Bruno Asche
Patrol 1: September 1, 1939 Game played December 25-28, 2005
Lt. z.S. Bruno Asche was born November 8, 1912 in Essen.
He was inducted into the Kriegsmarine on April 1, 1934, age 21.
Became Officer SeeKadett December 1, 1934.
Promoted Fähnrich zur See November 1, 1935, one week before his 23rd birthday.
Promoted Oberfänrich z.S. May 1, 1937.
Served as Navigator aboard Type IIA U-4 from September 13, 1937 to February 22, 1938.
Promoted Leutnant z.S. October 1, 1937.
Assigned to U-Boat Flotilla Wedigen June 3, 1938 for command training.
Served as 2WO aboard Type IIB U-19 from August 6, 1938 to November 12, 1938, completing two training patrols.
Served as 1WO aboard Type IIA U-6 from January 9, 1939 to July 22, 1939, completing three patrols.
Assumed command of Type IIB U-14 August 12, 1939.
Was preparing for shakedown cruise with new crew when war started on September 1. Assigned immediate war patrol, departing as soon as possible. Since boat had just been preparing for cruise anyway, immediate departure was not a problem.
Lt. z.S. Bruno Asche
U-14: Flotilla Wedigen, Kiel
U-14 crew, September 1, 1939:
Captain: Leutnant z.S. Bruno Asche
Chief Engineer: Leutnant z.S. Günther Loh
1WO: Leutnant z.S. Werner Scholz
2WO: Leutnant z. S. Heinz Schmidt
Navigator: Oberfähnrich z. S. Erich Steimle
Senior Helmsman/3rd Watch Leader: Stabsoberbootsman Emil Stephan
Helmsman: Bootsmann Josef Sander
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann August Hermann
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Peter Heyer
Torpedoman: Bootsmann August Spahr
General Petty Officers:
Stabsoberbootsmann Herbert Thomsen
Bootsmann Hans Mohr
Bootsmann Henning Hessler
Bootsmann Reinhard Brummer
Leading Seamen:
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Kurt Böhling
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Dietrich Priller
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Max Eisenstein
Senior Seamen:
Matrosenobergefreiter Erich Richter
Matrosenobergefreiter Heinz Witt
Matrosenobergefreiter Walter Jordon
Matrosenobergefreiter Otto Rasch
Seamen:
Matrosengefreiter Herbert Brehme
Matrosengefreiter Rolf Maddaus
Matrosengefreiter Siegfried Poske
Matrosengefreiter Jurgen Schendel
Matrosengefreiter Reiner Hansen
Matrosengefreiter Max Claussen
Matrosengefreiter Philipp Bahn
9/1/39
0013 Underway from Kiel docks, Ahead Slow.
0029 Passed inner harbor lighthouses, increased speed to 1/3.
0103 Passed Kiel outer bar. Following Swedish merchant.
0124 Spotted Schnellboot on patrol.
0138 Exited Kiel Bay. Opened orders-we are to patrol in grid AN81, off the southeastern English coast.
0256 Have lost sight of Kiel lighthouses.
0256 Our Swedish friend is gone. He changed course to the north about half an hour ago.
0350 Last sight of land. Sky is growing light.
0425 Smoke spotted in distance, bearing 152.
0431 More smoke to the southeast, bearing 280.
0449 Still more smoke, bearing 072.
0510 Ship at 280 now at 320, close enough to identify as a destroyer. Unable to tell type; almost certainly one of ours.
Ship at 052 now at 085, appears to be a small trawler or tug.
Ship at 072 now at 110, small merchant of some type.
0557 Land spotted, bearing 305-Gulstav point, southern tip of Langeland.
0601 Radio: We are at war with Poland. Apparently they attacked one of our border stations.
0739 Entered Langelands Bält.
1232 Rounded Langeland, entered Store Bält.
2249 Lt. Scholz thinks he saw a ship far astern. I can't see anything in this darkness.
9/2/39
0000 First Position Report: AO72. Fuel 95%. Sky Clear. Sea State 3, Wind 10 m/s, waves about one-half meter high.
0143 Entered Kattegat.
1018 Rounded Laesø Island.
1543 Rounded Hirtshals Point, the northernmost tip of Denmark, about 14 km NE of Skagen. We are now in the Skagerak.
9/3/39
0000 Position Report: AO44. Fuel 90%. Clear with a slight mist. Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves about one meter.
