7th May, 1942
Oberleutnant z. S. Heinz Theis left St. Nazaire on his 4th patrol. U-436 just arrived in the north atlantic, being transfered from Salamis. After surviving the passage of Gibraltar, things start to get quite though now.
11.5.1942
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Spotted two single merchants. A small one of 1.800 BRT and a medium one of 2.800 BRT.
Hit the medium merchant with a single torpedo, no sinking. Startet to attack with the deck gun at night. Faced the two armed merchants at high speed and zig-zag course at 4 Km range. While trying to finish off the medium merchant, got hit on the foredeck. Result: 1 man hurt, one dead. Crash dived.
Resumed attack two hours later. Sunk both with gunnery. No casualitys.
19.5.1942
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Encountered a convoy after reaching patrol area in CF34. While trying to attack the outer lines an escort catched me on the surface and opend fire. Boat was hit again while crash diving. Destroyer catched me again with ASDIC. Evaded depth carges and went deep and silent.
Resurfaced two hours later and decided to pursuit the convoy. Put me on top of it during daytime, waited for sunset.
Second attack run was startet at 23:00 (20.05). The crew needs results. Decided to attack the front at PD. Silent running twoards the lead and side escort resulted in no detection. Fired two torpedos. Passenger ship (7.500 BRT) sunk immediatly. After resurfacing the second target, a empire freighter of 6700 was spotted left behind by the convoy. Engine was destroyed. Finished him with a second torpedo. Rushed away on the surface to avoid the returning destroyer.
The crew needs a break from attacking and the atlantic storm now. Ordered 30m at 3 KN for 8 hours.
24.05.1942
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Worring about man, who was hurt by the merchant gunnery. The boat has suffered moderate damge too. Mainly there are three options: 1. Head back to St. Nazaire; 2. Go to Vigo and supply the wounded guy; 3. carry on.
Decided to go to Vigo, don't want him to die just for some tonnage.
25.05.1942
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While crusing to Vigo, a small convoy was spotted. Sunk a large freighter with one torpedo. Evaded undetected.
02.06.1942
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Large convoy reported in range. Decided to attack.
Managed to slip through lead and side escort again. Hit a large tanker and a liberty freighter with one torpedo each. Clear noise of explosion and sinking was recognized while going to deep. The eel directly took out the 8.300 BRT tanker. Left a bolt and changed course while going down to 160m.
Fail. Escorts picked me up on ASDIC on my way down. Two of them started to chase me. Left another bold, course change of 40°. Don't panic. Had to go to ahead flank after the first attacking destroyer left some dc's above me. Explosions very near. Silent running again. The other one listend to my evasion. Again they knew where I was. Same prucedure...
1 1/2 hours later they broke off the attack and rejoined the convoy. Stood submerged till sunrise. Surfaced and had to repair the conning tower. Some dc's were too close.
IWO reported a ship - the liberty freigther. It suffered heavy damage and wasn't able to keep up with the convoy.
Already decided to go back to St. Naziare instead of Vigo, because after the dc's added even more damage to the boat, the LI recommend not to dive below 160m - unsafe while being hunted by a destroyer in good acustic conditions.
In consequence there was no need to save the torpedos anymore by attacking with the deck gun and risk to get another, maybe critical, hit or to have more casualitys. Finished off the liberty freighter and set course to St. Nazaire at 10 Kn.
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