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U-93 "Steigendes Pferd", 11 flotille Bergen
The weather isn't changing much. Visibility 9 km, wind 15 m/s, clouds: overcast. 18.10.1942, British West coast, 19:52 -Detecting radar signals! Bearing 260!- I enter the bridge, and grab binocular. But I couldn't see anything in given direction. The signal maintains bearing 260 +/- 5 deg through 1,5 hour. After this we're loosing contact. 19.10.1942 5:59 I'm on the bridge, when Johann suddenly points something on the sky: -Plane! Closing! -Alaaaarm! Dive! Dive! Dive! Flank ahead! Hard larboard!- In couple seconds we are under water. I stopped diving at 25 m. After a minute I ordered to turn back to main course, and reduce speed to one third ahead. I look straight into Johann's eyes: THERE WAS NO METOX WARNING. This event only confirms my distrust to this device. It surely helps, but we can't allow ourselves to let our life depend on this new tool. So it means that we're diving every time when rain drops down the visibility to 1 km. Next day weather breaks down. Medium rain, 1 km visibility. I'm not going to take a risk: -Dive, 25m. Everyone without work lies down. Raise to periscope depth every 4 hours to check weather. After 24 hours there's still rain, and we used about 50% of oxygen. Finally we're surfacing to refresh air in boat, and dive immediately after this. After another 8 hours I decide to change course to W. After 16 hours of full ahead run on surface, we're leaving rain storm behind us. 25.10.1942 10:34 Two sectors from designated patrol grid -Merchant! Bearing 303! Shouts Johann- I enter the bridge and grab binoculars: Large C3 type merchant, over 9000GRT. -Approximate course 327, Helm! Course 60! Flank ahead!- Boat jumps ahead like a real horse. Before she stops turning I order a dive to periscope depth. -Hatch closed and locked! -Full ahead! What's his position hydro? -No contacts sir! -Bull****! Clean your ears and tune up the headphones! ... -Contact! 65 deg! -Better... Distance? -6500m -Helm, what's our speed? -6 kts God! Teaching new hydro and sonar operators is too much for me. They have a lot to learn, and there's no time for this now. Quick calculations 6kts + 5500m ~ 29.7min submerged run. I look on TDC: AOB set, Distance... Lets set about 800m, torpedo: Tube IV: TIII G7e, impact pistol, 6.9 depth of run, Tube I : TIII G7e, magnetic pistol, 12,4m depth of run. Good, there's only lack of speed in this. Now... Patience. Time slows down, minutes after minutes are passing by. Hydro is tracking him down. Target seems to be exactly where he should. But anyway I feel the need to raise periscope. I know I can't, I'm too fast for this now. Patience... Finally 29 minutes passes by. -One third back!- I need to slow down before I raise periscope. -All stop! Open torpedo tube IV and I (just in case)!- I raise periscope up to confirm range, and check speed. There she is! Very close. I check the speed with stopwatch... 37 seconds gives 8 knots for this ship, double check the speed... Confirmed. Range ~1000m. I turn periscope to the point where I have 0 deg gyroangle, Last corrections in TDC: 800m range, 8 kts speed Now ship enters the sight, bow... first mast... second... bridge...there it is, stern mast, FIRE FOUR! Now turn periscope to 0 deg, and prepare number one, but first torpedo reach its target. Periscope down, I continue tracking target by hydrophone. After 20 min. ship sinks by the stern. After 11 hours we enter patrol grid. 3.11.1942 Nothing happens all the time. 9 days of boredom. I'm about to decide to change patrol grid to some AM sector. I dream about some juicy convoy. 4.11.1942 We're on way to AM sectors. I hope to find some convoy from New York or Halifax. The trip is hard. High see all the time, up and down. Visibility drops down to 5 km. I'm afraid, that this weather may make hunting too hard. Besides, new part of the crew got see sick. To be honest, it's not so strange. Living in dark, stuffy and claustrophobic u-boot's hull may brake the strongest man. What's worse... In Bergen we got great thing (as We thought in first moment). Salt herrings in large (compared to amount of place inside u-boot) barrels. Very quickly we discovered a weak spots in this innovation. Firstly: appears, that our salt herrings doesn't contain salt Secondly: in this hot climate, once opened barrel starts to stink terribly after 12 hours. Thirdly: unsalted