Sailor Steve's Patrol Logs

Berthold Cranmer

Patrol 2: November 14, 1939 Game played January 14-22, 2006

U-74's first patrol lasted from August 19 to October 20, 1939, a total of 62 days. We sank three British merchantmen, totalling 17,901 tons. U-74 was in port for 25 days, being ready for action on November 12 and ordered to put to sea on the night of November 14. While in port Oberfähnrich z.S. Günter Göseke was promoted to Leutnant z.S. and transferred. His replacement is Oberfähnrich z.S. Alex Marbach.
We have painted a red 'Ace of Spades' on the conning tower.

Oberleutnant z.S. Berthold Cranmer

U-74: Flotilla Wegener, Kiel
U-74 crew, November 14, 1939:
Captain: Oberleutnant z.S. Berthold Cranmer
Chief: Oberleutnant z.S. Karl Schewe
1WO: Leutnant z.S. Heinz Renken
2WO: Leutnant z.S. Alfred Moehle
Navigator: Oberfähnrich z.S. Axel Marbach
Torpedo Officer: Oberfähnrich z.S. Albrecht Zapf

Senior Helmsman/3rd Watch Leader: Stabsoberbootsmann Peter Jenisch
Helmsman: Bootsmann Emil Brehme
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Günther Blank
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Otto Röther
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Gerhard Hentrop

General Petty Officers:
Stabsoberbootsmann Gerhard Kilimann
Bootsmann Herbert Stephan
Bootsmann Friederich Goldbeck
Bootsmann Hans Sporer
Bootsmann Heinz Wissmann
Bootsmann Fritz Jungmann
Bootsmann Arend Baltz
Bootsmann Joachim Blaudow
Bootsmann Johan Reckhoff
Bootsmann Horst Richter
Bootsmann Hans Thurmann

Leading Seamen:
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Heinz Schäfer
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Lothar Arnold
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Walter Kühn
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Gerrit Holstein

Senior Seamen:
Matrosenobergefreiter Rolf Hertin
Matrosenobergefreiter Paul Folkers
Matrosenobergefreiter Heinrich Mitter
Matrosenobergefreiter Georg Jungmann

Seamen:
Matrosengefreiter Hermann Bleek
Matrosengefreiter Adolf Scholz
Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Hartmann
Matrosengefreiter Curt Schmidt
Matrosengefreiter Dietmar Krech
Matrosengefreiter Ulrich Babel
Matrosengefreiter Werner Gante
Matrosengefreiter Julius Wiebe
Matrosengefreiter Karl Pröchnow
Matrosengefreiter Paul Hänsel
Matrosengefreiter Heinrich Sander
Matrosengefreiter Robert Rasch
Matrosengefreiter Karl Hölzer
Matrosengefreiter Hans Heuer
Matrosengefreiter Hartwig Kelmann
Matrosengefreiter Ludwig Bilstein
Matrosengefreiter Friederich Ganzer
Matrosengefreiter Erwin Loh
Matrosengefreiter Ludwig Clausen
Matrosengefreiter Wilhelm Bülow
Matrosengefreiter Reinhart Hertin
Matrosengefreiter Max Manke

11/14/39
2329 Departed Kiel docks.
2341 Passed inner harbor lighthouse. Set 1/3 Speed.

11/15/39
0005 Passed outer bar.
0038 Departed Kiel Bay. Opened orders. We are assigned to Grid BF33, off the Western Approaches.
0500 Entered Langelandsbält.
0726 Radio: U-53 has encountered convoy in BF44.
0836 Entered Store Bält.
0958 Radio: BdU orders U-53 to wait and shadow convoy.
1146 Radio: BdU orders U-41 and U-43 to intercept convoy, and three u-boats to attack as a group.
1315 Rounded Kalundborg, Course 030.
1528 Ship spotted, Bearing 268.
1536 German destroyer.
1552 Very close now. Exchanging signals.
1554 Passed within 300 meters. His last signal to us: "Good Hunting".
1854 Rounded Grenå, into Kattegat, Course 335.
2300 Position Report: AO47. Fuel 98% Clear skies, Sea 3, Wind 10 m/s, Waves 1/2 meter.

11/16/39
0048 Rounded Laesø, Course 005.
0443 Rounded Skagen, into Skagerrak, Course 270.
2300 Position Report: AN36, 35 km S Kristiansand. Fuel 96%. Clear, Sea 3 Wind 9 m/s, Waves 1/2m.

11/17/39
0956 Radio: We may now attack liners if they are obviously armed.
1624 Ship spotted, Bearing 306. Set Course 220.
1630 Whoever he is, he's small.
1635 Looks like some kind of fishing boat.
1650 Norwegian trawler. Returning to 270.
2300 Position Report: AN31, 105 km WSW Stavenger. Fuel 94%. Clear, Sea 3, Wind 10 m/s, Waves 1/2m.

11/18/39
0800 Weather is picking up; waves and wind growing.
2300 Position Report: AF79. Fuel 92%. Clear, Sea 11, Wind 35 m/s, Waves 10m. Diving to 50 meters, Ahead Slow.

11/19/39
1700 Surfaced. Weather unchanged. Ahead 1/3.
2300 Position Report: AF76. Fuel 91%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 33 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow.

11/20/39
1700 Surfaced, Ahead 1/3.
2200 Radio: British warship in AM24, heading SW.
2300 Position Report: AF75. Fuel 90% Clear, Sea 10, Wind 33 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow.

11/21/39
1700 Surfaced to recharge, Ahead 1/3.
2300 Position Report: AF77. Fuel 89%. Rain, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50 meters, Ahead Slow.

11/22/39
1456 Contact-Merchant, Bearing 213. Periscope depth, Ahead 1/3.
1504 Set Course 100.
1520 Regained contact, Bearing 011.
1522 This weather is impossible. Back to Course 245, 50 meters, Ahead Slow.
1700 Surfaced, Ahead 1/3.
2300 Position Report: AN11. Fuel 88%. Overcast, Sea 9, Wind 27 m/s, Waves 8m. Diving back to 50 meters, Ahead Slow.

11/23/39
1700 Surfaced to recharge. Ahead 1/3.
2300 Position Report: Still in AM11. Fuel 87%. Overast, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow.

11/24/39
1700 Surfaced, Ahead 1/3.
2300 Position Report: AM34. Fuel 86%. Overcast, Sea 10, Wind 29 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow.

11/25/39
1658 Sound Contact-Merchant, Bearing 276. Periscope depth, Ahead 1/3, Course 180.
1702 Contact lost, nothing to see. Surfaced.
1713 Returned to Course 245.
2300 Position Report: AM35. Fuel 85%. Raining, Sea 10, Wind 34 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving, Ahead Slow.

11/26/39
1519 Sound contact-Merchant, Bearing 330. Periscope depth, Ahead 1/3.
1528 Weather still miserable. Back to 50 meters, Ahead Slow.
1700 Surfaced to recharge, Ahead 1/3.
2300 Position Report: AM26. Fuel 84%. Heavy rain, Sea 10, Wind 28 m/s, Waves 9 meters. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow.

11/27/39
1700 Surfaced, Ahead 1/3.
2300 Position Report: AM29. Fuel 83%. Heavy Rain, Sea 10, Wind 32 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50 again, Ahead slow. If it were clear we'd have been on station by now.

11/28/39
1700 Surfaced to sunshine! Sea still heavy, though. Ahead 1/3.
1920 Radio: U-47 reports torpedoing London class cruiser. Only one hit, though.
2300 Position Report: AM51. Fuel 82%. Clear, Sea 8, Wind 20 m/s, Waves 6m. Two full weeks at sea and we're still not there! Need better weather, or better bases. Not likely to get either anytime soon. Diving to 50 meters, Ahead Slow. Intend to surface at dawn.

11/29/39
0234 Sound contact-Merchant, Bearing 320. Weather was a little better when we dove; going after him. Surfaced, Ahead Full, Course 160.
0236 Sighted his smoke almost immediately, dead ahead.
0245 Set course 155, following him.
0315 Have lost sight of him. Ordered Periscope Depth for Sound Check, Ahead Slow.
0320 No contact yet.
0324 Contact! Bearing 330. Surfaced, Ahead Full, Course 105.
0325 Don't see him. Maintaining course.
0332 There he is! Fair-sized cargo ship, 6000 meters ahead. Setting up UZO.
0336 Range 5000. Set course 090, Ahead Standard.
0345 Range 4000, Bearing 020.
0355 Range 2500. Too close, he might see us. Set Course 060.
0405 Ahead of him now. Range 3000, Bearing 120. Set Course 090.
0410 Range 3500.
0415 Range 4000, Bearing 130. Starting Attack Run, Course 180, Ahead 1/3.
0420 Range 3000, Bearing 055. Approaching too fast, Ahead Slow, Speed 2 knots.
0425 Range 2000, Bearing 053.
0428 Range 1400, Bearing 046.
0430 Range 1200, Bearing 042.
0432 Range 975, Bearing 032.
0433 Range 740, Bearing 025. There's the flag-he's definitely British!
0435 Range 570, Bearing 010. Firing tube 1! Firing Tube 2! Number 1 hit! Number 2 hit!
0440 Target still making 4 knots. Will follow and see if his condition worsens before wasting a third torpedo.
0442 Tube 1 loaded, in just 7 minutes! Good job!
0450 Tube 2 loaded, 8 minutes! Outstanding!
0600 Have been shadowing him for more than an hour; not only is he not sinking, he's speeded up to 5 knots! Setting up another attack run.
0620 Firing Tube 3, Range 450. Hit! Target breaking up!
0621 Target broke in half, sank almost instantly. Returning to course 210, Ahead 1/3, staying on surface. Took down UZO.
2300 Position Report: AM73. Fuel 81%. Clear, Sea 8, Wind 24 m/s, Waves 6 meters. Diving to 30 meters until dawn, Ahead Slow.

11/30/39
0313 Sound contact-Merchant, Bearing 010. Surfaced, Ahead 1/3.
0329 There he is! Setting up UZO.
0330 Range now 2200. Set course 300.
0335 Range 1700, Bearing 313. Ahead Slow.
0340 Range 850, Bearing 318. Slowed to 2 knots.
0341 Range 675, Bearing 325. Can see flag now-he's American!?!?
0342 Returning to course 210, Ahead 1/3, remaining surfaced.
2225 Entered Patrol Grid BE33. Ahead Slow, Course 135.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 80%. Clear, Sea 7, Wind 19 m/s, Waves 5 m. Diving to 50 until dawn.

12/1/39
0800 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 79%. Clear, Sea 8, 27 m/s, Waves 6m. Diving for the night.

12/2/39
0800 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 78%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 29 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving for as long as we can.

12/3/39
1700 Surfaced to recharge.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 77%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50.

12/4/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 76%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50 again.

12/5/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 75%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 27 m/s, Waves 9 m. Back to 50.

12/6/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 74%. Clear, Sea 11, Wind 36 m/s, Waves 10 m. Diving to 50.

12/7/39
1700 Surfaced to recharge.
2300 Position Report: BF33. Fuel 73%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 32 m/s, Waves 9 m. Diving to 50.

12/8/39
1004 Sound contact-Merchant, Bearing 050. Surfaced, Ahead 1/3, Course 350.
1030 No sighting, diving for Sound Check.
1045 Nothing. Too rough anyway, diving to 50 m, Ahead Slow, returning to course.
1145 Regained contact, or possibly new one. Ignoring it.
1202 Contact, merchant. Ignoring.
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 72%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9 m. Diving to 50.

12/9/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 71%. Clear, Sea 9, Wind 25 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving again.

12/10/39
1700 Surfaced to Recharge.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 70%. Clear, Sea 9, Wind 23 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving to 50.

12/11/39
1700 Surfaced.
1756 Radio: British warship AM24, heading SSW. 1200 km away from us.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 69%. Clear, Sea 9, Wind 26 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving to 50.

12/12/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 68%. Clear, Sea 8, Wind 21 m/s, Waves 7 m. Diving to 50.

12/13/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 67%. Clear, Sea 8, Wind 22 m/s, Waves 7m. Diving to 50

12/14/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 66%. Clear, Sea 8, Wind 22 m/s, Waves 7m. Diving to 50.

12/15/39
1700 Surfaced to recharge.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 65%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50.

12/16/39
1700 Surfaced. Weather perfect.
1705 Surprised crew with a Crash Dive drill.
1715 Conducted Emergency Surface drill from 70 meters.
1720 5-minute Flank Speed run.
1725 Ahead Slow, back to routine.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 64%. Clear, Sea 0, Wind 0 m/s, Waves 0.

12/17/39
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 63%. Clear, Sea 0, Wind 2 m/s, Waves 0.

12/18/39
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 62%. Clear, Sea 0, Wind 0 m/s, Waves 0.

12/19/39
1534 Radio: Convoy in BE37, 300 km SW our position, heading NNE. Set Course 240, Ahead Standard.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 61%. Clear, Sea 0, Wind 0 m/s, Waves 0.

