the boat is black, burned
and heavily damaged. It's like it has been crushed,
but we got lucky since the properllers are still
working. We are going full ahead but getting only
half speed as a result and the boat is doing strange
noises at the back.
--
April, 6th 1940
03:31 - U-59 reports sinking one steamer at
grid AN 1537.
06:01 - Received radio message : Operation
Hartmut is beginning. Ordered Uboats should soon
receive orders.
--
April, 9th 1940
07:02 - Our forces have invaded Denmark.
11:33 - Reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
Patrol 7 (14FEB40 - 21FEB40)
= Patrol 7 =
January, 25th 1940
Bootsmann Werner Wagner (Torpedoman) has been transfered
to another Uboat. We welcome Josef Lorentz on its first post-training assigmnent.
Boat is going for maintenance and preparations for
next patrol.
--
February, 14th 1940
07:01 - We are ordered to patrol area AN55.
10:14 - The trees are all white and covered with snow.
Reminds me of home. If it was not for the rough sea
and the height of waves, I would gladly admit that
winter is my favorite season for going at sea.
17:27 - Out of the Kanal. About 1000 Km before we
reach our patrol zone, in about 50 hours.
20:11 - Orders for U-26 and U-53.
--
February, 15th 1940
00:16 - Received new orders : we are to move off to
operations area in accordance with operation order
IV, b.
16:59 - Received message from SS Sleipner. Sinking
at coordinates 58.18N 01.46W
--
February, 17th 1940
12:02 - Patrolling AN52. Received orders from BdU.
All ships in the USA zone without illuminated flags
are to be regarded as hostile.
12:17 - SS Oraniepolden reports picking survivors
from SS Kvernaas.
--
February, 18th 1940
09:43 - Intercepted large merchant in patrol
grid after plotting interception course, sighting
by plane. Getting closer for nationality ID.
Setting torpedoes to Impact, 8 meters for 8.9 meters
deep Keel.
9:52 - English ship. Sending two torpedoes.
9:57 - Torpedoes 1 and 2 hit at the bow. Getting
closer.
9:58 - Ship has no weapons. She is dead stopped,
no fire. Sending killing shot with torpedoe tube
3 at 1 meter deep. Waiting for survivors to finish
getting out of boat before shooting her.
10:03 - Getting closer to interrogate survivors,
and get name of ship. Ship identified as SS City of
Bristol, Large marchant of 10615 tons. Was
carrying Coal to England. There are 43 survivors
out of 55 crewman.
12:00 - U-50 reporting low on provisions.
U-48 has no torpedoes left, getting low on
provisions too.
14:04 - Small torpedo boat has stopped us. Coming
very fast. Depth under keel close to 100 meters.
Ordering crash dive!
14:08 - Took damage to Bow Quarters. Some flooding,
repair crew taking care of it. Diving to 90 meters
and going slow.
22:26 - A good day. Spotted a medium cargo going
all lights off. Going to give her our last two
torpedoes and go back to Kiel.
Setting decks awash for surface night attack.
22:33 - One of the torpedoes exploded while going
to target. We're left with only one torpedo now.
22:36 - Second torpedo is a dud. We're out of
ammo. Setting course back to Kiel.
--
February, 20th 1940
14:31 - BdU reports U-54 has failed to report or
return to base for too long. Suspect enemy mine,
and that Uboat is lost.
--
February, 20th 1940
12:15 - Reached Kiel. Ending patrol 7.
January, 25th 1940
Bootsmann Werner Wagner (Torpedoman) has been transfered
to another Uboat. We welcome Josef Lorentz on its first post-training assigmnent.
Boat is going for maintenance and preparations for
next patrol.
--
February, 14th 1940
07:01 - We are ordered to patrol area AN55.
10:14 - The trees are all white and covered with snow.
Reminds me of home. If it was not for the rough sea
and the height of waves, I would gladly admit that
winter is my favorite season for going at sea.
17:27 - Out of the Kanal. About 1000 Km before we
reach our patrol zone, in about 50 hours.
20:11 - Orders for U-26 and U-53.
--
February, 15th 1940
00:16 - Received new orders : we are to move off to
operations area in accordance with operation order
IV, b.
16:59 - Received message from SS Sleipner. Sinking
at coordinates 58.18N 01.46W
--
February, 17th 1940
12:02 - Patrolling AN52. Received orders from BdU.
All ships in the USA zone without illuminated flags
are to be regarded as hostile.
12:17 - SS Oraniepolden reports picking survivors
from SS Kvernaas.
--
February, 18th 1940
09:43 - Intercepted large merchant in patrol
grid after plotting interception course, sighting
by plane. Getting closer for nationality ID.
Setting torpedoes to Impact, 8 meters for 8.9 meters
deep Keel.
9:52 - English ship. Sending two torpedoes.
9:57 - Torpedoes 1 and 2 hit at the bow. Getting
closer.
9:58 - Ship has no weapons. She is dead stopped,
no fire. Sending killing shot with torpedoe tube
3 at 1 meter deep. Waiting for survivors to finish
getting out of boat before shooting her.
10:03 - Getting closer to interrogate survivors,
and get name of ship. Ship identified as SS City of
Bristol, Large marchant of 10615 tons. Was
carrying Coal to England. There are 43 survivors
out of 55 crewman.
12:00 - U-50 reporting low on provisions.
U-48 has no torpedoes left, getting low on
provisions too.
14:04 - Small torpedo boat has stopped us. Coming
very fast. Depth under keel close to 100 meters.
Ordering crash dive!
14:08 - Took damage to Bow Quarters. Some flooding,
repair crew taking care of it. Diving to 90 meters
and going slow.
22:26 - A good day. Spotted a medium cargo going
all lights off. Going to give her our last two
torpedoes and go back to Kiel.
Setting decks awash for surface night attack.
22:33 - One of the torpedoes exploded while going
to target. We're left with only one torpedo now.
22:36 - Second torpedo is a dud. We're out of
ammo. Setting course back to Kiel.
--
February, 20th 1940
14:31 - BdU reports U-54 has failed to report or
return to base for too long. Suspect enemy mine,
and that Uboat is lost.
--
February, 20th 1940
12:15 - Reached Kiel. Ending patrol 7.
jeudi 11 mars 2010
Patrol 6 (20JAN40 - 25JAN40)
= Patrol 6 =
January, 20th 1940
Boat is ready. Ordered patrol area is AN81.
Graf Spee has been cornered and engaged by
several British cruisers east of the Plate estuary
and has been scuttled and blown up. Poor Brits,
sinking her was not enough to repair their pride.
That little ship is gonna haunt their memories a
long time, for what's left of their pride, if any.
Departing at midnight. Taking the Kanal to reduce
travel time to AN81.
January, 22th 1940
12:01 - Orders from BdU extending area where the
Prize Regulations are not to be followed.
21:04 - We have reached the patrol zone. Ordering
slow speed ahead. I have opened and given to the
navigating officers the new maps I have been given
by the BdU. More precise in the shades of depth
according to them.
22:20 - We have a problem with heaters inside the
Sub. It's getting cold and that's not good for
batteries. The chief is working on it. We have
the command center heated now and crew is rotating
and helping the chief to try to improve things.
--
January, 23th 1940
08:16 - Spotted ship. Diving and plotting interception
course.
08:30 - Ship coastal freighter. English.
Using tubes 1 and 2 below 500 m.
08:32 - The first torpedoes have hit the ship
at the bow. The whole command center exploded
and the ship is all flames.
08:33 - Closing in to look for survivors.
08:40 - Ship identified as SS Trentonia, Coastal
freighter for 1869 tons. She was carrying general
cargo. Of the 29 crew we only found 2 survivors.
12:56 - While cruising full ahead to reach interception
zone for a plane spotted ship, we found a medium cargo,
about 4800 tons, going away from us, at about 5 km away.
Plotting course to intercept ahead.
15:17 - Interception complete. Ship is going to pass
just in front of us. Bearing 35 with AoB 60 degrees.
With our course, she will past just in front at 90
degrees. Big ship, can't get risk of malfunction from
torpedo. Firing tubes 1 and 2 and keeping the last
torpedo for the next contact reported we will try to
intercept.
15:15 - Perfect conditions. We're doing a three
torpedo shot. Sea is calm and that ship is way too big
to let her escape. She is so full of cargo she is low
on the water line.
15:32 - Torpedoes on the way.
15:33 - Three torpedoes hit near the center. She's
a tough one. She did not break but a fire has started.
15:38 - Looks like two of the three torpedoes exploded
before reaching the ship. She's not slowing down,
fire is off. She's going away.
15:39 - Sending patrol report and heading back to
base. Out of torpedoes.
--
January, 25th 1940
15:32 - Reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
Learned that the last ship did indeed sink hours
later. It was SS Midnight, a medium cargo fpr 5035
tons. It was carrying phosphates and the fire did
reach the cargo and they had to abandon ship. Of the
39 crew, 33 died.
Bad news is the ship was neutral (Norwegian).
Had to spend a really unfriendly hour being yelled at
with superiors officers.
January, 20th 1940
Boat is ready. Ordered patrol area is AN81.
Graf Spee has been cornered and engaged by
several British cruisers east of the Plate estuary
and has been scuttled and blown up. Poor Brits,
sinking her was not enough to repair their pride.
That little ship is gonna haunt their memories a
long time, for what's left of their pride, if any.
Departing at midnight. Taking the Kanal to reduce
travel time to AN81.
January, 22th 1940
12:01 - Orders from BdU extending area where the
Prize Regulations are not to be followed.
21:04 - We have reached the patrol zone. Ordering
slow speed ahead. I have opened and given to the
navigating officers the new maps I have been given
by the BdU. More precise in the shades of depth
according to them.
22:20 - We have a problem with heaters inside the
Sub. It's getting cold and that's not good for
batteries. The chief is working on it. We have
the command center heated now and crew is rotating
and helping the chief to try to improve things.
--
January, 23th 1940
08:16 - Spotted ship. Diving and plotting interception
course.
08:30 - Ship coastal freighter. English.
Using tubes 1 and 2 below 500 m.
08:32 - The first torpedoes have hit the ship
at the bow. The whole command center exploded
and the ship is all flames.
08:33 - Closing in to look for survivors.
08:40 - Ship identified as SS Trentonia, Coastal
freighter for 1869 tons. She was carrying general
cargo. Of the 29 crew we only found 2 survivors.
12:56 - While cruising full ahead to reach interception
zone for a plane spotted ship, we found a medium cargo,
about 4800 tons, going away from us, at about 5 km away.
Plotting course to intercept ahead.
15:17 - Interception complete. Ship is going to pass
just in front of us. Bearing 35 with AoB 60 degrees.
With our course, she will past just in front at 90
degrees. Big ship, can't get risk of malfunction from
torpedo. Firing tubes 1 and 2 and keeping the last
torpedo for the next contact reported we will try to
intercept.
15:15 - Perfect conditions. We're doing a three
torpedo shot. Sea is calm and that ship is way too big
to let her escape. She is so full of cargo she is low
on the water line.
15:32 - Torpedoes on the way.
15:33 - Three torpedoes hit near the center. She's
a tough one. She did not break but a fire has started.
15:38 - Looks like two of the three torpedoes exploded
before reaching the ship. She's not slowing down,
fire is off. She's going away.
15:39 - Sending patrol report and heading back to
base. Out of torpedoes.
--
January, 25th 1940
15:32 - Reached Kiel. Ending patrol.
Learned that the last ship did indeed sink hours
later. It was SS Midnight, a medium cargo fpr 5035
tons. It was carrying phosphates and the fire did
reach the cargo and they had to abandon ship. Of the
39 crew, 33 died.
Bad news is the ship was neutral (Norwegian).
