[Ducimus]

Patrol 3
U-189, IXC/40, 2nd Flotilla
Left at: August 9, 1942, 09:43
From: Lorient

Mission Orders: Patrol grid DN25

Its now been well established by command our theater of operations is the carribean. Good patrol assignment, deeper water, near shipping lanes. Boat has been equiped with Metox radar warning reciever. In light of U189's previous patrols, Lorient base engineer saw fit to paint U189 in a mediterrainain style camoflauge paint scheme.

02 Sep 1942
1000 DN 25 Arrived assigned grid.

3 Sep 1942
22:38 DN 25 Alloted patrol time complete, leaving area.

All is quiet here, from previous patrols, had feeling this wasnt an active sector anyway.

05 Sep 1942
0357 DN 72 Aircraft spotted, metox, crashed dive. Depth charged.
0612 DN 48 Multiple Aircraft, metox, crash dived, depth charged.
0825 DN 48 Aircraft, 4 bombers, metox, crash dived, depth charged

Travelled submerged most of the day and night. Surfaced at 0300 to begin battery charge. The amount of air patrols here now is incredible. Having great difficulting recharging the batteries. At 0825 crash dive ,stayed down satisfied with a 90% battery recharge.

07 Sep 1942
0737 DN 47 Ship sunk! T3 Tanker, 8577 tons
0750 DN 47 Multi Aircraft, Crash dived, Depth charged.
1000 DN 47 Aircraft, surface AA action, plane departed.
1030 DN 47 Aircraft, Surface AA acton, plane departed

More air patrols, Tried to bring in two external stores into the boat after 0700 sinking. Sunrise/greylight conditions beginng at 09:30-1000. With men and reloading equipment on deck, not enough time to dive. Fended off planes with AA fire. Managed to bring only one external reload into the boat. Dived immediatly afterwords. Will get 2nd reseve into the boat later.

08 sept 1942
0041 DN 72 Aircraft, Crash Dived, Depth charged.
0642 DN 72 Aircraft, Crash Dived, Depth charged.
0913 DN 72 Aircraft, Crash Dived, Depth charged. Staying down.

Surfaced at 0 hour to begin batery recharge. Harrassed throughout the night. Managed a full recharge, stayed down after 0913 incident, Sunrise at 1000. Crew is on edge. Morale is waining. The Metox has been rechristianed from the "biscay cross" to the "caribean diving bell". The amount of air patrols here now is incredible. Very difficult to operate. Cannot bring in external stores adequatly, being able to fully recharge batteries is becoming an issue. Not accustomed to diving for the day with a 90% recharge. Will consider moving boat to safer waters, although the high shipping traffic in the area is hard to resist.

09 Sep 1942
0005 DN 73 Ship sunk! T3 Tanker, 8578 tons
0249 DN 73 Ship sunk! T2 Tanker, 7709 tons
0400 DN 73 mulitple Aircraft, surface AA action, C/D & D/C'ed.
0600 DN 84 Aircraft, Crashed Dived and Depth Charged.
0700 DN 84 Plane, C/D'ed, D/C'ed, boat damaged, hull intact.
0916 DN 84 Ship sunk! C3 Cargo, 6820 tons
0922 DN 84 Aircraft, Crash dived.

Sweet success mixed with those blasted vultures from above. Its assumed ships sent SOS that scrambled local airbase on our position. From this depth charging and the previous ones, boat has quite literally had its teeth rattled loose. Machinery has been knocked loose in various compartments. Damage minor, one DC exploded close aboard. Minor flooding in crew compartment caused from cracked seals and valves. Repairs effected. No damage to pressure hull or superstructure. At 0916 attempted survior rescue. at 0922 attacked by planes, crash dived. Air patrols too heavy, will make no further attempts to rescue survivors.

11 Sep 1942
0544 DN 76 Ship sunk! Small Tanker, 5990 tons
1704 DN 84 Ship sunk! T3 Tanker, 8579 tons

This has been a quiet day, weather has shifted. Heavy clouds, moderate rains, amazing lack of aircraft. it is a welcome releif. Engaged small tanker with deckgun to conserve torpedo's. Running gun battle ensued. Tanker gunner landed a shell right atop our deck gun, putting it out of action. Being on bridge at the time of the incident, saw tremedous explosion, was knocked down. Gun crew was knocked down and strewn across deck. Amazingly, no casualties. Minor lacerations and powder burns. Assumed that shell landing on deck gun directed the blast upward, away from the men. Fortune favored us this day. Bootsman massman, instead of his usual brooding mood, is sitting around the pettyofficers quarters grinning like a cat. Odd man

12 Sep 1942
0748 DN 84 Ship sunk! C2 Cargo, 5226 tons
1257 DN 76 Ship sunk! T3 Tanker, 8580 tons
1258 DN 76 Ship sunk! T3 Tanker, 8581 tons

Attacks at 1257 and 1258 is one for the textbooks. Two T3s in column. Two under the keel shots each. Lead ship,fired two torpedos spread set for 30 kt. Turned boat to bear on trailing ship, fired another two torpedo spread set for 44 kt. Both salvos arrived to targets at preciesly the same time, giving the enemy no warning. Both Ships sank within one minute of each other. This has been an exmplarly performance by the crew. I did not think such precision was possible. Issued half a bottle of beer for each man for a job well done, and as morale booster.

13 Sep 1942
0206 DN 76 Ship sunk! T2 Tanker, 7711 tons

Fired last two stern torpedos under the keel. Ship did not sink, turned boat around to use two remaining bow torpedo's. Fired third torpedo, impact, center of mass. Did not sink. Fired last torpedo aboard the boat. Target destroyed. Having expended all torpedo's, returning to lorient.

07 Oct 1942
2346 Arrive Lorient

Patrol 3 Summary
09AUG42 - 07OCT42 (60 days at sea)
Crew losses: 0
Ships sunk: 10
Aircraft destroyed: 0
Patrol tonage: 76351 tons