12/20/39
0000 Have reached intersect point. Set course 190.
0055 Ship spotted-Merchant, more than 10 kilometers out. Not sure if the moon is going to be more of a help or a hindrance.
0059 Set Course 155, Ahead 1/3.
0104 We have counted 8 merchants and 1 escort so far.
0106 Set Course 180.
0107 Escort 5500 meters off port bow. Diving to Periscope Depth; this moon is almost like daylight.
0114 Sound reports at least 1 more escort, possibly as many as 15 merchants.
0115 Set Course 150.
0120 Set Course 190, Ahead Standard. Sound now reports 3 escorts total.
0123 Can now count 16 merchants. Of course the big ones are on the other side of the convoy.
0124 Can see 1 escort; we're behind him now. Sound still has two more.
0127 Targeting 3 large merchants.
0128 Firing tube 1, Range 1100.
0129 Firing Tube 2, Range 1500.
0130 Firing Tube 3, Range 1300. Diving to 30 meters, Ahead Slow. First one hit!
0131 Number two hit!
0135 Did not hear third hit. Periscope Depth, Ahead 1/3.
0138 Can see one large merchant burning, Range 1200. Firing Tube 4.
0139 Hit!
0141 Tube 1 loaded. There's another big one right in front of us!
0142 Firing Tube 1, Range 400.
0143 Hit! Explosions! Broke his back, sinking now! What a sight!
0145 Another big one passing in front of us. No forward tubes loaded.
0146 Escort 2000 meters ahead. Diving to 50 meters, Ahead Slow.
0149 Tube 2 loaded.
0150 Set Course 060.
0155 Periscope Depth, Ahead 1/3.
0158 We're being pinged! Back to 50 meters.
0200 Engines approaching! Dive! Right Full Rudder! Depth Charges! Close enough to shake us, but no damage.
0201 Leveled off at 70 meters. Ahead Slow, Rudder Amidships.
0202 Periscope Depth, back to Course 060.
0203 Pinging us again.
0204 He's right on top of us! Depth Charges! Dive! Turn! Ahead Full!
0205 Fuses out in control room, everyone shaken up pretty good. Level at 100 meters.
0207 More Depth Charges! Take us to 120 meters!
0208 Very close that time; some minor leakage.
0209 Depth Charges! 140 meters!
0210 More Depth Charges, right on top of us! Equipment strewn all over the decks.
0212 Depth Charges again! Down to 160! Ahead Flank!
0213 Ahead Slow, Course 180.
0214 Depth Charges! Ahead Flank, Depth 180! Left Full Rudder!
0215 Back to 160 meters, Ahead Slow.
0216 Up to 120 meters, course 180.
0218 Depth Charges! Ahead Flank! Dive! Right Full Rudder!
0219 Back to 120 meters, Ahead Slow, Course 180.
0220 Depth Charges! Dive! Left Full Rudder! Ahead Flank!
0221 Level at 150 meters, Course 090, Ahead Slow.
0224 Depth Charges! Dive! Right Full Rudder! Ahead Flank.
0225 Level at 180, Course 090, Ahead Slow.
0226 Depth Charges heard close by, but not close enough to shake us.
0229 Depth Charges further off. Pinging.
0230 Holding our breath; one of them is rolling right over us!
0231 He didn't drop. Did he not hear us? Is he out?
0232 Depth charges, even further away.
0235 Can hear depth charges far behind us.
0245 Ten minutes and no further attacks.
0255 Twenty minutes now; still nothing.
0256 Sound reports depth charges far away.
0300 Ordered Periscope Depth.
0314 Can see smoke far in distance. Surfacing.
0316 Set course 060. Will load forward external torpedo, then attempt to get ahead of convoy.
0405 We seem to be safe enough. Stopping for external torpedo transfer.
0408 Boat stopped, hoist rigged, beginning transfer.
0447 Transfer complete after just 39 minutes. My torpedo crew is the best!
0448 Under way, Ahead Standard, Course 030; trying to catch convoy.
0456 Tube 1 loaded. That leaves us with 3 forward, 2 aft, plus the aft external; 6 total.
0600 We transferred that torpedo just in time; sea is picking up, clouds forming.
0917 Radio: Task Force in BE65. No immediate danger to us.
1200 No sign of convoy. Weather quite heavy now; returning to BE33, Course 105, Ahead Slow.
1624 Radio: Our convoy is 40 km behind us. Set course 310, Ahead Standard.
1800 Should be ahead of them. Course 210, Ahead Slow.
1801 Diving to 30 meters for sound check.
1802 Found them! Bearing 315.
1803 Periscope Depth, Course 150.
1823 They're slipping off to our left; Course 090, Ahead 1/3.
1829 Still don't see them. Ahead Standard.
1839 Still no sight. Ahead Full, Course 060.
1845 Have them in sight.
1853 There is no way we can attack them in this weather. One moment we're 20 meters down, the next we're on the surface in plain sight. Diving to 70 meters, Ahead Slow. Returning to BE33.
2000 Surfaced to recharge.
2300 Position Report: BE32. Fuel 60%. Overcast, Sea 9, Wind 26 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving to 50.

12/21/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 59%. Overcast, Sea 9, Wind 26 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving.

12/22/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 58%. Overcast, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9 m. Diving to 50.

12/23/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 57%. Overcast, Sea 11, Wind 36 m/s, Waves 10 m. Diving.

12/24/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 56%. Overcast, Sea 9, Wind 24 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving to 50.

12/25/39
0815 One of the men wished me a merry Christmas. Is it really Christmas? I hadn't thought about it.
1700 Surfaced to recharge.
1719 Radio: Christmas greetings from BdU-now it's official.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 55%. Overcast, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9 m. Diving of course.

12/26/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 54%. Overcast, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9 m. Diving again.

12/27/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 53%. Overcast, Sea 9, Wind 24 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving to 50.

12/28/39
1408 Contact-Merchant, Bearing 010. Surfaced, Ahead 1/3.
1418 Set Course 100.
1429 Spotted him! Bearing 018, Range 1400 meters. Fat cargo ship.
1432 In firing position. Attacking on surface.
1434 Firing Tube 1, Range 450. Firing Tube 2, Range 390.
1435 Both missed! My own fault. Should have known better than to attack in this weather.
1436 Diving to 50 meters, Ahead Slow, returning to patrol.
1700 Surfaced. Everyone depressed over letting that one get away. No one to blame but myself.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 52%. Overcast, Sea 10, Wind 33 m/s, Waves 9 m. Diving back to 50 meters.

12/29/39
0830 Contact-Merchant, Bearing 316. Surfaced, Ahead 1/3.
0834 Sea still very high. Diving back to 50 meters, Ahead Slow. Not even going to think about wasting my last torpedoes.
1700 Surfaced to recharge.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 51%. Overcast, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9 m. Diving to 50.

12/30/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 50%. Raining now, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9 m. Diving.

12/31/39
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 49%. Rain, Sea 10, Wind 32 m/s, Waves 9 m. Back to 50 meters.

1/1/40
1700 Surfaced to find the new year same as the old-miserable and wet.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 48%. Rain, Sea 9, Wind 24 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving to 50

1/2/40
0703 Contact-Merchant. Ignoring it.
1700 Surfaced to recharge.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 47%. Rain, Sea 11, Wind 36 m/s, Waves 10 m. Diving back to 50.

1/3/40
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 46%. Raining, Sea 11, Wind 35 m/s, Waves 10 m. Diving to 50.

1/4/40
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 45%. Overcast, Sea 9, Wind 27 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving to 50.

1/5/40
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 44%. Overcast, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9 m. Diving to 50.

1/6/40
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 42%. Rain, Sea 9, Wind 25 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving to 50.

1/7/40
1700 Surfaced to recharge.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 41%. Rain, Sea 8, Wind 22 m/s, Waves 6 m. Diving to 50.

1/8/40
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 40%. Rain, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 6 m. Diving to 50.

1/9/40
1700 Surfaced.
1953 Chief Engineer Schewe informs me fuel is now at 50%. That's what I deserve for doing my own calculations and not consulting him. I have to forget about recent failures and concentrate on the job at hand. We still have 4 torpedoes, and if this weather ever lifts we are still a potent weapon; and if not, there is always next time.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 50%. Rain, Sea 9, Wind 26 m/s, Waves 8 m. Diving to 50.

1/10/40
1049 Sound contact-Merchant, Bearing 319. Periscope Depth, Ahead 1/3.
1055 Sea still heavy. Back to 50 meters, Ahead Slow.
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 49%. Overcast, Sea 8, Wind 21 m/s, Waves 6m. Diving to 50.

1/11/40
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 48%. Overcast, Sea 9, Wind 24 m/s, Waves 6m. Diving to 50.

1/12/40
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 47%. Overcast, Sea 8, Wind 22 m/s, Waves 6m. Diving to 50.

1/13/40
1700 Surfaced. Sky finally clear, sea still heavy.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 46%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving.

1/14/40
0813 Sound contact-Merchant, Bearing 276. Surfacing, Ahead 1/3.
0820 Seas still very heavy. Back to 50 meters, Ahead Slow.
1700 Surfaced to Recharge.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 45%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50.

1/15/40
1700 Surfaced.
1751 Radio: U-38 ordered to return to base. First radio message we've heard in three weeks-since Christmas, in fact. I wonder if ours are getting through?
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 44%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 33 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50.

1/16/40
1700 Surfaced.
1900 Radio: Report from aircraft of merchant in our area. Sea still too heavy; heavier than before, if that's possible.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 43%. Clear, Sea 11, Wind 36 m/s, Waves 10 meters. Diving to 50 meters.

1/17/40
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 42%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 29 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving.

1/18/40
1700 Surfaced.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 41%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 31 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50.

1/19/40
1700 Surfaced to recharge.
2300 Position Report: BE33. Fuel 40%. Clear, Sea 10, Wind 28 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50.

1/20/40
1700 Surfaced.
1904 Radio: Convoy, AM78, 230 km NW our position, Heading NE.
1912 Have calculated best intercept, set Course 325, Ahead Standard. Should intercept at about 1700 tomorrow.
2300 Position Report: AM79. Fuel 39%. Clear, Sea 7, Wind 20 m/s, Waves 4m.

1/21/40
1113 Radio: Convoy now in AM75, 110 km due West of us, Heading NNW. Set new Course 325.
1642 Should be North of them now, set Course 270.
1922 Radio: Convoy now 35 km South of us, Heading NE again. Set Course 130.
2029 Should be straight ahead of them now. Set Course 225, Ahead 1/3.
2030 Risked Echelot sounding: 180 meters of water beneath us. Should be plenty.
2047 Spotted them! Setting up UZO.
2050 Several big merchants ahead, nearest about 6000 meters range.
2052 Moon is bright; going to attack submerged. Taking down UZO. Escort spotted, off to our right.
2053 Diving to Periscope Depth.
2054 He's a small destroyer, 2500 meters to starboard.
2058 Set Course 180.
2102 Escort now 2000 meters, passing behind us.
2105 Right Full Rudder, Ahead Standard.
2108 Nearest big one 1300 meters, Bearing 330.
2110 Damn! Small merchant not 500 meters to starboard, heading right for us! Ordered dive to 30 meters. Did he see us?
2115 Sound says he's ahead of us now. Returning to Periscope Depth.
2116 Light cruiser 600 meters ahead. Tricky shot, but we have to take it.
2118 Firing Tube 3, Range 450.
2119 Missed. Too bad, but it seemed worth it to try.
2120 Large merchant 400 meters behind. Firing Tube 5.
2122 Diving to 40 meters to reload. Why do we keep missing? Is it me? The TDC? The torpedoes? It just doesn't seem fair!
2130 Returning to Periscope Depth.
2134 Tube 5 loaded.
2142 Large merchant ahead of us now. Ahead Flank.
2151 Small Destroyer 900 meters behind! Not acting like he's seen or heard us; maintaining Flank Speed.
2154 Escort now 1000 meters. Good! He's falling behind, hasn't heard us.
2156 Target now 1400 meters away, Bearing 035.
2158 Target Range 1400, Bearing 040.
2159 Escort 1300 meters behind.
2200 Target Range 1300, Bearing 042.
2201 Escort picking up speed, Range 1500, turning off to the south.
2202 Target Range 1300, Bearing 044.
2203 Escort Range 2300, moving away.
2206 Small merchant 300 meters ahead. Diving to 30 to pass under him.
2213 He's off to port now. Returning to Periscope Depth.
2215 Target now 1000 meters, Bearing 070.
2220 Set Course 040.
2225 Target now 560 meters straight ahead. Set Course 020.
2235 Range 450, Bearing 070. It's taking forever to get into position. Battery down somewhat, can only make 7 knots-1 knot faster than them!
2240 Range 400, Bearing 080.
2244 Turning away for stern shot.
2246 Firing Tube 5, Range 550. This is our last one.
2247 Hit!
2248 He's slowing down. No other observable effect.
2250 Diving to 120 meters, Ahead Slow.
2350 No sounds now, no escorts came after us. Coming to Periscope Depth.

1/22/40
0002 Convoy roughly 7 km ahead.
0358 Convoy long out of sight now. Surfacing, Ahead Standard.
0400 Position Report: AM49. Fuel 36%. Clear, Sea 6, Wind 14 m/s, Waves 3m.
0937 Ship spotted, Bearing 336. It's a destroyer. I think we've come across the convoy again. Will move around them.
1024 Can see several of the merchants now; destroyer 9000 meters. Going to Periscope Depth, Ahead Slow.
1026 Destroyer now only 4000 meters away.
1035 Destroyer now 7000 meters. Set course 090 to move away from convoy.
1300 No contact or sighting for 20 minutes. Surfacing, Ahead 1/3.
1711 Smoke spotted ahead. Can't do anything about it, only 1 external eel left, and can't load it due to weather. Turning to 030, heading for home.
2300 Position Report: AM54. Fuel 34%. Clear, Sea 7, Wind 20 m/s, Waves 4m.

1/23/40
2300 Position Report: AM28. Fuel 32%. Clear, Sea 7, Wind 20 m/s, Waves 4m.

1/24/40
2300 Position Report: AM34. Fuel 30%. Clear, Sea 7, Wind 20 m/s, Waves 4m.

1/25/40
2300 Position Report: AN11. Fuel 28%. Clear, Sea 7, Wind 21 m/s, Waves 4m.

1/26/40
2300 Position Report: AF75, into the Arctic. Fuel 26%. Partly Cloudy, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50 meters, Ahead Slow.

1/27/40
1700 Surfacing to recharge, Ahead 1/3.
2300 Position Report: AF76. Fuel 25%. Partly Cloudy, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow.

1/28/40
1700 Surfacing, Ahead Standard.
2300 Position Report: AF87. Fuel 24%. Partly Cloudy, Sea 10, Wind 30 m/s, Waves 9m. 50 meters, Ahead Slow.

1/29/40
1700 Surfacing, Ahead Standard.
2300 Position Report: AN23, North Sea. Fuel 22%. Overcast, Sea 10, Wind 28 m/s, Waves 9m. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow. If not for this new storm we'd have been home by now!

1/30/40
1700 Surfacing, Ahead Standard.
2300 Position Report: AN31. Fuel 20%. Overcast, Sea 11, Wind 38 m/s, Waves 10m. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow.

1/31/40
1700 Surfacing, Ahead Standard.
2300 Position Report: AN35. Fuel 18%. Overcast, Sea 10, Wind 28 m/s. Waves 9m. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow.