Had to spend a really unfriendly hour being yelled at
with superiors officers.
lundi 8 mars 2010
Patrol 5 (02DEC39 - 31DEC39)
= Patrol 5 =
November, 12th 1939
Machinist Franz Bohm transfered to another uboat,
replaced by Georg Fischer.
Dismissed Klaus Brummer (Helmsman) and
Max Nadrup (Helmsman).
--
December, 2th 1939
Boat received upgrades on batteries and had all
joints replaced. A new air compressor and a brand
new radio and hydrophone equipment. All torpedoes
available are now type II and we are advised to only
use magnetic pistols.
--
December, 4th 1939
03:40 - U-43 reports returning to base.
14:02 - USS salmon might have sunk U-36 which failed to
report in same area.
--
December, 5th 1939
07:13 - U-35 is reporting : they have abandoned ship
after being attacked at 60.53N 02.47E
--
December, 6th 1939
11:56 - Received message without identification,
on open frequency. Reports Mine and nothing else.
--
December, 7th 1939
03:40 - U-29 reports returning to base. Tried to carry
out mine laying mission but failed because of anti sub
activity and bad weather. Position AM 77
05:26 - SS Taiandoen sends message reporting it is sinking
at coordinates 49.90N 04.51W
16:59 - Finished patrolling at ordered grid. No contact
to report. Setting course for north of Ireland. It's
a bit far at over 1500 Km away but has more merchant
trafic.
--
December, 8th 1939
00:46 - SS Scotia reports sinking at 57.31N 02.17E
Attacked by the bow, torpedo probably.
10:14 - Weather is getting bad. Visibility is very poor,
with moderate winds. Diving for some quiet so I can
drink my coffee properly.
11:06 - Contact detected. Moving to periscope depth
to look for ship. Fog is so bad nothing can be seen
over 100 meters.
--
December, 10th 1939
01:35 - Radio operator found out the radio was not
working properly. We had to stop and repair the
wire linking the radio to the antenna.
03:40 - U-30 reports port exhaust does not close.
Returning to port, at grid AN29.
--
December, 11th 1939
11:00 - Plate spotted. Ordering crash dive.
18:56 - SS Tellus reports saving survivors from SS Garoufalia,
and submarine has been spotted. Coordinates 64.36N 10.42E
--
December, 12th 1939
08:17 - Unknown ship reporting explosion and sinking
on open frequency.
--
December, 13th 1939
15:30 - SS Deptford reports sinking at 62.15N 05.08E
15:56 - SS Sekstant reports picking survivors of
SS Deptford.
--
December, 14th 1939
21:01 News report: Russia has been expelled from the
league of nations.
21:50 - Dived to avoid bad weather. Very high waves,
becoming dangerous to remain on surface. Hydrophone
contact, moved for interception.
22:10 - Ship was closing, bearing 310. Hydrophone
operator reported cracking noises. Checked on
periscope : ship is sinking due to bad weather.
If there are any survivors, they won't last half an
hour on this weather. Even at periscope depth, our
own ship is taking steep angles : ordering deep dive
to avoid casualties.
03:11 - Battery down to 1000 A or 5000. Closing to
periscope depth for check. Need to surface to charge
batteries to stay under during day to come.
--
December, 15th 1939
17:46 - Ship spotted. Warship. Diving to periscope
depth and moving for attack. Depth under keel 125 m.
Looks like an A&B class, about 1300 tons. Setting
torpedoes 1 and 2 for depth 2 meters, keel 4 m.
17:49 - Fired two eels at that A&B.
17:50 - One exploded about 100 meters from us.
Ship has been badly shaken, no flooding but we will
need to check for damage at next surfacing.
17:54 - Torpedo did miss. Too bad weather probably.
Going deep and letting crew rest for four hours
before surfacing.
18:18 - Rest is off. Merchant sound detected bearing
220 at long range.
18:54 - Ship spotted on periscope, looks like a
small cargo. Bearing 58 degrees left, about 5 Km away.
18:55 - Ship is going all lights off. Difficult to
see properly. Two masts, and she is loaded with two
big containers front and back of the central command
post. Setting torpedoes to magnetic influence, about
a little over 7 meters deep. Ship is around 6 to 7 meters
deep.
18:57 - Cant find the ship. surfacing while stopped
for surface attack. Ship should be around 3 to 3.5 Km
ahead of us.
18:58 - We got her. She is 3500 meters away, AoB 50-52,
going fast at 10 knots. It's going to be a miracle if
our torpedo hits. Only sending one torpedo.
19:00 - Torpedo is away. Full stop.
19:01 - Torpedo did explode again less than 100 meters
away. Heard metal crackling sounds.
19:05 - Chief Engineer went to forward tube to check.
Tube 1 is damaged : it cannot close anymore. Without
the pressure door we won't be able to dive below 50
meters until it's repaired ! Setting 1/3 ahead away
from boat, charging batteries. We won't be able to
check for damage until weather calms down. Fuel is
getting low at almost 25 % left. Setting course to
grid AM64 in direction of Stranraer/England and
Belfast south of Ireland. Slow convoy reported in that
straight at 16:10.
--
December, 16th 1939
10:07 - Weather is even worse. Winds are so strong
we can't even keep open eyes on bridge, and some
waves are bigger than our own Uboat would it be
totally in surface. Diving to 40 m.
10:15 - Tube 1 is leaking water. Setting depth to
25 meters. Without the pressure door working we
cannot dive deep now.
19:53 - Ship spotted bearing 43 degrees right. Should
intercept at about 1 to 1.5 Km. Diving and preparing
two last torpedoes for attack.
19:55 - Ship is a Granville-type freighter. Around
4000 tons. Setting torpedoes for 5 meters deep,
keel being 6.1 meters. Cannot use magnetic influence
pistols with current sea state.
20:05 - Ship should soon pass in front of us. We
are stopped at periscope depth.
20:07 - Last two torpedoes are away.
20:10 - Both missed.
20:12 - Setting course back to Kiel.
--
December, 17th 1939
03:20 - That's our luck. A large convoy has been
reported on our patch, and we are out of torpedoes.
Fuel is also very low and we might not have enough
to reach base (300 Km short).
--
December, 19th 1939
10:57 - Aircraft spotted. Ordering crash dive.
--
December, 20th 1939
06:57 - SS Carl Henckel calls for help. Located 57.00N
00.17E
06:57 - SS Rudolf reports being attacked at 57.00N
00.17E (they are attacked while rescuing SS Carl Henckel)
14:32 - Unknown ships reports having been torpedoed.
Message incomplete. Another eel took them down.
--
December, 25th 1939
16:31 - Received message from BdU for Christmas.
We are diving while the chef is preparing a good meal,
and plenty beer for the crew. Will let the crew rest
the whole day of 26th december before going back to
Kiel home port.
--
December, 26th 1939
Stopped ship near ocean floor. Crew resting.
--
December, 29th 1939
05:00 - U-30 reports being attacked by two repulse
class, escorted by destroyers. Repulse class has been
hit by at least one torpedo.
--
December, 30th 1939
12:01 - Message from BdU, Greece has chartered and
sold numerous ships to England. Decision has been made
to consider all Greek ships as hostile and to attack
if found anywhere around England. We must remain
unobserved while attacking those ships.
--
December, 31th 1939
06:55 - SS Luna reports attack at 58.48N 03.20E
She is sinking by the bow
15:23 - We reached Kiel. Out of fuel. We called by
radio for a tow ship to move us to harbour.
--
Been awarded the Iron Cross, second class
and the German Cross in Gold.
quite good for a patrol without sunking any
ship.
The bow has been quite damaged by the second
malfunctioning torpedo. A bit closer we would have
gone down with heavy flooding.
Been talking with other Uboat commanders. A lot of
us are having pistols problems with torpedoes.
Chief engineer thinks it will take at least two
weeks to repair the tube one damage and install a new
pressure door. Ordered only type I torpedoes to be
loaded on the ship from now on.
November, 12th 1939
Machinist Franz Bohm transfered to another uboat,
replaced by Georg Fischer.
Dismissed Klaus Brummer (Helmsman) and
Max Nadrup (Helmsman).
--
December, 2th 1939
Boat received upgrades on batteries and had all
joints replaced. A new air compressor and a brand
new radio and hydrophone equipment. All torpedoes
available are now type II and we are advised to only
use magnetic pistols.
--
December, 4th 1939
03:40 - U-43 reports returning to base.
14:02 - USS salmon might have sunk U-36 which failed to
report in same area.
--
December, 5th 1939
07:13 - U-35 is reporting : they have abandoned ship
after being attacked at 60.53N 02.47E
--
December, 6th 1939
11:56 - Received message without identification,
on open frequency. Reports Mine and nothing else.
--
December, 7th 1939
03:40 - U-29 reports returning to base. Tried to carry
out mine laying mission but failed because of anti sub
activity and bad weather. Position AM 77
05:26 - SS Taiandoen sends message reporting it is sinking
at coordinates 49.90N 04.51W
16:59 - Finished patrolling at ordered grid. No contact
to report. Setting course for north of Ireland. It's
a bit far at over 1500 Km away but has more merchant
trafic.
--
December, 8th 1939
00:46 - SS Scotia reports sinking at 57.31N 02.17E
Attacked by the bow, torpedo probably.
10:14 - Weather is getting bad. Visibility is very poor,
with moderate winds. Diving for some quiet so I can
drink my coffee properly.
11:06 - Contact detected. Moving to periscope depth
to look for ship. Fog is so bad nothing can be seen
over 100 meters.
--
December, 10th 1939
01:35 - Radio operator found out the radio was not
working properly. We had to stop and repair the
wire linking the radio to the antenna.
03:40 - U-30 reports port exhaust does not close.
Returning to port, at grid AN29.
--
December, 11th 1939
11:00 - Plate spotted. Ordering crash dive.
18:56 - SS Tellus reports saving survivors from SS Garoufalia,
and submarine has been spotted. Coordinates 64.36N 10.42E
--
December, 12th 1939
08:17 - Unknown ship reporting explosion and sinking
on open frequency.
--
December, 13th 1939
15:30 - SS Deptford reports sinking at 62.15N 05.08E
15:56 - SS Sekstant reports picking survivors of
SS Deptford.
--
December, 14th 1939
21:01 News report: Russia has been expelled from the
league of nations.
21:50 - Dived to avoid bad weather. Very high waves,
becoming dangerous to remain on surface. Hydrophone
contact, moved for interception.
22:10 - Ship was closing, bearing 310. Hydrophone
operator reported cracking noises. Checked on
periscope : ship is sinking due to bad weather.
If there are any survivors, they won't last half an
hour on this weather. Even at periscope depth, our
own ship is taking steep angles : ordering deep dive
to avoid casualties.
03:11 - Battery down to 1000 A or 5000. Closing to
periscope depth for check. Need to surface to charge
batteries to stay under during day to come.
--
December, 15th 1939
17:46 - Ship spotted. Warship. Diving to periscope
depth and moving for attack. Depth under keel 125 m.
Looks like an A&B class, about 1300 tons. Setting
torpedoes 1 and 2 for depth 2 meters, keel 4 m.
17:49 - Fired two eels at that A&B.
17:50 - One exploded about 100 meters from us.
Ship has been badly shaken, no flooding but we will
need to check for damage at next surfacing.
17:54 - Torpedo did miss. Too bad weather probably.
Going deep and letting crew rest for four hours
before surfacing.
18:18 - Rest is off. Merchant sound detected bearing
220 at long range.
18:54 - Ship spotted on periscope, looks like a
small cargo. Bearing 58 degrees left, about 5 Km away.
18:55 - Ship is going all lights off. Difficult to
see properly. Two masts, and she is loaded with two
big containers front and back of the central command
post. Setting torpedoes to magnetic influence, about
a little over 7 meters deep. Ship is around 6 to 7 meters
deep.
