Ducimus and Rubini ruined my patrol (do *not* edit mid-patrol)... it had a carrier down in it...
Anyway... start again, new patrol 8.
June 15, 1940.
Clear, light fog.
We take off from Bergen after a refill.
Late afternoon, between norwegian mountains...
June 16. Patrol area AN23.
1128: Swordfish! Crash dive. DC close, no damage.
1610: surfaced. 15m/s, heavy clouds...
1809: SO: merchant. One of our own.
June 17, 15m/s, clear.
June 18, 15m/s, clear. AF76
0224: rendevouz with one of our Commerce Raides.
1830: 11m/s, partial clouds, clear. Leaving AF73, heading W
June 19, 11m/s, clear.
June 20, 11m/s, clear. AF74.
0651: Swordfish! Crash dive, 45 deg evading, DC in water, close. No damage.
1103: surface. 9m/s, clear. Calm sea.
1120: Swordfish!! Long range.
June 21, 15m/s, heavy clouds. AM32.
1648: RA: convoys, grid AM36. One northbound, other southgoing.
1650: we ignore them. Not going into shallow water again...
2050: heavy rain and fog, 15m/s.
June 22 15m/s, heavy rain and fog.
0130: entering AM31
0645: 15m/s, all clear. Heavy sea.
1854: heavy clouds.
2150: entering AM24.
June 23, 11m/s, cloudy, light fog, heavy sea.
1157: sonar contact. Slow merchant. Go for intercept.
1320: first hit. Small tanker.
1322: second hit. Two missed. 4 torpedoes wasted. Tracking her in the fog, 400m behind
1344: she's finally blows up... heading west. 1309t.
June 24, 8m/s, clear. AM25.
1245: 15m/s, cloudy but clear.
June 25, 7m/s, clear. Calm sea. AM18.
Patrol course plotted for AM18-01-43-51-52
1201: message from BdU. The English channel cleared for use. Yeah, right! Good for you.
1521: RA reports enemy warship in AM78. 800km south...
1535: *if* the ship is heading Scapa Flow, we *may* cross it's course... changing to E 110.
2010: 12m/s, clear. Entered AM29.
June 26, 12m/s, clear.
0410: has reached intercept course. Heading S 210.
0820: finished fine calculating courses, *if* correct then 120km to target...
0832: RA report large, 4kts convoy in AM52, heading ENE. 280km away, but too close to land. Ignored.
0954: reached patrol area. AM51. 13m/s, clear. Diving to 15m.
1008: SO: warship bearing 010. Long range. Closing.
1011: SO: more than 7 warships. I have a listen. There is a carrier in there! Know the sound of it...
1042: has tracked carrier and plotted it's course. We head due W for interception point.
1048: periscope up. Didi closing, Hunter behind. Carrier at bearing 340. Setting all tubes at fast speed.
1050: she's closing much too fast. Open all tubes, periscope up, 600m.
1051: mark, fire tube 1, mark, fire tube 2, mark, 3, mark, 4, crash dive! New course 210.
1052: first torpedo hit! Periscope still not entirely down, see hit mid rear half of ship. Then second impact! Near propellers.
1052: She's going down!
1054: at 50m going flank. New course 210 and rigging for silent.
1055: we can hear she's sinking now. Destroyer closing. Moving fast.
1105: DC in water. 100m behind us. They don't know where we are. 110m, heading 200.
1107: more DC. 300m away.
1122: DC, more than 700m behind. Clearly they lost us. Heading 240.
1130: destroyer moving away.
1133: blow ballast. Send contact report. Quick fill, fresh air and recharge.
1138: going to 35m. Heading S 210. Prepare for long dive.
1152: new depth 80m. Took a tour through the boat, thanking everyone for great effort. 23000t Illustrious Carrier.
1406: SO reports merchant. Turns out to be a hospital ship, we turn back south. Still submerged.
1810: heading W. Entering AM43.
2245: periscope depth. Clear sky.
June 27, AM43.
0047: surface the boat. Batteries 20, CO2 3.4.
0228: 7m/s, clear.
0415: plotted a patrol course. Homing for Wilhelmshaven, 3850km.
0645: send Status Report
U-33. Position Grid AM43
Torpedoes left: 5
Cargo ships sunk: 1
Warship sunk: 1
Total tonnage: 24309
No damage, all healthy.
Oberleutnant Z. S. Janus Küster