Berthold Cranmer
Patrol 4: February 21, 1940 Game played February 20 -March 8, 2006
U-74's second patrol garnered 11,427 tons and lasted Eighty-two days, from November 14, 1939 to February 4, 1940. After 17 days in port, U-74 put to sea again on February 21, 1940.
Oberleutnant z.S. Berthold Cranmer
U-74: 7th Flotilla, Kiel
U-74 crew, February 21, 1940:
Captain: Oberleutnant z.S. Berthold Cranmer
Chief: Oberleutnant z.S. Karl Schewe
1WO: Leutnant z.S. Heinz Renken
2WO: Leutnant z. S. Alfred Moehle
Navigator: Oberfähnrich z. S. Axel Marbach
Torpedo Officer: Oberfähnrich z. S. Albrecht Zapf
Senior Helmsman/3rd Watch Leader: Stabsoberbootsmann Peter Jenisch
Helmsman: Bootsmann Emil Brehme
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Günther Blank
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Gerhard Kilimann
Radio/Soundman: Stabsbootsman Herbert Stephan
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Otto Röther
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Gerhard Hentrop
General Petty Officers:
Bootsmann Friederich Goldbeck
Bootsmann Hans Sporer
Bootsmann Heinz Wissmann
Bootsmann Fritz Jungmann
Bootsmann Arend Baltz
Bootsmann Joachim Blaudow
Bootsmann Johan Reckhoff
Bootsmann Horst Richter
Bootsmann Hans Thurmann
Leading Seamen:
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Heinz Schäfer
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Lothar Arnold
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Walter Kühn
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Gerrit Holstein
Senior Seamen:
Matrosenobergefreiter Rolf Hertin
Matrosenobergefreiter Paul Folkers
Matrosenobergefreiter Heinrich Mitter
Matrosenobergefreiter Georg Jungmann
Seamen:
Matrosengefreiter Hermann Bleek
Matrosengefreiter Adolf Scholz
Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Hartmann
Matrosengefreiter Curt Schmidt
Matrosengefreiter Dietmar Krech
Matrosengefreiter Ulrich Babel
Matrosengefreiter Werner Gante
Matrosengefreiter Julius Wiebe
Matrosengefreiter Karl Pröchnow
Matrosengefreiter Paul Hänsel
Matrosengefreiter Heinrich Sander
Matrosengefreiter Robert Rasch
Matrosengefreiter Karl Hölzer
Matrosengefreiter Hans Heuer
Matrosengefreiter Hartwig Kelmann
Matrosengefreiter Ludwig Bilstein
Matrosengefreiter Friederich Ganzer
Matrosengefreiter Erwin Loh
Matrosengefreiter Ludwig Clausen
Matrosengefreiter Wilhelm Bülow
Matrosengefreiter Reinhart Hertin
Matrosengefreiter Max Manke
2/21/40
0758 Departed Kiel docks.
0812 Passed inner harbor lighthouse. Set cruising speed Ahead 1/3-10 knots.
0830 Passed outer bar.
0900 Opened orders: Proceed to AN23, await instructions. AN23? That's off Norway. North Sea? Perhaps they're "rewarding" us for the length of our last patrol by giving us something easy.
1028 Had our last sight of land.
2/22/40
0800 First position Report: AO47, 65km N Alborg. Sky clear, Sea State 2, wind 5 m/s, just a trace of wave activity.
2/23/40
0800 Position Report: AN35, Clear, Sea 3, wind 9 m/s, waves 1/4m.
2/24/40
0800 Position Report: AN29, Clear, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 0.
1140 Entered AN23. Ahead Slow.
1707 Ship, Bearing 018, heading right for us. Set Course 315.
1710 Ordered Periscope Depth.
1718 Range 3300, Bearing 0. Set Course 330.
1730 Norwegian. Returning to patrol course.
1900 Surfaced.
2/25/40
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 0, wind 1 m/s, waves 0.