18:57 - Cant find the ship. surfacing while stopped
for surface attack. Ship should be around 3 to 3.5 Km
ahead of us.
18:58 - We got her. She is 3500 meters away, AoB 50-52,
going fast at 10 knots. It's going to be a miracle if
our torpedo hits. Only sending one torpedo.
19:00 - Torpedo is away. Full stop.
19:01 - Torpedo did explode again less than 100 meters
away. Heard metal crackling sounds.
19:05 - Chief Engineer went to forward tube to check.
Tube 1 is damaged : it cannot close anymore. Without
the pressure door we won't be able to dive below 50
meters until it's repaired ! Setting 1/3 ahead away
from boat, charging batteries. We won't be able to
check for damage until weather calms down. Fuel is
getting low at almost 25 % left. Setting course to
grid AM64 in direction of Stranraer/England and
Belfast south of Ireland. Slow convoy reported in that
straight at 16:10.
--
December, 16th 1939
10:07 - Weather is even worse. Winds are so strong
we can't even keep open eyes on bridge, and some
waves are bigger than our own Uboat would it be
totally in surface. Diving to 40 m.
10:15 - Tube 1 is leaking water. Setting depth to
25 meters. Without the pressure door working we
cannot dive deep now.
19:53 - Ship spotted bearing 43 degrees right. Should
intercept at about 1 to 1.5 Km. Diving and preparing
two last torpedoes for attack.
19:55 - Ship is a Granville-type freighter. Around
4000 tons. Setting torpedoes for 5 meters deep,
keel being 6.1 meters. Cannot use magnetic influence
pistols with current sea state.
20:05 - Ship should soon pass in front of us. We
are stopped at periscope depth.
20:07 - Last two torpedoes are away.
20:10 - Both missed.
20:12 - Setting course back to Kiel.
--
December, 17th 1939
03:20 - That's our luck. A large convoy has been
reported on our patch, and we are out of torpedoes.
Fuel is also very low and we might not have enough
to reach base (300 Km short).
--
December, 19th 1939
10:57 - Aircraft spotted. Ordering crash dive.
--
December, 20th 1939
06:57 - SS Carl Henckel calls for help. Located 57.00N
00.17E
06:57 - SS Rudolf reports being attacked at 57.00N
00.17E (they are attacked while rescuing SS Carl Henckel)
14:32 - Unknown ships reports having been torpedoed.
Message incomplete. Another eel took them down.
--
December, 25th 1939
16:31 - Received message from BdU for Christmas.
We are diving while the chef is preparing a good meal,
and plenty beer for the crew. Will let the crew rest
the whole day of 26th december before going back to
Kiel home port.
--
December, 26th 1939
Stopped ship near ocean floor. Crew resting.
--
December, 29th 1939
05:00 - U-30 reports being attacked by two repulse
class, escorted by destroyers. Repulse class has been
hit by at least one torpedo.
--
December, 30th 1939
12:01 - Message from BdU, Greece has chartered and
sold numerous ships to England. Decision has been made
to consider all Greek ships as hostile and to attack
if found anywhere around England. We must remain
unobserved while attacking those ships.
--
December, 31th 1939
06:55 - SS Luna reports attack at 58.48N 03.20E
She is sinking by the bow
15:23 - We reached Kiel. Out of fuel. We called by
radio for a tow ship to move us to harbour.
--
Been awarded the Iron Cross, second class
and the German Cross in Gold.
quite good for a patrol without sunking any
ship.
The bow has been quite damaged by the second
malfunctioning torpedo. A bit closer we would have
gone down with heavy flooding.
Been talking with other Uboat commanders. A lot of
us are having pistols problems with torpedoes.
Chief engineer thinks it will take at least two
weeks to repair the tube one damage and install a new
pressure door. Ordered only type I torpedoes to be
loaded on the ship from now on.
dimanche 7 mars 2010
Patrol 4 (31OCT39 - 12NOV39)
= Patrol 4 =
October, 11th 1939
Of my four officers, two have reached the rank and experience required to gain command of their own subs : I am thus dismissing Kurt Forschner (Oberleutnant zur See) and Johann Kuhn (Leutnant zur See) and hope them success.
--
October, 31th 1939
Twenty days. It only took fourteen to prepare our little
type IIA submarine for its next patrol but we had to wait
for our new watchman officer to come to us. Franz Bohm
also successfully passed required exams for his mechanic
specialization.
01:38 - We depart for our third patrol. Sky is cloudy,
but no rain and again we depart at night to avoid any
risk of aerial attack.
05:53 - U-25 reports one merchant sunk for 6000 tons,
and 4 torpedoes malfunctions with use of contact pistols,
grid BF 7832.
10:06 - Reached exit of Kaiser-Wilhelm Kanal. Setting
course for ordered patrol area : AN47. Range to area
is 1090 Km, for about 58 hours. Should put us in a
high-trafic area.
18:01 - U-25 reports convoy north of Finisterre in grid
CG 22.
19:92 - U-25 reports 4 failures in stopped ships,
and they got shot at short range. Grid CG 22.
19:42 - BdU orders due to losses to mines to use the
French-England Kanal as shortcut. We are now ordered
to use the North Sea in order to reach the Atlantic.
--
November, 2th 1939
20:10 - Reached AN47 patrol zone. Starting patrol at
1/3 ahead speed. Partial clouds, no precipitation, and
good visibility. The hunt starts.
--
November, 3th 1939
21:18 - Finished patrolling designated area. Not a
single ship nor any contact. Moving south near coast
to look for coastal ships or better.
--
November, 4th 1939
00:47 - U-25 reports broken crosspiece of forward
torpedo hatch, might not be able to dive anymore.
Located in grid CG 22, going back to port.
13:08 - Aircraft spotted while patrolling east of
Dundee and Rosyth. Dived to 70 meters, heard two
depth charges being dropped by plane or planes.
Staying submerged until night.
21:02 - Lehmann Radio News reports that the USA
have passed a neutrality act. I'm eating the last
banana on the ship. On each patrol. the last banana
is kept religiously for me by the crew and I have to
get upper deck whatever the water conditions to eat
the last banana, which is expected by the crew. Of course,
I am all alone on the deck even under heavy rain and
winds when the banana time comes. Traditions, traditions.
21:34 - Ship spotted south. Moving to attack position.
21:39 - SHip is going all lights off near the coast.
Launching attack. Since I am still on my banana time,
I am letting our new officer make the attack and handle
it.
21:48 - Stopping engines. Ship at 4 Km.
Sending torpedoes 2 and 3 (type I) set for 7 meters deep,
keel at 7.3 meters.
21:52 - Both torpedoes did miss. Attacking with tube 1
and type II torpedo.
21:56 - Torpedo sent. One meter higher than the two
previous ones.
22:01 - Third torpedo did miss. Leaving the ship go.
That one has too much luck.
23:50 - Ship contact report. Going NW at medium speed.
23:56 - Diving and setting full ahead course for
intercept. Tubes 2 and 3 reloaded. Hydrophone contact.
--
November, 5th 1939
00:17 - Periscope check. 3/4 Moon with good visibility,
it's not fully dark and should allow identification of
ship. Sea is rather calm. should do good. Cook is
preparing coffee for the command room, the smell is
good. Makes us forget our bilge rat stench.
00:31 - Great. The ship is a Schooner, a 17-ton little
cruise ship... Giving up on attack.
01:38 - Combat ship spotted. Preparing attack.
02:06 - contact lost. Nothing on periscope. Surfacing.
--
November, 7th 1939
09:22 - Aircraft attacking us. Ordering Flak to fire
back. Done two passages, we did not hit even once.
09:25 - Plane gave up on attacking us. Sending patrol
report and diving until next day.
09:58 - radio message ; Received orders to continue
with patrol into suspected areas of enemy concentration.
--
November, 8th 1939
05:19 - Spotted ship going north, under 5 Km of our
position. Quite dark, but ship is going fast with all
lights off. Attacking. Sending last two torpedoes
to target. Since lack of light doesn't allow for
identification, we set depth of torpedoes to 2 meters
and impact.
5:23 - Torpedo 2 did impact the ship. She's going down.
Surfacing and closing to check for survivors.
Torpedo 1 still on its way, slower.
5:25 - Found survivors. Ship identified as SS Northon,
Cargo, 2245 tons. Was empty and coming back from
cargo delivery. Crew of 33, none missing. Reported by
radio their position.
05:27 - Out of torpedoes. Sending patrol report and
heading back to Kiel. About 2000 Km to go, around
145 hours at current standard ahead speed.
10:04 - Aircraft spotted. Depth under keel over
100 m, ordering crash dive.
21:02 - Radio reports an assassination attempt on
Hitler has failed.
--
November, 10th 1939
12:34 - Received orders from BdU to revert to magnetic
pistols when firing torpedoes.
--
November, 12th 1939
12:54 - Reached Kiel. End of fourth patrol.
October, 11th 1939
Of my four officers, two have reached the rank and experience required to gain command of their own subs : I am thus dismissing Kurt Forschner (Oberleutnant zur See) and Johann Kuhn (Leutnant zur See) and hope them success.
--
October, 31th 1939
Twenty days. It only took fourteen to prepare our little
type IIA submarine for its next patrol but we had to wait
for our new watchman officer to come to us. Franz Bohm
also successfully passed required exams for his mechanic
specialization.
01:38 - We depart for our third patrol. Sky is cloudy,
but no rain and again we depart at night to avoid any
risk of aerial attack.
05:53 - U-25 reports one merchant sunk for 6000 tons,
and 4 torpedoes malfunctions with use of contact pistols,
grid BF 7832.
10:06 - Reached exit of Kaiser-Wilhelm Kanal. Setting
course for ordered patrol area : AN47. Range to area
is 1090 Km, for about 58 hours. Should put us in a
high-trafic area.
18:01 - U-25 reports convoy north of Finisterre in grid
CG 22.
19:92 - U-25 reports 4 failures in stopped ships,
and they got shot at short range. Grid CG 22.
19:42 - BdU orders due to losses to mines to use the
French-England Kanal as shortcut. We are now ordered
to use the North Sea in order to reach the Atlantic.
--
November, 2th 1939
20:10 - Reached AN47 patrol zone. Starting patrol at
1/3 ahead speed. Partial clouds, no precipitation, and
good visibility. The hunt starts.
--
November, 3th 1939
21:18 - Finished patrolling designated area. Not a
single ship nor any contact. Moving south near coast
to look for coastal ships or better.
--
November, 4th 1939
00:47 - U-25 reports broken crosspiece of forward
torpedo hatch, might not be able to dive anymore.
Located in grid CG 22, going back to port.
13:08 - Aircraft spotted while patrolling east of
Dundee and Rosyth. Dived to 70 meters, heard two
depth charges being dropped by plane or planes.
Staying submerged until night.
21:02 - Lehmann Radio News reports that the USA
have passed a neutrality act. I'm eating the last
banana on the ship. On each patrol. the last banana
is kept religiously for me by the crew and I have to
get upper deck whatever the water conditions to eat
the last banana, which is expected by the crew. Of course,
I am all alone on the deck even under heavy rain and
winds when the banana time comes. Traditions, traditions.
21:34 - Ship spotted south. Moving to attack position.
21:39 - SHip is going all lights off near the coast.
Launching attack. Since I am still on my banana time,
I am letting our new officer make the attack and handle
it.
21:48 - Stopping engines. Ship at 4 Km.
Sending torpedoes 2 and 3 (type I) set for 7 meters deep,
keel at 7.3 meters.
21:52 - Both torpedoes did miss. Attacking with tube 1
and type II torpedo.