herrings used to spoil very fast. Anyway, there's also a good thing: despite the bad weather, people are going on watch very willingly. Guess why. 10.11.1942 Boat stinks... That's terrible truth. Entering the command room right after watch on bridge is like entering toilet on railway station: traumatic experience. The stink is even bigger, because people forced to eat not fresh food have gastric problems. They simply produce large amount of... Gases. I was even forced to remove food from second toilet, because having only one place to making s**t cause aggression among the crew. Weather isn't changing a bit. 5 km visibility, overcast, 15m/s wind, no rain. 10.11.1942 15:46 Grid: AM53 Couple hours ago radio reported large convoy from Liverpool. We're diving every half an hour, to check situation by hydrophone. We're under water from about a minute. -Bearing 70, multiple contacts sir! Looks like a convoy to me. -Surface the boat! Flank ahead! Because we're on quite shallow waters (is 100m really that deep?) I'm not willing to attack. Patience. I found Metox as genius device. In this condition tracking convoy without it seems impossible. Next day we enter deep water, so it's time for attack. The only thing that troubles me, are high waves. How to make submerged attack in such condition? 11.11.1942 17:58 We're under water, in front of convoy. It's hard to maintain periscope depth. I can't see anything through periscope. We sink below 15m. -Standard ahead! depth 11m! Now situation seems to look better, but only as long as I keep my engines running. Right after I ordered full stop boat is pushed on surface. Finally I found one ammunition ship, and one modern tanker worth of torpedo. Except this ships there are only three more worth of torpedo, depressing. Anyway, I'm going to attack two ones mentioned before. Two torpedos. First shoot from 1900m distance, second after 40s from 1000m. Both torpedos TI G7a impact pistol. Explosions are simultaneous. I'm diving deep expecting heavy counter attack, but there's not even single ping. Couple times frigate runs over our heads, but they drop DC's very far from our position. After 30 min of silent run I surface the boat. We're recharging batteries and waiting for results of attack, but in this visibility it's possible that we won't see them. 2:37 local We spot damaged ammunition ship. Finished with one torpedo. Unfortunately, no sign of second ship. He's fate is unknown. 2:50 Surprised by three enemy frigates. The most dangerous one, River class detects me beyond 5km visibility range. What's the effectiveness of their radar? At least 6 km. I don't see a chance to perform surface attack in this conditions. Very soon all the frigates seem to heading my direction. No doubt they fix on me. I can't escape on surface, so decision: dive. Right after entering the deep I eject bold and rapidly change direction. With the speed of 5kts, on 80m we successfully escape the chase. I'm amassed by low skills of the escorts. After 10km submerged run I order to surface the boat, and recharge batteries. All the time we seem to get closer to Island and further from Bergen. Fuel reserves drops below 25%. What's worse, the speed of convoy, 9kts in such waves forces us to to use 70~80% of maximum power, to keep their speed. Taking position in front of convoy takes bloody ages. Another attacks are full of torpedo malfunctions. Only two ships: medium cargo C2 type, and large merchant are sinking as planned, with one torpedo. The others costs a lot of our precious torpedoes. The last attack begins from sinking leading corvette. First torpedo set on surface run, and impact pistol doesn't explode. Second, set 1,5m under keel with magnetic pistol brings effect. Last torpedo aimed to medium tanker explodes, but there's no sign of significant effect. We're shadowing convoy next 12 hours, but she didn't leave formation. 14.11.1942 Because of low amount of fuel I decide to return to Bergen. When the tension of fight leaves us all there's left is stink. Constant shaking and terrible smell, that's the summary of our way back home. |
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Pat2, Rpt7 - R Hessler U-65 (IXB)
Pat2, Rpt7 - R Hessler U-65 (IXB)
