[complutum]

KRIEGSTAGEBUCH
U47
2e Unterseebootflottille
(Wilhemshaven)

1e Kampfpatrouille
02.09.1939 (Kiel)
01.10.1939 (Wilhemshaven)

Oberleutnant z. S. Erik Goldschmidt

02.09.39
13:45 KIEL Sail for our first combat patrol.

14:45 The escort returns to port, solo navigation started.

03.09.39
08:00 AO4799 Course: 000º D Engines: 300rpm - 10kts No clouds, light fog, Calm wind. rippled sea. Continue navigation as ordered. No incidents to note.

14:40 AO4496 Laeso lightship spotted, bearing 292º - distance 11,000m.

16:02 AO4469 Norwegian fishing vessel identified sailing SSO.

20:00 AO4437 Course 310º D Engines: 300rpm – 10kts Light clouds, Moderate fog, N Moderate wind. tidal wave. Continue navigation as ordered.

04.09.39
20:37 AN3563 Course 255º D Enfines: 400rpm – 13kts No clouds, no fog, Temporal N, Strong Swell. British merchant 6800T sank with deck gun. Quickly
moving away from the area, in 2 hours we will reduce speed to 300rpm. Very high crew morale thanks to this success. 150rds 8.8cm left.
05.09.39
06:48 AN3527 Norwegian freighter sailing on course O stopped, after reviewing the manifest we let it go.

20:00 AN3152 Course 330º D Engines: 300rpm – 9kts No clouds, no fog, Strong swell. Continue navigation as ordered.

05.09.39
22:42 AN3121 Norwegian freighter sailing on course SSE stopped, after reviewing the manifest we let it go.

06.09.39
03:00 AN2943 Stopped another Norwegian freighter, sailing with same course than previous one, after reviewing the manifest we let it go.

03:27 AN2943 As we resume our navigation we see a small coal tender 300T that sails on a S course without lights and began evasive maneuvers, sank with
deck gun

06:43 AN2912 British Steamer 1700T. Submerged, fired Tube 1 (TII) Impact. Fired Tube 2 (TI) failed due to the target reduced speed as result of the first hit.
Surface and open fire with cannon to finish it off. Sank at 06:48

07:10 AN2478 British cargo and passenger ship 2400T, starts zigzag. Approach and open fire with cannon. Fired Tube 4 (TI) Impact. Sank at 07:51. 59rds
8.8cm left. 11 Torpedoes all TI.

10:56 AN2417 German cargo and passenger ship, estimated course NNE. Let it goes without warning.

20:00 AF8742 Course 295º D Engines: 300rpm – 9kts Sea and weather no change. Continue navigation towards assigned grid. The performance of the entire
crew in the attacks carried out has been commendable.
07.09.39
12:09 AF7565 Zero meridian crossed.

20:00 AF7577 Course 250º D Engines: 400rpm – 12kts Sea and weather no change. Continue navigation towards assigned grid. Sailing at high speed to get
out of the air danger zone as soon as possible.
08.09.39
17:15 AM3262 Course 250º D Engines: 300rpm – 8kts Cruise sailing.

20:00 AM3259 Same course and speed. Overcast, very rough storm WSW, heavy seas. Continue navigation towards assigned grid, ETA 10.09.39 at 22:00.

09.09.39
13:45 AM3346 Atlantic zone.

20:00 AM2495 Course 250º D Engines: 300rpm – 9kts No clouds, S hard storm, heavy seas. Continue navigation towards assigned grid, ETA 10.09.39 at
20:10.
10.09.39
20:42 AM1833 Fuel 80% - Clear, E hard storm, heavy seas. Assigned Grid reached, patrol pattern started. Transmited to BdU as ordered.

22:00 E Engines: 150rpm – 3kts Dive to 55 meters to listen by hydrophones, we will continue diving for 2 hours.

11.09.39
00:04 D Engines: Port: 300rpm – propulsion, Star: 350rpm – charge. Surface, no contact during the dive. Continue patrol pattern.

10:00 E Engines: 150rpm – 3kts. Dive to 55 meters to listen by hydrophones, we will continue diving for 4 hours.

14:06 D Engines: Port: 200rpm – propulsion, Star: 500rpm – charge. Surface, no contact during the dive. Continue patrol pattern.

20:00 AM1865 Course 270º D Engines: 200rpm – 7kts. Clear, calm, curly sea. Continue patrol pattern. Daily transmision to FdU as ordered.

22:00 E Engines: 150rpm – 3kts. Dive to 55 meters to listen by hydrophones, we will continue diving for 4 hours.

12.09.39
02:05 D Engines: Portr: 200rpm – propulsion, Star: 500rpm – charge. Surface, no contact during the dive. Continue patrol pattern.

20:00 AM1887 Course 270º D Engines: 200rpm – 7kts Clear, Moderate fog, moderate wind SW, tidal wave. Continue patrol pattern. Daily transmision to FdU.

13.09.39
20:00 AM1817 Course 090º D Engines: 200rpm – 7kts Weather and seas no change. Continue patrol pattern. Daily transmision to FdU as ordered, requested
new patrol grid.

