Patrol 15
Patrol gird EJ59 and then off Freetown
The diesel engines took a month to be repaired after the saboatge.
U-157 received a new camo pattern
and the conning tower
03 April 1943
17:21 hours U-157 left Lorient
11 April 1943
Grid DH61
17:04 hours Crash dived to avoid aircraft. This Metox RWR is a savior
15 April 1943
Grid DT66
22:18 hours SS Van Spilbergen (Medium Merchant 09), 3185 tons. Cargo: Aircraft. Crew: 48. Crew lost: 39.
1 bow + 1 stern torpedoes fired - 2 hits
Target was finished off by gunfire
25 April 1943
Grid ET37
19:57 hours HMS Mendip (Hunt I class), 1000 tons. Crew: 165. Crew lost: 47.
2 stern torpedoes fired - 1 hit scored
Grid ET37 - Convoy battle
23:20 hours MV Regent Tiger (Large Tanker), 13612 tons. Cargo: Crude Oil. Crew: 58. Crew lost: 15 (hit by 3 torpedoes)
Damaged : CAM ship 02 by 2 torpedoes and CAM ship 02 by 1 torpedo
30 April 1943
Grid ET29
12:00 hours Crash dived to avoid aircraft.
19 May 1943
Grid CG98
06:52 hours Aircraft destroyed! Vought OS2U-3 Kingfisher. No RWR!
10:18 hours Crash dived to avoid aircraft. Decided to stay down
13:28 hours Sound contact of approaching convoy
14:26 hours Lining up 4 bow shots at a huge liner
14:29 hours One escort must have spotted my attack scope. U-157 came under immediate gunfire and DC attack by 5 escorts
15:03 hours Hit by DCs in bow area. Uncontrolable flooding in bow quarters, U-157 is sinking fast by the bow despite all attempts to save her.
15:15 hours All ballast blown away , no compressed air left
15:30 hours Depth meter reads 263 meters .................
Kapitänleutnant Helmut Bach and U-157 were lost sometime on 19MAY43.
Total career data
15 patrols: U-103 IXB 8 patrols - U-157IXC 7 patrols
763 days at sea
90 ships sunk (79 merchants - 11 warships)
599708 tons sunk (554528 merchant - 45180 warships)
5 aircrafts shot down
Biggest warship sunk: HMS Royal Oak (Revenge class), 31000 tons. Crew: 1198. Crew lost: 1006 on 12 December 1940 at 02:22 hours (U-103)
Largest merchant sunk : SS Amy (HMT Aquitania), 44592 tons. Cargo: Troops. Crew: 1200. Crew lost: 288 on 03 February 1941 at 22:48 hours
Highest patrol tonnage: 74345 (patrol 6)
Longest patrol : 102 days (patrol 10)