OCTOBER 24, 1940 Forgot to include on my last report that we had also engaged a small steamer at aprox 2am on 24/10/1940. We decided to attack on the surface using deck gun due to ideal conditions. Vessel was sunk after aprox 20 rounds. Later at aproximately lunchtime we encountered a pair of torpedo boats, for the second time this patrol. Also on the horizon, Our sonar operator detected a merchant, possibly a large one. We turn our boat toward and head a best speed, but submerged. 2PM We are now in somewhat of a firing position. Tube's 2 & 3 are fired and are heard to detonate, but the ore carrier we are now chasing seems to shrug them off... 2:15PM The ore carrier now has a noticable list to S/Board 2:30PM The ore carrier sunks, and we estimate we can add another 6-7,000 BRT to our total! 5PM 24/10/1940 We are continuing on in AM53. Occasional contacts being regained by the menace of the torpedo boats. ALARM! Aircraft spotted, at long distance and a dive to periscope depth is undertaken. 5:30PM 24/10/40 We re-surface and begin re-charging the batteries. No contacts at present, although those elco's can't be too far away.... 7PM 24/10/1940 The torper's are now closing the distance. We dive before they notice us any further and will sit out a few hours here. SAVE & EXIT 12:45hrs R/L Time IN THE NEWS:- U-39 has been retired as a frontline boat and given to a training instructor. It's kaluen Snestorm, has been given a new boat, another IX from what i remember hearing...Possibly U-171. Sad news regarding U-505 & Kaleun V.Harris. It appears they may be lost at sea after last being heard as under attack from british escorts. However the shocking news later on is that one of the U-100's apparently has picked up Von Harris and another officer from U-505. U-552 is still going strong and is reporting good successes on their missions out of bergen. U-336 has also contacted recently, just when we were all wondering where they were. apparently out of radio range across the atlantic somehere..... U-93 continues to battle low pressure systems out in the atlantic, which we've yet to see...she's finding it tough to process any contacts at the moment. FINALLY U-46 has done well in a harbour raid and has managed to bag a convoy too....perhaps they should have taught a lesson to another old friend of Kaleun Hessler's - Walter Suhr who was lost recently aboard his VII. RPT ENDS............ |
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Contact Reports
Thanks for the info.
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U-552, Patrol 9, report 1
Lt.z.s. Alfons Dietzmann
U-552, VIIC 11. Flotille, Bergen Orders: Patrol grid BF27 10.1.1943 0102 AN24 While leaving Bergen, about 1 km from the port, several fourengined enemy bombers spotted on a westerly course. Joined the air defense effort of the port's Flak guns. 188 20 mm rounds used. http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/1...genairraid.png After the raid fire and smoke was seen on a ship on the port. The enemy air raids on port seem to be quite harmless, if one is able to get far away from the port. The bombers seem to have the port as their target and ignore sea traffic. http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/1...genshiphit.png 14.1.1943 1031 AF17 Metox warning. Dived. 700 kilometers from the Faroes, 900 kilometers from Jan Mayen, 750 kilometers from the Shetlands. 1233 AF17 Metox warning. Dived. 15.1.1943 0044 AE39 Airplane sighted, bearing 279, long range. Fast dive to 20 meters, then back to PD. An airplane, probably single-engine loaded with bombs on a southerly course. 0718 AE39 Airplane sighted, bearing 254, long range. Fast dive to 20 meters, then back to PD. A twinengined airplane, probably an Anson on a southerly course. 0916 AE39 Metox warning. Dived. 1248 AE39 Metox warning. Dived. 1613 AE39 A report sent to BdU informing of heavy air traffic in AE39. Possibly clearing a route for a convoy to Murmansk. 1621 AE39 Metox warning. Dived. 16.1.1943 0835 AE62 Airplane sighted, bearing 273, long range. Crash dive to A+20. 1609 AE62 Airplane sighted, bearing 250, long range. Crash dive to A+20. 2113 AE62 Metox warning. Dived. 17.1.1943 2113 AE64 Metox warning. Dived. 1319 AE64 Metox warning. Dived. 18.1.1943 0203 AE67 Metox warning just after surfacing. While diving an airplane sighted. Crash dive to A+20. 19.1.1943 0417 AE86 Metox warning. Dived. Continuing towards our grid, submerged daytime, running on the surface nighttime. |
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Be less aggressive! Good luck with the new career, my ghostly friend. |
U171 IXC. Patrol 2. Part 1.
