[Leandros]

U-65 - IXB - Kaleu Hansen - Feb. 041253 1945 - AN14 - Patrol 30

Left Trondheim in the morning of Jan. 26th. Of all things we were assigned grid DH89 - that is just South of the Canaries - as our patrol area. How stupid is that, to use time and fuel on such distant areas when everything is going down the drain up here in Europe.

Anyway, it keeps us out of the hottest areas and I set up a course north of the Shetlands to proceed out in the Atlantic from there. Nice weather around the Canaries this time of the year. Went langsam fahrt to save fuel for the long distance. Who knows what has happened in the world when we are finished down there.

However, north-west of Ireland our engines started to act up. After a dive to avoid an enemy warship giving off a radar signal we were only able to achieve max. 11 knots on the diesels after we surfaced. Funny enough, we still get 12 knots on the schnorkel when submerged.

I decided to turn back to Trondheim, nothing doing to continue on such a long stretch with dubious engines. I reckoned we might rather find some targets on the way back. For that purpose I set a course between the Shetlands and Orkneys. That is usually a rich hunting area, having a little patience.

Almost there we picked up radar signals from warships in the south-east. At the same time, after having submerged, we got a merchant on the sonar from north-west. I decided to try to pick off the destroyers first. We proceeded northwards on full engine-power with the schnorkel up. That made them react! Problem was I let the schnorkel stay up a little too long so they got us well targeted with their guns resulting in damage to the periscopes. That made it a little complicated in the following round-about. Anyway, a mix of homers and conventional torps finally put them down. But not before we had a bad scare. The sonar operator suddenly warned that it seemed one of our homers had missed its target and came back on us!. So it did! I immediately ordered crash dive and not much later we could hear it whizzz over the aft deck...I ordered engines stop. Well, a lesson learned. The fun thing is that it turned back on its original target again, the second destroyer, and sank it. The merchant got away. We have now downloaded spare torps and are ready for new adventures. Laying low now.

Fred

Below:

1. Passing the inner guard vessel at Trondheim
2. Leaving Norway behind
3. Destroyer just having got it
4. There it goes