2/1/40
1700 Surfacing to recharge, Ahead Standard.
2300 Position Report: AN36-have entered Skagerrak. Fuel 16%. Overcast, Sea 9, Wind 25 m/s, Waves 8m. Diving to 50, Ahead Slow.

2/2/40
1700 Surfacing, Ahead Standard.
2300 Position Report: AO44. Fuel 14%. Overcast, Sea 11, Wind 34 m/s, Waves 10m. Diving to 30, Ahead Slow.

2/3/40
0920 Entered Kattegat.
1048 Water getting shallow. Coming up to 20 meters.
1100 Too shallow for storm conditions. Surfacing, Ahead Standard.
2230 Entered Store Bält.
2300 Position Report: AO71. Fuel 11%. Overcast, Sea 11, Wind 35 m/s, Waves 10m. Cannot dive, must face the storm full on.

2/4/40
0246 Entered Langelandsbält.
0822 Entered Kiel Bay by dead reckoning. Can't see land, but see is calmer now. Ahead 1/3.
0830 Merchant came out of mist not 1 km away. Still can't see land.
0840 Land close by now, 1-2 km to port.
0845 Can see light from lighthouse.
0853 Passed outer bar.
0906 Can make out some features in harbor, and two ships.
0912 Entered Kiel Harbor, Ahead Slow.
0916 We've been paid a visit from a merchant commerce raider. He's carrying several guns and a floatplane.
0925 Tied up at Kiel docks. This miserable patrol is finally over!

Have been advised that some of my torpedoes may not have missed; several kapitans have had bad luck with deep-runners and faulty exploders.

Confirmed sinkings:
11/29/39: British merchant SS Assyrian; 4,721 tons.
12/20/39: British merchant SS Blink; 6706 tons.

With another 11,427 tons recorded for this patrol, I have been awarded Iron Cross, 2nd Class.

February 4, 1940
1. Herbert Schultze.................77,548
2. Günther Prien......................60,588
3. Wilhelm Rollman..................46,292
4. Werner Hartmann................41,001
5. Günther Berke*...................33,799
6. Heinrich Liebe......................29,976
7. Berthold Cranmer**............29,328
8. Viktor Schütze.....................28,032
9. Joachim Schepke .................12,546
10. Hans Jenisch........................9,508
11. Otto Kretschmer ..................5,426
12. Bruno Asche*.......................3,074
13. Jürgen Oesten......................2,434
14. Wolfgang Lüth......................2,367
15. Ernst Bauer.............................345

[SteamWake]

Nice job Steve.

Nice to see your still at it

Two or three years ago a player started posting his AOD logs on the 'Classic Subsims' board. Though he didn't tell any stories, I thought just reading the logs was fascinating. I like seeing what adventures (and misadventures) others have had.

Bruno Asche

Patrol 4: February 12, 1940 Game played February 6-11, 2006

U-14's third patrol lasted from December 7, 1939, to January 1, 1940; 25 days. During that time we fired three torpedoes, sinking two small merchants-one of them apparantly Polish, attempting to get to England after hiding in a Norwegian harbor for several weeks after the surrender. We were once again trying to spy on any British attempts to send troopships to Norway. Because of the weather this operation bore no fruit, and we were ordered to return home early. We spent 42 days in port, during which time we painted the emblem of the newly renamed 1st Flotilla on our conning tower and installed a 2cm Flak gun on the foredeck. Our navigator, Erich Steimle, was transferred to another boat. His replacement, Matthias Marbach, is a former schoolteacher. His knowledge of naval history and good jokes have made him an instant hit with the men.


Oberleutnant z.S. Bruno Asche

U-14: 1st Flotilla, Kiel
U-14 crew, February 12, 1940:
Captain: Oberleutnant z.S. Bruno Asche
Chief: Oberleutnant z.S. Günther Loh
1WO: Leutnant z.S. Werner Scholz
2WO: Leutnant z. S. Heinz Schmidt
Navigator: Oberfähnrich z. S. Matthias Marbach

Senior Helmsman/3rd Watch Leader: Stabsoberbootsmann Emil Stephan
Helmsman: Bootsmann Josef Sander
Radioman: Bootsmann Karl Hänsel
Radioman: Bootsmann Reinhard Brummer
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann August Hermann
2nd Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Herbert Thomsen
Torpedoman: Bootsmann August Spahr
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Peter Heyer

General Petty Officers:
Bootsmann Hans Mohr
Bootsmann Henning Hessler

Leading Seamen:
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Max Eisenstein
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Kurt Böhling

Senior Seamen:
Matrosenobergefreiter Erich Richter
Matrosenobergefreiter Heinz Witt
Matrosenobergefreiter Walter Jordon
Matrosenobergefreiter Otto Rasch

Seamen:
Matrosengefreiter Herbert Leunert
Matrosengefreiter Josef Suhren
Matrosengefreiter Martin Maus
Matrosengefreiter Jurgen Schendel
Matrosengefreiter Reiner Hansen
Matrosengefreiter Max Claussen
Matrosengefreiter Philipp Bahn
Matrosengefreiter Martin Maus

2/12/40
0600 Departed Kiel docks.
0617 Passed lighthouse. Ahead 1/3.
0644 Passed outer bar.
0721 Departed Kiel bay. Weather is partly cloudy, a very gentle rain is falling-almost less rain than mist.
0800 Opened orders: Our destination this time is AN55, the area off the Tees River. Shipping travelling down the coast might stop at Hartlepoole, or even go into
the bay to Stockton-on-Tees. Who knows what we'll find here.

2/13/40
0600 First Position Report: AO72. Fuel 95%. Sky is now clear, Sea 5, 2-meter waves, wind 16m/s.

2/14/40
0600 Position Report: AO44. Fuel 90%. Clear, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.

2/15/40
0600 Position Report: AN38. Fuel 85%. Sky Clear, Sea 3, wind 5 m/s, waves 1/2m.

2/16/40
0420 Awakened to sighting report. He's far off-if not for the bright starry night we never would have seen him. Ordered Full Speed, Course 220.
0425 Returning to Course 255. We'll pass him before dawn.
0524 Passing target ship now.
0600 Position Report: AN37. Fuel 80%. Clear, Sea 0, wind and waves both 0-absolute calm.
0603 Changed course to 150 degrees.
0620 Set Course 180. We'll intercept him soon.
0624 Set up UZO.
0625 Can see now it's a small tramp steamer, range about 6000.
0630 Range down to 5000. Slowed to 1/3 Speed.
0635 Range now 4000, still not precise.
0640 Range 2700. Ordered Periscope Depth; don't want him to see us in this bright night.
0645 Range 2000. Losing the angle, ordered Ahead Full.
0650 1100 meters. Getting close.
0652 Range now 750. Ordered all three tubes flooded.
0654 Damn! A Norwegian! Are the British hiring them to smuggle in supplies? Obviously on a course for Old Blighty.
0655 Ordered 20 meters, Ahead 1/3. We'll cruise underwater until he's out of sight.
1200 Periscope Depth.
1201 Nothing to be seen. Surfacing.

2/17/40
0600 Position Report: AN61. Fuel 75%. Clear, sea still calm.
2123 Entered AN55, Ahead Slow for patrol. These are dangerous waters for a U-boat. Only 70 meters here, probably less everywhere else.

2/18/40
0052 Woken up with another ship spotting.
0054 I see him now, Bearing 290. Set course 165, Ahead 1/3.
0100 He's either very small or very far away. The sky is bright, with a big half-moon showing.
0115 Ordered Ahead Full.
0130 His course is carrying him to our left. Good-we should pass him at a good distance.
0215 Changed Course to 120.
0330 Set Course 130.
0415 Even with him now. Set Course 100. The moon has set, but it's still bright out.
0430 Set Course 090.
0500 Set Course 060.
0510 It's another small coaster. Periscope Depth, Ahead Slow.
0515 Set-up good, Range 1800.
0520 Range 1100, bright enough to see his British flag at this range.
0522 Range 575.
0523 Range 420. All tubes flooded.
0524 Firing tube 1, Range 325. What's that sound? Dud!
0525 Firing tube 2. Range is 280, but it's a trailing shot.
0526 This one hit!
0527 Target slowed, one small fire seen.
0530 Target still moving, but very slowly.
0535 Target stopped.
0539 Tube 1 reloaded.
0550 Target's list is increasing, starboard deck now awash.
0600 Position Report: AN56. Fuel 70%. Overcast, Sea 3, wind 8 m/s, wanves 1/2m. We chased him a long way.
0824 Target finally capsized and sank. Returning to patrol, Ahead Slow.

2/19/40
0600 Position Report: AN55. Fuel 70%. Overcast, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.

2/20/40
0600 Positon Report: AN55. Fuel 68%. Clear, Sea 4, wind 11 m/s, waves 2m.

2/21/40
0600 Position Report: AN55. Fuel 66%. Sea 5, wind 13 m/s, waves 3m.

2/22/40
0600 Position Report: AN55. Fuel 64%. Clear, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m.
0800 Too clear, too close to shore. Diving to 20 meters until dark.
0952 Sound reports contact, probably merchant, Bearing 030. Coming up to periscope depth.
0954 Nothing to see. Back to 20m.
1005 Periscope depth.
1007 Smoke, Bearing 025. Too far away to warrant surfacing this close to shore. There will be others.
1855 Contact, Bearing 069. Surfacing, Ahead Standard, Course 160.
1930 Have seen nothing yet, but recieved report of ship ahead.
2324 Finally spotted him-behind us!. Set Course 320, Ahead Full.
2346 Just a fishing boat. Returning to patrol, Ahead Slow.

2/23/40
0600 Position Report: AN55. Fuel 62%. Clear, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m. Diving to 20.
2000 Surfacing to recharge.

2/24/40
0600 Position Report: AN55. Fuel 60%. Clear, Sea 6, wind 18 m/s, waves 6m. Diving to 20.
0714 Sound contact, type unknown. Coming to Periscope Depth.
0716 Just a smudge of smoke on the horizon. Set Course 210, Ahead Standard.
0718 Sound reports it as a merchant.
0725 Can see it's a tug boat. Returning to patrol, Ahead Slow, 20 meters depth.

2/25/40
0600 Position Report: AN55. Fuel 58%. Clear, Sea 7, wind 18 m/s, waves 20m.
2000 Surfacing. Have decided to get as close as possible to Hartlepool and see exactly what's there.

2/26/40
0125 Ship spotted, roughly 40 km from Hartlepool.
0128 Can't tell what it is. Diving to Periscope Depth.
0133 Sound contact-merchant.
0134 Can see what may be smoke, nothing more.
0200 Have lost sight of the near one. Surfacing.
0350 Ship nearby. Periscope Depth.
0353 Destroyer, Range 3000, Bearing 310. Sound has another one at 056. Can't see him.
0357 Diving to 15 meters, silent running. Don't know how deep the bottom is here, and don't dare echo sound for it.
0415 Periscope Depth.
0417 Our destroyer is now far to starboard. Another one ahead. Can see the harbor lighthouse.
0435 Sound has 3 warship contacts. I can see them all.
0500 Can see Hartlepool. Moon is about to set.
0600 10 km from harbor, 3 contacts, no sighting. Surfacing to make sure we have maximum battery and air available.
0635 Have spotted armed trawler patrolling harbor entrance, roughly 5000 meters ahead.
0645 Trawler now 4000 meters ahead. Coming to Periscope Depth.
0730 Only 1 kilometer from harbor entrance. There are a handful of merchants there, the usual assortment; nothing like the buildup OKM was expecting. Heading back out.
0753 Sound reports warship nearby, moving fast. Did the trawler see out periscope?
0800 Taking a peek. Trawler is only 600 meters behind us, making 10 to 12 knots.
0815 Took another look. Trawler now has a destroyer helping him, about 1800 meters behind.
0830 Destroyer now 2800 meters behind. Turning East, Course 090.
0842 Sound reports warship closing, Bearing 140.
0900 Warship has passed us, now 040. Taking a look. Destroyer, Range 4700, Bearing 040, heading away.
1000 Destroyer now 5000 meters behind us. We're reasonably safe now.
1116 Sound reports warship closing on us, Bearing 013. Took a look. Smoke column, very far ahead.
1151 Sound reports warship, Bearing 346. Nothing there, but he didn't hear the destroyer 1500 behind us! Periscope down, Silent Running.
1152 Don't think he saw periscope; he's still moving slowly away.
1200 He's now 4800 meters behind us, heading away. Normal Running.
1600 Turning ENE, Heading 060.
2000 Took a look around prior to surfacing. Good thing; there's an armed patrol trawler 2300 meters behind us.
2100 Took another look. Nothing there, surfacing.
2105 Very belated Position Report: AN55. Fuel 56%. Clear, Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves 1m.
2110 Sent double-encoded Mission Report: Successful Recon Harbor H, AN54. 5 merchant, 3 patrol ships, no activity.

2/27/40
0350 Radio: Ship 40 km NNE our position, Heading ESE. Set Course 000, Ahead Standard.
0515 At course intersect point, set Course 070.
0600 Position Report: AN55. Fuel 54%. Clear, Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves 1m.
0636 We've passed the coordinates at which he was originally reported. Either I miscalculated or he was misreported. Either way, we missed him.
0800 Diving to 20 meters to avoid air patrols.
2000 Surfacing.

2/28/40
0600 Position Report: AN55. Fuel 52%. Clear, Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves 1m.
0800 Diving to 20 meters.
1446 Sound reports merchant contact, Bearing 349. Coming to Periscope Depth.
1448 Set Course 250, Ahead Full, Surfacing.
1500 Getting closte. Periscope Depth, Ahead Flank, Course 225.
1502 Medium-size cargo ship, Range 3500, Bearing 050, making 9 knots.
1505 Range 2500, Bearing 045.
1510 Range 1150, Bearing 023.
1511 Firing Tube 2-last eel-Range 900.
1512 Hit!
1513 Target slowed some-following.
1530 Target listing, making 5 knots.
1700 Target back up to 6 knots.
1900 Target slowed to 5 knots again.
2000 Have been watchin distant smoke column for last 45 minutes. Doubt that it's a destroyer or he would be here looking for us.
2100 Target making 6 knots again. Breaking off surveillance and heading home.
2108 Smoke column was merchant; heading our way but nothing we can do but watch him go by.

2/29/40
0600 Position Report: AN56. Fuel 45%. Clear, Sea 6, wind 18 m/s, waves 3m.