21.sep.42 Times given will be ZT (Zone Time).
BF61 Underway from Lorient, for a start point of DC87 22.okt.42 DC87 2230: On station. Calm & Clear. Moon approaching full. New orders: DM17, followed by freedom of action in DA8 & DA9. 29.okt.42 (Clear & Calm. Full moon.) DM26 (Florida Strait. 20 miles E of Southern Florida.) 0623: Heavy warship trafik. Batteries & Oxygen must be replenished during brief gaps. Most warships travaling too fast to be effective, while boat is submerged. No merchant contacts to date. |
U-507 IXC
01 June 1943
Lorient , vonHarris had a lot of catching up to do. It looks like that his friends are doing well Kaluen Snestorm and U-171 after a traumatic first patrol because of those damned airplanes are out to sea one more. Sink them all! U-93 had a succesfull but "stinky" patrol as they had "gas" problems , tough situation U-65 had sunk two more ships and had contact with enemy torpedo boats which she evaded. U-46 pulled off a daring harbor attack on Giblartar and U-552 is still in one piece fighting the enemy. 14:06 hours vonHarris was on the conning tower of U-507 leaving Lorient Orders were to patrol ET51 but to stay far form convoys since there was no anti-sonar coating on U-507 yet. 17 June 1943 Grid Ek75 13:30 hours Merchants seen , that FuMo 29 is useless. Dived to PD 13:40 hours Ships identified as Granville type freighter and medium merchant 06 2 bow torpedeos fired 13:42 hours Impact , the merchant took evasive actions as soon as they spotted the TIs 13:43 hours 1 Bow torpedo fired at the Granville 13:44 hours Impact 13:45 hours Sinking sounds the Granville freighter was going down 13:48 hours 1 stern torpedo fired at the medium merchant 13:49 hours Impact but ship was still afloat and on fire 13:50 hours 1 stern torpedo fired 13:51 hours Impact ship was DIW 13:53 hours Ship sunk 9 July 1943 Grid CG97 10:51 hours Meteox warning dived to PD Multiple sound contacts indicate convoy 11:53 hours 4 bow torpedoes fired (1 TI FaT I) at long range. All failed. U-507 was not detected. 16 July 1943 Grid CG76 10:26 hours Moving to intercept convoy 13:24 hours Sound contact 14:06 hours 4 bow torpedoes fired (1 TI FaT I) at long range. 14:17 hours 2 impacts no sinking noises 19:13 hours Surfaced 20 July 1943 Grid BE98 13:31 hours Moving to intercept convoy 16:17 hours Sound contact convoy moving away , abandoned approach 23 July 1943 Grid BE98 04:48 hours Meteox warning dived to PD 05:14 hours Sound conatcts , convoy closing in 06:10 hours 2 bow torpedoes fired (1 TI FaT I) 06:11 hours 1 bow torpedo fired 06:12 hours 1 bow torpedo fired 06:19 hours Impact - sinking sounds Medium merchant 01 sunk 06:20 hours Impact 06:49 hours 2 stern torpedoes fired , the convoy doesn't move away 09:46 hours Sound contact indicate a ship falling behind 10:16 hours 1 bow torpedo fired (TI FaT I) on hydrophone readings 10:26 hours Nothing heard so 2 stern torpedoes were fired 14:00 hours Surfaced 25 July 1943 15:58 hours U-507 returnrd to Lorient 55 days at sea 3 ships sunk 15545 tons No damages or casualties An Alberich antisonar coating and Bold 2 decoys installed. It was more than obvious that the Meteox warning system had saved us. We had more than 15 warning during the patrol. |
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September 5, 1939. About 0600.
