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.