3/1/40
0600 Position Report: AN62. Fuel 40%. Clear, Sea 6, wind 17 m/s, waves 3m.

3/2/40
2200 Position Report: AN38. Fuel 35%. Rain, Sea 7, wind 22 m/s, waves 4m.

3/3/40
0600 Position Report: AN36. Fuel 30%. Rain, Sea 7, wind 24 m/s, waves 4m.

3/4/40
0600 Position Report: AO44. Fuel 25%. Rain, Sea 7, wind 23 m/s, waves 4m.

3/5/40
0600 Position Report: AO74. Fuel 20% Rain, Sea 8, wind 27 m/s, waves 6m.
1828 ACH! Almost rammed an outbound freighter! Have to be careful in this rain and fog.
1835 Should be in Kiel Bay.
1840 Another close call, this time with a harber patrol boat. Slowing to 5 knots.
1945 Can see lighthouse.
2012 Passed into inner harbor. Slowing to 2 knots; feeling our way across the harbor.
2032 Tied up at Kiel docks.

Confirmed sinking:
2/18/40: British merchant SS Raton Pass; 2,839 tons.

March 5, 1940
1. Herbert Schultze................109,074
2. Günther Prien.......................60,588
3. Werner Hartmann................59,845
4. Wilhelm Rollmann.................46,292
5. Günther Berke*....................33,799
6. Viktor Schütze......................33,209
7. Heinrich Liebe.......................29,967
8. Berthold Cranmer*...............29,328
9. Ernst Bauer..........................16,434
10. Joachim Schepke.................12,546
11. Hans Jenisch.......................12,326
12. Otto Kretschmer .................12,026
13. Jürgen Oesten......................8,137
14. Bruno Asche**.....................5,913
15. Wolfgang Lüth......................3,580




Security Recon photos of Hartlepool.

3/7/40 Have been awarded Iron Cross 1st Class.

[CasperImproved]

Thanks for your postings... Helps us Noobs with your experience.

:-)

CasperImproved... and I will likely be too into the game once I have it installed... but in any case, appreciate your posts as it keeps me in the right mind set. :-)

Gunther Berke

Patrol 4: February 16, 1940 Game played February 12-20, 2006

Third Patrol lasted from November 29, 1939 until January 23, 1940, and resulted in a fine 20,022 tons sunk.
We have lost another man: Bootsmann Rolf Eckerman was transferred. I regret to say I hardly knew him, as he kept to himself and I didn't go out of my way to change that. I'll have to make the effort to know all my men better. His replacement is a stabsbootsman named Edgar Baltz. We'll see how he fits in.

Oberleutnant z.S. Gunther Berke

U-52: 2nd Flotilla, Wilhelmshaven
U-52 crew, February 16, 1940:
Captain: Oberleutnant z.S. Gunther Berke
Chief: Oberleutnant z.S. Ernst Petersen
1WO: Leutnant z.S. Viktor Witte
2WO: Leutnant z.S. Georg Lobin
Medic: Oberfähnrich z. S. Axel Bargsten
Navigator: Oberfähnrich z. S. Otto Steinmetz

Senior Helmsman/3rd Watch Leader: Stabsoberbootsmann Harro Staats
Helmsman: Bootsmann Heinz Kläbisch
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Ulrich Folkers
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Hans Maddaus
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Kurt Mohr
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Reinhart Kraus

General Petty Officers:
Stabsoberbootsmann Werner Piening
Stabsbootsmann Edgar Baltz
Bootsmann Victor Schmidt
Bootsmann Frantz Vogel
Bootsmann Reinhard Eppen
Bootsmann Fritz Claussen
Bootsmann Manfred Reckhoff
Bootsmann Viktor Zinke
Bootsmann Alfred Schacht
Bootsmann Werner Trojer

Leading Seamen:
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Gerhard Wiebe
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Hans Hirtl
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Gerhard Miedza
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Karl Hölzer

Senior Seamen:
Matrosenobergefreiter Georg Eisen
Matrosenobergefreiter Otto Frentzen
Matrosenobergefreiter Carl Soden
Matrosenobergefreiter Heinz Radloff

Seamen:
Matrosengefreiter Fritz Frank
Matrosengefreiter Hans Kelmann
Matrosengefreiter Horst Leidig
Matrosengefreiter Amelung Baur
Matrosengefreiter Alfred Eick
Matrosengefreiter Herbert Maddaus
Matrosengefreiter Anton Bielig
Matrosengefreiter Jost Panknin
Matrosengefreiter Amelung Wagner
Matrosengefreiter Fritz Brandi
Matrosengefreiter Gunther Kraus
Matrosengefreiter Hannes Muder
Matrosengefreiter Fritz Janz
Matrosengefreiter Ernst Soden
Matrosengefreiter Ulrich Balke
Matrosengefreiter Georg Hertin
Matrosengefreiter Johannes Lasch
Matrosengefreiter Heinz Schönerr
Matrosengefreiter Walter Merten
Matrosengefreiter Karl Forstner
Matrosengefreiter Robert Reche
Matrosengefreiter Fritz Kilimann

2/16/40
2044 Underway Wilhelmshaven.
2054 Passed into outer harbor. Ahead 1/3.
2056 Set Course 075.
2140 Entered the Jade.
2247 Heavy cruiser coming into the Jade to roost, escorted by one destroyer.
2257 Cruiser passed just 700 meters off our starboard beam. It's the first time I've seen one this close and underway-quite impressive.
2315 Passed Schillighörn, into the North Sea.
2347 Passed Wangerooge. Opened orders-BE26 this time. Seems like each patrol we ge a little further out into the Atlantic.

2/17/40
0445 Ship spotted, Bearing 031. Changed course to intercept-due north.
0520 Turns out to be a fishing boat, and German.
2100 Position Report: AN38. Clear, Sea 5, wind 15 m/s, waves 2m.

2/18/40
1252 Lookouts report smoke in the distance, Bearing 320. Changed course to 285.
1302 It's a merchant, Range about 13,000.
1305 Range now 10,000
1310 Range 8000
1315 Coming to Periscope Depth.
1320 Range 3100. Set Course 225.
1322 Range 2400, Bearing 040.
1324 Range 1800, Bearing still 040.
1326 Range 1160, Bearing 030.
1327 As I already guessed, it's Norwegian. We are, after all, just off the coast of Norway. Returning to course, staying submerged for a while.
1400 Surfaced.
2100 Position Report: AN29. Clear, Sea 3, wind 9 m/s, waves 1/2 meter.

2/19/40
2100 Position Report: AF76. Partly Cloudy, Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves 1m.

2/20/40
2100 Position Report: AF75. Partly Cloudy, Sea 5, wind 15 m/s, waves 2m.

2/21/40
2100 Position Report: AN11. Partly Cloudy, Sea 3, wind 9 m/s, waves 1/2m.

2/22/40
0941 Radio: British Task Force AM29. Heading our way, about 600 km ahead.
2100 Position Report: AM33. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m.
2119 Radio: British Task Force now only 20 km ahead of us, heading our way. Coming to Periscope Depth, Ahead Slow.
2144 Stabsoberbootsmann Piening reports multiple warship screws, Bearing 013.
2146 Surfacing, Ahead 2/3.
2157 Watch reports several ships off to port.
2159 There! It's a carrier! And two cruisers!
2202 One of the cruisers is awfully close. Ordered Periscope Depth.
2203 Piening reports eight or nine sets of screws. That means five or six destroyers escorting. Could get rough.
2204 Fired tubes 1,2&3 at carrier, Range 2300. First eel went off early; have decided the best we can hope for is to cripple her, so trying for other targets.
2205 Fired tube 4 at cruiser, Range 1300. Eels 2&3 have both hit carrier.
2206 Fired tube 5 at other cruiser, Range 450.
2207 Eels 4&5 both missed their respective targets. Ordered 70 meters while reloading. Doesn't sound like destroyers are coming after us.
2240 Nobody has been chasing us; two tubes loaded so far, plus the stern one. Coming up to Periscope depth.
2247 Can see one destroyer, looks like J-class, searchlights on, looking for us.
2248 There! It's the carrier, listing heavily, barely moving.
2250 Back down to 70 meters.
2255 All tubes now loaded; the boys can get some rest.
2300 Periscope depth.
2400 Nothing to be seen for an hours. Back to 70 meters, returning to course.

2/23/40
1200 Surfacing to recharge, Ahead 1/3. Weather still heavy.
2100 Position Report: AM26. Overcast, Sea 11, wind 35 m/s, waves 10m. Staying surfaced for the time being.

2/24/40
0641 Radio: Convoy 300 km SW our position, heading ESE; away from us.
2100 Position Report: AM51. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.

2/25/40
2100 Position Report: AM46. Overcast, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m.

2/26/40
2100 Position Report: AM75. Clear, Sea 11, wind 34 m/s, waves 10m.

2/27/40
1926 Entered BE26, Ahead Slow for patrol.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 12, wind 36 m/s, waves 11m. Never seen waves this high before.

2/28/40
1844 Ship Bearing 228. Set Course 80.
1900 Fair-sized merchant. Changed Course to 120, Ahead Slow, Periscope Depth.
1927 Firing tube 1, range 800.
1928 Hit! Just forward of aft boom.
1930 Target making 6 knots. Matching course.
1940 Target back up to 7 knots. Ahead Flank.
1945 Target down to 5 knots, listing.
1955 Set Course 040.
2000 Target now making 4 knots, settling by stern.
2030 Target back up to 5 knots.
2100 Surfacing.
2215 Ahead 2/3.
2245 Set course 150, Ahead 1/3. Setting up for second shot.
2256 Firing tube 2, Range 500. Hit-directly below bridge.
2300 Target making 3 knots. Torpedo hit while target was rolled toward us. When she rolls the other way we can see the huge hole.
2307 Target stopped.
2313 Enemy merchant settling by stern. Superstructure almost under water.
2314 Explosions underwater-probably boilers. Can see glow of flames far underwater.
2315 Bow slipped beneath waves; score one more for our side.
2400 Belated Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 9, wind 26 m/s, waves 7m.

2/29/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 7, wind 20 m/s, waves 4m.

3/1/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 3, wind 10 m/s, waves 1m.

3/2/40
0200 Tried to stop and load external torpedoes; waves just barely too high for safety.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 3, wind 9 m/s, waves 1m.

3/3/40
0340 Awakened by matrosengefreiter Kraus with message from radioman: Ship reported 28 km SSW of us, heading west. Ordered course 230, Ahead Full.
0515 At intersect point: set Course 090, Ahead Slow.
0700 We are far past the point at which we would have spotted him. Returning to patrol course.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 5, wind 15 m/s, waves 2m.

3/4/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves 1m.

3/5/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 2, wind 4 m/s, waves 1/4m.
2220 Radio: Ship reported 70 km SSW our position, heading ENE. Set Course 180, Ahead 1/3.

3/6/40
0011 At intersect point. Set Course 210, Ahead Slow.
0202 Radio: Convoy 150 km ESE our position, heading WSW. If we travel south at 2/3 speed we should have plenty of time to catch them.
0350 Stopped to load external torpedoes.
0445 Transfer complete; underway, Course 180, Speed 2/3.
0833 At intersect point. Set Course 070, Ahead Slow.
1107 Smoke! Several columns, Bearing 337.
1110 Set Course 060.
1112 Estimate range to be about 15 km. Count 16 columns so far.
1113 Set Course 050.
1115 Sent Contact Report.
1125 Can clearly make out several merchants, estimated heading 250. Set Course 030.
1136 Set Course 340; should be perpendicular to theirs.
1147 Neares merchant about 4000 meters. NO! Destroyer made our periscope-heading this way!
1149 He's turned away again; must think we were closer than we are. Nearest merchant now 3800.
1151 Big auxiliary merchant cruiser in the middle of the group; about 5800 meters.
1153 Flooding all four forward tubes. Will give one each to two large merchants, and two for their pretend battleship.
1158 Destroyer is looking around. Apparently he hasn't warned the merchants-they're still cruising in a straight line.
1200 Moving into position. They're moving right in front of us.
1204 Firing tube 1, Range 530. Hit!
1205 He's moving away, apparently unaffected. No time to manuever for another shot. Besides, there's another big one coming into our sights.
1208 Firing tube 2, Range 720. Hit!
1209 There's an explosion! Is he breaking up?
1210 No, but he's stopped and settling by the stern.
1216 Hear breaking up noises now.
1217 The merchant cruiser is right where we want him. Firing tube 3, Range 850. Hit! Firing tube 4.
1218 Number four hit as well.
1220 Armed trawler close by; going to have to dive. Ordered Ahead Flank, Dive, Right Full Rudder.
1222 Levelled off at 80 meters, Center Rudder, Ahead Slow. Steady on Course 120.
1223 Coming to Course 060; opposite direction from convoy. Can hear depth charges a long way off.
1224 More depth charges-closer, but not nearly close enough.
1225 Tube 1 loaded; ordered Silent Run.
1228 More patterns nearby, but nothing to worry about.
1233 They're dropping again, but they obviously don't know where we are.
1238 Another group, further off.
1240 They seem to be staying south of us. Set Course 000.
1244 He's dropped a few more, far behind us. I'm pretty sure there's just the two of them, destroyer and trawler. It must gall them to know we're getting away.
1249 They're still trying! Very far away now. I'm surprised to hear myself say quite loudly "You'll have to do better than that!".
1400 Almost an hour now since we've heard anything, ship or depth charge. Coming to Periscope Depth, ordered Normal Run.
1407 No sign of convoy or anything else. Surfacing.
1410 Set Course 250, Ahead 2/3. Going to see if we can catch them again.
1422 Radio: BdU acknowledges our contact report.
1450 Lookout reports smoke, Bearing 054. Could it be the merchant we torpedoed?
1451 Set Course 310.
1454 He's heading left to right. Corrected course to 315. If it's our merchant, he must be trying to run back to England.
1458 Corrected course to 325.
1500 He's a merchant of some kind, but smaller than ours was. Set Course 010.
1515 It's a small tramp, heading across the ocean alone. Very brave, this one. It's perfect weather for some deck gun practice.
1520 Cannon is now armed and ready. Order has been given to fire when close enough. No need to waste ammunition.
1522 HOLD FIRE! We've seen his flag now! It's an American!
1526 Pulled alongside, waved and shouted, took some pictures. They're taking pictures too.

