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.