"Boat was at sea for a total of 129 days and sailed 21.369 miles. Twelve ships were sunk in the Cape Town-Lourence Marques area for a total of 57.000 GRT."
That is the last entry in the logbook of U-181 after patrol end.
Dated 1700 on 18 January 1943 after U-181 returned from first trip to South Africa and up to Madagascar.
From the Long Patrol...:
19 August. U-181 turning southwest for the cape. 200 cbm left in the tank.
2 September. Cape the Good Hope.
14 October. Entering Bordeaux harbour...
There are several references to 605 cbm and that 200 cbm above gave more than 7500 miles. If that was a third of the tank, then yes. +21000 miles.
One entry regarding The Gun...
From the log book:
"30 November 1943
0600. 80 rounds of 105-mm ammunition have now been fired at a range of 2.000-3.000 meters. About 70 hits aft and starboard side. The inside of the ship is smoking. The boat has only one round of 105-mm left, closes to 400 meters and puts the round after careful aiming into the stern under the waterline. At the same time the 20-mm gun fires explosives rounds into the stern.
0655. Steamer has sunk by the stern. Several bodies are floting around the after deck gun."
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