21:56 - Torpedo sent. One meter higher than the two
previous ones.
22:01 - Third torpedo did miss. Leaving the ship go.
That one has too much luck.
23:50 - Ship contact report. Going NW at medium speed.
23:56 - Diving and setting full ahead course for
intercept. Tubes 2 and 3 reloaded. Hydrophone contact.
--
November, 5th 1939
00:17 - Periscope check. 3/4 Moon with good visibility,
it's not fully dark and should allow identification of
ship. Sea is rather calm. should do good. Cook is
preparing coffee for the command room, the smell is
good. Makes us forget our bilge rat stench.
00:31 - Great. The ship is a Schooner, a 17-ton little
cruise ship... Giving up on attack.
01:38 - Combat ship spotted. Preparing attack.
02:06 - contact lost. Nothing on periscope. Surfacing.
--
November, 7th 1939
09:22 - Aircraft attacking us. Ordering Flak to fire
back. Done two passages, we did not hit even once.
09:25 - Plane gave up on attacking us. Sending patrol
report and diving until next day.
09:58 - radio message ; Received orders to continue
with patrol into suspected areas of enemy concentration.
--
November, 8th 1939
05:19 - Spotted ship going north, under 5 Km of our
position. Quite dark, but ship is going fast with all
lights off. Attacking. Sending last two torpedoes
to target. Since lack of light doesn't allow for
identification, we set depth of torpedoes to 2 meters
and impact.
5:23 - Torpedo 2 did impact the ship. She's going down.
Surfacing and closing to check for survivors.
Torpedo 1 still on its way, slower.
5:25 - Found survivors. Ship identified as SS Northon,
Cargo, 2245 tons. Was empty and coming back from
cargo delivery. Crew of 33, none missing. Reported by
radio their position.
05:27 - Out of torpedoes. Sending patrol report and
heading back to Kiel. About 2000 Km to go, around
145 hours at current standard ahead speed.
10:04 - Aircraft spotted. Depth under keel over
100 m, ordering crash dive.
21:02 - Radio reports an assassination attempt on
Hitler has failed.
--
November, 10th 1939
12:34 - Received orders from BdU to revert to magnetic
pistols when firing torpedoes.
--
November, 12th 1939
12:54 - Reached Kiel. End of fourth patrol.
Patrol 3 (30SEP39 - 11OCT39)
= Patrol 3 =
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Amelung Wissmann has been transfered to
another Uboat, replaced by Matrosengefreiter Richard Kentrat as its
first post-training deployment.
--
September, 30th 1939
Our Uboat remained 50 days on repairs and upgrades
in preparation for its third patrol.
Ordered to patrol area AN47
23:03 - We depart from Kiel. It's night but the harbour
has plenty activity. We are hearing explosions in the
distance, as if some war ship was shooting its weapons,
training maybe. Fanfare is playing which is a bit
strange at night. Asked navigating officer to get the
ship out of Kiel up to area near Willemshaven, so we
can there set course to AN47 for patrol, in front of
Aberdeen. We are about 1300 Km away from patrol area,
which we should reach in about 71 hours at current
standard ahead speed of 10 knots.
--
October, 1st 1939
06:14 - reached exit point of Kaiser-Wilhelm Kanal.
Setting course for patrol area.
--
October, 2th 1939
10:06 - spotted a stopped Tugboat and a boat converted
as buoy in grid AN65. Closing in at periscope depth.
10:27 - reached area. An old boat as been converted
into buoy and a tugboat is anchored next to it. Shows
a Netherlands flag thus no attack allowed. No crew
visible on deck. Depth under keel is 37 meters. Diving
to 25 meters to go undetected, will surface at night
and keep heading to patrol area.
17:16 - hydrophone contact. Merchant closing at
bearing 251 but batteries are very low : we have 600 A
left out of 5000. Trying to intercept but power will
soon run out.
17:37 - periscope depth. received radio message from
U-7 that reports sinking one merchant for 1100 tons
at grid AN 2431.
17:38 - plotted interception course and surfacing.
Need to recharge batteries and get to target faster.
Will submerge as soon target is detected.
17:40 - radio message ; orders to attack all darkened
ships found in the whole area of the England east-coast
and the whole French coast. Complete freedom to attack.
18:00 - ship spotted at bearing 065. Batteries recharged
from 50 A to 100 A. Diving. Ship has changed course and
is now going north. Depth under keel is 42 m. Going to
periscope depth. Should intercept ship under 1000 m range.
18:11 - ship identified as medium cargo. About 1300 meters
away. It's going to come far too close for torpedoes to
be able to arm. Moving full back ahead to increase range
in order to be able to fire if required. Not yet been able
to identify country of origin. Setting salvo of tubes 1
and 2, depth 9 for 9.2 keel, impact.
Boat is French without any escort : aborting attack.
--
October, 3th 1939
12:42 - reached AN81 and starting search patrol. Ship
reported by contact report south-east of my position.
Changing course to find it.
14:17 - U-16 reports sinking a merchant for 3400 tons
in grid AN 3128.
--
October, 4th 1939
12:17 - U-23 reports sinking one merchant for 1000 tons,
grid AN2651.
17:31 - orders received by radio. We are permitted to
attack without warning any merchant ship to be armed, or
firing on us. We are ordered to save the crew if possible.
19:41 - U-35 reports two explosions of TI torpedoes using
G7a pistols. They also report they saved and dropped a
Greek crew for the ship they sunk at the Irish coast,
grid AM 8491.
--
October, 5th 1939
04:41 : Contact report of ship closing on us from NE.
Plotted intercept course and moving into position.
submerging within 10 Km of interception area. Attack at
night is perfect for long-range use of type 1 torpedoes
I am carrying. Depth under keel 30 m.
06:00 - hydrophone contact bearing 058. Long range and
high speed. Increasing speed to come closer.
06:42 - ship too far for identification. Surfacing and
shadowing for closer interception.
07:18 - ship going too fast for shadowing. Still too
far away for country identification.
7:36 - SS Marwarri reports having struck a mine and is
going down at 50.56N 04.47W
07:47 - ship we were hunting spotted at bearing 30
degrees W. She is going too fast for any shadowing,
could not identify so we abandon pursuit and attack.
Going back to slow speed and patrolling area AN84.
11:41 - U-3 reports two merchants sunk for 2300 tons
in grid AN 3673.
21:01 - The last remnants of Polish army have
surrendered.
--
October, 6th 1939
01:54 - ship spotted bearing 96. Going slow.
Depth under keel 27 m. Weather not good for attack,
clouds partial, moderate visibility and 12 meters per
second wind. Ship is going all-lights off which makes
her a valid target. Closing for attack.
02:10 - Granville type freighter. Setting 3 torpedo
salvo at 5 meters, for 6.1 keel. Impact detonation.
02:14 - fired three torpedoes. Torpedoes 1 and 3 did hit,
torpedo 2 either missed or was a dud. Ship heavily damaged
and burning. Tube 1 will be ready in 6 min. She might
require another shot to go down. Shadowing her while
submerged.
02:26 - The ship did sunk. Sending patrol report.
Fuel at 80 %, 2 torpedoes left, sunk one freighter
for 4707 tons.
02:26 - Ship identified as SS Thistlegarth, 4707 tons.
Cargo was Grain. Had a crew of 73 but they have lost
33. Reported their position for rescue and left area.
02:37 - Ship called for help. Spotted a patrol craft.
Diving. A second patrol craft is closing to area where
we did sunk the ship at medium speed. Going to
silent running at 25 meters to avoid them. They have
started rescue operations.
03:34 - no sounds contacts. Periscope depth to check
around, surfacing to charge batteries if ok and finishing
to reload tube 2.
04:20 - Tubes one and two reloaded. Resuming patrol of
area at slow speed while reloading batteries.
07:29 - U-35 reports sinking 5 merchants for 19100 tons,
and returning to base. At grid BF 1719. I wish I could
have a type VIIB/c with so many torpedoes to do as much
kills.
09:06 - Aircraft spotted. Full flank ahead to dive at
25 meters (depth under keel is 33 meters). Aircraft is
closing for attack.
09:32 - Surfaced the ship. Keeping on patrol.
11:50 - Poland has surrendered. All remaining Polish
vessels are still to be considered hostile.
14:30 - Received message. We are to report any
incorrect procedure from neutral ships.
14:32 - SS Lochgoil reports having struck a mine and is
going down at 50.56N 04.47W
--
October, 7th 1939
09:10 - Spotted ship. Going fast and coming from E.
Seems quite large. Submerging and closing at max
speed. Two torpedo salvo.
Small coal tender, for 300 tons or so.
English flag : attacking.
09:16 - Torpedo hit! Ship going down. Surfacing.
09:16 - Ship identified as MV Empire Arthur, 314 tons.
Cargo was grain. Had a crew of 7 but only 2 survivors
found. Reported their position for rescue.
09:49 - Warship closing fast : diving.
11:02 - stopping engines at 26 m deep. Warshing keeps
closing and is under 1000 meters now. Probably looking
for us after having triangulated our patrol report
emission sent very close to their shores. Going silent
running might not be enough, so we stop and slowly
go near ocean's floor.
13:05 - Ship spotted. Diving and plotting course for
interception. Close to English coast.
13:13 - Tramp Steamer, English. Attacking.
Setting torpedo tube 2 for depth 6 meters, keel 6.8
Impact
13:17 - Sent torpedo.
13:18 - Torpedo impact! Ship going down.
Tramp Steamer for 1960 tons.
13:18 - Ship identified as SS Isac, 1964 tons.
Cargo was military stores. Had a crew of 20 but only
9 have survived. Reported their position for rescue.
13:19 - Surfacing and sending patrol report.
Out of torpedoes : heading back to Kiel.
1800 Km to go, about 176 hours of travel at current speed.
21:47 - SS Binnendiik reports having struck a mine at
50.32N 02.20W and took heavy damage.
--
October, 8th 1939
09:01 - BdU reports U-12 has failed to return from
patrol and is considered lost. Mine or enemy attack
suspected.
08:58 - Bdu asks us to report : sending Patrol report.
10:00 : We are ordered to return to base. Debrief to
follow.
--
October, 11th 1939
Reached Kiel, end of Patrol 3.
Been awarded U-Boat Front Clasp.
Total tonnage for patrol 3 is 6985 tons.
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Amelung Wissmann has been transfered to
another Uboat, replaced by Matrosengefreiter Richard Kentrat as its
first post-training deployment.
--
September, 30th 1939
Our Uboat remained 50 days on repairs and upgrades
in preparation for its third patrol.
Ordered to patrol area AN47
23:03 - We depart from Kiel. It's night but the harbour
has plenty activity. We are hearing explosions in the
distance, as if some war ship was shooting its weapons,
training maybe. Fanfare is playing which is a bit
strange at night. Asked navigating officer to get the
ship out of Kiel up to area near Willemshaven, so we
can there set course to AN47 for patrol, in front of
Aberdeen. We are about 1300 Km away from patrol area,
which we should reach in about 71 hours at current
standard ahead speed of 10 knots.
--
October, 1st 1939
06:14 - reached exit point of Kaiser-Wilhelm Kanal.
Setting course for patrol area.
--
October, 2th 1939
10:06 - spotted a stopped Tugboat and a boat converted
as buoy in grid AN65. Closing in at periscope depth.
10:27 - reached area. An old boat as been converted
into buoy and a tugboat is anchored next to it. Shows
a Netherlands flag thus no attack allowed. No crew
visible on deck. Depth under keel is 37 meters. Diving
to 25 meters to go undetected, will surface at night
and keep heading to patrol area.
17:16 - hydrophone contact. Merchant closing at
bearing 251 but batteries are very low : we have 600 A
left out of 5000. Trying to intercept but power will
soon run out.
