U-51 Kapitänleutnant Hans Felix Hartmann

[CPTLTJASON]

8/25/1939 Norwegian Sea, Point Red 4, 25th day at sea

Schiff 35 Made her way south during the passage she sighted 2 British uboats which passed without incident. She arrived at Point Red 4 and at 06:40 Admiral Graf Spee came into view and after exchanging recognition signals the transfer of 2 officers, 5 Feldwebels, and 10 ratings as well as some supplies, charts, and equipment not available at the time of our departure. By 10:45 the transfer was complete and the crew of Schiff 35 wished the Graf Spee, who set course for the South Atlantic, a safe voyage. We will linger in the Norwegian Sea until further notice.

[CPTLTJASON]

9/6/1939 North Sea 37th day at sea

On September 3, 1939 England declared war on Germany. Hartmann opened his sealed orders and Schiff 35 made for her first operational area off Scapa Flow she laid 136 mines during a heavy Storm. Heavy seas, fog, and blinding sleet showers covered her first operation. She made it through the Faroe Islands Channel and is now in the North Sea when she will mine further ports. After the mine laying is complete she will commence Handelskrieg.

[CPTLTJASON]

8/20/1939 Kiel, Basin IV, 1st day at sea

FregKpt.z.S Hartmann travelled to Berlin on 8/11 to be briefed on Schiff 35’s patrol. She willl depart Kiel on the 20th and make for Jan Mayern Island where she was to await further instructions. Schiff 35 will be stocked to the brim with fresh food, supplies, fuel, water, coal, ammunition, 28 torpedoes, and 445 mines. In Holds 3, 5, and 8 tons of paint and structural materials were stored to effect disguises. Hartmann returned with sealed orders on August 13th. During the next few days 5 Arado Ar 196 A-1 Aircraft were taken aboard 2 ready for use and 3 crated and stored away below decks.

Luftwaffe personnel arrived on August 18th led by Hauptmann Werner Klink they consist of 3 officers, 5 petty officers, and 15 ratings. On August 24th 2 Leichte Schnellboote were embarked LS 15 under L.z.S Ulrich Hauser and LS 20 under L.z.S Wilhelm Schultz. In addition 3 prize crews were embarked.

Loading was completed late on the 19th. Today at 05:00 hrs. the port watch was called at 08:00 hrs. and Schiff 35 cast off from Basin V and slowly made her way through Kiel our next report will be when she reaches her ordered position.

[CPTLTJASON]

9/2/1939 Jan Mayern Island 13th day at sea

Schiff 35 arrived on the 27th of August and met the tanker Ermland. The Kommandant went aboard for a conference with Kapitän Dahlman in the meantime Schiff 35 took on fuel and water. She was disguised as a Soviet research ship KOSTROMA the following modifications were made,
-Hull painted black
-Blue band with a hammer and sickle on each side
These modifications were complete within 7 hours
At 17:33 smoke was sighted and an hour later they were joined by the Kybfels under Korvettenkapitän Ulrich Kraus this freighter will have a variety or roles from scout ship to prison ship. On September 1st While securing the recently loaded mines a radio message came over the radio announcing that the Wehrmacht invaded Poland at 04:45 am. Hartmann decided to depart the following morning at 08:00.

The Kybfels and the Ermland will accompany Schiff 35 to capture a whaling fleet that is known to be operating in the vicinity of naval squares ÄH 60 and ÄH 90. The intelligence officer Oblt.z.S Kruger determined the fleet consists of 1 factory ship, 1 freighter, and 10 whalers. Hartmann plans to shadow the fleet for roughly 3 weeks.

[CPTLTJASON]

9/4/1939 North Greenland Sea 14th day at sea

Schiff 35 detached the Ermland and Kybfels at naval square ÄH 9475 with instructions to proceed towards the whaling grounds 72 hours later. Today while forging ahead through heavy seas and sleet showers the radio room picked up signals from the fleet. They were progress reports, At 04:36 3 whalers arrived at the factory which is captained by a man named Rutherford 13 whales reported captured. 04:41 another radio message this one from L-9 under a man named Karlson reports that he is returning to the factory with 5 whales captured. According to radio direction they’re roughly to the NNW range 182 km the navigator L.z.S Schneider estimates that the fleet is in the vicinity of 82°N, 7°W. Schiff 35 will patrol a radius of 100 km from the coordinates given. The radio messages have given us some details on the fleet, whalers are designated with the letter L followed by a number so far whalers L-36, L-19, L-10, and L-9 have been identified. It’s possible that this is a United Whalers Ltd. fleet.