American merchant

1530 We won't catch the convoy again now. Returning to our patrol grid, Ahead Slow.
2100 Position Report: BE 29. Clear, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 0m.

3/7/40
2100 Position report: BE26. Clear, Sea 0, wind, 0 m/s, waves 0m.

3/8/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Partly cloudy, Sea 1, wind 4 m/s, waves trace.

3/9/40
0048 Radio: Convoy, 300 km ESE our position, heading west. Will pass just 50 km south of us. Set Course 180.
0505 Reached intersect point. Course 090.
1226 Radio: Position now 40 km SE, heading SW. They've turned! Set Course 180, Ahead Full.
1313 Smoke spotted in distance, Bearing 197. Set Course 115, maintaining full speed.
1315 Still only one column, moving from port to starboard. Corrected course to 125.
1317 Now he's changed course. Set our course back to 115.
1318 He seems to be weaving back and forth.
1324 Many smoke columns! There's the convoy! Changed course to 240 as we're approaching at too close an angle.
1328 Can make out shape now; first one was an escort.
1330 Set Course 210.
1400 Sent Contact Report: 20 merchants, 3 escorts.
1402 Now count 21 merchants, Range about 13,000. And us with only three eels left.
1437 Now sufficiently in front of convoy. Set Course 090, Ahead 1/3.
1445 Set Course 140, Ahead Slow, Periscope Depth.
1507 Several big merchants, tankers, and a cruiser of some kind. Damn! We need more torpedoes!
1512 Light cruiser-Southampton class.
1515 Merchant closing right on us! Ahead 2/3, depth 25 meters!
1520 He's past us now. Periscope Depth, Ahead Slow.
1523 Big merchant passing right behind us. Firing tube 5, Range 600.
1524 Hit! Coming around for bow shot.
1525 Someone's pinging us! Ahead Flank!
1527 We're almost lined up, but he's heading away. Going to be a tough shot.
1528 We've been spotted! Someone's shooting at the periscope! 80 meters! NOW!
1531 Have reached 80 meters. Ahead Slow.
1532 Propellors! Down to 120 meters.
1533 Depth charges! Very close!
1534 He's moving away now. Course 160. Damage reports nothing more than a good shaking.
1536 Depth charges again. Ahead Flank, Left Full Rudder, 140 meters.
1537 Ahead Slow, back up to 80 meters, steady on Course 300.
1539 Pinging again.
1540 Propellors! Ahead Flank, Right Full Rudder! Dive!
1543 Too deep! 190 meters! Blow Ballast! Aft torpedo crew reports tube 5 loaded.
1544 Levelling off at 120 meters, Ahead Slow.
1545 Propellors again. Ahead Flank, Left Full Rudder!
1546 Steady on Course 060, Ahead Slow, Silent Run.
1547 Propellors! Ahead Flank, down to 140 meters!
1548 More depth charges.
1549 Ahead Slow.
1552 One just passed right over us. Didn't drop. Is it a trick of some kind. Sound says there are two of them, taking turns.
1554 Dropping again, further off this time.
1559 More explosions heard, a long way off.
1700 It's been an hour now since we've heard anything. Sound reports no contacts. Periscope Depth, end silent run.
1713 Nothing in sight. Surfacing.
1714 Nothing to be seen. Course 330, heading back to BE26.
1715 Wintergarten railing is bent; no damage to flak gun.
2100 Position Report: BE37. Clear, Sea 3, wind 8 m/s, waves 1/4m.

3/10/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Partly cloudy, Sea 1, wind 4 m/s, waves trace.

3/11/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Partly cloudy, Sea 4, wind 10 m/s, waves 2m.

3/12/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Partly cloudy, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 0m.

3/13/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Partly cloudy, Sea 0, wind 1 m/s, waves 0m.

3/14/40
1230 Storm moving in fast. Overcast now, sea picking up quickly. Looks major.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Heavy rain, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.

3/15/40
1500 Surfacing to recharge.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Raining, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.

3/16/40
1500 Surfacing to recharge.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Rain, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.

3/17/40
1203 Sound reports merchant contact. Periscope Depth, Ahead 1/3.
1207 Weather is so bad up there I'm not sure if torpedoes will even work. If we find him we might collide with him. Back to 50, Ahead Slow.
1500 Surfacing.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Rain, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.

3/18/40
1500 Surfacing.
1503 Came up to find clear and calm weather, just a few scattered clouds.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Partly Cloudy, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 0m.

3/19/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Partly Cloudy, Sea 1, wind 4 m/s, waves trace.

3/20/40
1300 Weather starting to pick up again.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 33 m/s, waves 9m. Back to diving, 50 meters.

3/21/40
1500 Surfacing to recharge.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.

3/22/40
1500 Surfacing.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Raining, Sea 9, wind 26 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 50.

3/23/40
1500 Surfacing.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 26 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 50.

3/24/40
1500 Surfacing.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 27 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 50.

3/25/40
1500 Surfacing.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving again.

3/26/40
1500 Surfacing to recharge.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Overcast, Sea 11, wind 36 m/s, waves 10m. Diving to 50 again.

3/27/40
1500 Surfacing.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9. Diving.

3/28/40
0447 Awakened with report of sound contact. Immediately ordered Periscope Depth, Ahead 1/3.
0453 Miserable weather; can't see a thing. Back to 50 meters, and back to bed.
1500 Surfaced to recharge.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Rain, Sea 9, wind 27 m/s, waves 8m. Back to 50 meters.
2141 Another sound contact. Damn this weather!

3/29/40
1500 Surfaced to find things nice again. The sun is out, sea is still fairly heavy, but nothing too disturbing.
2100 Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 7, wind 22 m/s, waves 4m. Staying surfaced.

3/30/40
2100 Position Report: BE26. Clear, Sea 6, wind 18 m/s, waves 3m. Heading home, Ahead 1/3. Sea may not be as heavy, but it still eats up a lot of fuel.

3/31/40
2100 Position Report: AM74. Clear, Sea 7, wind 22 m/s, waves 4m. We end the month of March with a beautiful day.

4/1/40
0900 The First of April certainly fooled us: Storm front is moving in fast, temperature dropping, waves rising, starting to rain.
1600 Rain is starting to freeze. It might as well be mid-December in the Alpines.
1900 Alternating between snow and sleet. As soon as we send our report we dive.
2100 Position Report: AM46. Snow, freezing rain, blinding winds; unable to tell wind strength or wave height. Diving to 70 meters.

4/2/40
1500 Surfacing to recharge.
1949 Radio: Convoy 90 km north, heading southeast, crossing our path.
2100 Position Report: AM29. Very heavy rain, warmer, Sea down to 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m.
2223 Radio: Convoy now 38 km NNE our position, heading south.
2300 Diving to 30 meters for sound check.
2303 There they are: Merchant contact, Bearing 335.
2308 Now tracking six merchants and one warship.
2310 Coming up to Periscope Depth.
2312 Took a look around; can't see a thing but waves and rain.
2315 Sound now tracking too many to keep count, with two escorts.
2320 Can hear them clearly, still can't see them.

4/3/40
0015 The entire convoy is just in front of us, but I still can't see a thing through this rain.
0030 This is starting to drive me mad! Where are they?
0045 Position seems to have become constant. Have they turned east?
0100 I'm convinced they're headed directly away from us. The last report had them at 9 knots. It's dangerous to chase them on the surface in this weather.
0200 Position is still constant. Continuing to follow.
0300 Have lost contact. Turning homeward, 50 meters, ahead slow.
1200 Surfacing, Ahead 1/3.
2100 Position Report: AM26. Rain, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Continuing on surface.

4/4/40
2100 Position Report: AM34. Rain, Sea 5, wind 13 m/s, waves 2m.

4/5/40
2100 Position Report: AF77. Overcast, Sea 5, wind 13 m/s, waves 2m.

4/6/40
2100 Position Report: AF75. Raining, Sea 6, wind 18 m/s, waves 2m.

4/7/40
2100 Position Report: AF87. Clear, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m.
2212 Radio: Ship 40 km south of us, heading SSE. Set Course 140, Ahead 2/3.

4/8/40
0100 We've somehow missed him. Turning back toward home, Ahead 1/3.
1200 There has been a lot of radio traffic today concerning enemy and friendly warship movements. Get the feeling something big is up. Wonder what it could be?
1528 Lookouts report ship. It's fairly close. Set Course 090, Ahead 2/3.
1530 It's a small merchant.
1533 Set Course 075.
1543 He's Norwegian. Turning back to homeward course.
2100 Position Report: AN34. Clear, Sea 11, wind 35 m/s, waves 10m. Rough going, but staying on surface. Everyone wants to get home.

4/9/40
0645 Radio: "Our forces have occupied Denmark to protect her from Allied Aggression". Interesting wording.
2100 Position Report: AN93. Clear, Sea 10, wind 33 m/s, waves 9m.

4/10/40
0610 Passed Wangerooge.
0625 Passed Schillighörn, into the Jade.
0800 Radio: Air raid Wilhelmshaven!
0805 Many reports of damage and British aircraft shot down. From the middle of the Jade we can see nothing. Manned flak gun none the less.
0830 Left the Jade; turning towards Wilhelmshaven.
0833 Can see Wilhelmshaven clearly now; much smoke everywhere. There! An explosion!

Wilhelmshaven burning

0837 Can see the bow of a wrecked harbor minesweeper sticking up out of the water. Many men swimming about.
0840 Stopping to pick up survivors. Also stopping is U-3, a small boat returning from a training mission
0851 Getting underway again with almost 40 men crowding our decks. U-3 carries another 20. Hope we don't get caught in a second attack.
0911 Wrecked merchant in bay close to harbor. Several harbor boats pulling men out of the water.
0925 Turning into inner harbor.
0929 Tanker stalled right at harbor entrance, blocking way. Looks like we can just squeak by.
0930 Took picture of tanker.

Tanker blocking harbor entrance

Another burning ship

0951 Tied up at dock.

Confirmed sinkings:
2/28/40: British merchant SS San Gaspar; 4,070 tons.
3/6/40: British merchant SS Waziristan; 6,245 tons.
British auxiliary cruiser HMS Ausonia; 13,850 tons.
No confirmation of British aircraft carrier, so no credit.
Total: 24,166 tons.

April 10, 1940
1. Herbert Schultze................109,074
2. Werner Hartmann................74,049
3. Günther Prien......................61,734
4. Günther Berke** .................57,965
5. Wilhelm Rollmann.................46,292
6. Heinrich Liebe.......................45,815
7. Viktor Schütze......................33,209
8. Berthold Cranmer*...............29,328
9. Joakim Schepke....................18,063
10. Ernst Bauer.........................16,434
11. Hans Jenisch.......................13,593
12. Otto Kretschmer .................12,026
13. Jürgen Oesten.......................8,137
14. Bruno Asche*.........................5,913
15. Wolfgang Lüth.......................3,580

IWO Witte has been awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class.
Stabsoberbootsman Peining has been entered into the Radio Training School. I hope we get him back when he's done.

!AIR RAID WILHELMSHAVEN!
by Kurt-Egon Heiner

Wednesday, April 10, 1940
At 7:55 this morning a parade of low-flying British bombers attacked the harbor and naval base at Wilhelmshaven. Four ships were destroyed, six more were damaged. We had two fighters on patrol; they managed to bring down one of the enemy bombers. Flak gunners are credited with one more. The other seven escaped unharmed. The dead and wounded are as yet uncounted. All that is known for certain is that there are many. Most of the naval personnel and many civilians leaped in to aid in rescue operations. Two returning U-boats even stopped to aid the survivors of a crippled and sinking destroyer in the outer harbor.

Harbor patrol boat


Another patrol boat


Guard keeps curious onlookers from aproaching burning merchant ship


Sunken destroyer


One of the heroic u-boats which helped rescue survivors


Neutral Swedish merchant vessel destroyed in British air attack

[JScones]

Those B&W "photos" really add to the story! Did you have Buchheim on board? :rotfl:

No, but Georg is proving pretty handy with the camera. He says he took a class in secondary school.

That reporter, Heiner, took his own.

Berthold Cranmer

Patrol 4: February 21, 1940 Game played February 20 -March 8, 2006

U-74's second patrol garnered 11,427 tons and lasted Eighty-two days, from November 14, 1939 to February 4, 1940. After 17 days in port, U-74 put to sea again on February 21, 1940.


Oberleutnant z.S. Berthold Cranmer

U-74: 7th Flotilla, Kiel
U-74 crew, February 21, 1940:
Captain: Oberleutnant z.S. Berthold Cranmer
Chief: Oberleutnant z.S. Karl Schewe
1WO: Leutnant z.S. Heinz Renken
2WO: Leutnant z. S. Alfred Moehle
Navigator: Oberfähnrich z. S. Axel Marbach
Torpedo Officer: Oberfähnrich z. S. Albrecht Zapf

Senior Helmsman/3rd Watch Leader: Stabsoberbootsmann Peter Jenisch
Helmsman: Bootsmann Emil Brehme
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Günther Blank
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Gerhard Kilimann
Radio/Soundman: Stabsbootsman Herbert Stephan
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Otto Röther
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Gerhard Hentrop

General Petty Officers:
Bootsmann Friederich Goldbeck
Bootsmann Hans Sporer
Bootsmann Heinz Wissmann
Bootsmann Fritz Jungmann
Bootsmann Arend Baltz
Bootsmann Joachim Blaudow
Bootsmann Johan Reckhoff
Bootsmann Horst Richter
Bootsmann Hans Thurmann

Leading Seamen:
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Heinz Schäfer
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Lothar Arnold
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Walter Kühn
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Gerrit Holstein

Senior Seamen:
Matrosenobergefreiter Rolf Hertin
Matrosenobergefreiter Paul Folkers
Matrosenobergefreiter Heinrich Mitter
Matrosenobergefreiter Georg Jungmann

Seamen:
Matrosengefreiter Hermann Bleek
Matrosengefreiter Adolf Scholz
Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Hartmann
Matrosengefreiter Curt Schmidt
Matrosengefreiter Dietmar Krech
Matrosengefreiter Ulrich Babel
Matrosengefreiter Werner Gante
Matrosengefreiter Julius Wiebe
Matrosengefreiter Karl Pröchnow
Matrosengefreiter Paul Hänsel
Matrosengefreiter Heinrich Sander
Matrosengefreiter Robert Rasch
Matrosengefreiter Karl Hölzer
Matrosengefreiter Hans Heuer
Matrosengefreiter Hartwig Kelmann
Matrosengefreiter Ludwig Bilstein
Matrosengefreiter Friederich Ganzer
Matrosengefreiter Erwin Loh
Matrosengefreiter Ludwig Clausen
Matrosengefreiter Wilhelm Bülow
Matrosengefreiter Reinhart Hertin
Matrosengefreiter Max Manke

2/21/40
0758 Departed Kiel docks.
0812 Passed inner harbor lighthouse. Set cruising speed Ahead 1/3-10 knots.
0830 Passed outer bar.
0900 Opened orders: Proceed to AN23, await instructions. AN23? That's off Norway. North Sea? Perhaps they're "rewarding" us for the length of our last patrol by giving us something easy.
1028 Had our last sight of land.

