Patrol 2
U-178, IXD2, 10th Flotilla
Left at: 02 June 1942, 06:00
From: Lorient
Mission Orders: Patrol grid ED98
02 June 1942
0600 hrs, lorient.
Departing for second war patrol.
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03 June 1942
0524 BE57
Aircraft detected. Crash dived. depth charged. Torpedo tube 6 damaged. Repairs effected. Staying down. Will surface at dusk.
2134 BE 57
Sound reports merchant contacts. Will investigate, surfacing.
2220 BE57
Contacts, 3 merchants in outbound column. Neutral. Avoiding contact, returning to course.
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8 June 1942
0444 GC14
Position report
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18 June 1942
1029 DR25
Position report. Weather has been most foul.
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25 June 1942
0900 EE72
Now in caribean, approaching enemy waters. New boat routine until we depart,
Dive : 0500-0600
Surface 2300 - 0000
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27 June 1942
1830 ED96
Sonar reports warship, long range, not closing.
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28 June 1942
2318 ED98
Arrived at patrol grid.
D.U.K = 159 Meters.
0650 ED98
Area is well patroled. Boat was forced to dive early as was detected on surface by small patrol boat. Thankfully battery charge was 98% complete at time. Constant warship contacts. Probably looking for us.
These Americans are crazy!
0955 ED98
Sonar reports two sets of merchant contacts. Gathing bearings to investigate.
10:15 ED98
Surfaced to gain firing position. Situation hopeless. 15 kt winds, heavy rain, heavy fog. Visibility 0. No hope to mount a successful attack in these conditions. Diving and resuming course.
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29 June 1942
0506 ED98
Alloted 24 hrs is up. Due to heavy patrols in this area, decided to set course northwards. Intend to reconoiter Bridgetown harbor. Maps would indicate water there is deep enough for a submerged approach.
0723 ED98
Now leaving assigned patrol grid.
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01 July 1942
0730 EE71
Entering Bridgtown harbor. Weather has lifted, conditions could not be more perfed. Clear skies, calm sea's. Visiblity through periscope excellent.
0754 EE71
Have assessed harbor. Several ships flying columbian flag. Neutral. Found one British destroyer at anchor. Moving into attack position now.
0756 EE71
Initiating Torpedo attack on anchored DD. Firing Tube 1. 44kt, 5 depth, magnetic pistol.
07:56:20 " "
Torpedo #1 detonated prematurely.
0757 " "
Rechecked TDC solution, firing tube 2, 44kt, 5 depth, magnetic pistol.
07:57:20 " "
Torepdo #2 has detonated prematurely.
07:58
Rechecked TDC solution, firing tube 3, 44kt, 5 depth, magnetic pistol.
07:59 " "
Torpedo Impact! Target is sinking! DD, estimated 1800 tons.
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05 July 1942
1727 ED??
Ship sunk! T3 tanker, estimated 9000 tons.
Contact intially gained closeby on sound while submerged. Plotted course, Surfaced to found rotton weather. Decide to employ newly installed radar unit to get us in close. Contact was then regained on surface after a bit of waiting, preset TDC on assumed data. Fired tubes 5 and 6, impact pistol, 44kt, 4 depth on hasty solution. Gyro angle 18 degrees, am suprised torpedo's detonated.
Then went to flank speed, hard starboard rudder and brought bow around and fired tube 4 at 44 kt, 6 depth, impact pistol. While obsessing over a firing solution for tube 4, Nearly collided with target, all back emergency order was issued, collision avoided. Tube 4 detionated against target, sinking him.
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8 July 1942
1048 ED54
Ship sunk! Mediem tanker, est 7200 tons.
Used tubes 5 and 6, 44 kit, impact pistol, depth 7. Then brought bow to bear and shot tube 4. Bad weather disallowed use of deck gun.
1050 ED54
Radio reports would seem to indicate we are in the vacinity of a shiping lane. Will cruise with a zig zag searching pattern 2 grids, going from East to west in order to try and pinpoint exact routes.
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10 July 1942
0730 ED58
Fired tubes 3 and 4 at large tanker we've been tracking. 44 kt, 1800 range, impact pistol, depth 7.
0735 ED58
Surfacing to employ deck gun. Sea's looked calm enough during periscope observation.
0743 ED58
Ship sunk! Larger tanker, est 9100 tons.
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16 July 1942
15:30 EC63
Sonar reports two merchant contacts. Sound bearings indicate will pass nearby. Submerged approach possible, altering course to firing bearing now.
15:40 EC63
Sound reports TWO MORE concontacts approaching behind us.
Tracking all 4. Unbeleiveably enough this second group will pass nearby as well.
15:50 EC63
Periscope observations. UNBELEIVEABLE.
Two tandem merchants colunms are converging on our position. Boat is in ideal position to fire on both at once. Wishing we had more torpedo tubes to fire!
