[sublynx]

Originally Posted by Osmium Steele

The Kreigsmarine has already informed you of the fact of your son's death

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5.5.1942
Ob.Lt. z S. Erich Scheide
U-451 ("die Elster"), VIIC, 7.th Flotilla, St.Nazaire
Orders: Patrol AM77

29.4.1942, 05:17 hours. Clear, no rain, visibility 11-12 kilometers, wind 0m/s, BE35.

Spotted and sunk a 10000 BRT walfabrikschiff with two torpedoes. The ships course was 347 degrees, speed estimated to be 13 knots, but might actually have been 12 knots.

5.5.1942, 04:45 hours. Cloudy, no rain, visibility 8-9 kilometers, wind 12m/s, BE32.

Received a report of a ship sighted and sunk an American 26000 BRT passagierlinienschiff after a 150 kilometer interception run from our patrol grid at AM77. The ship was travelling behind a fully lighted hospitalship at a meager speed of 10 knots, course 92 degrees. The initial contact report was almost spot on. Decided to use a salvo of four torpedoes to make sure that the ship would not be able to use it's maximum speed of 31 knots. The ship was hit by at least 3 torpedoes, the fourth torpedo was not heard exploding nor was it's screws heard at the hydrophone. Possibly it was damaged by the explosions or it exploded simultaneously with the explosions on the ship. Since the ship was hit by so many torpedoes, it sunk in only six minutes, probably leading to a very great loss of life.

What the Americans were thinking by putting the ship in such danger, I cannot imagine. The hospital ship was lighted like a Christmas tree, so there was no trouble at spotting the passenger liner following it. And since the liner followed the hospitalship we had no hurry in estimating the liners course and speed quite precisely just by measuring the hospital ships speed and course. If the passenger liner had used even half of it's maximum speed in trying to make it to England, we would not have even been able to make the long interception run.

The crew's younger members seem to be very happy with the success, but one or two the crewmembers, who are familymen, seem to a bit shaken by the devastation we caused. That said, my estimation is that the moral on the ship is high.

5.5.1942, 08:13 hours. Cloudy, no rain, visibility 8-9 kilometers, wind 12m/s, BE32.

We are now heading back to our patrol grid with 8 torpedoes left.