2/22/40
0800 First position Report: AO47, 65km N Alborg. Sky clear, Sea State 2, wind 5 m/s, just a trace of wave activity.

2/23/40
0800 Position Report: AN35, Clear, Sea 3, wind 9 m/s, waves 1/4m.

2/24/40
0800 Position Report: AN29, Clear, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 0.
1140 Entered AN23. Ahead Slow.
1707 Ship, Bearing 018, heading right for us. Set Course 315.
1710 Ordered Periscope Depth.
1718 Range 3300, Bearing 0. Set Course 330.
1730 Norwegian. Returning to patrol course.
1900 Surfaced.

2/25/40
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 0, wind 1 m/s, waves 0.

2/26/40
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 0.

2/27/40
0414 Ship sighted, Bearing 050. Set Course 110, Ahead 1/3.
0529 Another Norwegian, of course.
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 5, wind 17 m/s, waves 2m.

2/28/40
0338 Ship, Bearing 330.
0356 Norwegian.
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 3, wind 9 m/s, waves 1/2m.

2/29/40
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 7, wind 14 m/s, waves 4m.

3/1/40
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 3, wind 9 m/s, waves 1/2m
0900 Radio: New orders. We are to move to AF64. That's north of Trondheim! What do they expect us to do there? Set course 060, Ahead 1/3.

3/2/40
0800 Position Report: AF85. Partly Cloudy, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m.

3/3/40
0800 Position Report: AF59. Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m.
1240 Entered AF64. Ahead slow.

3/4/40
0800 Position Report: AF64. Partly Cloudy, Sea 12, wind 36 m/s, waves 13m. This is a full-blown hurricane. Diving to 70 meters.
1555 Water getting shallow. Coming up to 50 meters.
1700 Shallower still. 30 meters.
2100 Changing course for deeper water.
2200 Now at 20 meters.

3/5/40
0200 Surfaced.
0800 Position Report: AF64. Overcast, Sea 12, wind 34 m/s, waves 12m. Diving to 70.

3/6/40
0200 Surfaced to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AF64. Overcast, Sea 12, wind 34 m/s, waves 12m. 70 meters.
1539 Sound contact. Letting him go. I'm not going after a lone ship in this weather.
2234 Sound contact, approaching us. Ordered Periscope Depth.
2243 Weather is unchanged; we could ram him before we saw him. Back to 70m.

3/7/40
0200 Surfaced.
0800 Position Report: AF64. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Back to 70.

3/8/40
0200 Surfaced.
0800 Position Report: AF74. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 70.

3/9/40
0200 Surfaced.
0221 Lookouts sighted a ship, bearing 240. Set Course 270.
0233 Set up UZO.
0235 It's a small merchant, heading toward us. I'd bet my last bottle he's Norwegian.
0300 Range about 4000 meters. Speeding up to 1/3.
0315 Range 2600.
0345 He's Norwegian, all right. Back to patrol.
0800 Position Report: AF64. Partly cloudy, Sea 12, wind 37 m/s, waves 12m. Diving back to 70.

3/10/40
0200 Surfaced to recharge.
0600 Radio: We have been ordered to change grids to AF33; far north, near the entrance to the bay leading to Narvik. I wonder why-there's nothing there.
0601 Set Course 035, Ahead 1/3.
0800 Position Report: AF61. Partly Cloudy, Sea 11, wind 32 m/s, waves 10m. Diving to 70, Ahead Slow.

3/11/40
0200 Surfacing, Ahead 1/3.
0800 Position Report: AF38. Partly Cloudy, Sea 12, wind 35 m/s, waves 11m. Diving to 70, Ahead Slow.
2038 Estimate we should be entering AF33 sometime, now way to tell for sure.

3/12/40
0200 Surfaced.
0749 Ship spotted. Set Course 095, Ahead 2/3.
0800 Definately British; passing right in front of us. Sea still rough, but can't pass up this chance.
0801 Firing tube 1, Range 600.
0802 Hit! Good job!
0805 Target has stopped.
0812 Tube 1 loaded and ready.
0819 Target capsized.
0821 Target sank.
0830 Belated Position Report: AF33. Partly Cloudy, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 70.

3/13/40
0200 Surfaced.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Partly Cloudy, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m. Staying surfaced for now to enjoy the sunshine.
2035 Lookout reports ship, Bearing 252.
2038 I don't see him, and neither does anyone else.
2040 There he is, behind us!
2043 Set up UZO.
2044 Set Course 100.
2046 He's moving faster than I thought: Ahead 1/3.
2050 Still can't tell what he is; looks very small, though.
2055 It's a fishing boat, out in this weather! Still, he seems to be riding the waves better than we do.

3/14/40
0800 Position Report: AF33. Partly Cloudy, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Diving, but only to 30 meters due to shallow water.

3/15/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Partly Cloudy, Sea 12, wind 36 m/s, waves 12m. Diving to 50.

3/16/40
0200 Surfacing.
0212 On surface; sea much calmer.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Clear, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
1120 Ship spotted, Bearing 108. Set course 010, Ahead 1/3.
1123 He's moving fast, and away. Set Course 335, Ahead Full.
1125 It's a merchant, range about 7000 now.
1130 Range 4500. Periscope Depth, Ahead Flank.
1135 Range 2400, Bearing 025.
1140 Norwegian. Returning to course, Ahead Slow. Staying submerged until out of sight.
1400 Surfacing.

3/17/40
0250 Radio: Ship, 30 km NE our position, heading WSW. Set Course 000, remaining at Slow Speed.
0410 Set Course 090.
0412 Spotted him!
0430 Merchant, Range 3000.
0435 Range 2300, Bearing 326.
0440 Range 1300, Bearing 340.
0442 Norwegian. Returning to patrol.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Clear, Sea 6, wind 16 m/s, waves 3m.

3/18/40
0600 Radio: We are ordered further south-AF82. Why are they moving us around so much?
0601 Set Course 225, Ahead 1/3.
0800 Position Report: AF33. Overcast, Sea 11, wind 33 m/s, waves 10m. Staying surfaced while in transition.

3/19/40
0800 Position Report: AF61. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m.
1500 Sea is falling off, wind dying. Partly cloudy, looks like we might get good weather.

3/20/40
0800 Position Report: AF55. Clear, Sea 5, Wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
1930 Entered AF32. Ahead Slow.

3/21/40
0439 Ship spotted, Bearing 048. Set Course 140.
0440 Set up UZO.
0442 Merchant, long way off. Ahead 2/3.
0445 He's moving to our left. Set Course 130.
0450 Have determined he is heading roughly NNE. Set Course 090.
0505 Close enough to determine range: 3400.
0510 Good position now. Set Course 130, Ahead Slow.
0512 Flooding tubes 2 & 3.
0513 Norwegian. Closing tubes, returning to patrol, Ahead Slow.
0519 Chief Schewe informed me fuel is now at 50%.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Clear, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
0845 Radio: U-47 reporting low food.
1457 Radio: U-37 reporting shortage of lubricating oil. Seems like everyone's having trouble at once.

3/22/40
0700 Position Report: AF82. Clear, Sea 3, wind 8 m/s, waves 1/2m.

3/23/40
0800 Position Report: AF82. Raining, Sea 8, wind 26 m/s, waves 7m. Diving to 50.

3/24/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 50.

3/25/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 9, wind 27 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 50 meters.
2200 Map shows bottom changing a lot. Echo sounding every 15 minutes.

3/26/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 10, wind 29 m/s, waves 9m. Diving back to 50.

3/27/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m. Bottom deep now, diving to 70.

3/28/40
0200 Surfacing.
0730 Radio: We are being moved again-this time to AN24. Set Course 235, Ahead 1/3.
0800 Position Report: AF82. Rain, Sea 10, wind 32 m/s, waves 9m. Staying on surface to facilitate travel time.

3/29/40
0800 Position Report: AF87. Rain, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m.
1030 Entered AN24; Ahead Slow.

3/30/40
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.

3/31/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m.
1447 Ship, Bearing 308. Ordered Right Full Rudder, Ahead 1/3.
1449 Ordered Periscope Depth.
1451 Big merchant, about 5000 meters, Bearing 035.
1455 Range now 3100, Bearing 030.
1458 Range 2100, Bearing 025. Flooding all bow tubes.
1500 Range 1400, Bearing 020.
1501 Range 1100, Bearing 015. Definitely British. Ordered Ahead Slow.
1502 Firing tube 2, Range 750.
1503 Hit!
1504 He's not slowing down! Left Full Rudder, Ahead 1/3.
1505 Too close, Ahead Slow.
1506 Firing tube 3, Range 460. Damn! It went off early!
1507 Firing tube 4, Range 520.
1508 Dud! NO! It did go off. Big explosions. Surfacing.
1509 Enemy ship burning from end to end!
1511 Target sank by stern. Returning to patrol course.

4/1/40
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.

4/2/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Back to 50.

4/3/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Raining, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.

4/4/40
0200 Surfacing.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50 again.

4/5/40
0200 Surface.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m. Diving to 30 meters, water somewhat shallow here.

4/6/40
0200 Surfacing.
0602 Radio: "Operation Hartmut is about to commence. U-boats are expected to follow orders accordingly." This is what we've been waiting for. I wonder what our part will be.
0800 Position Report: AN24. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.

4/7/40
0200 Surfacing to recharge.
0630 Radio-Double Encoded-Captain's Eyes Only. Here it is. I have taken the Enigma machine into my bunk and closed the curtain. I can feel my officers crowded just outside.
0645 Orders: We are ordered to perform a reconnaisance of Bergen; this must be completed and radioed in by 0800 hours tomorrow, the 8th.
0647 No reason not to tell the men where we are going. Announcing it to all immediately.
0650 Set Course 030, Ahead Slow. At this speed we should be there in plenty of time.
0800 Position Report: AN2473. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 50.
1800 Surfacing. Will make approach surfaced.
2100 Set Course 100. Approaching fjord entrance.
2154 Set Course 145. Have entered fjord.
2218 Set Course 160.
2315 Radio: Task force has departed Wilhelmshaven.
2330 Course 130.

4/8/40
0030 New Course 120.
0200 Channel narrow-navigating by sight now.
0400 Heading now 140. Can see Bergen Lighthouse.
0600 Staying close to western shore, opposite Bergen.
0700 Report: 6 ships in harbor; no warships. Awaiting orders.
0701 Settling to bottom; about 22 meters.
1023 Radio: Friendly Task Force in AO48.
1100 Radio: We are to remain on station until further orders.
1823 Radio: Enemy warship sighted, AF84.

4/9/40
0001 Radio: Enemy Task Force sighted in AF72.
0038 Radio: Norway now considered hostile; we are allowed to attack Norwegian shipping. Will wait until dawn.
0146 Fast screws detected, Bearing 185. Surfacing.
0150 Our forces have arrived, schnellboot and destroyer in sight, approaching fast.
0151 Ordered Ahead 2/3, Course 120, flooding forward tubes. Flashing recognition signal to lead destroyer. Don't want to miss out on the action.
0200 They have ordered us to stop and await arrival of main force. They are also stopping.
0212 Tug boat apparently panicked, running at high speed (for him). Destroyer has fired machine gun ahead of tug, ordered him to stop.
0213 Schnellboot is running alongside of tug, threatening with machine guns.
0215 Tug has stopped. S-boat crew boarding.
0230 Two light cruisers have arrived.
0235 Cruisers have ordered all ships and harbor facilities to surrender immediately.
0310 Cruisers have docked at piers; offloading troops. It looks like we won't get to sink anything here tonight.
0702 Radio: We have also captured Denmark.
0900 Radio: We are ordered back to sea.
0905 Ahead 1/3, heading north out of Bergen.
1200 Radio: A large part of Norway is now in German hands.
1513 ALARM!!! Aircraft incoming! Ahead Flank! Dive! Dive!
1515 It was two Swordfish carrier bombers. Lucky for us their aim was bad; they bombed us before we could dive, but the closest was at least 200 meters away.
1900 Surfacing.

4/10/40
0017 Radio: Enemy Task Force in AN23, Heading East. Set Course 000, Ahead Full. Maybe we'll get a chance to pay that carrier back.
0057 At intersect point; Course 270, Ahead Slow.
0231 Radio: U-4 has sunk British U-boat. Good Job!
0302 Radio: U-30 and U-50 ordered to attack Allied landings at Namsos. Wish it was us.
0451 Radio: Ship 34 km NW our position, heading SSW. We may be in a position to intercept.
0641 We have passed original TF reported position. We've missed them.
0656 Lookouts report ship Bearing 108. Must be the merchant reported earlier. Set Course 010.
0659 It's a small merchant, Range about 8500.
0708 Range now 5000. Ordered Periscope Depth.
0714 Set Course 090.
0725 New Course 120.
0726 Norwegian. Just yesterday they were neutral, then an enemy, and now friends. Wish we were here yesterday.
0800 Surfacing.
0802 Position Report: AN23. Partly Cloudy, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
1453 Radio: U-26, U-29, U-43 & U-61 are delivering supplies to forces at Narvik.
2039 Ship spotted, Bearing 079. Set Course 180, Ahead 1/3.
2043 Course 185.
2045 Set up UZO.
2046 Course 200.
2047 Small merchant, Range about 6000.
2050 Range 5000. New Course 240.
2100 Range 4000, Bearing 307. Ahead 2/3.
2105 Range 3500, Bearing 296.
2110 Range 2400. Set Course 150, Ahead 1/3; starting attack run, flooding forward tubes.
2117 Adjusted Course to 160.
2118 Range 1600, Bearing 339.
2119 He's German! Hailing him, pulling alongside.
2123 He's carrying supplies into Bergen for our troops. Returning to patrol, Ahead Slow.

