Lt.z.s. Alfons Dietzmann
U-552, VIIC
11. Flotille, Bergen
Orders: Patrol grid AN48
12.1.1943
1728 AN24 cloudy, 8 – 9 km, 4 m/s. I think BdU wants to make a point to me of not diving deep at the first sign of trouble and has assigned AN48 with it’s shallow water as a patrol grid. We didn’t get the leave we wished either. We had to leave as soon as the boat was ready. My LI reports that the crewmen are pretty mad about this and blame me. The former commander of this boat didn’t get his boat this shot up that I have and now this thing of getting a patrol grid in shallow water, near the English coast with it’s airplanes and hunter killer groups. We will probably have to attack a group of destroyers, because it’s not very likely we’ll see any other type of ships.
1804 AN24 cloudy, 8 – 9 km, 4 m/s. A lucky sight suddenly. Dolphins in the waters near Bergen! I let the crewmen watch this happy sight in turns and then even a type VII returns from it’s patrol in good shape too. I think the more superstitious crewmen take this as a good omen, thinking that maybe we’ll come back from our patrol safe and sound too. If one can see dolphins in Bergen, one can imagine us coming back without a scratch too! If all goes well on this trip, I’ll let a dolphin to be painted on the side of the conning tower.
2257 AN24 cloudy, 8 – 9 km, 4 m/s. I have made diving experiments. Taking our new FuMo-30 antenna down when diving does not slow the boat down. A usual dive at AK or GF takes 39 seconds, HF 40 seconds, LF 50 seconds and KF 65 seconds. A crash dive is at least 10 seconds faster than a usual dive.
16.1.1943
1431 AN48 clear, 15 – 16 km, 1 m/s. Patrolling the grid has been a total surprise. There is no traffic at all, no airplanes, no destroyers, no freighters. Nothing. The depths we have measured at the grid have varied from a minimum of 73 meters to a maximum of 118. Continuing our patrol.
Dietzmann