2/26/40
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 0.
2/27/40
0414 Ship sighted, Bearing 050. Set Course 110, Ahead 1/3.
0529 Another Norwegian, of course.
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 5, wind 17 m/s, waves 2m.
2/28/40
0338 Ship, Bearing 330.
0356 Norwegian.
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 3, wind 9 m/s, waves 1/2m.
2/29/40
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 7, wind 14 m/s, waves 4m.
3/1/40
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 3, wind 9 m/s, waves 1/2m
0900 Radio: New orders. We are to move to AF64. That's north of Trondheim! What do they expect us to do there? Set course 060, Ahead 1/3.
3/2/40
0800 Position Report: AF85. Partly Cloudy, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m.
3/3/40
0800 Position Report: AF59. Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m.
1240 Entered AF64. Ahead slow.
3/4/40
0800 Position Report: AF64. Partly Cloudy, Sea 12, wind 36 m/s, waves 13m. This is a full-blown hurricane. Diving to 70 meters.
1555 Water getting shallow. Coming up to 50 meters.
1700 Shallower still. 30 meters.
2100 Changing course for deeper water.
2200 Now at 20 meters.
3/5/40
0200 Surfaced.
0800 Position Report: AF64. Overcast, Sea 12, wind 34 m/s, waves 12m. Diving to 70.
3/6/40
0200 Surfaced to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AF64. Overcast, Sea 12, wind 34 m/s, waves 12m. 70 meters.
1539 Sound contact. Letting him go. I'm not going after a lone ship in this weather.
2234 Sound contact, approaching us. Ordered Periscope Depth.
2243 Weather is unchanged; we could ram him before we saw him. Back to 70m.
3/7/40
0200 Surfaced.
0800 Position Report: AF64. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Back to 70.
3/8/40
0200 Surfaced.
0800 Position Report: AF74. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 70.
3/9/40
0200 Surfaced.
0221 Lookouts sighted a ship, bearing 240. Set Course 270.
0233 Set up UZO.
0235 It's a small merchant, heading toward us. I'd bet my last bottle he's Norwegian.
0300 Range about 4000 meters. Speeding up to 1/3.
0315 Range 2600.
0345 He's Norwegian, all right. Back to patrol.
0800 Position Report: AF64. Partly cloudy, Sea 12, wind 37 m/s, waves 12m. Diving back to 70.
3/10/40
0200 Surfaced to recharge.
0600 Radio: We have been ordered to change grids to AF33; far north, near the entrance to the bay leading to Narvik. I wonder why-there's nothing there.
0601 Set Course 035, Ahead 1/3.
0800 Position Report: AF61. Partly Cloudy, Sea 11, wind 32 m/s, waves 10m. Diving to 70, Ahead Slow.
3/11/40
0200 Surfacing, Ahead 1/3.
0800 Position Report: AF38. Partly Cloudy, Sea 12, wind 35 m/s, waves 11m. Diving to 70, Ahead Slow.
2038 Estimate we should be entering AF33 sometime, now way to tell for sure.
3/12/40
0200 Surfaced.
0749 Ship spotted. Set Course 095, Ahead 2/3.
0800 Definately British; passing right in front of us. Sea still rough, but can't pass up this chance.
0801 Firing tube 1, Range 600.
0802 Hit! Good job!
0805 Target has stopped.
0812 Tube 1 loaded and ready.
0819 Target capsized.
0821 Target sank.
0830 Belated Position Report: AF33. Partly Cloudy, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 70.
3/13/40
0200 Surfaced.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Partly Cloudy, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m. Staying surfaced for now to enjoy the sunshine.
2035 Lookout reports ship, Bearing 252.
2038 I don't see him, and neither does anyone else.
2040 There he is, behind us!
2043 Set up UZO.
2044 Set Course 100.
2046 He's moving faster than I thought: Ahead 1/3.
2050 Still can't tell what he is; looks very small, though.
2055 It's a fishing boat, out in this weather! Still, he seems to be riding the waves better than we do.
3/14/40
0800 Position Report: AF33. Partly Cloudy, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Diving, but only to 30 meters due to shallow water.