4/11/40
0800 Position Report: AN24. Partly Cloudy, Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves 1m.

4/12/40
0800 Position Report: AN24. Clear, Sea 7, wind 23 m/s, waves 8m.
1202 Radio: If north of 62 degrees U-boats are to use two torpedoes against shallow-draft targets; 1 magnetic and 1 impact. Deep-draft targets; use impact only. How deep? How shallow? I wish they would be more specific.
1430 Fuel is now 25%. We are fairly close to home, but have to think about these things anyway.
1530 Radio: Allies are planning landings north of Narvik.

4/13/40
0106 Radio: Enemy Task Force 200 km NW our position, Heading SSE. Set Course 270, Ahead Full.
0650 Have reached intersect point. Set Course 350, Ahead Slow.
0800 Position Report: AN23. Clear, Sea 7, wind 21 m/s, waves 7m. Going to Periscope Depth in case they have a carrier, and of course planes.
1800 We've missed another one.
1805 Surfaced, sent request to return to base.
1953 Request acknowledged. Turning for home, Ahead 1/3.

4/14/40
0800 Position Report: AN29. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.

4/15/40
0800 Position Report: AN35. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.

4/16/40
0800 Position Report: AO44. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 26 m/s, waves 8m.

4/17/40
0927 Entered Kiel Bay; heavy overcast, visibility about 1 km.
0954 Passed outer bar; can see lighthouse (well, the light anyway).
1013 Passed lighthouse into inner harbor. Speed 5 knots.
1026 Nearing dock, Speed 2 knots.
1030 Tied up. Patrol over.

Confirmed sinkings:
3/12/40: South African merchant SS Chepo; 2,832 tons.
3/31/40: French merchant SS Frontenac; 6,447 tons.
Total: 9,279 tons.

April 17, 1940
1. Herbert Schultze................109,074
2. Werner Hartmann................78,560
3. Günther Prien......................61,734
4. Günther Berke*...................57,965
5. Wilhelm Rollmann................46,887
6. Heinrich Liebe......................45,816
7. Berthold Cranmer**............38,607
8. Viktor Schütze.....................33,209
9. Joachim Schepke ................18,063
10. Ernst Bauer.......................16,434
11. Hans Jenisch.....................13,593
12. Otto Kretschmer ...............12,026
13. Jurgen Oesten.....................8,137
14. Bruno Asche*......................5,913
15. Wolfgang Lüth....................3,580

Have been awared Iron Cross, 1st Class.

Bruno Asche

Patrol 5: March 23, 1940 Game played March 16-24, 2006

U-14's fourth patrol lasted from February 12 to March 5, 1940; 22 days. We sank only one ship on this patrol, for 2,839 tons. Our replenishment this trip was 18 days, and we were ready for sea again on March 23.

We have lost another fine officer-my 1WO, Werner Scholz, has been given his own boat. 2WO Schmidt will replace him as First Officer, we have been given a new man, Oberfähnrich zur See Arend Mayer. He will be third, taking the place of Oberfähnrich Marbach as Navigator. Marbach will be doing double duty, being 2WO and helping Mayer learn his new job. It shouldn't be too hard; Mayer did do one patrol in a training position on U-63.


Oberleutnant z.S. Bruno Asche

U-14: 1st Flotilla, Kiel
U-14 crew, March 23, 1940:
Captain: Oberleutnant z.S. Bruno Asche
Chief: Oberleutnant z.S. Günther Loh
1WO: Leutnant z.S. Heinz Schmidt
2WO: Oberfähnrich z. S. Matthias Marbach
Navigator: Oberfähnrich z. S. Arend Mayer

Senior Helmsman: Stabsoberbootsmann Emil Stephan
Helmsman: Bootsmann Josef Sander
Radioman: Bootsmann Karl Hänsel
Radioman: Bootsmann Reinhard Brummer
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann August Hermann
2nd Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Herbert Thomsen
Torpedoman: Bootsmann August Spahr
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Peter Heyer

General Petty Officers:
Bootsmann Hans Mohr
Bootsmann Henning Hessler

Leading Seamen:
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Max Eisenstein
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Kurt Böhling

Senior Seamen:
Matrosenobergefreiter Erich Richter
Matrosenobergefreiter Heinz Witt
Matrosenobergefreiter Walter Jordon
Matrosenobergefreiter Otto Rasch

Seamen:
Matrosengefreiter Herbert Leunert
Matrosengefreiter Josef Suhren
Matrosengefreiter Martin Maus
Matrosengefreiter Jurgen Schendel
Matrosengefreiter Reiner Hansen
Matrosengefreiter Max Claussen
Matrosengefreiter Philipp Bahn
Matrosengefreiter Martin Maus

3/12/40
0648 Underway Kiel docks.
0703 Passed lighthouses, departed inner harbor. Ahead 1/3.
0715 Entered Canal. Opened orders: Destination AN84. We're patrolling the entrance to the Channel. Should find good hunting there. Attached is a warning: the Tommies have commenced laying heavy minefieds off the east coast of Britain. We are to take extra care of our location and make every effort to stay in the eastern area of AN84. We'll see.
0910 Passed Kronshagen.
1118 Passed Rendsburg. Beautiful countryside, but can't help feeling confined. If an air attack should come our way we would have little hope of escape.
1355 Passed Jevenstadt.
1555 Passed the general area of Albersdorf.
1725 Passed Burg.
1910 Passed Brunsbüttel-out of the Canal, into the Elbe.
2312 Passed Cuxhaven and into the North Sea.

3/24/40
0132 Passed Scharhorn and Neuwerk. Set Course 265, heading for England.
0700 Position Report: AN9592, 30 km SW Helgoland. Sky Clear, Sea 3, wind 6 m/s, waves 1/2 m.
1142 Passed into new time zone, set clocks for 1242.

3/25/40
0613 Smoke reported, bearing 357.
0625 Set Course 245, Ahead 2/3.
0630 Altered course to 240.
0635 It's an armed trawler, Dutch, and neutral. Ahead 1/3, returning to course.
0700 Position Report: AN8311. Clear, Sea 4, wind 9 m/s, waves 1m.
0722 I advised Navigator Mayer of smoke at Bearing 275. He seemed a bit nervous at not having seen it first. I explained that after four patrols you becomed attuned to these things
0723 Set Course 180, Ahead 2/3.
0745 It's another patrol boat, or maybe the same one. Returning to course, Ahead 1/3.

3/26/40
0042 Matrosengefreiter Hansen woke me up to inform me we had entered AN84 and were at Slow Speed.
0700 Position Report: AN8437. Clear, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.
2051 Ship sighted, Bearing 116. Set Course 005, Ahead 2/3.
2053 Set up UZO.
2055 It's a destroyer!
2056 Hurriedly took down UZO.
2057 Ordered Periscope Depth, Ahead Slow.
2100 Range 3200, increasing.
2146 Lost sight of him.
2300 Surfacing.

3/27/40
0039 Awoken early again, this time by matrosengefreiter Maus. It looks like our destroyer is back, off to the south.
0041 Periscope Depth.
0112 Lost sight again.
0200 Surfacing.
0629 Radio: Merchant 31 km W our position, Heading SSE. Set course 015, Ahead 1/3.
0700 Position Report: AN84. Sea 6, wind 18 m/s, waves 3m.
0718 Intel was perfect-there he is.
0720 Large cargo ship, range about 11,000.
0738 Range now down to 5000. Ordered Periscope Depth, Ahead Slow.
0755 Range has dropped below 1000. Flooding all three tubes.
0801 Firing tube 1, Range 460. Firing tube 2, 420. Number 1 hit! Number 2 hit!
0805 Target has stopped.
0813 Torpedo room reports tube 1 ready.
0825 Tube 2 reloaded. Target settling by the stern, but still afloat. Weather is starting to pick up.
0920 Circling back for third shot. Will give him until 1000 to sink, then we'll help him.
1000 Target showing no sign of sinking. Firing tube 3, range 750, aiming aft of funnel, hoping to hit boiler or engine.
1001 Hit! Three good torpedoes in a row-pretty amazing considering our previous luck. Maybe disabling the magnetics was the right idea.
1002 Target's back broken; settling by the middle.



1025 Apparently she's sitting on the bottom, the ends are still above water. Reporting ship sunk, AN8444.
1114 Lost sight of target, bow and stern still upended, range roughly 10 kilometers.
1229 Ship sighted, Bearing 340. Set course 330, Ahead 1/3. Is this our lucky day?
1233 Altered Course to 315, Ahead 2/3.
1238 Ordered Periscope Depth.
1225 Range about 3000. It's a small one.
1300 Range now 900. It's definitely British, small tramp steamer.
1302 Firing tube 1, range 500. Hit!
1303 Target sinking fast. Onboard explosions. Location AN8417. This IS our lucky day!



1400 Surfacing, Ahead Slow.

3/28/40
0630 Radio: Ship 30 km West, Heading SSW. 1 eel left, we'll have to make it count. Maintaining present course, Ahead Full.
0700 Position Report: AN8486. Clear, Sea 5, wind 15 m/s, waves 2m.
0739 Spotted him! Ahead Flank, Course 210.
0800 Range 6000. Set Course 180.
0815 Periscope Depth.
0830 Offered Oberfähnrich Mayer a chance to conduct attack. He said with only one eel left he would rather defer to Leutnant Schmidt.
0845 After over an hour of stalking the target turns out to be Dutch. Back to patrol.
0930 Target is now out of sight. Surfacing.

3/29/40
0700 Position Report: AN8433. Clear, Sea 6, wind 21 m/s, waves 3m.

3/30/40
0700 Position Report: AN8422. Overcast, Sea 7, wind 22 m/s, waves 4m.

3/31/40
0700 Position Report: AN8495. Overcast, Sea 7, wind 22 m/s, waves 4m.

4/1/40
0700 Position Report: AN8463. Overcast, Sea 7, wind 22 m/s, waves 4m.

4/2/40
0700 Position Report: AN8443. Rain, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 5m.

4/3/40
0648 Ship spotted, Bearing 283.
0705 She's a big cargo ship, Range about 5700.
0710 They seem to be in trouble; down by the bow, smoke coming from somewhere inside.
0715 Range 2600. She appears to be sinking, crew is abandoning ship.
0720 Ship has sunk with no help from us.
0730 Sent belated Position Report, plus notice of ship sinking: AN8478. Slear, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m.
0800 Crew discussing ship sinking over breakfast. Everyone has a different opinion: Scraping bottom tore a hole; cargo broke loose and shifted ballast; someone even suggested a sailor was smoking in a cargo hold and didn't notice ammunition there. Not likely.
1040 New luck: another one sighted, Bearing 355. Ordered Course 085, Ahead 2/3.
1046 New Coure 055, Ahead Full.
1050 Some kind of small merchant.
1044 Range 7000, Ahead Flank.
1100 Range 6800. We're barely outpacing him.
1200 We're slowly drawing ahead of him, but it seems to be taking forever.
1300 Range is now 5900. Changing course to 030, angling in on him.
1400 Range 4300. New Course 092.
1500 Range 4600. New Course 040. Have changed course four times now in effort to gain position.
1515 Range 3700. Coming to Periscope Depth.
1520 Range 2100, Bearing 058. Slowing to 2/3.
1526 Range 800, Bearing 030. Perfect, unless the heavy waves ruin it for us.
1527 Firing tube 2, range 510. We're empty now.
1528 Hit! Cheering all around.



1530 Set course for home. No reason to hang around here; even if he doesn't sink there's nothing more we can do.
1535 Target moving very slowly, wallowing.
1554 Target capsized.
1557 Target sank.
1914 Dark now. Surfacing, Ahead 1/3.

4/4/40
0700 Position Report: AN8274. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.

4/5/40
0700 Position Report: AN8315. Raining, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m.

4/6/40
0600 Radio: Operation Hartmut is to begin. I wonder what that could be; we've recieved no orders.
0700 Position Report: AN9549. Rain, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.
2310 Passed between Scharhorn and Neuwerk. Set course 115 for mouth of Elbe River.

4/7/40
0059 Can see Cuxhaven lighthouse. Good to know we're on course, and in the Elbe.
0355 Spotted Brunsbüttel lighthouse ahead.
0500 Can't be more than 2 km from Brunsbüttel-can see nothing but the lighthouse.
0510 Entered the Canal-I think; can't see either shore.
0517 I know there are ships nearby. This is making me nervous. Slowing to 5 knots.
0930 Nearing Albersdorf. Ship looming out of the mist.
1102 Lighthouse ahead.
1126 Passing Jevenstadt lighthouse.
1408 Damn! Small steamer coming down the canal; almost rammed us!
1500 Rendsburg lights ahead.
1600 Passing very close by Rendsburg; can't see a thing.
2000 Sky is growing dark. Don't like this a bit. Considering pulling close to shore and anchoring for the night.
2157 Exited Canal safely. Can see Kiel lighthouses.
2213 Have entered inner harbor. Slowing to two knots.
2221 Finally! We can see the dock building lights, only a few hundred meters away.
2230 Docked safely.

All in all a good patrol: Three ships.


Ships confirmed:
3/27/40: British merchant SS City of Athens; 7,314 tons
...............British merchant SS MacGregor; 2,778 tons.
4/3/40:...British Merchant SS Corabella; 2,795 tons

Total: 12,887 tons.

This report was mislaid and filed late. Tonnage scores have not been entered.

Bruno Asche

Patrol 6: May 4, 1940 Game played March 25-April 2, 2006

U-14's fifth patrol lasted from March 23 to April 7, 1940; 15 days. We sank three ships, for a total of 12,887 tons. Our replenishment time was 27 days, and we were ready for sea again on May 4.


