U-4 type IIA
August 1st 1939
weather at port calm........
first patrol task in area AN52 after completing Naval academy and securing promotion as captain of first boat
.
Proceeded from kiel to designated patrol area at head slow (this rust bucket hasn't got the legs for anything faster
)
Not much action on the way, a few neutral nation single merchants ducked down below as not to be see and reported.
Patrolled designated area for 24 hours, crew a little green around the gills as the east coast of scotland hasn't sent us any nice weather.
radio report of a British warship heading SSW right at us, crew in high spirits as our first kill could be a RN warship
.
August 10 1939
weather cleared with large swells
No sign of RN warship crew and my self a little disappointed
. Watch crew have just reported a single british merchant liberty class, radioed in contact report and have started to shadow merchant, managed to jump ahead during the night and set up an ambush, sent 2 torps in one premature detonation about 200 meters out
second hit right underneath her keel and broke her back she went down quick, fuel reserves at 50% now time to head back home.
ALARM
RN frigate spotted lucky enough on 90deg course to our own. Dived down to periscope depth 3 torps spread, 5834m out FIRE, torps running straight and true, then all three premature detonation
, one fish left and the frigate has spotted the detonations. crash dived to 90 feet silent running (danger deep any flooding and we will hit crush depth before we can say fatherland. hmm frigate has ignored us or lost contact with us she is sailing away. No need to test our luck homeward bound again.
docked at kiel on august 11 1939 11 days at sea 2343 tons sunk
party in the bar tonight