For the next 2 weeks we will continue to shadow the movements of the fleet.

[CPTLTJASON]

Decided to restart the patrol again. I'll do some more planning. take more in game pictures and ready more disguises. Also i need to get familiarized with a surface ships' Kriegstagebuch and hopefully next week Schiff 35 will sail.

[CPTLTJASON]

10/25/1938, Deschimag, AG Weser Bremen, Commissioning Pier, Kriegstagebuch Nr.1 (1st day)
Early history of “Schiff 35”
The DDG Hansa freighter HAMFELS 9.000 grt was launched from Deshimag AG Weser, Bremen on January 25, 1937. She was assigned the Hamburg-Calcutta route. Under Kapitan Rudolf Karphorn the Hamfels would make 6 voyages to Calcutta, on her last voyage she returned fully loaded with tin, rubber oil nuts, and oil cakes. She docked at Hamburg on April 2, 1938 and began unloading her cargo. Early in the morning of April 14th 2 officers, 10 petty officers, and 45 ratings of the Kriegsmarine boarded the freighter and informed the captain that the Hamfels was being requisitioned for naval service. she was now under the command of Kplt.z.S Wolfgang Arnhart (N.4454.33V).By the 30th All civilian crew were disembarked, and the empty freighter departed during the night. At 07:00 hrs. she arrived at Deschimag, AG Weser Werft and work began. For 6 months she remained there where she was lengthened by some 200 feet (100 fore and aft), at the Oberdeck she was strengthened to take on 8x5.9 in guns from the old battleship Hessen (4 port and 4 starboard). 2 additional 5.9s were installed on the Poop deck and on the forecastle. On September 5 Barracks Ship 35 was assigned a new Kommandant KKpt.z.S Hans Felix Hartmann (N.1829.19A). Work on Schiff 35 was completed on October 1st, 1938 and she was commissioned today on October 25, 1938 at 12:00 hrs.

[CPTLTJASON]

11/1/1938 Baltic, Kiel Basin V, Kriegstagebuch Nr.1 (17th day)

After commissioning Schiff 35 began taking on fuel, coal, and water and she departed Bremen on night of October 27th and worked her way up to Bremerhaven where she took on part of her crew. Remaining there during the night the mystery ship departed at 01:00 hrs. on the 28th making for Brunsbüttel passing Cuxhaven late in the evening she arrived at Brunsbüttel at 22:50 hrs. entered the lock and dropped anchor to make the passage in the morning. Weighing anchor at 05:00 hrs. Schiff 35 cast off and proceeded at 8 knots towards Rendsburg she passed the harbor at 13:11 hrs. Schiff 35 finally arrived at the Holtenau Lock at 00:15 hrs. on the 29th and proceeded to dock at Basin V where she currently remains.
For the next 5 days she will take on fuel, coal, water, mines, torpedoes, ammunition, 110 officers and crew bringing the total to 400 officers, petty officers, and ratings. KKpt.z.S Hartmann received Schiff 35’s orders, she will depart for her training cruise on November 10th at 04:00 hrs.

[CPTLTJASON]

6/30/1939 Baltic, Kiel, Kriegstagebuch Nr.1 (248th day)