Oberleutnant z.S. Bruno Asche

U-14: 1st Flotilla, Kiel
U-14 crew, May 4, 1940:
Captain: Oberleutnant z.S. Bruno Asche
Chief Engineer: Oberleutnant z.S. Günther Loh
1WO: Leutnant z.S. Heinz Schmidt
2WO: Oberfähnrich z. S. Matthias Marbach
Navigator: Oberfähnrich z. S. Arend Mayer

Senior Helmsman: Stabsoberbootsmann Emil Stephan
Helmsman: Bootsmann Josef Sander
Radioman: Bootsmann Karl Hänsel
Radioman: Bootsmann Reinhard Brummer
Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann August Hermann
2nd Machinist: Stabsoberbootsmann Herbert Thomsen
Torpedoman: Bootsmann August Spahr
Torpedoman: Bootsmann Peter Heyer

General Petty Officers:
Bootsmann Hans Mohr
Bootsmann Henning Hessler

Leading Seamen:
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Max Eisenstein
Matrosenhauptgefreiter Kurt Böhling

Senior Seamen:
Matrosenobergefreiter Erich Richter
Matrosenobergefreiter Heinz Witt
Matrosenobergefreiter Walter Jordon
Matrosenobergefreiter Otto Rasch

Seamen:
Matrosengefreiter Herbert Leunert
Matrosengefreiter Josef Suhren
Matrosengefreiter Martin Maus
Matrosengefreiter Jurgen Schendel
Matrosengefreiter Reiner Hansen
Matrosengefreiter Max Claussen
Matrosengefreiter Philipp Bahn

5/4/40
2235 Underway Kiel.
2242 Departed inner harbor. Ahead 1/3, Course 300
2252 Entered Canal. Opened orders: AN28, off Norway. Watch for British counter-offensive.

5/5/40
1056 Passed Brunsbüttel, into the Elbe.
1456 Passed Cuxhaven, into the HelgolandBucht.
1550 Passed within sight of the island of Trichen.
2300 First Position Report: AN9477. Clear, Sea 3, wind 10 m/s, waves 1/2 m.

5/6/40
1435 Crossed time zone, now 1525.
2200 Position Report: An3872. Clear, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 0.

5/7/40
2200 Position Report: AN3187. Partly Cloudy, Sea 4, wind 12 m/s, waves 1m.

5/8/40
0753 Entered AN2899; Ahead Slow.
2200 Position Report: AN2855. Partly Cloudy, Sea 0, wind 0 m/s, waves 1m.

5/9/40
0031 Radio: U-9 reports torpedoing enemy U-boat. Quite an accomplishment.
2200 Position Report: AN2877. Partly Cloudy, sea 2, Wind 5 m/s, waves 1/4m.

5/10/40
1202 Radio: We are at war with Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. Great, another enemy. At least that gives us more opportunities to sink ships.
2200 Position Report: AN2852. Clear, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m.

5/11/40
2200 Position Report: AN2869. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.

5/12/40
2200 Position Report: AN2894. Clear, Sea 12, wind 35 m/s, waves 13m.

5/13/40
1630 Radio: Our panzer forces have attacked the French at three points on the Meuse River.
2200 AN2844. Clear, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 7m.

5/14/40
1800 Radio: General Guderian has crossed the Meuse River at Sedan.
2200 Position Report: AN2882. Rain, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 30 meters.

5/15/40
1321 Sound reports warship, Bearing 313. Ordered Periscope Depth.
1228 Can't see anything. Brummer says ship is closing.
1345 Ship is still out there, still closing. I still can't see anything but waves and rain.
1348 Brummer reports contact lost.
1350 Useless to look anymore in this weather; back to 30 meters.
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
2132 Radio: General Hoth's panzers have wiped out the French forces at Dinant. Dutch army has surrendered, though forces are holding out in Zeeland.
2200 Position Report: AN2868. Rain, Sea 11, wind 34 m/s, waves 10m. Diving back to 30.

5/16/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2855. Clear, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m.

5/17/40
1610 Radio: Our army has entered Brussels.
2200 Position Report: AN2849. Partly Cloudy, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.

5/18/40
2015 Radio: Our forces have reached the Somme River.
2200 Position Report: AN2868. Partly Cloudy, Sea 2, wind 6 m/s, waves 1/4m.

5/19/40
1500 Radio: We are to move to AN22; more traffic there.
1822 Radio: Belgian radio is claiming our bombing of Rotterdam on the 14th has resulted in over 30,000 deaths due to fires.
2200 Position Report: AN2872. Clear, Sea 1, wind 2 m/s, waves trace.

5/20/40
0721 Entered AN 2299.
1200 Storm building fast. Sky now overcast, sea picking up dramatically.
1930 Radio: Our forces have reached the mouth of the Somme River; have captured Amiens, Abbeville, Noyelles and Laon.
2200 Position Report: AN2255. Rain, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Diving to 30 to get some rest.

5/21/50
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
2200 Position Report: AN2214. Rain, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m. Diving to 30m.

5/22/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2277. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 30 m/s, waves 9m. Back to the deep.

5/23/40
1600 Surfacing.
1700 Radio: British navy is evacuating their forces in Boulogne.
2200 Position Report: AN2237. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 27 m/s, waves 8m. Diving again.

5/24/40
1037 Rescued from boredom by sound report of warship. Ordered Periscope Depth.
1041 Sky has cleared, waves still high. I can't see him. Bootsmann Hänsel is on the hydrophones; he says contact has been lost. Back to 30m.
1600 Surfacing.
1654 Radio: Maubeuge, Ghent and Tournai have fallen to our army.
2200 Position Report: AN2266. Clear, Sea 7, wind 22 m/s, waves 4m. Diving again.

5/25/40
1600 Surfacing.
1609 Seas calmer now; very nice day. Too bad we can't seem to find anything to sink.
2042 Radio: Our army has captured Boulogne, including 5000 British and French troops.
2200 Position Report: AN2286. Clear, Sea 5, wind 20 m/s, waves 2m.

5/26/40
0607 Chief Loh reports fuel at 50%.
1133 Radio: Reports are coming in that the British are withdrawing their forces from Dunkirk.
2200 Position Report: AN2244. Clear, Sea 7, wind 18 m/s, waves 5m.

5/27/40
2200 Position Report: AN2264. Clear, Sea 11, wind 34 m/s, waves 11m. Diving to 30 to get some peace.

5/28/30
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
1715 Radio: Belgian army has surrendered. It's confirmed: the British are evacuating their army from France.
2200 Position Report: AN2234. Overcast, Sea 8, wind 26 m/s, waves 5m.

5/29/40
2200 Position Report: AN2284. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 26 m/s, waves 7m. Diving back to 30.

5/30/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2251. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 29 m/s, waves 9m. Diving again.

5/31/40
1600 Surfacing.
1608 Radio: Our forces have taken Lille.
2200 Position Report: AN2267. Overcast, Sea 10, wind 31 m/s, waves 9m. Diving.
2210 Personal thought: has the war ended and no one thought to tell us? It seems as if the rest of the world has ceased to exist.

6/1/40
1600 Surfaced to a much nicer day. Sky is clear, waves are much less.
2200 Position Report: AN2298. Clear, Sea 5, wind 14 m/s, waves 2m.

6/2/40
2200 Position Report: AN2278. Clear, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 7m. Diving to 30.

6/3/40
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
2000 Radio: British have successfully evacuated over 300,000 troops from Dunkirk. What a coup if we had captured all those men.
2200 Position Report: AN2214. Clear, Sea 8, wind 24 m/s, waves 6m. Diving to 30.

6/4/40
1600 Surfacing.
1625 Radio: We have captured Dunkirk, along with 40,000 French troops.
2000 Fuel down to 30%; setting course for home.
2200 Position Report: AN2222. Overcast, Sea 9, wind 27 m/s, waves 8m. Diving again.

6/5/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2374. Overcast, Sea 11, wind 34 m/s, waves 10m. 30 meters, here we come.

6/6/40
1600 Surfacing.
2200 Position Report: AN2881. Clear, Sea 9, wind 28 m/s, waves 8m. Diving to 30.

6/7/40
1600 Surfacing to recharge.
2200 Position Report: AN4293. Clear, Sea 2, wind 6 m/s, waves 1/4m.

6/8/40
0230 Watch office Marbach recorded that another storm blew in-heavy rain and waves.
1622 Waves still heavy, but clouds and rain gone as quickly as they came.
1648 Radio: Norway has surrendered; British have evacuated Narvik area.
2200 Position Report: AN3489. Clear, Sea 8, wind 25 m/s, waves 6m. Pressing on on surface-want this lousy patrol to be over.

6/9/40
1034 Fuel 25%
2200 Position Report: AN9172. Rain, Sea 10, wind 29 m/s, waves 9m.

6/10/40
1200 Radio: Italy has joined us in declaring war on Britain and France.
1607 Radio: Canada has declared war on Italy.
2200 Position Report: AN9684. Clear, Sea 12, wind 35 m/s, waves 11m.

6/11/40
0044 Passed Cuxhaven, into the Elbe.
0503 Passed Brunsbuttel and into the Canal.
1213 Radio: The rest of the British commonwealth has declared war on Italy.
1355 Not long after we passed Rendsburg the weather lifted. Scattered clouds, sun shining down. At least one nice thing about our return home.
1713 Exited Canal into Kiel Bay.
1722 Passed lighthouse into Kiel inner harbor. Ahead Slow.
1738 Tied up at Kiel docks.

June 11, 1940
1. Herbert Schultze...............109,074
2. Werner Hartmann...............78,560
3. Günther Prien......................61,734
4. Günther Berke*...................57,965
5. Wilhelm Rollmann................46,887
6. Heinrich Liebe......................45,816
7. Victor Oehrn........................41,207
8. Berthold Cranmer*..............38,607
9. Viktor Schütze.....................33,209
10. Bruno Asche**...................18,800
11. Joakim Schepke..................18,063
12. Wolfgang Lüth....................18,063
13. Ernst Bauer.........................16,434
14. Hans Jenisch.......................13,593
15. Otto Kretschmer .................12,026
16. Jurgen Oesten......................8,137

[Lionman]

Hey Steve - I think this is a fantastic thread! It's like reading a Kreigsmarine war diary . . . I only wonder how you ever find time to work or leave the building. Great stuff.

It's also inspiring to another old gamer. Hence my other thread about optimising my SH III and IV installs. By the way do you play both? If so which do you prefer? I like 'em both personally, for different reasons.

In SH III sometimes I take a trip up to Scapa Flow at night in really bad weather just because I get nostalgic for big seas, rough weather, wild wind and horizontal spray. Wish the waves were as big as in the real North Sea where I saw waves of 90 feet (no exaggeration I promise you), like that one in a Perfect Storm except that they weren't CGI and I was on a 650 foot long crane barge that took 5 long minutes to climb the side of those great black wave mountains and it was very scary when we crested them and plunged down into the yawning trough behind, everybody below decks in their cabins wearing life jackets. We were being towed on massive half mile white nylon hawsers as thick as my thigh by two enormous deep sea tugs, so there was something to stop us just plunging on down into the dark far wall of the next wave slope each time, as we were naturally heading straight into the waves and wind. It was night but nobody could sleep as the rolling and pitching threw us around in our bunks like tennis balls in shoe boxes, making sleep impossible. I know you know exactly what I mean Steve having been in the USN yourself on Frigates as I remember and no doubt seen some mighty big seas in your day too. It's kind of hard to get used to same-old same-old onshore as a landlubber after that, isn't it . . . . and nothing quite beats a run ashore with a crew you know well . . .

I guess I've "swallowed the anchor" now as they say here but I still love to get offshore at the helm of something. In fact about three weeks ago, I was at the helm of a friend's 36 foot yacht and after hours of blazing sun and running before a following wind, sure enough it veered 180, the tide turned against us, the sky went black, the vis dropped to half a mile, a rain squall arrived, rain and wind were suddenly horizontal and we had to drop the sails fast and fire up the Volvo below decks. But as I stood there at 45 degrees with the wheel in my hands, in my Musto rain hood and life jacket, the deck canted at a silly angle and then pitching back, water running through my deck shoes, I realised that I had a big silly grin on my face . . . . The yacht owner was below decks trying to keep dry and I was just the helmsman but then money doesn't make a sailor does it . . . . <quiet smile>

[Sailor Steve]

Thanks for the compliment, LM, but I'm surprised you dug it up after two years. I'm also surprised you even found it! I see that my last post was about three months before I lost my apartment and ended up in the homeless shelter. I've had my place and computer for seven months now, but I'm so busy working on stuff I haven't had time to play anything other than the ocassional single mission. That means I haven't played an actual career in more than two years!

I was inspired myself by players who filed straight-up war patrols in Aces Of The Deep. Some people liked them, as you can read, and some thought they were boring. Compared to Laughing Swordfish's stuff they are. If I was to do it again I think I'd be less detailed and more imaginative, but I kind of like writing reports like that. I always keep a log when I'm playing a career - it's just the way I am. I even keep a little printed grid-chart that I can lay up against the screen. That's why my reports always had the four-digit grid locations instead of just two.

Anyway, as I said on the other thread it's really good to hear from you again.

[edit] I'm laughing looking at all the blanks where the pictures used to be. Laughing because of Lionman's timing: I took those down to free up some space at my Photobucket account - less than a week ago!
:rotfl:

[Lionman]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Thanks for the compliment, LM, but I'm surprised you dug it up after two years. I'm also surprised you even found it! I see that my last post was about three months before I lost my apartment and ended up in the homeless shelter. I've had my place and computer for seven months now, but I'm so busy working on stuff I haven't had time to play anything other than the ocassional single mission. That means I haven't played an actual career in more than two years!

I was inspired myself by players who filed straight-up war patrols in Aces Of The Deep. Some people liked them, as you can read, and some thought they were boring. Compared to Laughing Swordfish's stuff they are. If I was to do it again I think I'd be less detailed and more imaginative, but I kind of like writing reports like that. I always keep a log when I'm playing a career - it's just the way I am. I even keep a little printed grid-chart that I can lay up against the screen. That's why my reports always had the four-digit grid locations instead of just two.

Anyway, as I said on the other thread it's really good to hear from you again.

[edit] I'm laughing looking at all the blanks where the pictures used to be. Laughing because of Lionman's timing: I took those down to free up some space at my Photobucket account - less than a week ago!
:rotfl:

Sorry to hear about all your troubles Stevebut glad that you got through them OK and yeah it's weird about the timing. I've been off the radar for a while but that's life. Back on watch again now.