U-105 1st Patrol (Pt. 2)
07/09/1940
21:03 - Weather has deteriorated further. Strong gales, heavy rain, sea 8. Visibility is nil. Made the decision to dive to save fuel.
08/09/1940
07:14 - Surfaced at 07:00. No change in weather. Will continue diving at night until weather improves to preserve fuel load.
11/09/1940
08:32 - Sighted destroyer sailing SSW - suspecting convoy in vicinity. Shadowing at long range. Weather is partially cloudy, sea 8, gales direction W. Heading 250°, speed 14kn.
08:45 - Determined destroyer is acting as an escort for a convoy. Attempting to move in closer to determine size and course.
09:04 - Currently have sight of 15 merchants and 1 escort, a C&D destroyer, sailing WSW at 7kn. Attempting to leapfrog the convoy and attack from directly in front of it.
12:14 - Have successfully leapfrogged the convoy. Commencing attack in spite of poor sea state.
15:53 - Conducted attack on convoy. Fired 4 torpedoes. 2 misses and 2 hits on a small merchant, sunk for 2396GRT. Escorts carried out sporadic depth charge attacks around us. Stopped after around 45 minutes without success. Continued moving W, lost sound contact at 15:00. Surfaced at 15:45 and continued to BC62, course 276°.
14/09/1940
16:25 - Grid BC6233. Patrol grid reached. Beginning ladder search pattern ending in BC6277. Orders are to remain in area for 72hrs. Weather has improved after 9 days. Partially cloudy, light fog. Light easterly winds.
16/09/1940
21:02 - BC6277. New orders received to proceed to CC56. Course 226°, speed 11kn. Weather is clear, light breeze. Sea 1.
20/09/1940
03:49 - Arrived at grid CC5633. Adopting a search pattern to cover patrol area. Weather is poor - heavy rain, poor visibility. Sea 4.
23/09/1940
01:33 - Grid CC6412. Received new orders for CF95. Weather unchanged.
02/10/1940
03:30 - Grid CF8597. Sighted 2 merchants travelling W - A coastal freighter and large merchant. Attempted to attack both head on from 1,000m with remaining 3 fore torpedoes. All missed. Dived to periscope depth and turned 90° to attack the large merchant with stern torpedoes. Scored 2 hits at 380m, sinking it for 10660GRT. Forced to let coastal freighter continue heading W. 2 stern torpedoes remaining. Currently unable to use deck gun due to poor sea state. Fuel now below 50%. Taken the decision to start return passage to Lorient.
08/10/1940
02:09 - BF61. Awaiting escort vessel outside Lorient.
06:20 - Docked at Lorient. Patrol officially ended:
4 ships sunk for 16,883GRT.
38 days spent at sea.
Received promotion to Oberleutnant zur See.
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