3/15/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Partly Cloudy, Sea 12, wind 36 m/s, waves 12m. Diving to 50.
3/16/40
0200 Surfacing.
0212 On surface; sea much calmer.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Clear, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
1120 Ship spotted, Bearing 108. Set course 010, Ahead 1/3.
1123 He's moving fast, and away. Set Course 335, Ahead Full.
1125 It's a merchant, range about 7000 now.
1130 Range 4500. Periscope Depth, Ahead Flank.
1135 Range 2400, Bearing 025.
1140 Norwegian. Returning to course, Ahead Slow. Staying submerged until out of sight.
1400 Surfacing.
3/17/40
0250 Radio: Ship, 30 km NE our position, heading WSW. Set Course 000, remaining at Slow Speed.
0410 Set Course 090.
0412 Spotted him!
0430 Merchant, Range 3000.
0435 Range 2300, Bearing 326.
0440 Range 1300, Bearing 340.
0442 Norwegian. Returning to patrol.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Clear, Sea 6, wind 16 m/s, waves 3m.
3/18/40
0600 Radio: We are ordered further south-AF82. Why are they moving us around so much?
0601 Set Course 225, Ahead 1/3.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Overcast, Sea 11, wind 33 m/s, waves 10m. Staying surfaced while in transition.
3/19/40
0800 Position Report: AF61. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m.
1500 Sea is falling off, wind dying. Partly cloudy, looks like we might get good weather.
3/20/40
0800 Position Report: AF55. Clear, Sea 5, Wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
1930 Entered AF32. Ahead Slow.
3/21/40
0439 Ship spotted, Bearing 048. Set Course 140.
0440 Set up UZO.
0442 Merchant, long way off. Ahead 2/3.
0445 He's moving to our left. Set Course 130.
0450 Have determined he is heading roughly NNE. Set Course 090.
0505 Close enough to determine range: 3400.
0510 Good position now. Set Course 130, Ahead Slow.
0512 Flooding tubes 2 & 3.
0513 Norwegian. Closing tubes, returning to patrol, Ahead Slow.
0519 Chief Schewe informed me fuel is now at 50%.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Clear, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
0845 Radio: U-47 reporting low food.
1457 Radio: U-37 reporting shortage of lubricating oil. Seems like everyone's having trouble at once.
3/22/40
0700 Position Report: AF82. Clear, Sea 3, wind 8 m/s, waves 1/2m.
3/23/40
0800 Position Report: AF82. Raining, Sea 8, wind 26 m/s, waves 7m. Diving to 50.
3/24/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 50.
3/25/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 9, wind 27 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 50 meters.
2200 Map shows bottom changing a lot. Echo sounding every 15 minutes.
3/26/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 10, wind 29 m/s, waves 9m. Diving back to 50.
3/27/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m. Bottom deep now, diving to 70.
3/28/40
0200 Surfacing.
0730 Radio: We are being moved again-this time to AN24. Set Course 235, Ahead 1/3.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 10, wind 32 m/s, waves 9m. Staying on surface to facilitate travel time.
3/29/40
0800 Position Report: AF87. Rain, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m.
1030 Entered AN24; Ahead Slow.
3/30/40
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.
3/31/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m.
1447 Ship, Bearing 308. Ordered Right Full Rudder, Ahead 1/3.
1449 Ordered Periscope Depth.
1451 Big merchant, about 5000 meters, Bearing 035.
1455 Range now 3100, Bearing 030.
1458 Range 2100, Bearing 025. Flooding all bow tubes.
1500 Range 1400, Bearing 020.
1501 Range 1100, Bearing 015. Definitely British. Ordered Ahead Slow.
1502 Firing tube 2, Range 750.
1503 Hit!
1504 He's not slowing down! Left Full Rudder, Ahead 1/3.
1505 Too close, Ahead Slow.
1506 Firing tube 3, Range 460. Damn! It went off early!
1507 Firing tube 4, Range 520.
1508 Dud! NO! It did go off. Big explosions. Surfacing.
1509 Enemy ship burning from end to end!
1511 Target sank by stern. Returning to patrol course.
4/1/40
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.
