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Old 06-03-21, 02:12 PM   #5852
Texas Red
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Default The Calm Before the Storm Pt. 2

Quote:
Originally Posted by El Whacko View Post
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Leutnant z.s Erich Wegner, commanding officer of U-55 (VIIB)
Current Date: Tuesday, August 1, 1939
Attached to: U-Flotilla Wegener, Kiel
At sea for patrol #1
Patrol Grid: AN52
+++++++++++

Previously, the crew of U-55 was attached to the 21. Ausbildungsflottille based in Neustadt where over a period of two months they underwent rigorous sea trials and workups in navigation, naval artillery, flak artillery, and torpedoes. The final test at the end of those two months was a simulated convoy battle where U-55 "engaged enemy escorts and merchants" in the Baltic Sea, approximately 42.61 nautical miles ENE of Neustadt. These escorts and merchants were actually decommissioned warships and merchants from the Reichsmarine that were to be used as target ships. Over a period of eight hours, the crew of U-55 sank almost every ship in the convoy and exceeded all requirements and expectations in her sea trials. The crew was granted for combat operations and was subsequently attached to U-Flotilla Wegener based in Kiel.

Then on July 31, 1939 the commanding officer received his orders which read:
COMPLETE EXERCISES AND ORDERS RECEIVED OVER RADIO TRANSMISSION FROM UNIT HEADQUARTERS. YOUR STARTING GRID IS AL-36
The commanding officer (Leutnant Erich Wegner) quickly arranged provisions and ordnance with the help of his Bosun, Bootsman Franz Muller.

The U-55 slipped from its moorings at Kiel on August 1, 1939 at exactly 08:15. The first patrol of the prodigy boat and its captain had officially begun.

Laden with anxiety and a mild sense of excitement, the crew watched from behind them as the naval base slowly slipped from view and the vast ocean gradually surrounded them.

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Leutnant z.s Erich Wegner, commanding officer of U-55 (VIIB)
Current Date: Saturday, August 26, 1939
Attached to: U-Flotilla Wegener, Kiel
In home base before patrol #2
Patrol Grid: BE96
+++++++++++

Patrol Log Entries

09:19, August 2, 1939
Radio message transcript:
From: FdU
To: Uboat commanders
2/VIII
Common Orders
During the patrols in appointed areas, improve your level of training by conducting weapon and identifying exercises
Collect information constantly of detected warships
Analyze intensity and distinctions of cargo shipping
All the tasks must be executed as secretly as possible

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
07:59, August 4 1939
Radio message transcript
From: FdU
To: Flotilla Wegener
4/VIII
Sobe
Wegener Flotilla is to be transferred to Kiel, all the commanding officers are to be transferred to Salzwedel and Weddigen flotillas
Back transfers will be considered later as necessary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
08:41, August 8, 1939
Ship spotted in grid AN13
Weather report by 2WO: Light clouds, no rain, moderate visibility, wind speed 12 m/s, direction 359
Investigating contact
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
08:48, August 8, 1939
LI dove the boat to periscope depth, NAV charted a new heading at 236 degrees
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
08:50, August 8, 1939
New hydrophone contact detected, sonarman reports the contact as an unknown merchant moving away at a medium speed. Bearing is 261 at long range in grid AN13
Hydrophone contact was not visible during periscope sweep, so the tracking of the previous contact will continue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
09:02, August 8, 1939
Merchant contact's speed is now known to be 9.6 knots, however the class is unknown as her AOB is too severe to make any distinctions.
TDC Readings:
Speed: 9.6 knots
Range: 1,500 meters
AOB: 9 degrees to starboard
Bearing: 355
Class: unkown
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
09:07, August 8, 1939
Merchant contact is identified as a British 02 Type Ore Carrier, 8500 tons
Simulated firing exercise and target analysis complete, breaking off contact
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
12:01, August 8, 1939
Surfaced the boat in grid AM15, continuing on course to grid AL36
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
19:51, August 11, 1939
Reached AL36, starting weapon and crew exercises
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
07:23, August 12, 1939
Status Report transcript:
12/08/1939 07:23
From: U-55
To: FdU
Position: Grid AL36
Torpedoes left: 14
88 mm shells left: 236
2 cm FlaK shells left: 2,000
Our provisions will last us for approximately another forty days before we are forced to return to base

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
08:29, August 12, 1939
Radio message transcript:
From: FdU
To: U-55
Message received. Continue as ordered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
01:29, August 13, 1939
Completed exercises in grid AL36, we are now returning to base. We are expected to return in ten days at a speed of nine knots.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
13:02, August 13, 1939
Radio message transcript:
From: FdU
To: 6th Flotilla
15/VIII
Finish weapon exercises, all Uboats wil return to Kiel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
21:01, August 19, 1939
Radio broadcast transcript:

From: Lehmann Radio News, Berlin
To: On Air
19/VIII
As rumored, already fourteen German submarines are in patrols in diffrenent zones of the North Atlantic Ocean

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
09:33, August 21, 1939
Several ship contacts were made transitting through the Skagerrak and the following seas en route to Kiel. No contacts were investigated further than simply logging the contacts in the log book.

09:33, 09:42 21/VIII- Two merchant contatcs in grid AN36
16:04 21/VIII- Merchant contact in AO41
20:18 21/VIII- Merchant contact in AO41
09:26 22/VIII- Merchant contact in AO48
19:44 22/VIII- Merchant contact in AO71

-BREAK LOG ENTRY-
21:31, August 22, 1939
Radio message transcript:

From: FdU
To: Uboat Commanders
22/VIII
Operation Fritz was cancelled after recieving the signal operation Irmgard only for winter. The rest of the Uboats in the 3rd Flotilla must remain eastward from Rugen Island pending further orders

-CONTINUE PREVIOUS LOG ENTRY-

23:45 22/VIII- Merchant contact in AO74
00:14 23/VIII- Merchant contact in AO74
06:26 23/VIII- Merchant contact in AO77
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
09:37, August 23, 1939
U-55 slipped back into her moorings and the crew transferred the boat to the dockyard workers
PATROL HISTORY
Patrol Number: 1
Start Date: 1/8/1939
Start Location: Kiel
End Date: 23/8/1939
End Location: Kiel
Submarine: VIIB
Current Flotilla: U-Flotilla Wegener
Current Emblem: N/A
No ships sunk
No aircraft downed
No crew killed or wounded
U-55 returned in perfect condition, no hull damage or destroyed systems
Renown Earned: 110.6

Oberfahnrich z.s Wolfgang Eisenholtz, 2WO
Awarded: Iron Cross, Second Class
Oberfahnrich z.s Herbert Linder, LI
Awarded: Iron Cross, Second Class
Oberfahnrich z.s Adolf Kessler, 1WO
Awarded: Iron Cross, Second Class
Oberfahnrich Franz Linke-Stief, NAV
Awarded: Iron Cross, Second Class
Oberfahnrich Richard Ringlemann, Torpedo officer
Awarded: Iron Cross, Second Class

Bootsman Peter Weller
Qualified in: Torpedoman’s mate
Bootsman Jorg Kals
Qualified in: Radio Communications

KDB Hydrophone installed, 3 days install time
Current date: Saturday, August 26, 1939
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NO MORE LOG ENTRIES
+++++

And so, that concludes the first patrol of U-55 and her crew. Now, the war is fast approaching and U-55 will be leaving soon for her next patrol.
__________________
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Last edited by Texas Red; 06-08-21 at 02:27 PM.
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