17:37 - periscope depth. received radio message from
U-7 that reports sinking one merchant for 1100 tons
at grid AN 2431.
17:38 - plotted interception course and surfacing.
Need to recharge batteries and get to target faster.
Will submerge as soon target is detected.
17:40 - radio message ; orders to attack all darkened
ships found in the whole area of the England east-coast
and the whole French coast. Complete freedom to attack.
18:00 - ship spotted at bearing 065. Batteries recharged
from 50 A to 100 A. Diving. Ship has changed course and
is now going north. Depth under keel is 42 m. Going to
periscope depth. Should intercept ship under 1000 m range.
18:11 - ship identified as medium cargo. About 1300 meters
away. It's going to come far too close for torpedoes to
be able to arm. Moving full back ahead to increase range
in order to be able to fire if required. Not yet been able
to identify country of origin. Setting salvo of tubes 1
and 2, depth 9 for 9.2 keel, impact.
Boat is French without any escort : aborting attack.
--
October, 3th 1939
12:42 - reached AN81 and starting search patrol. Ship
reported by contact report south-east of my position.
Changing course to find it.
14:17 - U-16 reports sinking a merchant for 3400 tons
in grid AN 3128.
--
October, 4th 1939
12:17 - U-23 reports sinking one merchant for 1000 tons,
grid AN2651.
17:31 - orders received by radio. We are permitted to
attack without warning any merchant ship to be armed, or
firing on us. We are ordered to save the crew if possible.
19:41 - U-35 reports two explosions of TI torpedoes using
G7a pistols. They also report they saved and dropped a
Greek crew for the ship they sunk at the Irish coast,
grid AM 8491.
--
October, 5th 1939
04:41 : Contact report of ship closing on us from NE.
Plotted intercept course and moving into position.
submerging within 10 Km of interception area. Attack at
night is perfect for long-range use of type 1 torpedoes
I am carrying. Depth under keel 30 m.
06:00 - hydrophone contact bearing 058. Long range and
high speed. Increasing speed to come closer.
06:42 - ship too far for identification. Surfacing and
shadowing for closer interception.
07:18 - ship going too fast for shadowing. Still too
far away for country identification.
7:36 - SS Marwarri reports having struck a mine and is
going down at 50.56N 04.47W
07:47 - ship we were hunting spotted at bearing 30
degrees W. She is going too fast for any shadowing,
could not identify so we abandon pursuit and attack.
Going back to slow speed and patrolling area AN84.
11:41 - U-3 reports two merchants sunk for 2300 tons
in grid AN 3673.
21:01 - The last remnants of Polish army have
surrendered.
--
October, 6th 1939
01:54 - ship spotted bearing 96. Going slow.
Depth under keel 27 m. Weather not good for attack,
clouds partial, moderate visibility and 12 meters per
second wind. Ship is going all-lights off which makes
her a valid target. Closing for attack.
02:10 - Granville type freighter. Setting 3 torpedo
salvo at 5 meters, for 6.1 keel. Impact detonation.
02:14 - fired three torpedoes. Torpedoes 1 and 3 did hit,
torpedo 2 either missed or was a dud. Ship heavily damaged
and burning. Tube 1 will be ready in 6 min. She might
require another shot to go down. Shadowing her while
submerged.
02:26 - The ship did sunk. Sending patrol report.
Fuel at 80 %, 2 torpedoes left, sunk one freighter
for 4707 tons.
02:26 - Ship identified as SS Thistlegarth, 4707 tons.
Cargo was Grain. Had a crew of 73 but they have lost
33. Reported their position for rescue and left area.
02:37 - Ship called for help. Spotted a patrol craft.
Diving. A second patrol craft is closing to area where
we did sunk the ship at medium speed. Going to
silent running at 25 meters to avoid them. They have
started rescue operations.
03:34 - no sounds contacts. Periscope depth to check
around, surfacing to charge batteries if ok and finishing
to reload tube 2.
04:20 - Tubes one and two reloaded. Resuming patrol of
area at slow speed while reloading batteries.
07:29 - U-35 reports sinking 5 merchants for 19100 tons,
and returning to base. At grid BF 1719. I wish I could
have a type VIIB/c with so many torpedoes to do as much
kills.
09:06 - Aircraft spotted. Full flank ahead to dive at
25 meters (depth under keel is 33 meters). Aircraft is
closing for attack.
09:32 - Surfaced the ship. Keeping on patrol.
11:50 - Poland has surrendered. All remaining Polish
vessels are still to be considered hostile.
14:30 - Received message. We are to report any
incorrect procedure from neutral ships.
14:32 - SS Lochgoil reports having struck a mine and is
going down at 50.56N 04.47W
--
October, 7th 1939
09:10 - Spotted ship. Going fast and coming from E.
Seems quite large. Submerging and closing at max
speed. Two torpedo salvo.
Small coal tender, for 300 tons or so.
English flag : attacking.
09:16 - Torpedo hit! Ship going down. Surfacing.
09:16 - Ship identified as MV Empire Arthur, 314 tons.
Cargo was grain. Had a crew of 7 but only 2 survivors
found. Reported their position for rescue.
09:49 - Warship closing fast : diving.
11:02 - stopping engines at 26 m deep. Warshing keeps
closing and is under 1000 meters now. Probably looking
for us after having triangulated our patrol report
emission sent very close to their shores. Going silent
running might not be enough, so we stop and slowly
go near ocean's floor.
13:05 - Ship spotted. Diving and plotting course for
interception. Close to English coast.
13:13 - Tramp Steamer, English. Attacking.
Setting torpedo tube 2 for depth 6 meters, keel 6.8
Impact
13:17 - Sent torpedo.
13:18 - Torpedo impact! Ship going down.
Tramp Steamer for 1960 tons.
13:18 - Ship identified as SS Isac, 1964 tons.
Cargo was military stores. Had a crew of 20 but only
9 have survived. Reported their position for rescue.
13:19 - Surfacing and sending patrol report.
Out of torpedoes : heading back to Kiel.
1800 Km to go, about 176 hours of travel at current speed.
21:47 - SS Binnendiik reports having struck a mine at
50.32N 02.20W and took heavy damage.
--
October, 8th 1939
09:01 - BdU reports U-12 has failed to return from
patrol and is considered lost. Mine or enemy attack
suspected.
08:58 - Bdu asks us to report : sending Patrol report.
10:00 : We are ordered to return to base. Debrief to
follow.
--
October, 11th 1939
Reached Kiel, end of Patrol 3.
Been awarded U-Boat Front Clasp.
Total tonnage for patrol 3 is 6985 tons.
Patrol 2 (30AUG39 - 10SEP3)
= Patrol 2 =
August, 10th 1939
U-22 is being prepared for its second patrol.
Dismissed Josef Sollig who is not cut for Uboat life,
and have him transfered to ground unit. Replaced him
with Bruno Wurdemann, Overfahnrich zur See with
machinist qualification. Johann Kuhn is gone for
flak operations training to add to its watchman duties.
I am letting the new machinist officer handle the
boat maintenance. He will serve as weapons officer
when required. A few new model torpedoes are available.
The TII being electric, it leaves no wake but its range
is only 5 Km compared to the 12.5 km of the type I.
As test, I have been asked to embark 5 TII torpedoes
and if possible, test them at sea.
--
August, 30th 1939
U-22 refit is complete. We now have 5 of the new TII
torpedoes loaded. We are ordered to patrol grid AN26.
Setting course going north to pass south of Norway
into patrol zone. While my crew doesn't know, I have
been given information that our armies will invade soon
Poland, for October 1st 1939 in a few days.
13:06 - U-26, 27 and 30 have been sent to sea at the
same time as us.
--
August, 31th 1939 01:01
German ship Corrientes has reached Las Palmas.
She is available in harbour for resupply duties.
We are almost south of Norway.
18:32 - War has started. Our armies have attacked
Poland and we are watching western powers to see how
they react. We are ordered not to attack English ships
except in defense or under special order. We are still
in route for patrol area. Will pass Kristiandsand in
six hours, and we will require about 59 hours to reach
patrol grid.
20:44 - Cargo ship spotted. About 7 km awaw, AoB 63
going E in Skagerrak.
--
September, 1st 1939
21:01 - radio reports Polish troops have attacked
a german radio station at Gliewitz.
20:01 - radio reports military operations are authorized
against all Polish vessels from now on. They are to be
considered hostile and attacked at our discretion.
All other vessels are to be considered neutral.
21:01 - Poland invasion complete.
--
September, 3rd 1939
02:12 - radio message
We are ordered to commence attacks against English
ships forthwith. Our orders are to attack merchant
shipping with English flag, while respecting revised issue
of Prize Regulations (signaling attack would only get
our targets try to evade us, how should be proceed
for submerged attacks then ?). Orders allow us to sink
ships without warning. So we'll attack then surface and
report by radio position and survivors, if any.
05:03 - we have reached patrol grid AN26. Slowing down
to 1/3 ahead and asking watchman officer to get up and
start watching the horizon for ships.
14:01 - radio message
Orders are to attack without warning troop ships
or material for war, any vessel escorted by enemy warships
or aircraft and finally, any vessel in direct support
of enenmy operations. Our patrol in AN26 is still going
on and no ship has been sighted yet. Weather since
beginning of patrol is very good : no clouds, sunshine,
and perfect visibility. Ordered navigating officer to
deck with sausages and he is grilling them for the
crew who is eating under sun on the deck.
14:10 - another radio message
More clarification about conduct of naval warfare.
We are ordered strict observance of rules of neutrality.
Prize regulations do not apply to armed ships forthwith.
15:51 - radio message
We are asked to attack British ships.
16:19 - Aircraft spotted! Bearing 131
Moving to combat positions.
Prepping boat for emergency dive, depth under keel 132 m.
16:22 - Plane dropped depth charge ahead of sub, is coming back for another attack, probably gun. Ordering emergency
dive.
16:32 - Coming back to periscope depth in order to be
able to receive radio messages. Staying below water
until sun goes down.
17:53 - radio messsage
France has declared war on Germany as of today 17:00
We are to take defensive action only if attacked,
and we are ordered not to take hostile action against
French vessels. We continue our grid patrol.
19:49
Received message from SS Athenia located 56.44N 14.05W
Ship is going down and asking for help (SSS).
21:00 - surfacing the ship. Battery down to 25 %
21:02 - radio message
Britain, France, Austria, New Zeland and Austria
have declared war on Germany. Still no ship in sight
and no hydrophone contact. Moon is almost full, weather
still good.
21:14 - U-14 reports having attacked Polish submarine
in grid AO94. Wreckage and oil found!
--
September, 4th 1939
06:34 - Sun is going up. Calm sea, nice orange glow
from sun. Our patrol of this grid is finished.
We have used 1/3 fuel. Setting course to get closer
to France-England Kanal, to catch shipping ships
going out of there. We should reach area within 51 hours,
which is 995 Km away.
10:32 - ship spotted bearing 066, medium speed.
Should pass within 600 m of us. Going to periscope
depth and setting heading for interception.
10:48 - flag seems English. Tubes 1 and 2 ready
for salvo shot. Looks like a large Tugboat.
10:53 - Ship is a large tugboat. Around 400 tons.
English : attacking. Using torpedo tube 1 set for
impact and 2 meter (keel is 2.5 m).
10:56 - In position for attack. Stopping engines,
waiting for ship to pass in front of sub at
exactly 0 degrees.
11:00 - Torpedo hit. Ship going down.
English tugboat for 420 tons.
No survivors.
11:00 - Ship identified as MV Alnwick,
422 tons. She had a crew of 25, but we
only found 5 survivors in raft boat. Sent
their coordinates and asked for their rescue.
