U124 IXB. Patrol 3.
Departed Lorient on 17.jan.41 bound for grid AD88 (SW of Island).
Date 21.jan.41. Time 0931. Grid BF17 (SW corner of the shallows below Ireland).
2 stern torpedoes fired at a C2 Cargo.
1 impact (right in the nose). No sinkings.
Date 27.jan.41. Time 0447. Grid AL29 (W of Rockall Bank).
A Coastal Merchant was encounter at medium range.
As our tracks were too close for a torpedo attack, the deck gun was brought to bear.
1.977 GRT, that didn't get to run us over. A big thanks to my gunner.
Date 27.jan.41 (still). Time 2243. Grid AL14.
From BDU.
To U124.
Convoy. Grid AL18. Course E. Speed 7 knots.
Date 28.jan.41. Time 0204. Grid AL18.
Dived to avoid a corvette.
We are apparently aft the convoys beam, on the port side.
(We don't get contacts on the chart so finding these convoys is neither guaranteed, nor artful in approach.)
Time 0359.
D E S T R O Y E R ! ! !
Signal lights and guns blazing, coming head on!
Dive to 100 meters.
There are 4+ escorts counted on the hydrophone.
We were down for quite some time.
Time 0751.
Fire 1, 2, 4. (T2 torpedoes).
Time 0752.
Impact! And P I N G !
Time 0753.
T2 Tanker sunk for 10.872 GRT
Following this we were rocked by DC at 100 meters.
The sea is calm, and the escorts are sharp.
New depth of 150 meters is ordered.
It's a long, slow, low crawl away from the convoy, at a 45 degree angle, but we finaly broke free.
Time 1407. Grid AL27.
Again ahead of the convoy, and submerging for another go.
Weather has changed to Medium Fog & 15 m/s winds.
We could only make 15 knots during the overhaul.
Time 1437.
Fired 1,2, and 4 (T2 torpedoes) at a C2 Cargo, resulting in her sinking for 6.452 GRT.
Weather conditions prevented the escorts from having a repeat performance of our earlier encounter.
Time 2108.
While again overtaking the convoy D E S T R O Y E R ! 2400 meters.
We did get under in time.
We did evade the DD.
And, we did eventualy manage another attack on a C3 Cargo.
Fired 1, 2, and 4 (T1 torpedoes - best for last!)
2 impacts.
Target eventualy went Dead In Water, and ate 3 more torpedoes before sinking for 7.923 GRT.
All torpedoes expended.
Date 12.feb.41. Time 0859. Grid BF51.
A L A R M ! Our RAF welcoming committee to The Bay.
Aircraft beat the heck out us.
Date 13.feb.41. Time 0900. Grid BF61.
Home in Lorient, after running the whole night at Full Ahead.
Patrol results:
4 ships sunk for 27.224 GRT.
Hull Integrity 45%.
My gunner will be getting a new 105, as his old one was destroyed.
All promotions will go to Damage Control party members.
U124's record to date:
3 war patrols.
9 ships sunk for 63.914 GRT.
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