Convoy action and torpedo failures
Patrol 8
U-452, 7th Flotilla
Left at: January 16, 1942, 02:08
From: St. Nazaire
Mission Orders: Patrol grid BB82
30.1.1942
00:27 Aircraft. Crashdive. BC4774
00:40 Surfaced
15:27 Ship sighted! Destroyer on E course. Dived to avoid contact. BB6897
31.1.1942
08:36 Aircraft. Crashdive. Heard one depth charge far to aft starboard. Lost control during crashdive and boat hit bottom. No serious damage. BB6777
09:03 Surfaced.
19:40 Arrived patrol area and informed BdU. BB8233
03.2.1942
14:33 Ship sighted! Destroyer on N course. Dived to avoid contact. BB8219
04.2.1942
02:12 Ship sighted! Some kind of patrol boat on NE course. Changed course to avoid contact. BB8211
06:27 Ship sighted! Fishing trawler. This one I let go. No need to reveal my position to the enemy.
21:37 Aircraft. Crashdive. BB5495
22:16 Surfaced.
05.2.1942
17:48 Ship sighted! Finally a freighter although small coaster. This one is heading S. BB5878
18:31 Fired tube I. G7e
Range 500, Speed 4, AoB red 90, Depth 5.
Hit stern. Hope it knocked out his propellers.
Stubborn this one. Still afloat and making one knot. Will sink it with gunfire. One magazine from 20mm AA gun was enough to send it down. Interrogated survivors who revealed it was a canadian whale chaser of 1000 tons
20:22 Radio message from BdU: /Proceed to grid CA33 if fuel permit/
After brief discussion with LI Kunze decided to continue as ordered.
06.2.1942
14:49 Ship sighted! Appears warship on collision course. BB8174
14:53 Hydrophone indicates a merchant. Damn fog. Fishing trawler on E course. Watch crew seems to be on the edge. Will stay down until dusk.
07.02.1942
00:05 Ship sighted! Fishing trawler heading E. Weather prevents any meaningful action. BB7398
07:59 Radio message from BdU: /Convoy at grid BB7648, course W, speed 9/
08:02 Radio message to BdU: /Despite unfavourable conditions will attack.
12:01 Smoke on horizon! BB7562
12:13 Spotted by sloop. Crashdive.
13:10 Eluded successfully. Resumed hunt. Sloop still looms in horizon preventing me to close the convoy.
13:39 Starboard diesel gave up. Will continue with one diesel.
13:46 Aircraft. Crashdive. BB7522
14:28 Surfaced.
14:46 Aircraft. Crashdive. Heard one depth charge way to aft. BB7537
They have air cover now. Breaking hunt.
08.2.1942
00:00 Took the boat down for several hours to make repairs. Starboard diesel operational. Resumed patrol. Not enough fuel to effectively patrol CA33. Request new orders.
02:31 Radio message from BdU:/ Move to grid BB87/
11.2.1942
10:04 Radio message from BdU:/ Enemy convoy at grid CB2335, course NE, speed 5/
Long chase but joining the hunt.
13:36 Radio message from BdU:/ Large enemy convoy at grid CB2329, heading NE, speed 5/
14:21 Driving rain and poor visibility makes it difficult to operate against the convoy. It is clearly heard by hydrophone. Racing towards it surfaced could end badly. Will try submerged attack. If unsuccessful I can always trail the convoy and wait for weather to improve.
15:14 Fired tube I against freighter. G7e
Range 1600, speed 5, AoB red 100, speed 5.
Miss.
15:17 Fired tubes II, II, IV against large freighter. G7e
Range 1300, speed 4, AoB red 90, depth 5
Two hits, one erratic runner.
Dived deep and heard several distant depth charge detonations.
16:11 Surfaced. Will trail convoy and wait for weather to improve.
17:14 Improvement in weather. I can easily observe the convoy from periscope. It has five columns and seems to lack escort cover on it's port side. If so that is where I'am going to attack.
18:02 Daring pop to surface to send contact report.
Radio message to BdU:/ Convoy at grid CB2333, course ENE, speed 5, light escort/
18:41 Radio message from BdU:/ Attack on your own. Good luck/
1939 Aircraft. Crashdive. CB3111
19:51 Surfaced.
20:04 Ship sighted! Large tanker which has trouble staying with in the convoy. Unfortunately escort destroyer looms close by. Perhaps later. Smokes from rest of the convoy are clearly visible.
22.00 Commencing surface attack against port side. I will attack large and small merchants with one torpedo and tanker with two. Still no escorts on port side.
22:09 Fired tube I at large freighter. G7e
Range 2000, Speed 5, AoB red 90, Depth 5
Miss
22.12 Fired tubes II and III at tanker. G7e
Range 1800, Speed 5, AoB red 90, Depth 5
First was erratic runner, second hit way too aft of the tanker.
22:15 Fired tube IV at small freighter. G7e
Range 1500, speed 5, AoB red 90, Depth 5
Definite dud!
22:20 Escort appeared from darkness and opened fire at 2km and I was forced to crashdive. Observed tanker sinking stern first.
23:23 Escort gave up after an hour. Damage from depth charging. Will load torpedoes and attack again.
23:48 Closer examination revealed heavy damage to pressure hull in officers quarters. LI informs me it is not safe to dive deep.Boat handled 90 meters during attack. I set it as maximum limit. Informed BdU of my situation.
12.2.1942
00:07 Ship sighted! Regained contact. BB8788
00:16 Radio message from BdU:/ Good job. Return to base./
01:11 Fired tube V at tanker, the one which has engine trouble. G7e
Range 1000, speed 5, AoB red 90, Depth 5
Definite dud. After all the hard work I would expect working torpedoes.
01:23 Fired tube I G7e
Range 100, Speed 5, AoB red 110, Depth 5
Erratic runner.
01:59 Fired tube V G7a
Range 100, Speed 5, AoB red 110, Depth 5
Another erratic runner.
Broke contact. No internal torpedoes left and weather prevents any attempt to move them in. Low on fuel. Started return trip.
14.2.1942
07:24 Took external torpedoes on board.
01.3.1942
11:09 Docked at St.Nazaire.
Damage to U-452 will keep it in drydock for almost two months. Time to celebrate freshly awarded Iron Cross 1st class.