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 He has been replaced by Albert Fabian.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.