Targets aft of us
Targets off port bow
1600 EC63
Firing tubes 5 and 6 at large tanker 3000 meters aft. Torpedo set 44kt, 8 depth, impact.
1601 EC63
Firing tubes 1 and 2 at Victory cargo ship, 1800 meters forward. torped 44kt, depth 5, impact.
1602 EC63
Two torpedo impact, FIrst impact hit cargo ship off bow. 2nd hit tanker aft of us. 3rd torpedo confirmed premature, 4th torpedo unconfirmed, beleive prematured.
1603 EC63
Firing tubes 3 and 4 at second Large cargo ship off port bow.
1604 EC63
Torpedo 3 and 4 impacted and broke her back!
Ship sunk! Large cargo, 7200 tons!
1605 EC63
hard to starboard turn, flank speed, bringing bow to bear on Large tanker we hit. Victory cargo ship has stopped moving.
1610 EC63
Firing tube 1 at Large tanker.
1612 EC63
Torpedo Impact!
1613 EC63
With all tubes reloading, and only two reserves located forward left, decided to surface to employ deck gun to conserve torpedo's. Expect heavy action from merchant gun crews.
1614 EC63
Ship sunk! Large tanker 9000 tons
1615 EC63
U-178 is engaged in a Running battle. Receiving fire from both tanker and victory gunship. Putting distance on Victory, while manuvering boat to get out of tankers gun arc. Recieving heavy fire from both. Many near hits.
Ordered CE to put maximum power to the engines!
Forward of U-178
Aft of U-178.
Crossfire? Surrounded? I say we have them right where we want them, OPEN FIRE!!!!!!
1618 EC63
Uboat has been hit aft and forward, Ordered gun crews to stations and give them everything we got! We'll ignite those bastards!
1619 EC63
Ship sunk! Mediem tanker 7200 tons. Ship exploded.
Ordered boat hard to port. coming around to deal with the victory cargo ship!
Running gun battle continues, U-178 show's its wounds.
1620 EC63
Ship sunk! Victory cargo 7800 tons.
Ordered all stop to assess damage on boat.
1625 EC63
Departing area before any assitance arrives.
Sent Situation report as follows:
- Two torpedo's aft in tubes, 4 forward in tubes, 1 internal reserve, 1 external reserve
- Fuel 70-74%
- Uboat damaged, some damage to superstructure, CE says it looks worse then it really is.
- To BDU, "We got more aggressive".
U-178 Departs area.
The carnage we wrought.
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17 July 1942
0808 EC62
Ship sunk! Victory Cargo, 7800 tons.
used two forward torpedo's. Finished with deck gun at 2000 meters range positioning ourselves astern of the target, presenting ourselves as slim a profile as we could. All internal and external reserves have been utlized. 6 torpedo's remain, all of which are in the tubes.
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19 July 1942
Ship sunk! Mediem tanker, 7200 tons.
Calm sea's permitted under the keel shot with magnetic pistol. Target sank beautifly on even keel. All aft tubes empty, only 4 left forward.
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21 July 1942
2234 EC16
Ship Sunk! Mediem Cargo, 5200 tons.
Two forward torpedos left.
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24 July 1942
2230 DN79
Ship sunk Mediem Tanker 7200 tons!
2241 DN79
Status report to HQ as follows:
Postion DN79, Torpedo's left 0, Deck gun ammunition 5, Fuel reserves at 70-74%, Total tonnage 86,268. Returning to base.
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27 July 1942
0030 DN92
Leaving caribean area. Starting trans atlantic crossing.
0346 DN69
Destroyer spotted. Crash dived to 120 meters, and went to silent running.
0600 DN69
At silent speed for over 2 hours. Sound reports no contact, DD has moved off.
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15 Aug 1942
0430 CF29
English welcoming home party of Multiple aircraft spotted. Crash dived. Depth charged. No damage.
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18 Aug 1942
0810 BE96
-Aircraft spotted, close range. No time to dive. Manning flak guns. Ahead flank, hard to starboard!
-Fended off first pair, destroyed 1 aircraft.
- second pair following first.
- Aircraft have made their run, Crash diving
0811 BE96
Depth charged, moderate flooding and equipment damage. Taking on alot of water. Situation is getting under control.
0812 BE96
Sound reports hearing a distant crash in the ocean. Presumably one of the planes we shot at.
0815 BE96
Stopped flooding, boat under control. Proceeding submerged. These continuous air attacks is slowing tranist. Becoming difficult to recharge batteries.
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23 Aug 1942
1220
U-178 Arrives at lorient. It's good to be home! We've made it!
Patrol results:
83 days at sea.
H.I: 80.5%
Crew losses: 0
Ships sunk: 12
Aircraft destroyed: 2
Patrol tonage: 86268 tons