11:02 - Resuming course to AN84.
11:31 - Aircraft spotted. Seems the Tugboat called
for help before going down. Ordering flak gun to
be manned on deck. Going flank ahead speed.
Depth charge 10 meters left of boat. Minor damage
to Bow Torpedo section. Repair crew doing repairs.
Some minor flooding on tube 1.
11:34 Plane still attacking. Dropped second depth
charge right of boat. Flak gunner requires training,
has not scored any hit.
Ordering crash dive.
12:01 - radio message ordering not to shoot
passengers ships if they are travelling alone or
in a convoy.
12:50 - surfacing.
13:46 - radio message. Orders against merchant
shipping remain.
21:01 - radio reports the RAF has attacked German navy.
--
September, 5th 1939
08:31 - received request for help message from
SS Bosnia, located 45.29N 09.45W
10:02 - SS Eidanger has picked up survivors from
SS Bosnia at 45.29N 09.45W
13:01 - SS Pluvoise has been stopped by German
submarine, at 39.42N 09.10W ; she is calling for help.
14:02 - SS Royal Sceptre sunk at 46.23M 14.49W
Calling for help for rescue.
21:02 - USA proclaims neutrality. German troops have
crossed the Vistula River in Poland.
--
September, 6th 1939
05:33 - We are ordered to observe the 1930 London
submarine Protocol article 22. We have to use extreme
caution when approaching enemy ships.
06:02 - Received call for help from SS Manaar at
38.28N 10.50W
06:53 - Reached grid AN84 west of Lowerstaft. Radio
reports contact ship north-east of our position.
Going full ahead speed to intercept.
07:58 - Diving to periscope depth to search for
enemy ship. Depth under keel very small, 17 meters.
08:20 - Coastal freighter. English. About 1.1k tons
Ship passed in front of sub, too late for impact shot
at 90 degrees. Setting both T2 torpedo depth to 8 meters,
to pass below ship and shooting at her from astern.
08:22 - Torpedo 1 and 2 hit ! Ship going down !
08:22 - Ship identified as SS Adherence, 1872 tons.
Its cargo was Aircraft. She had a crew of 26,
2 were lost in attack, we found 24 survivors in rafts.
Gave them food and reported their position for
rescue.
08:25 - Going away from sinking site at periscope
depth, 1/3 ahead until sun goes down. Sent patrol
report. Fuel at 1/3, one torpedo left.
09:16 - received radio message with congratulations
from BdU. Continuing patrol near England coast to
use last torpedoe.
09:23 - U-38 reports being fired at from steamer
in CG5573. Did sunk the steamer using torpedoes
for about 7000 tons. Advises other Uboats that
steamers are to be approched submerged as they are
armed for some or most.
11:43 - orders to only take defensive action
against French ships. We are not to stop those
ships and must avoid incidents at all costs.
13:34 - hydrophone contact. Warship bearing 140,
north of Lowerstaft. Depth under keel 23 meters,
not enough for evasion if attack. Going opposite
direction.
14:05 - hydrophone contact, merchant closing
and moving slow. Moving to intercept. Surfacing
to get closer.
14:19 - SS Rio Claro requests for help
at 46.30N 12.00W
Skill searching for merchant contact.
Excellent weather conditions : on clouds, no
precipitation but moderate visibility.
14:39 - Ship spotted. Moving to intercept.
Range about 5.2 Km
14:43 - ship looks like a Large Tugboat, around 420 t
About 4.7 Km away.
14:47 - ID complete. Boat is a Large Tugboat.
Torpedo in tube 3 set for impact, at 2 meters for
a keep depth of 2.5 meters.
14:49 - Torpedo on its way. Should impact within
3 minutes.
14:52 - Torpedo exploded before or after it reached
the ship. Out of torpedoes. Setting course back to
Kiel, submerged until night.
21:01 - radio message ; South Africa has declared
War on Germany.
--
September, 7th 1939
12:02 - radio message ; orders asks us to only operate
against merchant shipping. Navals ships are not to be
attacked. We are not to sink capital ships at this time,
as embarassing Great Britain might not let us negociate
them getting out of the war. BdU agrees that Uboat force
is not suited for such attacks.
14:11 - radio message ; SS Olivegrove calling for help.
Position 49.05N 15.58W
15:49 - We are 1400 Km to Kiel. Fuel should last enough
for 2700 Km. should reach Kiel within 68 hours at
current speed.
15:50 - radio message ; U-29 reports experiencing
premature explosions with T2 torpedoes set for
magnetic explosion. Our last T2 torpedo launch did
explode in such a way, while being set to explode with
impact pistol.
17:48 - radio message ; SS Gartavon calling for help
at position 47.04N 11.32W
--
September, 8th 1939
11:41 - radio message ; torpedo directorate advises
to set magnetic pistols set back two zones to reduce
sensitivity. Experts advise to use impact pistols on
ships below 3000 tons.
11:49 - radio message ; orders for U-Boats 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48 and 52
Nothing for us.
12:01 - radio message ; orders for U-45, 48, 52, 40,
45, 47 and 48.
17:44 - U-26 is asked to report position. Might be
missing ?
18:45 - radio message ; SS Statendam reports having
rescued all hands from SS Winkleigh at position 48.06N
18.12W
--
September, 9th 1939
07:15 - radio message ; U-19 reports no fuel problems,
6 torpedoes left and position in grid BF 1311.
12:16 - radio message ; SS Regent Tiger asks for
help at position 49.57N 15.34W
12:22 - orders for U-32 ; ordered to proceed around
British Isles to BF 2219 and lay screen off Portsmouth.
U-31 goes to BF 1719 and U-35 through channel to BF 1467.
15:01 - radio message ; SS Breedi Ik reports having
rescued all hands from SS Kennebec at position 49.18N
08.13W
--
September, 10th 1939
13:16 - radio message ; order to all Uboats. Convoys north
of Brest may be attacked if escorted by French or French
and British forces.
16:05 - radio message ; U-26 reports 6 torpedoes left,
no fuel problems at position at grid BF 1724.
17:26 - radio message ; SS Magdapur calls for help
at position 52.11N 01.43E
17:55 - almost collided with Patrol Boat. They reversed
back in order to avoid hitting us at full speed.
19:22 - Reached Kiel. End of patrol 2.
Sent Kurt Forstner (Oberleutnant zur See) to learn
basic medic skills as we have no medic on ship.
Sunk two ships : Large Tugboat for 422 tons and
Coastal Freighter for 1872 tons. Total 2293 tons.
August, 10th 1939
U-22 is being prepared for its second patrol.
Dismissed Josef Sollig who is not cut for Uboat life,
and have him transfered to ground unit. Replaced him
with Bruno Wurdemann, Overfahnrich zur See with
machinist qualification. Johann Kuhn is gone for
flak operations training to add to its watchman duties.
I am letting the new machinist officer handle the
boat maintenance. He will serve as weapons officer
when required. A few new model torpedoes are available.
The TII being electric, it leaves no wake but its range
is only 5 Km compared to the 12.5 km of the type I.
As test, I have been asked to embark 5 TII torpedoes
and if possible, test them at sea.
--
August, 30th 1939
U-22 refit is complete. We now have 5 of the new TII
torpedoes loaded. We are ordered to patrol grid AN26.
Setting course going north to pass south of Norway
into patrol zone. While my crew doesn't know, I have
been given information that our armies will invade soon
Poland, for October 1st 1939 in a few days.
13:06 - U-26, 27 and 30 have been sent to sea at the
same time as us.
--
August, 31th 1939 01:01
German ship Corrientes has reached Las Palmas.
She is available in harbour for resupply duties.
We are almost south of Norway.
18:32 - War has started. Our armies have attacked
Poland and we are watching western powers to see how
they react. We are ordered not to attack English ships
except in defense or under special order. We are still
in route for patrol area. Will pass Kristiandsand in
six hours, and we will require about 59 hours to reach
patrol grid.
20:44 - Cargo ship spotted. About 7 km awaw, AoB 63
going E in Skagerrak.
--
September, 1st 1939
21:01 - radio reports Polish troops have attacked
a german radio station at Gliewitz.
20:01 - radio reports military operations are authorized
against all Polish vessels from now on. They are to be
considered hostile and attacked at our discretion.
All other vessels are to be considered neutral.
21:01 - Poland invasion complete.
--
September, 3rd 1939
02:12 - radio message
We are ordered to commence attacks against English
ships forthwith. Our orders are to attack merchant
shipping with English flag, while respecting revised issue
of Prize Regulations (signaling attack would only get
our targets try to evade us, how should be proceed
for submerged attacks then ?). Orders allow us to sink
ships without warning. So we'll attack then surface and
report by radio position and survivors, if any.
05:03 - we have reached patrol grid AN26. Slowing down
to 1/3 ahead and asking watchman officer to get up and
start watching the horizon for ships.
14:01 - radio message
Orders are to attack without warning troop ships
or material for war, any vessel escorted by enemy warships
or aircraft and finally, any vessel in direct support
of enenmy operations. Our patrol in AN26 is still going
on and no ship has been sighted yet. Weather since
beginning of patrol is very good : no clouds, sunshine,
and perfect visibility. Ordered navigating officer to
deck with sausages and he is grilling them for the
crew who is eating under sun on the deck.
14:10 - another radio message
More clarification about conduct of naval warfare.
We are ordered strict observance of rules of neutrality.
Prize regulations do not apply to armed ships forthwith.
15:51 - radio message
We are asked to attack British ships.
16:19 - Aircraft spotted! Bearing 131
Moving to combat positions.
Prepping boat for emergency dive, depth under keel 132 m.
16:22 - Plane dropped depth charge ahead of sub, is coming back for another attack, probably gun. Ordering emergency
dive.
16:32 - Coming back to periscope depth in order to be
able to receive radio messages. Staying below water
until sun goes down.
17:53 - radio messsage
France has declared war on Germany as of today 17:00
We are to take defensive action only if attacked,
and we are ordered not to take hostile action against
French vessels. We continue our grid patrol.
19:49
Received message from SS Athenia located 56.44N 14.05W
Ship is going down and asking for help (SSS).
21:00 - surfacing the ship. Battery down to 25 %
21:02 - radio message
Britain, France, Austria, New Zeland and Austria
have declared war on Germany. Still no ship in sight
and no hydrophone contact. Moon is almost full, weather
still good.
21:14 - U-14 reports having attacked Polish submarine
in grid AO94. Wreckage and oil found!
--
September, 4th 1939
06:34 - Sun is going up. Calm sea, nice orange glow
from sun. Our patrol of this grid is finished.
We have used 1/3 fuel. Setting course to get closer
to France-England Kanal, to catch shipping ships
going out of there. We should reach area within 51 hours,
which is 995 Km away.
10:32 - ship spotted bearing 066, medium speed.
Should pass within 600 m of us. Going to periscope
depth and setting heading for interception.
10:48 - flag seems English. Tubes 1 and 2 ready
for salvo shot. Looks like a large Tugboat.
10:53 - Ship is a large tugboat. Around 400 tons.
English : attacking. Using torpedo tube 1 set for
impact and 2 meter (keel is 2.5 m).
10:56 - In position for attack. Stopping engines,
waiting for ship to pass in front of sub at
exactly 0 degrees.
11:00 - Torpedo hit. Ship going down.
English tugboat for 420 tons.
No survivors.
11:00 - Ship identified as MV Alnwick,
422 tons. She had a crew of 25, but we
only found 5 survivors in raft boat. Sent
their coordinates and asked for their rescue.
11:02 - Resuming course to AN84.
11:31 - Aircraft spotted. Seems the Tugboat called
for help before going down. Ordering flak gun to
be manned on deck. Going flank ahead speed.