We were directly west of Scapa Flow, listening to a nearby merchant. Unheard, a destroyer approached from behind. It struck the conning tower, completely wrecking it and eliminating any means of seeing the outside world. The destroyer apparently suffered damage and it steamed away, towards the harbor. Now a dilemma was presented. Should I go North and then East to go around the Orkney Islands, the same way I came in? It would be a long journey with an unusable bridge. Or should I go through the Pentland Firth submerged? It would be filled with enemy patrols, and I was already running low on batteries and oxygen. Sound contacts revealed more enemy movement to the west. East was the only way to go. Creeping along at about 2 knots, we kept absolutely silent. No cooking, no torpedo maintenance, nothing. Just south of the entrance of Scapa Flow, a destroyer came towards us. Engines stopped, nobody even breathed. The destroyer went west. By 1800,, CO2 levels were quite high, the batteries nearly drained. The nearest contact was quite far away and getting fainter. We surfaced only long enough to refill the boat with fresh air and get the batteries back to half charge. Then more silent creeping. Finally, at around 0100, we were only 5 km northeast of Duncansby Head. A storm was forming - the wind could be heard even when submerged - and rough waters meant nothing could be heard more than a kilometer away. On the surface, the diesels were put to the test. For five hours, they were forced to go beyond design specs as we sped away from Scotland. The storm covered our escape. We arrived back at Wilhelmshaven on the afternoon of the 8th. We are in for repairs and possible engine overhaul. 5 merchants sunk for an estimated 1500 tons. |
U171 IXC. Patrol 2. Part 2.
Continued from our last report from DM26 (Florida Strait), on 29.okt.42. kl. 0623.
Calm & Clear. Nearly full moon. Times given are ZT (Zone Time). Warship trafik, up to this time, has been very heavy. 29.okt.42 DM26 1510: Went to periscope depth for a medium speed, closing, merchant, sound contact, at very long range. Target soon after was reclassified as "moving away". Target was deemed too far, and too fast, for a long distance daylight overhaul. 30.okt.42 DM28 0406: Predawn dive, following 8 hours on the surface. Location 75 miles W of Key West Naval Base. Working toward our newest objective of Grid DA, with a focus on Galveston - East Coast trafik. 0548: "Sound contact. Medium speed merchant. Closing. Long range." 0713: Guesstimation of target course is 247, making 9 knots. 0714: TDC set for a bow on shot. Speed 9 knots. AOB 90 starboard. 2 degree spread. 0715: Surface. Both diesels Ahead Flank. 0720: Dead calm sea, and U171 is making 18 knots! 0726: Coming to attack course of 157. 0731: C2 Cargo (?) spotted 8.000 meters. VCS (Variouse Courses & Speeds). 0740: New depth 15 meters. 0741: New course 157. 0742: Ahead Silent Speed. Periscope depth. 0743: Contact bearing 284 R, approximated range 7.400 meters. 0746: Open tubes 1, 2, 4 (TIII G7E). Running depth 4 meters. Confidence high. (Since the introduction of the TIII, and torpedo problems resolved, all torpedoes again retain magnetic pistols, which are no longer removed, or disabled - per BDU.) 0806: Spread opened up to 6 degrees, for a very close shot. 0807: Fire 1, 2, 4! Impact X 3. Torpedo run time 16½ seconds! 250 meters! 0808: Liberty Cargo (Surprise) sunk for 7.367 GRT. Location DM2872. 72 miles WSW of Key West Naval Base. 37 miles SW of Key Largo (I think that's the name). 60 miles N of Cuba. 1318: "No sound contact". Begin reload. Remaining torpedoes: Bow 6 G7E - 1 G7A. Stern 2 G7E - 2 G7A. 31.okt.42 DM27 0414: Predawn dive. Remained surfaced throughout the night. All ASW surface units seem to have been concentrated in the narrows of Florida Strait. Present position, 27 miles S of Key West Naval Base. Will proceed surfaced by night, until/unless conditions change. 1.nov.42 DM18 0435: Predawn dive. U171 has entered The Gulf Of Mexico. 