4/2/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Back to 50.
4/3/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Raining, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.
4/4/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50 again.
4/5/40
0200 Surface.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m. Diving to 30 meters, water somewhat shallow here.
4/6/40
0200 Surfacing.
0602 Radio: "Operation Hartmut is about to commence. U-boats are expected to follow orders accordingly." This is what we've been waiting for. I wonder what our part will be.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.
4/7/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0630 Radio-Double Encoded-Captain's Eyes Only. Here it is. I have taken the Enigma machine into my bunk and closed the curtain. I can feel my officers crowded just outside.
0645 Orders: We are ordered to perform a reconnaisance of Bergen; this must be completed and radioed in by 0800 hours tomorrow, the 8th.
0647 No reason not to tell the men where we are going. Announcing it to all immediately.
0650 Set Course 030, Ahead Slow. At this speed we should be there in plenty of time.
0800 Position Report: AN2473. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.
1800 Surfacing. Will make approach surfaced.
2100 Set Course 100. Approaching fjord entrance.
2154 Set Course 145. Have entered fjord.
2218 Set Course 160.
2315 Radio: Task force has departed Wilhelmshaven.
2330 Course 130.
4/8/40
0030 New Course 120.
0200 Channel narrow-navigating by sight now.
0400 Heading now 140. Can see Bergen Lighthouse.
0600 Staying close to western shore, opposite Bergen.
0700 Report: 6 ships in harbor; no warships. Awaiting orders.
0701 Settling to bottom; about 22 meters.
1023 Radio: Friendly Task Force in AO48.
1100 Radio: We are to remain on station until further orders.
1823 Radio: Enemy warship sighted, AF84.
4/9/40
0001 Radio: Enemy Task Force sighted in AF72.
0038 Radio: Norway now considered hostile; we are allowed to attack Norwegian shipping. Will wait until dawn.
0146 Fast screws detected, Bearing 185. Surfacing.
0150 Our forces have arrived, schnellboot and destroyer in sight, approaching fast.
0151 Ordered Ahead 2/3, Course 120, flooding forward tubes. Flashing recognition signal to lead destroyer. Don't want to miss out on the action.
0200 They have ordered us to stop and await arrival of main force. They are also stopping.
0212 Tug boat apparently panicked, running at high speed (for him). Destroyer has fired machine gun ahead of tug, ordered him to stop.
0213 Schnellboot is running alongside of tug, threatening with machine guns.
0215 Tug has stopped. S-boat crew boarding.
0230 Two light cruisers have arrived.
0235 Cruisers have ordered all ships and harbor facilities to surrender immediately.
0310 Cruisers have docked at piers; offloading troops. It looks like we won't get to sink anything here tonight.
0702 Radio: We have also captured Denmark.
0900 Radio: We are ordered back to sea.
0905 Ahead 1/3, heading north out of Bergen.
1200 Radio: A large part of Norway is now in German hands.
1513 ALARM!!! Aircraft incoming! Ahead Flank! Dive! Dive!
1515 It was two Swordfish carrier bombers. Lucky for us their aim was bad; they bombed us before we could dive, but the closest was at least 200 meters away.
1900 Surfacing.
4/10/40
0017 Radio: Enemy Task Force in AN23, Heading East. Set Course 000, Ahead Full. Maybe we'll get a chance to pay that carrier back.
