[nutworld]

The crew of U-52 received orders to patrol grid AM 34 in late October of 1939. Upon leaving port Oberleutenant Z.S. Kuhn plotted a course to expedite arriving in the patrol grid in a timely manner. En route, running routine drills testing the full capability of U-52, an engineering casualty was discovered, the ship had lost the ability to operate at Flank speed. This would become a hindrance later in the patrol. The machinists and repair crews did a spectacular job compensating for the loss of flank speed, and would later be given the Iron Cross (second class) for their efforts.

In the meantime, the patrol continued and upon traversing grid AN 11, the U-52 came across the merchant SS Golden City, a medium cargo ship that was sent to the bottom.

Upon reaching the assigned patrol area, AM34, U-52 promptly completed its assigned 24-hour patrol, with no sightings of any enemy aircraft or vessels. Departing the grid, U-52 set course north towards the Jan Meyer islands, in search of any convoy traffic.

This search also proved fruitless, and after patrolling the waters north of the patrol grid areas, U-52, plotted a course to hunt off the north east coast of Ireland. En route to the new hunting grounds, U-52 received a report of an enemy task force steaming north east at 18 knots from Grid AE 97, however the U-52’s loss of flank speed, interfered with it’s ability to intercept this enemy task force.

After U-52 had been underway for 11 days, and with only 1 merchie sunk to her credit, U-52 happened across a small patrol of 2 V&W class ships, in grid AM 36, which had not detected the presence of U-52 in the area, and shortly thereafter, the HMS Whitshed and HMS Veteran, were both sent to the bottom.

Feeling confident, Oberleutenant Kuhn, and his crew sailed east across grid AN 15, where they tracked and later sunk the A&B class destroyer HMS Brazen in grid AN 13.

Running out of torpedo’s the U-52 crew ventured further north towards the shoals of grid AN 21 and the port of Lerwick. There, when attempting another port raid, such as that done in war patrol 1, striking the port of Blythe, the crew of U-52, sent a C&D class destroyer, the HMS Duchess to the bottom.

Having been left with only 1 torpedo on board, in the aft tube, the crew of U-52, set course home, arriving back in Wilhelmshaven, 15 days later, having sunk 5 ships, and 10, 628 tons of enemy shipping.