8.nov.42 DA94 0425: Preparing for predawn dive. Medium Fog. Wind 10 M/S. Location 240 miles SW of Galveston, Texas, Naval Base, and closing. No trafik, of any kind, encountered since entering The Gulf Of Mexico. Moving to search the shallows nearer the coast. Galveston itself is protected by an extremely wide stretch of sea, with a depth of roughly 15 meters, which negates any operations there. Save & Exit. Snippets from our Radioman: U507 has retutned safely from her first patrol, with 3 ships sunk for 15.545 GRT. Well done Kaleun VONHARRIS! U552 & U93 are still defending Norge from threat of invasion, in addition to surviving the brutal Arctic weather, and even more brutal threat presented by enemy aircraft. The area around Førøerne is percieved by me as the most dangeriouse. Well done, kaleuns! Kaleun Hessler and U65, are believed to be safely docked at Lorient, and awaiting orders. They certainly earned a good rest period. Kaleun Missingname's unidentified boat arrived safely back in Wilhelmhaven, after taking being rammed by a Destroyer, and taking heavy damage to the tower. Special request to U93 & U552: If you ever encounter it, please sink the Aircraft Carrier stationed near Færøerne. Though I've never seen her, she's there, someplace. |
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U-507 IXC Patrol No3
Patrol No3
U-171 has radioed the sinking of Liberty cargo. Well done as these ships are tough and heavily armed Missing name has retured to port heavily damaged. (Can you please state the number and type of your boat? Thank you) 25 August 1943 03:53 hours U-507 sailed of Lorient under the cover of darkness 30 August 1943 Grid CF63 08:24 hours Meteox warning dived to PD 08:38 hours Multiple warships sound contacts possible TF 08:55 hours Abandon approach as the targets are moving very fast 25 September 1943 Grid EC69 18:16 hours Ship spotted , dived to PD 18:20 hours Ship identified : US medium cargo 18:27 hours 2 bow torpedoes fired 18:29 hours 2 impacts - ship on fire - pursuing submerged http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/5...go25091943.jpg 19:52 hours 1 bow torpedo fired 19:55 hours Pursuit abandoned as ship was not slowing down 27 September 1943 Grid EC93 21:34 hours Meteox warning dived to PD 21:42 hours Multiple warship contacts closing fast 22:14 houts Target ID : Bogue class CVE range 700m 3 bow torpedoes fired 2 impacts 1 dud 22:15 hours 1 bow torpedo fired(TI FaT I) - impact CVE is manouvering as U-507 is turning to present her stern tubes The escorts are in chaos running all over the place 22:16 hours 1 stern torpedo fired - dud 22:18 hours 1 stern torpedo fired - impacts http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/2...ecve270943.jpg 22:21 hours Explosions heard - sinking sounds - diving to 100m - no pinging 23:08 hours Depth 140m silent running 28 September 1943 01:02 hours Merchant sound contact - ignored since tubes were empty 01:57 hours Tubes reloaded - merchant was still there - rising to PD 01:59 hours 3 bow torpedoes fired at a large shadow 02:00 hours diving to 100m - leaving the area 16:57 hours Still submerged - multiple sound contacts merchants and warships 17:14 hours Diving to 160m as no torpedoes left 19:35 hours Rising to the surface , at 40m sound contact warship closing 21:21 hours Surfaced because the oxygen was running out and the batteries were almost empty. We had been some 24 hours underwater 14 October 1943 Grid DF65 05:27 hours The storm finally stopped beating U-507. Time to bring the external inside 19 October 1943 Grid CF88 17:56 hours Ahead flank to intercept convoy - failed 23 October 1943 Grid CG75 15:34 hours Ahead flank to intercept convoy 15:50 hours Meteox warning , dived to PD 16:07 hours Sound contacts - only 3 escorts 17:08 hours After targets have been tracked by hydrophone 4 bow torpedeos were fired (1 TI FaT I) 17:12 hours 2 impacts heard follwed by 2 more explosions 17:23 hours 2 stern torpedoes fired 17:26 hours 2 impacts - no sinking sounds - diving to 150m - moving away 19:04 hours After all sound contacts were lost U-507 returned to the attack site 21:11 hours Ceramic type ocean liner spotted DIW 21:41 hours 2 stern torpedoes fired 21:42 hours 2 impacts - ship on fire - star shell fired - sinking sounds. Liner observed sinking (forgot to take screenshot) 27 October 1943 04:22 hours U-507 docked at Lorient 64 days at sea 2 ships sunk 29985 tons No damages or casualties There were several other Meteox warnings through the whole patrol The patrol report http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/2...trolreport.jpg |
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