1256 Radio: War with Britain! Life is about to get interesting.
1400 Storm front moving in. Clouds building, waves rising.
1735 Position 110 km S of Kristiansandked-we have now enter the North Sea.
1753 Radio: Possible war with France-situation unclear. Do not attack French ships, fight only if attacked first.
9/4/39
0000 Position Report: AN38. Fuel 85%. Overcast, Sea 5, Wind 14 m/s, two-meter waves.
1201 Radio: Do not attack passenger liners-period!
9/5/39
0000 Position Report: AN66. Fuel 80%. Overcast, Sea 5.
1000 Weather has intensified-heavy going.
2351 Entered AN81. Set Ahead Slow for patrol.
9/6/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 75%. Overcast, Sea 10, Winds 30 m/s, nine-meter waves. Not deep enough to safely dive.
1142 Radio: Situation with France still unclear-do not stop French ships.
1400 Storm has passed, sky is clearing, waves still heavy.
1419 Radio: Distress call from SS Rio Claro, 46-30 North, 12-00 West; off the Bay of Biscay. Was it a storm or a U-Boat?
1426 Attacked by two British fighter-bombers. No time to evade, nowhere to dive to. Luckily both were wide of the mark.
9/7/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 72%. Clear, Sea 8, Wind 25 m/s, six-meter waves.
1201 Radio: Merchant ships only targets-do not attack capital ships-Führer trying to negotiate peace with Britain.
9/8/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 69%. Clear, Sea 8.
0001 Matrosengefrieter Arnold called out a ship at 231 degrees, but none of us could see anything.
0005 Dove for sound check.
0010 Nothing on hydrophones. Surfaced.
0741 Ship spotted, bearing 045.
0744 It's a small merchant. Ordered Ahead Flank.
0747 Can't make more than 10 knots in these waves; having trouble overtaking.
0750 Set course 090. Range is 5800.
0755 Range now 5200.
0800 Range 4600.
0805 Range now 4000. Ordered periscope depth, set course 150.
0815 Unable to obtain proper range through periscope, or keep the boat trimmed-sea to rough. Surfacing.
0816 Set course 060. Range 2400.
0817 He's seen us! Turning away.
0820 Range 2300, Bearing 062.
0825 Range 2200, Bearing 072. Set course 090.
0830 Range 1600, Bearing 051. He's definitely British.
0835 Range 1000, Bearing 060.
0836 Set course 125, Ahead Standard.
0839 Firing tubes 1 and 2. First torpedo missed. Second porpoised and exploded prematurely.
0840 Can't shoot in this weather. Returning to course, Ahead Slow.
0906 It took 27 minutes to load tube 1! Everyone's tired, fighting the sea as well as the British.
0930 Only took 24 minutes for tube 2. Sending as many to rest as possible.
1141 Radio: Set magnetic pistols back 2 stages. Only use impact pistols on ships of 3000 tons or less. Now they tell us.
9/9/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 66%. Clear, Sea 8.
9/10/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 63%. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9 meters high. Impossible to rest, bottom too shallow, can't get deep enough to help.
1200 Following sea, boat is wallowing like a pig in mud.
1316 Radio: Convoys north of Brest may be attacked even if they have French escorts.
9/11/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 60%. Clear, Sea 10.
0900 Finally! The wind is dying. Sea is starting to calm.
1200 Conditions quite calm now. Enjoying the sun.
2029 Ship spotted, bearing 302. Set course 165, Ahead 1/3.
2040 Can now see him without binoculars. Moving across our bow. Set course 210, Ahead Standard.
2045 Whatever he is, he's a small one.
2050 It's a fishing boat! Returning to course, Ahead Slow.
9/12/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 57%. Clear, Sea 1, almost no wind, only small ripples on the water.
1700 Another storm moving in!
9/13/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 54%. Overcast, Sea 10.
2200 Several operational messages throughout the day, none of them concerning us.
9/14/39
1400 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 51%. Overcast, Sea 10.
1310 Radio: U-35 reports being attacked by British forces in BF33.
1600 Radio: Steamship Ida Drake rescuing survivors of SS British Influence. Looks like somebody's doing his job!
9/15/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 48%. Overcast, Sea 10.
9/16/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 45%. Overcast, Sea 10.
1508 Ship spotted! Bearing 243. Changed course to 060, Ahead Standard.
1511 Identified as small merchant, range about 8100 meters. Can't attack, sea too rough.
1600 Seas starting to calm down.
1700 Storm has pretty much passed.
1728 Aircraft! Gave order to dive to periscope depth, but too late. Luckily he missed us.
1730 Returning to course, staying submerged.
2200 Surfaced.
9/17/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 41%. Clear, Sea 0. Wind 2 m/s, almost dead calm.