Depth charge 10 meters left of boat. Minor damage
to Bow Torpedo section. Repair crew doing repairs.
Some minor flooding on tube 1.
11:34 Plane still attacking. Dropped second depth
charge right of boat. Flak gunner requires training,
has not scored any hit.
Ordering crash dive.
12:01 - radio message ordering not to shoot
passengers ships if they are travelling alone or
in a convoy.
12:50 - surfacing.
13:46 - radio message. Orders against merchant
shipping remain.
21:01 - radio reports the RAF has attacked German navy.
--
September, 5th 1939
08:31 - received request for help message from
SS Bosnia, located 45.29N 09.45W
10:02 - SS Eidanger has picked up survivors from
SS Bosnia at 45.29N 09.45W
13:01 - SS Pluvoise has been stopped by German
submarine, at 39.42N 09.10W ; she is calling for help.
14:02 - SS Royal Sceptre sunk at 46.23M 14.49W
Calling for help for rescue.
21:02 - USA proclaims neutrality. German troops have
crossed the Vistula River in Poland.
--
September, 6th 1939
05:33 - We are ordered to observe the 1930 London
submarine Protocol article 22. We have to use extreme
caution when approaching enemy ships.
06:02 - Received call for help from SS Manaar at
38.28N 10.50W
06:53 - Reached grid AN84 west of Lowerstaft. Radio
reports contact ship north-east of our position.
Going full ahead speed to intercept.
07:58 - Diving to periscope depth to search for
enemy ship. Depth under keel very small, 17 meters.
08:20 - Coastal freighter. English. About 1.1k tons
Ship passed in front of sub, too late for impact shot
at 90 degrees. Setting both T2 torpedo depth to 8 meters,
to pass below ship and shooting at her from astern.
08:22 - Torpedo 1 and 2 hit ! Ship going down !
08:22 - Ship identified as SS Adherence, 1872 tons.
Its cargo was Aircraft. She had a crew of 26,
2 were lost in attack, we found 24 survivors in rafts.
Gave them food and reported their position for
rescue.
08:25 - Going away from sinking site at periscope
depth, 1/3 ahead until sun goes down. Sent patrol
report. Fuel at 1/3, one torpedo left.
09:16 - received radio message with congratulations
from BdU. Continuing patrol near England coast to
use last torpedoe.
09:23 - U-38 reports being fired at from steamer
in CG5573. Did sunk the steamer using torpedoes
for about 7000 tons. Advises other Uboats that
steamers are to be approched submerged as they are
armed for some or most.
11:43 - orders to only take defensive action
against French ships. We are not to stop those
ships and must avoid incidents at all costs.
13:34 - hydrophone contact. Warship bearing 140,
north of Lowerstaft. Depth under keel 23 meters,
not enough for evasion if attack. Going opposite
direction.
14:05 - hydrophone contact, merchant closing
and moving slow. Moving to intercept. Surfacing
to get closer.
14:19 - SS Rio Claro requests for help
at 46.30N 12.00W
Skill searching for merchant contact.
Excellent weather conditions : on clouds, no
precipitation but moderate visibility.
14:39 - Ship spotted. Moving to intercept.
Range about 5.2 Km
14:43 - ship looks like a Large Tugboat, around 420 t
About 4.7 Km away.
14:47 - ID complete. Boat is a Large Tugboat.
Torpedo in tube 3 set for impact, at 2 meters for
a keep depth of 2.5 meters.
14:49 - Torpedo on its way. Should impact within
3 minutes.
14:52 - Torpedo exploded before or after it reached
the ship. Out of torpedoes. Setting course back to
Kiel, submerged until night.
21:01 - radio message ; South Africa has declared
War on Germany.
--
September, 7th 1939
12:02 - radio message ; orders asks us to only operate
against merchant shipping. Navals ships are not to be
attacked. We are not to sink capital ships at this time,
as embarassing Great Britain might not let us negociate
them getting out of the war. BdU agrees that Uboat force
is not suited for such attacks.
14:11 - radio message ; SS Olivegrove calling for help.
Position 49.05N 15.58W
15:49 - We are 1400 Km to Kiel. Fuel should last enough
for 2700 Km. should reach Kiel within 68 hours at
current speed.
15:50 - radio message ; U-29 reports experiencing
premature explosions with T2 torpedoes set for
magnetic explosion. Our last T2 torpedo launch did
explode in such a way, while being set to explode with
impact pistol.
17:48 - radio message ; SS Gartavon calling for help
at position 47.04N 11.32W
--
September, 8th 1939
11:41 - radio message ; torpedo directorate advises
to set magnetic pistols set back two zones to reduce
sensitivity. Experts advise to use impact pistols on
ships below 3000 tons.
11:49 - radio message ; orders for U-Boats 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48 and 52
Nothing for us.
12:01 - radio message ; orders for U-45, 48, 52, 40,
45, 47 and 48.
17:44 - U-26 is asked to report position. Might be
missing ?
18:45 - radio message ; SS Statendam reports having
rescued all hands from SS Winkleigh at position 48.06N
18.12W
--
September, 9th 1939
07:15 - radio message ; U-19 reports no fuel problems,
6 torpedoes left and position in grid BF 1311.
12:16 - radio message ; SS Regent Tiger asks for
help at position 49.57N 15.34W
12:22 - orders for U-32 ; ordered to proceed around
British Isles to BF 2219 and lay screen off Portsmouth.
U-31 goes to BF 1719 and U-35 through channel to BF 1467.
15:01 - radio message ; SS Breedi Ik reports having
rescued all hands from SS Kennebec at position 49.18N
08.13W
--
September, 10th 1939
13:16 - radio message ; order to all Uboats. Convoys north
of Brest may be attacked if escorted by French or French
and British forces.
16:05 - radio message ; U-26 reports 6 torpedoes left,
no fuel problems at position at grid BF 1724.
17:26 - radio message ; SS Magdapur calls for help
at position 52.11N 01.43E
17:55 - almost collided with Patrol Boat. They reversed
back in order to avoid hitting us at full speed.
19:22 - Reached Kiel. End of patrol 2.
Sent Kurt Forstner (Oberleutnant zur See) to learn
basic medic skills as we have no medic on ship.
Sunk two ships : Large Tugboat for 422 tons and
Coastal Freighter for 1872 tons. Total 2293 tons.
Patrol 1 (01AUG39 - 10AUG39)
August, 1st 1939 00:24
Received command of U-22, a type IIA submarine.
Crew is new, no one has ever done a patrol inside.
Been able to find myself a Stabsoberbootsman to take
care of the engines, and he'll have five untrained
men under his command for the patrol duration and they
don't know anything about mecanics. Ship is small,
but sturdy and easy to handle.
Patrol departure time is 00:24 and the fanfare is playing
on the dock for us. Going ahead slow ahead and taking
the patch west to Rendsburg and Brunsbuttel through the
Kaiser-Wilhelm Kanal.
Clouds partial, no precipitation, moderate visiblity.
Ordered patrol grid is AN26, which is about 1400 Km
from Kiel, our departing port.
Received orders are to do a five day shakedown patrol
for my crew to feel at home in their new type II. We
should get more orders by 4th.
--
August, 1st 1939 07:23
We are cruising at 4 knots slow ahead. Checks on boat
have finished and there's no leak anywhere. Everything
seems good. Each piece works fine and I'm now increasing
speed to standard ahead until we reach the end of the
Kanal. We are almost to Rendsburg, about 14 Km to go
according to the navigator. We're passing by a german
cargo ship stopped in Kanal directly south of Eckernforde.
About 113 Km to go and we should get out of the Kanal in
8 hours.
--
August, 1st 1939 12:20
We reached the end of Kanal. Depth is 12 meters, not
enough to try diving the sub for testing depth. Now
taking route to AN26 for patrol.
About 1200 Km to go, we should reach patrol area in
64 hours at standard ahead, 10 knots if weather stays
about the same. Will try testing depth near grid AN42
where it should be deep enough.
--
August, 3rd 1939 03:10
Spotted ship at bearing 306, long range.
Clouds partial, no precipitation, good visilibity.
Depth under keel 54 meters. Getting close for
periscope depth simulated attack. Ship is going E,
and about 7 Km away. Plotting intercept course
for 90 degree N-S attack.
03:15 - ship is a cargo. It's fully lighted but we cant
get flag for country identification. Going periscope
depth to check how my sonar man can handle tracking the
ship. Need to train Johann Kuhn to mechanics when we get
to port so my watchman can be of some use under water.
Will probably dismiss Josef Sollig. Obviously he is quite
claustrophobic and he kept wanting to get upper deck
when surfaced even when he should be resting. Two watchman
officers is a bad idea, what were they thinking in doing
so when attributing me officers.
03:18 - Jurgen Schultze, our sonar operator, has no
problem traking the cargo ship. Its speed is increasing,
I hope we can get close enough for identification and
simulated attack.
03:25 - we have two sound contacts bearing 130 and 140.
Stopping machines and getting to peri.
Seems to be large cargo, 8k ton class.
Mast 28m, Angle 0.4 degs for 3430 Km range.
Angle on bow 0/1 Speed 7 knots.
Prepping tubes 1 and 2 for impact hit at depth 9 meters.
for a 9.9 draft.
Going back slow. Ship is gonna pass too close to
front.
03:36 - english ship. Can't find ID of ship.
Passing by 0 quite fast before I could even find an
ID... Speed is 22 knots. She's going very fast.
ID seems coastel freighter. Took so long ship is now
quite past in front of us. Attack would have failed.
Surfacing.
--
August, 3rd 1939 20:47
Depth under keel 118 m. Diving to 100 meters, slow
ahead.
20:50 - passing 50 meters. No sounds nor leaks.
Increasing speed to full ahead, 5 knots.
20:52 - first cracking sounds. Ships seems to handle
diving very well. We're at 97 meters and close to the
ordered 100 meters. She dives fast without any steep
angle.
20:54 - depth 100 meters. Going slow ahead. Time has
come to christen my crew : ordered the chief engineer
to get water from outside the sub. Each crewmember has
now been ordered to drink a coffee cup of 100 meter deep
salt-water and salute me, and to each one I answer
"I chtistian you!". We get those beer bottles to be
open, one liter for each crew member. No leak, no
problem. Going slow and steady at 100 m deep. Depth goes
up, looks like the ship goes 3 meters up when going
under 4 knots. Means we'll have to compensate when
going slow at periscope depth. That information was not
in the design notes for the type II model when they gave
them to me!
21:54 - We're going to surface. Ship has been going
slow ahead for one hour at 97 meters deep. This used
400 A from the batteries, whose capacity is 5000 A.
At slow ahead this means we can sustain 2 knots underwater
for 12.5 hours. Depth under keel is 29 meters. I'm
pushing the ship to 120 meters before going up to surface.
22:01 - depth 123 m, under keel 5 m. Ship works as
designed up to testing depth. Cracking noise a bit more
pronounced at 123 m. Surfacing and setting heading for
patrol grid.
--
August, 4th 1939 07:45
Reached patrol grid AN26. Sending radio report.
No news from Bdu. Clouds partial, no precipitation,
unlimited visibility. Depth under keel 120 meters.
Going 1/3 ahead for patrol area.
08:01 - received radio message. Konigsberg uboats have
finished their training and are being dispatched between
the 1st and 2nd flotilla. 1st will be composed of typeII
while the type VIIB will go to 2nd flotilla. type VIIB.
That's a ship I would love to have. Continuing patrol.
12:50 - bad weather is coming to us. winds increased
to 7 meters per second with clouds overcast and moderate
visibility.
--
August, 5th 1939 07:50
As per orders, we have patrolled AN26 for 24 hours.
