[Leandros]

After a long period of 1940 working at the TVA (TorpedoVersuchsAnstalt) in the Baltic I could finally leave Lorient on Oct. 1st, 1940 in my new Type IX boat, the U-65. The main purpose for me going back on active duty is to work up a boat for in-the-field testing of the new homing (self-seeking) torpedoes, which is what I worked with.

In the meantime the development work has progressed to an even better model than the Falke, mu subject. Unfortunately, there are great concerns in the KM leadership as to the feasibility of this torpedo concept as the U-boat war is going quite well as it is. They are very expensive to make and there doesn't seem to be an immediate need for them. However, a testing program with one boat has been approved.

The work-up of the boat and crew has gone well, in the 4 active patrols we have sunk in total 148752 tons of shipping, among them quite a few naval vessels, mainly escorts. This we have achieved without the new homing torpedo. The first and sixth patrols had to be aborted due to technical problems with the diesel engines. On the second patrol there was an unusually high number of torpedo duds and misses. This seems to have been remedied.

On this, the seventh patrol, we finally got the first two TXI torpedoes, an improved version of the Falke. My instructions are to use these on enemy escorts if possible. If they prove successful we shall receive a larger complement on the next patrol. So far, we have sunk 2 merchants west of Gibraltar and an A&B destroyer and two small merchants outside West-Africa. The destroyer came upon us in the dark when on the surface, we first detected it when it opened fire - distance approx. 1.000 meters. We crash-dived and I had prepared a TI on magnetic, depth 5 m. I turned towards him so to have him approx. 30 degrees on our port beam as he was approaching 400 meters. The wide curve of the torpedo made it go right under him, coming in on his port side. That was it. I never had a chance to use the TXI as he was too close. However, it turned out that it was escorting two small freighters which we proceeded to torpedo. While one lay dead in the water the other continued straight ahead, doing about 8 knots. On a distance of about 1.000 meters I fired the TXI on magnetic, depth setting 7,5 meters, in his general direction. It did the trick. After having confirmed both sinkings we proceeded to our patrol area EJ84. I hope to find an enemy warship for the second TXI.

....Oooops.....CTD.......when restarting. What was that for...? Enemy ship in the vicinity..?...leaving the game submerged....? having opened the captain's file duirng a mission...?

Anyway, Patrol 7 aborted.

Obleu z.S. Hansen - 8th patrol U-65 (Type IX) June 1st 1941 - Lorient.

Left the outer Lorient defenses 0315. Mission; Same as on Patrol 7 - test the prototype homing torpedoes against enemy escorts. Patrol area: AM15. This time we have uploaded 8 TXI's. Good hunting to us!

June 3rd 1345: Mystery U-boat - just one man in the tower.

June 12th 0253: Back in Lorient

The ZK II's behaved quite well. One went under two Ore Carriers without exploding, one did not register its target and disappeared. One Flower class corvette was downed by a TI tail-shot.

It is important that the TXI's are launched at the appropriate time, not too early, not too late. Best technique is to launch it manually centered on the enemy's expected advance line as he would usually zig-zag. Magnetic fuze should be used.

My crew showed a somewhat jumpy attitude which is not strange considering the extra strain in constantly and deliberately attacking the ememy's naval vessels.

Efficient tactics would be that each pack has one or two escort hunters, providing time and space for the others to attack the merchants. Proper distribution of loaded torps is important. At this mission, with 6 enemy escorts sunk, it was necessary only once to dive to any depth to avoid an attack. 8 ZK's in one boat is probably unnecessary as TI's or TII's can also be effective against escorts. Particularly if these are targeted first.

This result was achieved against one large convoy in two consecutive days.