0149 Ship spotted, bearing 282. He's heading right for us!
0150 Set up UZO.
0155 Medium sized cargo ship, range 3300.
0156 Sky is starry, moon is out; decided to attack submerged. Took down UZO, ordered Periscope Depth, Ahead Standard.
0200 Range now 2500. There's another ship far behind, can't tell what or who.
0204 Set course 270, coming about for attack run.
0206 Range 1600, Bearing 052.
0207 Speed Ahead 1/3.
0210 Range 700, speed Ahead Slow.
0211 Damn! He's Norwegian! They're neutral-can't shoot him!
0212 Turned north to check out the other one.
0221 Have lost sight of other ship. He must have been crossing our path. Returning to patrol.
0228 Sound Contact: merchant, bearing 278.
0230 Surfaced.
1202 Radio: Russia has joined us in the fight against Poland. An ally at last!
1542 Radio: U-27 reports two premature torpedo detonations.
9/18/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 39%. Sky clear, Sea 0.
1200 Weather has changed again; now overcast, sea moderately heavy.
9/19/39
0000 Position Report: Fuel 37%. Overcast, Sea 7, wind 22 m/s, waves about 4 meters high.
1646 Ship spotted! Bearing 086. Ahead Standard, Course 096.
1652 Changed course to 100.
1653 Medium-sized freighter, heading across our course, range about 7000.
1655 New course 110, Ahead Flank.
1658 Set course 120.
1700 Range 5200.
1701 Getting too close. Changed course to 150.
1705 Range now 3900, bearing 318.
1710 Range 2800, bearing 313.
1715 Range 1800, bearing 315. NO! Another Norwegian! Are they all moving to England for the winter?! Returning to course, Ahead Slow.
9/20/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 34%. Overcast, Sea 7.
1502 Radio: U-34 has sunk two merchants, totalling 11,000 tons! Great to hear!
9/21/39
0000 Position Report: AN81. Fuel 31%. Overcast, Sea 10. Heading for home, Ahead 1/3.
9/22/39
0000 Position Report: AN66. Fuel 26%. Clear, Sea 10.
1625 Radio: U-53 also heading home, low on food.
9/23/39
0000 Position Report: AN38. Fuel 21%. Sky clear, Sea 10.
9/24/39
0000 Position Report: AN36. Fuel 16%. Sky clear, Sea 10.
1400 Radio: French ships are now to be treated the same as British.
1528 Radio: Merchants using radios when stopped by U-boats may be sunk or taken as prizes.
1547 Rounded Hirtshals Point; back in Kattegat.
1600 Radio: Passenger liners carrying 120 people or less may be sunk.
2218 Rounded Laesø.
9/25/39
0000 Position Report: AO47. Fuel 11%. Partly Cloundy, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, 6-meter waves.
0752 Rounded Grenå.
1153 Smoke spotted, bearing 068. Must be either friendly or neutral, not changing course to investigate.
1542Can see land to East, almost certainly point off Kalundborg. Estimate 9 km to point, 36 km to port.
2223 Rounded North tip of Langeland.
9/26/39
0000 Position Report: AO76. Fuel 6%. Partly Cloudy, Sea 8.
0413 Rounded Gulstav Point.
0441 Smoke spotted, bearing 301.
0456 It's a destroyer, likely one of ours.
0736 Ship spotted ahead.
0740 Another destroyer.
0806 Land spotted.
0833 More smoke dead ahead.
0912 Small merchant coming our way.
0933 He's Swedish; just passed us.
0947 Can make out the buildings at Kiel-almost home.
1001 Passed into Kiel Bay; wind has dropped considerably. It's quite pleasant now.
1040 Passed outer bar.
1106 Passed lighthouse into inner harbor. Reduced speed to Slow.
1125 Tied up at Kiel.
All in all a useless patrol. We were attacked twice by enemy planes, failed to sink one ship. Still, crew are in good spirits, anxious for a few days at home, but wanting to get to sea again.
September 26, 1939
1. Heinrich Liebe..........16,698
2. Herbert Schultze......14,777
3. Wilhelm Rollmann.....13,138
4. Günther Prien.............8,270
Bruno Asche**......................0
Günther Berke*.....................0
Berthold Cranmer*................0