Thursday, March 27, 1941 Continued (Long day
)
15:06 Faint sound contact to east. Surfacing full speed ahead
15:09 Surfaced in small squall.
15:26 Aircraft spotted. Crashed dived. Cant believe they are flying in this weather.
15:28 Picking up a ship B353 on sonar. Also sounds to be a torpedo moving from B090 to 360.
15:31 Surfaced, Full speed, charging batteries. They are down to 50% from being submerged all morning.
15:40 Smoke on horizon! Bearing 356!
15:46 Visual on 6 ships. Looks like a task force formation.
15:49 AIRCRAFT CARRIER dead ahead. Coming strait at us.
15:49 Battle stations, Periscope Depth.
15:49 40% battery might give us problems in a bit..
15:50 Rig for Silent Running.
15:59 Battle ship right behind Fleet Carrier.
16:00 Going to try for 2 torpedo's for each Capital ship.
16:11 They will be passing very close. I'm guessing 800 meters. I misjudged my position a little.
16:19 Didn't get time for torpedo solution on Battle ship. All 4 went into Fleet Carrier. She is going to bottom.
16:21 Furious Fleet carrier sunk. 22,000 tons.
16:21 Taking U389 Deep. Already being pinged by escorts. Passing 97 meters.
16:22 Crap, They found us.
16:24 Depth charges above.... Going to be long night.
16:25 Benno has picked up another task force bearing the one we attacked. Another Carrier and Battleship.
16:25 Many escorts above. Crew is being baptized. It was worth it though.
16:27 Depth charges are getting closer. Going deeper. New depth 155 meters.
17:29 We found bottom at 152. All stop
19:58 The good thing is we are not using any battery. Bad thing is they are still up there. Seems they have moved farther south.
21:03 They are moving away now but picked up new warship closing from 270.
23:04 Surfacing boat. Sonar has huge convoy to our south!
23:10 Boat has surfaced. We can smell the smoke.
23:11 Whole horizon to south is full of smoke. New course 180 ahead flank!
23:12 Sent contact report
23:33 We are paralleling their course trying get ahead for intercept. We are only making 15 knots. No time fore recharging batteries. All tubes reloaded.
23:39 New course 090 for intercept!
23:41 Periscope depth
23:45 Fired 4 torpedo's at 4 different ships. Going to 140 meters, silent running.
23:48 2 Torpedoes hit 2 different ships. Other 2 missed intended target, but with the amount of ships in convoy they might hit others.
23:53 Hah! Torpedo Impact!
23:57 Depth charges above!
Taken while approaching TF strait on.
Here I am at periscope depth waiting for them to come.
This was taken from a crew member on the Battle ship moments before the carrier was struck with a torpedo
View from Battleship after Carrier was hit.
View from escort of carrier sinking.
Taken from escort. See the DC exploding?
Taken from an aircraft that was flying overhead. Escorts DCing U389.
Friday, March 28, 1941
00:04 Enemy is pinging us!
00:19 Benno has picked up another Task Force above us. Thats 3 Carriers we have had in the last 4 hours! At least they have one less!
01:51 SV Medium Freighter finally surcame to the sea! 4000 tons. Other 2 ships must of moved on.
03:08 Battery down to 25%
05:00 Secure from silent running and battle stations... Finally slipped away.
05:01 No sound on sonar, Surfacing boat
05:01 Battery down to 6%.
05:01 Blowing ballast to get to surface to start recharging. We only have cover of darkness for another hour.
05:01 I am sure they will send planes first day light.
05:02 Engine compartment has damage. Crew is fixing compressor, Aft battery and both diesels.
05:04 Boat has surfaced.
05:04 Heading 270 at 12 knots... Recharge batteries!
05:04 My plan is to head west and put the strait behind us. I have a bad feeling about planes come day light.
05:06 Smoke on horizon behind us! Probably the escorts that were attacking us.
06:20 ALARM!!!! Aircraft spotted!
06:20 Sun coming up and with it airplanes!
06:45 Surface boat.
06:47 Recharge batteries
06:50 Detecting radar signals!
06:51 Weather is in our favor. Rain and heavy clouds.
06:52 Aircraft found us.. Staying up to recharge. Engaging with Flak gun!
06:57 Aircraft has been destroyed! He dropped bomb on us and did heavy damage.
06:58 Damage report: Medium Flooding. Fore Battery out.
07:04 Flooding has turned to Heavy... If we do not get it under control soon we will have to abandon ship!
07:22 Flooding is under control!
07:42 Still pumping out water from radio room.
08:11 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
08:43 Surface Boat.. Recharge batteries
08:54 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
08:55 All water has been pumped out from boat. Staying submerged rest of day.
13:06 Battery down to 10%. Going to surface and recharge. Heading 240
13:08 Boat has surfaced. Set speed 12 knots. Recharge batteries. Course 240. Get celestial fix.
13:11 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
13:11 New depth 90 meters. All stop.
13:12 Time to get some much needed rest. Come night time we will recharge batteries.
21:27 Surface the boat.
21:30 Boat has surfaced. Send patrol report. Get celestial fix. Speed 12 knots
21:30 Recharge the batteries.
21:30 Battery 10% Fuel 70%
21:59 Emil has giving me our updated position. We will not travel on our heading for 3 days and 7 hours.
22:00 ETA at new hunting grounds is April 1rst. 5:20 AM
This was taken from a merchant in the convoy before attack happened.
Taken from an escort of one of the ships U389 hit.
Taken from me hiding behind conning tower while being attacked by aircraft. This was after his bomb had hit us.
My crew doing their job while chaos is around them. I was taking pictures
Picture of flooding in control room.
Picture of more flooding.
Plotting map of our new hunting grounds.
Saturday, March 29, 1941
05:05 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
05:05 Batteries have been recharged to 98%.
06:05 Surface the boat.
06:20 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
06:20 Set depth 50 meters.
07:14 Surface the boat.
10:52 Getting radio messages of other uboats having the same success we are having.
13:06 Reported position to BDU. Finally an afternoon without any aircraft.
14:09 ALARM!!! Aircraft spotted!
14:11 Torpedo in the water.
14:11 Must of been torpedo plane.
14:11 Fishy how one after I send a position report to BDU we have an aircraft on us.
14:11 Torpedo pasted above us.
14:56 Surface the boat.
19:16 Have had rough seas all day.