[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years ago ...

Left W'haven on Thursday, 11 January 1940 for Fourth War Patrol in Qu.AN 79 (Mine Laying Operation: Contaminate harbour of Dover with TMB).

Good weather and seas while in area of operation and during outbound and return voyage. Very good aircraft visibility.

Medium enemy air patrols but heavy surface vessel patrols in area of operation and during transit.

Successfully laid 9 TMB in entrance to inner harbour basin of Dover. Southampton Class Cruiser and several destroyers in Dover harbour sighted.

Afterwards, sank two steamers with the two remaining Ato.

While on return voyage, had to crash dive from approaching aircraft during morning dawn and hit the ocean floor in shallow waters. Pressure hull slightly damaged but no further damage from the bombs dropped by the airplanes.

Returned to W'haven on Thursday, 18 January 1940, having sunk 2 merchants for 8986 BRT and a successful mine laying operation.

Torpedo hits: 2
Torpedo failures: None
Crash Dives: 1

My Chief Master Boatswain was sent to Officers Training School and was replaced by a Boatswain 1cl.

Received orders for Fifth War Patrol:
- Patrol area Qu. AN 73
- Departure scheduled for 15 February 1940...

Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years ago ...

**

Left W'haven on Thursday, 15 February 1940 for Fifth War Patrol in Qu.AN 73 (East coast of England).

Our sister boat U 10 (Preuss) operated off the Dutch coast during the same time period.

Medium seas but very good aircraft visibility while in area of operation and during the outbound voyage. Only during the return voyage, some heavy seas and cloudy skies.

During transit, we by-passed Qu.AN 66 and AN 69 to the north, due to the British mine fields in the area north of Terschelling.

Medium enemy air patrols in area of operation and during transit, which increased the closer we got to the English coast.

Had to dive to 31m to reload the torpedoes during heavy seas and slightly damaged the battery, both diesel engines and pressure hull, when touching the ocean floor in shallow waters, due east of Skegness.

U-Preuss returned to W'haven two days before us, having sunk 2 steamers for 6356 BRT.

We returned to W'haven on Thursday, 22 February 1940, having sunk 2 merchants for 11913 BRT and damaging a large steamer of 8290 BRT.

Torpedo hits: 4
Torpedo misses: None
Torpedo failures: 1 Eto understeered
Crash Dives: None

My Machinist was transferred to another Uboat and was replaced by a Fireman 1cl.

Received orders for Sixth War Patrol:
- Patrol area Qu. AN 55 (East coast of England)
- Departure scheduled for 21 March 1940...