From 8-10-44 to 12-10-44 the U-129 patrols to the West and South West of Cape Town with absolutely no joy. The seas are semi-rough with moderate to unlimited visiblity but not a sighting, radio intercept, radar contact or sound contact. These were such rich waters in 1942, what has happened? All in convoys? Well fuel is becoming a concern so will patrol to the South of Capetown with a view of heading toward home soon.
13-10-44 just South of Capetown we got a radio intercept, drew an intercept course and soon had a sighting. Small Freighter doing 9 knots to the South East. We submerged and set up our shot. At 800m a bow shot torpedo hits the 2000 ton vessel.
Her speed rapidly decreased to zero, and there she sat, and sat, and sat.
I wait one hour and then two. To hell with this. I hate to use two torpedos on a 2000 ton vessel. 2000 tons for one torpedo I can accept, but 1000 tons per torpedo is downright embarrasing. If the surface was half way calm I would move off her bow a sink her with gunnery. Damn. Reluctantly I set up a stern shot. Flood tube 6. Loos.
She goes down like a rock, of course. Well time to move on, we increased speed to Ahead Full and prepared to surface. As I was swinging the periscope to the 0 degree possition, I spot another ship!
Sure enough there was a Passenger Cargo ship entering the arena! Sailing straight and steady. She must not have seen the other go down. On the other hand I got no hyro-sound warning from my sound room either (that's one petty officer that will hear from me later). We set up our boat for a bow shot since tube 6 is reloading. At 1000m we fire.
She was hit and rapidly slowed to 0 knots, and then sat, and sat and sat.
Oh No, Not Again! Sure as big fishes eat little fishes, she's dead in the water and refuses to sink. Crap. Well this time I'm going to wait her out.
1 hour went by. 2 hours went by. 3 Hours! That's it! I manuvered to sink her with a stern shot, as I made my turn she listed slightly to port, her nose dipped and she began a long slow slide to the bottom.
We surfaced and headed to the South East. I took the time to take stock of our situation. Fuel is more than half gone, I've sunk 32,599 tons, I've two bow TIII, one bow TIV, 1 stern TIII and 1 stern TIV torpedos and known and unknown damage - Time to head home 11,000 + miles away.
The crew is tired, but morale is high.