Bruno Asche
Patrol 6: May 4, 1940 Game played March 25-April 2, 2006
U-14's fifth patrol lasted from March 23 to April 7, 1940; 15 days. We sank three ships, for a total of 12,887 tons. Our replenishment time was 27 days, and we were ready for sea again on May 4.
Oberleutnant z.S. Bruno Asche
U-14: 1st Flotilla, Kiel
U-14 crew, May 4, 1940:
Captain: Oberleutnant z.S. Bruno Asche
Chief Engineer: Oberleutnant z.S. Günther Loh
1WO: Leutnant z.S. Heinz Schmidt
2WO: Oberfähnrich z. S. Matthias Marbach
Navigator: Oberfähnrich z. S. Arend Mayer
Senior Helmsman: Stabsoberbootsmann Emil Stephan
Helmsman: Bootsmann Josef Sander
Radioman: Bootsmann Karl Hänsel
Radioman: Bootsmann Reinhard Brummer
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann August Hermann
2nd Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Herbert Thomsen
Torpedoman: Bootsmann August Spahr
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Peter Heyer
General Petty Officers:
Bootsmann Hans Mohr
Bootsmann Henning Hessler
Leading Seamen:
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Max Eisenstein
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Kurt Böhling
Senior Seamen:
Matrosenobergefreiter Erich Richter
Matrosenobergefreiter Heinz Witt
Matrosenobergefreiter Walter Jordon
Matrosenobergefreiter Otto Rasch
Seamen:
Matrosengefreiter Herbert Leunert
Matrosengefreiter Josef Suhren
Matrosengefreiter Martin Maus
Matrosengefreiter Jurgen Schendel
Matrosengefreiter Reiner Hansen
Matrosengefreiter Max Claussen
Matrosengefreiter Philipp Bahn
5/4/40
2235 Underway Kiel.
2242 Departed inner harbor. Ahead 1/3, Course 300
2252 Entered Canal. Opened orders: AN28, off Norway. Watch for British counter-offensive.
5/5/40
1056 Passed Brunsbüttel, into the Elbe.
1456 Passed Cuxhaven, into the HelgolandBucht.
1550 Passed within sight of the island of Trichen.
2300 First Position Report: AN9477. Clear, Sea 3, wind 10 m/s, waves 1/2 m.
5/6/40
1435 Crossed time zone, now 1525.
2200 Position Report: An3872. Clear, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 0.
5/7/40
2200 Position Report: AN3187. Partly Cloudy, Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves 1m.
5/8/40
0753 Entered AN2899; Ahead Slow.
2200 Position Report: AN2855. Partly Cloudy, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 1m.
5/9/40
0031 Radio: U-9 reports torpedoing enemy U-boat. Quite an accomplishment.
2200 Position Report: AN2877. Partly Cloudy, sea 2, Wind 5 m/s, waves 1/4m.
5/10/40
1202 Radio: We are at war with Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. Great, another enemy. At least that gives us more opportunities to sink ships.
2200 Position Report: AN2852. Clear, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m.
5/11/40
2200 Position Report: AN2869. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.
5/12/40
2200 Position Report: AN2894. Clear, Sea 12, wind 35 m/s, waves 13m.
5/13/40
1630 Radio: Our panzer forces have attacked the French at three points on the Meuse River.
2200 AN2844. Clear, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 7m.
5/14/40
1800 Radio: General Guderian has crossed the Meuse River at Sedan.
2200 Position Report: AN2882. Rain, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 30 meters.
5/15/40
1321 Sound reports warship, Bearing 313. Ordered Periscope Depth.
1228 Can't see anything. Brummer says ship is closing.
1345 Ship is still out there, still closing. I still can't see anything but waves and rain.
1348 Brummer reports contact lost.
1350 Useless to look anymore in this weather; back to 30 meters.
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
2132 Radio: General Hoth's panzers have wiped out the French forces at Dinant. Dutch army has surrendered, though forces are holding out in Zeeland.
2200 Position Report: AN2868. Rain, Sea 11, wind 34 m/s, waves 10m. Diving back to 30.
5/16/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2855. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.
5/17/40
1610 Radio: Our army has entered Brussels.
2200 Position Report: AN2849. Partly Cloudy, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
5/18/40
2015 Radio: Our forces have reached the Somme River.
2200 Position Report: AN2868. Partly Cloudy, Sea 2, wind 6 m/s, waves 1/4m.
5/19/40
1500 Radio: We are to move to AN22; more traffic there.
1822 Radio: Belgian radio is claiming our bombing of Rotterdam on the 14th has resulted in over 30,000 deaths due to fires.