0057 At intersect point; Course 270, Ahead Slow.
0231 Radio: U-4 has sunk British U-boat. Good Job!
0302 Radio: U-30 and U-50 ordered to attack Allied landings at Namsos. Wish it was us.
0451 Radio: Ship 34 km NW our position, heading SSW. We may be in a position to intercept.
0641 We have passed original TF reported position. We've missed them.
0656 Lookouts report ship Bearing 108. Must be the merchant reported earlier. Set Course 010.
0659 It's a small merchant, Range about 8500.
0708 Range now 5000. Ordered Periscope Depth.
0714 Set Course 090.
0725 New Course 120.
0726 Norwegian. Just yesterday they were neutral, then an enemy, and now friends. Wish we were here yesterday.
0800 Surfacing.
0802 Position Report: AN23. Partly Cloudy, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
1453 Radio: U-26, U-29, U-43 & U-61 are delivering supplies to forces at Narvik.
2039 Ship spotted, Bearing 079. Set Course 180, Ahead 1/3.
2043 Course 185.
2045 Set up UZO.
2046 Course 200.
2047 Small merchant, Range about 6000.
2050 Range 5000. New Course 240.
2100 Range 4000, Bearing 307. Ahead 2/3.
2105 Range 3500, Bearing 296.
2110 Range 2400. Set Course 150, Ahead 1/3; starting attack run, flooding forward tubes.
2117 Adjusted Course to 160.
2118 Range 1600, Bearing 339.
2119 He's German! Hailing him, pulling alongside.
2123 He's carrying supplies into Bergen for our troops. Returning to patrol, Ahead Slow.
4/11/40
0800 Position Report: AN24. Partly Cloudy, Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves 1m.
4/12/40
0800 Position Report: AN24. Clear, Sea 7, wind 23 m/s, waves 8m.
1202 Radio: If north of 62 degrees U-boats are to use two torpedoes against shallow-draft targets; 1 magnetic and 1 impact. Deep-draft targets; use impact only. How deep? How shallow? I wish they would be more specific.
1430 Fuel is now 25%. We are fairly close to home, but have to think about these things anyway.
1530 Radio: Allies are planning landings north of Narvik.
4/13/40
0106 Radio: Enemy Task Force 200 km NW our position, Heading SSE. Set Course 270, Ahead Full.
0650 Have reached intersect point. Set Course 350, Ahead Slow.
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 7, wind 21 m/s, waves 7m. Going to Periscope Depth in case they have a carrier, and of course planes.
1800 We've missed another one.
1805 Surfaced, sent request to return to base.
1953 Request acknowledged. Turning for home, Ahead 1/3.
4/14/40
0800 Position Report: AN29. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.
4/15/40
0800 Position Report: AN35. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.
4/16/40
0800 Position Report: AO44. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 26 m/s, waves 8m.
4/17/40
0927 Entered Kiel Bay; heavy overcast, visibility about 1 km.
0954 Passed outer bar; can see lighthouse (well, the light anyway).
1013 Passed lighthouse into inner harbor. Speed 5 knots.
1026 Nearing dock, Speed 2 knots.
1030 Tied up. Patrol over.
Confirmed sinkings:
3/12/40: South African merchant SS Chepo; 2,832 tons.
3/31/40: French merchant SS Frontenac; 6,447 tons.
Total: 9,279 tons.
April 17, 1940
1. Herbert Schultze................109,074
2. Werner Hartmann................78,560
3. Günther Prien......................61,734
4. Günther Berke*...................57,965
5. Wilhelm Rollmann................46,887
6. Heinrich Liebe......................45,816
7. Berthold Cranmer**............38,607
8. Viktor Schütze.....................33,209
9. Joachim Schepke ................18,063
10. Ernst Bauer.......................16,434
11. Hans Jenisch.....................13,593
12. Otto Kretschmer ...............12,026
13. Jurgen Oesten.....................8,137
14. Bruno Asche*......................5,913
15. Wolfgang Lüth....................3,580
Have been awared Iron Cross, 1st Class.