U-502 IXC
27 August 1941
04:08 hours U-502 left Lorient for grid CF86
02 September 1941
Grid CF96
04:47 hours Fired 3 bow shots at small convoy
04:50 hours 2 impacts
05:00 hours Fired 1 bow shot at C2 cargo ship
05:01 hours Pinging - overrun by enemy DD - minor damages
05:03 hours Impact
05:13 hours SS Defiance (Medium Cargo type C2), 5558 tons. Cargo: Mail/Packages. Crew: 41. Crew lost: 2
until 05:20 hours Cat and mouse game with enemy DD
05:28 hours Depth 118m - pinging - doubts about the effiency of the Alberich coating
05:38 hours For 10 minutes DC explosions away
06:08 hours No more DCs - no contacts
07:24 hours Reloading
07:56 hours Completed
08:54 hours Surfaced and repaierd flak gun
Grid CF95
18:08 hours Wind 2m/s - moving externals
21:00 hours Completed
03 September 1941
Grid CF86
08:28 hours Reached patrol area
Grid CF83
13:24 hours Warship sound bearing 346
13:39 hours Sound contacts bearing 356 - convoy closing
14:41 hours Visual contact - Periscope spotted by the enemy
14:48 hours 4 bow shots - DCs exploding away - diving to 100m
14:50 hours Impact - SS Argun (Medium Merchant 11), 3129 tons. Cargo: Machinery. Crew: 34. Crew lost: 17
14:50 hours Impact
14:51 hours Depth 28m speed 1 kt
14:53 hours Sinking sounds - SS Bruyére (Medium Merchant 08), 5281 tons. Cargo: Aircraft. Crew: 42. Crew lost: 11 - Pinging - DCs - 3 warships
14:55 hours Hit by DCs - damages and flooding - depth 60m and sinking fast
14:57 hours Depth 100m
15:00 hours DCs close - more damages - new depth 136m
15:01 hours Flooding under control - damage report : Both diesels destroyed by sea water
15:13 hours Pinging
until 15:26 hours DCs exploding away
15:54 hours Depth 130m - no DCs - contacts bearing 202 convoy moving away
17:55 hours Surfaced
Sent message to Bdu
U-502
Diesels destroyed by DCs - destoyed Enigma machine and rotors - Logs destroyed - Position 752Kms ESE of Porta Delgado Grid CF83
Scuttling boat - crew is good condition - awainting rescue
Unfortunately the message was intercepted by the Allies and Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Belzer and his crew surrendered to the Allies on 03SEP41. U-502 was long gone under the surface for the last time. The weather was good. Gerhard Belzer was sent to a POW camp in Scotland where he spent the rest of the war. After the war Gerhard Belzer spent more than a year in British captivity, before returning home in November 1946. Then he built up a successful oil trading company and was a member of Parliament for 32 years.
Total career statistics
U-106 IXB boat 10 patrols
U-502 IXC boat 1 patrol
Start : 01 December 1939
End : 03 September 1941
441 days at sea
93 ships sunk
651171 tons
Largest merchant sunk: SS Queen Mary (Cunard liner 2), 80817 tons on 17 May 1940
Largest warship sunk : HMS Indomitable (Illustrious class), 23000 tons on 16 June 1940
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