2200 Position Report: AN2872. Clear, Sea 1, wind 2 m/s, waves trace.
5/20/40
0721 Entered AN 2299.
1200 Storm building fast. Sky now overcast, sea picking up dramatically.
1930 Radio: Our forces have reached the mouth of the Somme River; have captured Amiens, Abbeville, Noyelles and Laon.
2200 Position Report: AN2255. Rain, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 30 to get some rest.
5/21/50
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
2200 Position Report: AN2214. Rain, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m. Diving to 30m.
5/22/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2277. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Back to the deep.
5/23/40
1600 Surfacing.
1700 Radio: British navy is evacuating their forces in Boulogne.
2200 Position Report: AN2237. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 27 m/s, waves 8m. Diving again.
5/24/40
1037 Rescued from boredom by sound report of warship. Ordered Periscope Depth.
1041 Sky has cleared, waves still high. I can't see him. Bootsmann Hänsel is on the hydrophones; he says contact has been lost. Back to 30m.
1600 Surfacing.
1654 Radio: Maubeuge, Ghent and Tournai have fallen to our army.
2200 Position Report: AN2266. Clear, Sea 7, wind 22 m/s, waves 4m. Diving again.
5/25/40
1600 Surfacing.
1609 Seas calmer now; very nice day. Too bad we can't seem to find anything to sink.
2042 Radio: Our army has captured Boulogne, including 5000 British and French troops.
2200 Position Report: AN2286. Clear, Sea 5, wind 20 m/s, waves 2m.
5/26/40
0607 Chief Loh reports fuel at 50%.
1133 Radio: Reports are coming in that the British are withdrawing their forces from Dunkirk.
2200 Position Report: AN2244. Clear, Sea 7, wind 18 m/s, waves 5m.
5/27/40
2200 Position Report: AN2264. Clear, Sea 11, wind 34 m/s, waves 11m. Diving to 30 to get some peace.
5/28/30
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
1715 Radio: Belgian army has surrendered. It's confirmed: the British are evacuating their army from France.
2200 Position Report: AN2234. Overcast, Sea 8, wind 26 m/s, waves 5m.
5/29/40
2200 Position Report: AN2284. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 26 m/s, waves 7m. Diving back to 30.
5/30/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2251. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 29 m/s, waves 9m. Diving again.
5/31/40
1600 Surfacing.
1608 Radio: Our forces have taken Lille.
2200 Position Report: AN2267. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Diving.
2210 Personal thought: has the war ended and no one thought to tell us? It seems as if the rest of the world has ceased to exist.
6/1/40
1600 Surfaced to a much nicer day. Sky is clear, waves are much less.
2200 Position Report: AN2298. Clear, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
6/2/40
2200 Position Report: AN2278. Clear, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 7m. Diving to 30.
6/3/40
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
2000 Radio: British have successfully evacuated over 300,000 troops from Dunkirk. What a coup if we had captured all those men.
2200 Position Report: AN2214. Clear, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m. Diving to 30.
6/4/40
1600 Surfacing.
1625 Radio: We have captured Dunkirk, along with 40,000 French troops.
2000 Fuel down to 30%; setting course for home.
2200 Position Report: AN2222. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 27 m/s, waves 8m. Diving again.
6/5/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2374. Overcast, Sea 11, wind 34 m/s, waves 10m. 30 meters, here we come.
6/6/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2881. Clear, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 30.
6/7/40
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
2200 Position Report: AN4293. Clear, Sea 2, wind 6 m/s, waves 1/4m.
6/8/40
0230 Watch office Marbach recorded that another storm blew in-heavy rain and waves.
1622 Waves still heavy, but clouds and rain gone as quickly as they came.
1648 Radio: Norway has surrendered; British have evacuated Narvik area.
2200 Position Report: AN3489. Clear, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m. Pressing on on surface-want this lousy patrol to be over.
6/9/40
1034 Fuel 25%
2200 Position Report: AN9172. Rain, Sea 10, wind 29 m/s, waves 9m.
6/10/40
1200 Radio: Italy has joined us in declaring war on Britain and France.
1607 Radio: Canada has declared war on Italy.
2200 Position Report: AN9684. Clear, Sea 12, wind 35 m/s, waves 11m.
6/11/40
0044 Passed Cuxhaven, into the Elbe.
0503 Passed Brunsbuttel and into the Canal.
1213 Radio: The rest of the British commonwealth has declared war on Italy.
1355 Not long after we passed Rendsburg the weather lifted. Scattered clouds, sun shining down. At least one nice thing about our return home.
1713 Exited Canal into Kiel Bay.
1722 Passed lighthouse into Kiel inner harbor. Ahead Slow.
1738 Tied up at Kiel docks.
June 11, 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. Victor Oehrn........................41,207
8. Berthold Cranmer*..............38,607
9. Viktor Schütze.....................33,209
10. Bruno Asche**...................18,800
11. Joakim Schepke..................18,063
12. Wolfgang Lüth....................18,063
13. Ernst Bauer.........................16,434
14. Hans Jenisch.......................13,593
15. Otto Kretschmer .................12,026
16. Jurgen Oesten......................8,137