22:01 Radio from FdU, new grid AK66, daily transmision at 08:00.

14.09.39
08:00 AM1754 Course 260º D Engines: 300rpm – 9kts Light clouds, Moderate fog, very hard storm SE, heavy seas. Continue sailing to new assigned grid.
Daily transmision to FdU as ordered.

15.09.39
08:00 AL3926 Course 260º D Engines: 300rpm – 9kts Clear, no fog, very hard storm S, heavy seas. Continue sailing to new assigned grid. Daily transmision
to FdU as ordered. ETA 18.09.39 at 02:00.

16.09.39
08:00 AL2995 Course 260º D Engines: 300rpm – 9kts Weather and seas no change. Continue sailing to new assigned grid. Daily transmision to FdU as
ordered.
17.09.39
08:00 AL4557 Course 260º D Engines: 300rpom – 9kts Weather and seas no change. Continue sailing to new assigned grid. Daily transmision to FdU as
ordered.

23:35 AK6633 New assigned grid reached, patrol pattern started.

18.09.39
08:00 AK6698 Course 270º D Engines: 300rpm – 9kts Very hard Storm ESE, heavy seas. Continue patrol pattern, no contact so far.

19.09.39
08:00 AK6621 Course 270º D Engines: 300rpm – 9kts Storm NNE, swell to strong swell. Continue patrol pattern, no contact so far. Thanks to the
improvement in the weather, we have introduced the external bow tube, operation concluded at 05:30.
20.09.39
15:00 AK6624 Mixed British cargo-passenger ship of 2400T sunk, fired 2 torpedoes at periscope dive, 1 hit and the other missed the target and exploded at
the end of the race. Surface and open gun fire, fired 1 torpedo hits but does not detonate, second torpedo hit, sinks at 14:57. There are
33rds 8.8cm and 7 Torpedoes left.
21.09.39
07:00 AK6358 British merchant, dive to attack, fired tubes 1 and 2 no impact despite ideal fire position and correct calculations. Fired tubes 3 and 4 again
no impact, unexplained torpedo failures. As seas makes the use of the cannon impracticable and as we have exhausted the bow torpedoes,
we give up continuing the pursuit and begin the return to base.

08:00 AK6356 Course 070º D Engines: 300rpm – 7kts Very hard storm NNE, heavy seas. Continue transit back to base.

22.09.39
08:00 AL0149 Course 080º D Engines: 300rpm – 8kts Very hard storm NNW, strong swell. Continue transit back to base.

23.09.39
08:00 AL2881 Course 080º D Engines: 400rpm – 12kts Clear, very hard storm WNW, strong swell. Continue transit back to base. Daily transmision to FdU
as ordered.

24.09.39
08:00 AL3693 Course 080º D Engines: 400rpm – 12kts Light clouds, very hard storm WSW, heavy seas. Continue transit back to base. Daily transmision to
FdU as ordered.

18:45 AM1617 Fuel down to 50%.

25.09.39
08:00 AM2382 Course 080º D Engines: 400rpm – 12kts No weather change, strong swell. Continue transit back to base. Daily transmision to FdU as
ordered.
26.09.39
01:30 AM3313 Out from Atlantic area. Transmited to FdU.

08:00 AM3274 Course 080º D Engines: 400rpm – 13kts Heavy clouds, heavy rain, visibility almost nil, very hard storm W, strong swell. Continue transit
back to base. Daily transmision to FdU as ordered.
27.09.39
08:00 AF7753 Course 070º D Engines: 400rpm – 13kts Weather and seas no change. Continue transit back to base. Daily transmision to FdU as ordered.

22:50 AF7562 Zero meridian crossed.

28.09.39
08:00 AF7685 Course 115º D Engines: 400rpm – 16kts Clear, no fog, very hard storm WnW, strong swell to heavy seas. Continue transit back to base.
Daily transmision to FdU as ordered.
29.09.39
08:00 AN3124 Course 160º D Engines: 400rpm – 12kts Weather and seas no change. Continue transit back to base. Daily transmision to FdU as ordered.

22:20 AN3812 Polish merchant 10500T, fired stern tube at periscope dive, range 500m, gyro angle 0. Impact but no detonated. Dive to 40m to reload while
maintaining approximate course to the target.

23:07 AN3811 Fired tube 5, range 450m, gyro angle 2º, impact but not detonated. We abort the attack since it is impossible to use the cannon. The ship
sails with a constant heading of 260º.
30.09.39
08:00 AN3884 Course 150º DEngines (7kts): port: 300rpm – propulsion, star: 350rpm – charge. Weather and seas no change. Continue transit back to
base. Daily transmision to FdU as ordered.
01.10.39
00:00 Radio from FdU, we are ordered to head for Wilhemshaven. We maintain our current course and once in sight of Helgoland we will begin our
final approach to our new destination.

03:47 We sighted Helgoland and started final transit to Wilhemshaven.

07:29 We entered the estuary through the West Channel.

09:37 Berthed at the assigned dock. End of combat patrol.