The bad weather really caught us. Clouds are overcast,
we have heavy precipitation and less than 100 m visibility
around the sub. Wind is over 15 meters per seconds and
the boat is really rocking up and down. Going to keep
going at full speed heading back to Kiel and have each
crewman spend 20 minutes on deck to get fresh air and
have a nice view of what's a uboat under storm. It's cold,
but it's refreshing to be on the deck with winds and
fresh water. The only problem with that bad weather is
the gramophone that can't be used. I'm lying on the
captain's bunk and I would love some music. Boat is
rocking so much I am sliding in my bunk and I see my
crewman pass by me after their 20 min ordered deck time
to crew quarters.
07:56 - We used less than 1/3 of fuel reserve. Heading
back to Kiel. We're going to get there from north using
the Skagerrak south of Norway. It's longer but I prefer
that to having to sail again the Kaiser Kanal which
requires constant course corrections.
--
August, 6th 1939 07:56
Radio contact report : ship south-east of us, about
35 Km away going WNW at medium speed. Reported by plane
at 07:50. Setting max speed ahead and plotting intercept
course. Weather still bad going at 10 meters per second,
with heavy precipitation and poor visibility. Unless
we get less than a few hundred meters of her we won't see
her. Going for intercept area and will dive for contact
check.
08:20 - within 2 Km of calculated interception area.
Diving to 60 meters and waiting for hydrophone contact.
08:24 - reached 60/70 meters. Ship dives fast when
using dive planes but at slow speeds of stopped engines,
using the ballasts takes forever to have the ship
dive. It's far more effective to get her to get deep
using engines and dive planes with neutral bouyancy.
08:36 - hydrophone contact. merchant medium speed closing
on us, bearing 279 long range. Moving to periscope depth
full ahead for interception.
11:30 - weather too bad, visibility too low. We used
4000 of the 5000 A of the batteries trying to get close
to surface vessel, but we won't see it until it's too
close, around 100-200 meters away. Battery is below 20 %,
surfacing and setting course back to Norway.
--
August, 7th 1939 23:17
Spotted ship bearing 320. Diving to periscope depth
for simulated torpedo attack. Ship is a cargo, full
lights lit, can't see nationality flat yet.
ID is medium cargo, about 5k tons.
Distance 800 meters, AoB 90, Speed 5 knots.
closing for identification.
23:20 - setting torpedoes 1 and 2 depth to 8.5 meters
for 9.5 deep keel.
Ship is definitely a medium cargo. About 500 m ahead,
should pass in front of us at about 300/400 meters,
going 8 knots.
Norwegian ship.
23:22 - diving to 25 meters, setting course to
continue on going home to Kiel. Will surface at midnight.
--
August, 10th 1939 05:16
We are back at Kiel. We are coming home just before
a storm catches with us. Clouds are overcast, no
precipitation yet and winds are slowly going strong.
Going to set up the type II in protected harbour.
Should take at least two weeks before she can sail
again at sea. One for minor maintenance, and another
week to fill her with food and fuel, we didn't fire any
torpedoes.
10 days patrol from August 1th 1939 to 10th.
the type IIA U-22 works perfectly and was built to
specifications.
War preparations are engaged. On my next patrol I will
join 14 other uboats and probably war will be already
engaged. We will start with Poland and most think
Chamberlain won't intervene.
Received command of U-22, a type IIA submarine.
Crew is new, no one has ever done a patrol inside.
Been able to find myself a Stabsoberbootsman to take
care of the engines, and he'll have five untrained
men under his command for the patrol duration and they
don't know anything about mecanics. Ship is small,
but sturdy and easy to handle.
Patrol departure time is 00:24 and the fanfare is playing
on the dock for us. Going ahead slow ahead and taking
the patch west to Rendsburg and Brunsbuttel through the
Kaiser-Wilhelm Kanal.
Clouds partial, no precipitation, moderate visiblity.
Ordered patrol grid is AN26, which is about 1400 Km
from Kiel, our departing port.
Received orders are to do a five day shakedown patrol
for my crew to feel at home in their new type II. We
should get more orders by 4th.
--
August, 1st 1939 07:23
We are cruising at 4 knots slow ahead. Checks on boat
have finished and there's no leak anywhere. Everything
seems good. Each piece works fine and I'm now increasing
speed to standard ahead until we reach the end of the
Kanal. We are almost to Rendsburg, about 14 Km to go
according to the navigator. We're passing by a german
cargo ship stopped in Kanal directly south of Eckernforde.
About 113 Km to go and we should get out of the Kanal in
8 hours.
--
August, 1st 1939 12:20
We reached the end of Kanal. Depth is 12 meters, not
enough to try diving the sub for testing depth. Now
taking route to AN26 for patrol.
About 1200 Km to go, we should reach patrol area in
64 hours at standard ahead, 10 knots if weather stays
about the same. Will try testing depth near grid AN42
where it should be deep enough.
--
August, 3rd 1939 03:10
Spotted ship at bearing 306, long range.
Clouds partial, no precipitation, good visilibity.
Depth under keel 54 meters. Getting close for
periscope depth simulated attack. Ship is going E,
and about 7 Km away. Plotting intercept course
for 90 degree N-S attack.
03:15 - ship is a cargo. It's fully lighted but we cant
get flag for country identification. Going periscope
depth to check how my sonar man can handle tracking the
ship. Need to train Johann Kuhn to mechanics when we get
to port so my watchman can be of some use under water.
Will probably dismiss Josef Sollig. Obviously he is quite
claustrophobic and he kept wanting to get upper deck
when surfaced even when he should be resting. Two watchman
officers is a bad idea, what were they thinking in doing
so when attributing me officers.
03:18 - Jurgen Schultze, our sonar operator, has no
problem traking the cargo ship. Its speed is increasing,
I hope we can get close enough for identification and
simulated attack.
03:25 - we have two sound contacts bearing 130 and 140.
Stopping machines and getting to peri.
Seems to be large cargo, 8k ton class.
Mast 28m, Angle 0.4 degs for 3430 Km range.
Angle on bow 0/1 Speed 7 knots.
Prepping tubes 1 and 2 for impact hit at depth 9 meters.
for a 9.9 draft.
Going back slow. Ship is gonna pass too close to
front.
03:36 - english ship. Can't find ID of ship.
Passing by 0 quite fast before I could even find an
ID... Speed is 22 knots. She's going very fast.
ID seems coastel freighter. Took so long ship is now
quite past in front of us. Attack would have failed.
Surfacing.
--
August, 3rd 1939 20:47
Depth under keel 118 m. Diving to 100 meters, slow
ahead.
20:50 - passing 50 meters. No sounds nor leaks.
Increasing speed to full ahead, 5 knots.
20:52 - first cracking sounds. Ships seems to handle
diving very well. We're at 97 meters and close to the
ordered 100 meters. She dives fast without any steep
angle.
20:54 - depth 100 meters. Going slow ahead. Time has
come to christen my crew : ordered the chief engineer
to get water from outside the sub. Each crewmember has
now been ordered to drink a coffee cup of 100 meter deep
salt-water and salute me, and to each one I answer
"I chtistian you!". We get those beer bottles to be
open, one liter for each crew member. No leak, no
problem. Going slow and steady at 100 m deep. Depth goes
up, looks like the ship goes 3 meters up when going
under 4 knots. Means we'll have to compensate when
going slow at periscope depth. That information was not
in the design notes for the type II model when they gave
them to me!
21:54 - We're going to surface. Ship has been going
slow ahead for one hour at 97 meters deep. This used
400 A from the batteries, whose capacity is 5000 A.
At slow ahead this means we can sustain 2 knots underwater
for 12.5 hours. Depth under keel is 29 meters. I'm
pushing the ship to 120 meters before going up to surface.
22:01 - depth 123 m, under keel 5 m. Ship works as
designed up to testing depth. Cracking noise a bit more
pronounced at 123 m. Surfacing and setting heading for
patrol grid.
--
August, 4th 1939 07:45
Reached patrol grid AN26. Sending radio report.
No news from Bdu. Clouds partial, no precipitation,
unlimited visibility. Depth under keel 120 meters.
Going 1/3 ahead for patrol area.
08:01 - received radio message. Konigsberg uboats have
finished their training and are being dispatched between
the 1st and 2nd flotilla. 1st will be composed of typeII
while the type VIIB will go to 2nd flotilla. type VIIB.
That's a ship I would love to have. Continuing patrol.
12:50 - bad weather is coming to us. winds increased
to 7 meters per second with clouds overcast and moderate
visibility.
--
August, 5th 1939 07:50
As per orders, we have patrolled AN26 for 24 hours.
The bad weather really caught us. Clouds are overcast,
we have heavy precipitation and less than 100 m visibility
around the sub. Wind is over 15 meters per seconds and
the boat is really rocking up and down. Going to keep
going at full speed heading back to Kiel and have each
crewman spend 20 minutes on deck to get fresh air and
have a nice view of what's a uboat under storm. It's cold,
but it's refreshing to be on the deck with winds and
fresh water. The only problem with that bad weather is
the gramophone that can't be used. I'm lying on the
captain's bunk and I would love some music. Boat is
rocking so much I am sliding in my bunk and I see my
crewman pass by me after their 20 min ordered deck time
to crew quarters.
07:56 - We used less than 1/3 of fuel reserve. Heading
back to Kiel. We're going to get there from north using
the Skagerrak south of Norway. It's longer but I prefer
that to having to sail again the Kaiser Kanal which
requires constant course corrections.
--
August, 6th 1939 07:56
Radio contact report : ship south-east of us, about
35 Km away going WNW at medium speed. Reported by plane
at 07:50. Setting max speed ahead and plotting intercept
course. Weather still bad going at 10 meters per second,
with heavy precipitation and poor visibility. Unless
we get less than a few hundred meters of her we won't see
her. Going for intercept area and will dive for contact
check.
08:20 - within 2 Km of calculated interception area.
Diving to 60 meters and waiting for hydrophone contact.
08:24 - reached 60/70 meters. Ship dives fast when
using dive planes but at slow speeds of stopped engines,
using the ballasts takes forever to have the ship
dive. It's far more effective to get her to get deep
using engines and dive planes with neutral bouyancy.
08:36 - hydrophone contact. merchant medium speed closing
on us, bearing 279 long range. Moving to periscope depth
full ahead for interception.
11:30 - weather too bad, visibility too low. We used
4000 of the 5000 A of the batteries trying to get close
to surface vessel, but we won't see it until it's too
close, around 100-200 meters away. Battery is below 20 %,
surfacing and setting course back to Norway.
--
August, 7th 1939 23:17
Spotted ship bearing 320. Diving to periscope depth
for simulated torpedo attack. Ship is a cargo, full
lights lit, can't see nationality flat yet.
ID is medium cargo, about 5k tons.
Distance 800 meters, AoB 90, Speed 5 knots.
closing for identification.
23:20 - setting torpedoes 1 and 2 depth to 8.5 meters
for 9.5 deep keel.
Ship is definitely a medium cargo. About 500 m ahead,
should pass in front of us at about 300/400 meters,
going 8 knots.
Norwegian ship.
23:22 - diving to 25 meters, setting course to
continue on going home to Kiel. Will surface at midnight.
--
August, 10th 1939 05:16
We are back at Kiel. We are coming home just before
a storm catches with us. Clouds are overcast, no
precipitation yet and winds are slowly going strong.
Going to set up the type II in protected harbour.
Should take at least two weeks before she can sail
again at sea. One for minor maintenance, and another
week to fill her with food and fuel, we didn't fire any
torpedoes.
10 days patrol from August 1th 1939 to 10th.
the type IIA U-22 works perfectly and was built to
specifications.
War preparations are engaged. On my next patrol I will
join 14 other uboats and probably war will be already
engaged. We will start with Poland and most think
Chamberlain won't intervene.
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