Schiff 35 completed her training cruise successfully during that time she carried out artillery and torpedo exercises followed by minelaying and boarding exercises she returned to Kiel on March 5, 1939 after 115 days at sea. She dropped anchor in her designated area and that is where she has been. For months there has been nothing to do but maintain the ship and for the Kommandant and officers to receive, acknowledge, read, and comment on dispatches from Berlin Schiff 35 has become a floating office. On June 1, 1939 FKpt.z.S Hartmann travelled to Berlin to receive the briefing from the Seekriegslietung. Hartmann was briefed by Kapitan.z.S Hans Voss (I. Asto), Schiff 35 will depart Kiel on July 1, 1939 and make for the North Greenland Sea and remain there until further notice after that he would be on his own to operate independently. The tanker Ermland will depart on the 31st and make for Jan Mayern Island. Hartmann returned on the 9th of June and Schiff 35 shifted to Basin V and began taking on fuel, water, and coal. The following day she took on her ammunition, 28 torpedoes, and 445 EMC mines. 3 trains arrived early on the 13th and delivered all kinds of equipment and supplies from tropical uniforms to cigarettes . The tanker Ermland came alongside on the 22nd and began loading crates, these contained 3 Arado Ar 196 A-1. “Kindly” provided by Hauptmann Vollrath Wibel, (Kommandant of Bordfliegergruppe 5/196) were another 2 fully assembled aircraft, these were loaded aboard one went into Hold No.3 and the other to Hold No.2. The catapult had been moved to Hold No.1. On the 28th 2 Leichte Schnellboote arrived and were taken aboard. These were acquired with great difficulty along with 20 torpedoes, and the 50 mines provided by the Kommandant of the Kiel Naval Arsenal (Kapitan.z.S Ulrich von Gross) these are commanded by L.z.S Erich Fredrich von Toltz and L.z.S Sepp Gruenwald. Each boat has a crew of 7 aside from these there are an additional crew of 5 (mechanics). Final loading was completed on June 30th with one last train bringing in the fresh produce, live pigs, and poultry. Schiff 35 cast off from Basin V and as the sun set on the 30th she returned to her anchorage in the harbor.

The last entry in the Kriegstagebuch read,

Schiff 35 ready for departure.
Signed
Hartmann
FKpt.z.S und Kmdt

[CPTLTJASON]

7/1/1939 Baltic, Kiel, 00:00 hrs. Kriegstagebuch Nr.2 (1st day at sea)

At 00:00 hrs. the starboard watch was called, anchor raised, and Schiff 35 steamed quietly out of Kiel Harbor. Hartmann has been ordered to steam into the Baltic and to change the ship’s disguise. She departs as “Naval Transport 10”. In the Baltic Hartmann will have the ship disguised as a Soviet freighter from Arkhangelsk after that Schiff 35 will turn around and begin to work her way up to the North Greenland Sea.

[CPTLTJASON]

7/4/1939 Baltic Sea, Kriegstagebuch Nr.2, 3rd day at sea

On leaving Kiel Schiff 35 encountered heavy seas and high winds. Hartmann needed calm weather to carry out the conversion so he proceed further East and finally on the evening of July 3rd calm seas were found and no time was wasted in getting out the scaffolding and paint brushes the funnel remained black only a red band and 2 hammer and sickles were added and a thick black band was painted around the bridge. Signs in Russian and English were made up for the propellers they read “Ware of our propellers” these were mounted astern one on each side. At 21:36 the Soviet flag was hoisted on the mainmast and Schiff 35 now the KOSTROMA out of Murmansk headed East in hopes of meeting a real Soviet ship to test his disguise, Today at 09:28 in naval square AO 6113 lookouts sighted a Soviet tanker closing to 1.700m it is the VLAD MOLOTOV 4,800 grt from Leningrad to Aberdeen both ships exchanged friendly greetings and soon parted ways. Satisfied that the disguise will hold Hartmann steers west and Schiff 35 will make for the Great Belt.

[CPTLTJASON]

7/19/1939 North Greenland Sea, Kriegstagebuch Nr.2 18th day at sea

Schiff 35 continued her passage through the Baltic, on July 7th lookouts sighted a Dutch tanker she passed to starboard at a range of 2.300m. During the next 3 days she transited the Great Belt/Kattegat/Skagerrak without incident, soon she made out into the North Sea, Course 347°. While transiting north the crew settled down to their routine. On July 11th Schiff 35 entered the Norwegian Sea and the Kommandant ordered daily Decamouflage and Artillery exercises. On the 14th one of the aircraft was ready for its first flight which was to be a training and reconnaissance flight. at 07:00 hrs. the Arado Ar 196 A-1 (TW+6N) was brought up the lift to deck level. The port derrick on the bridge was hoisted up, derrick no 4 on the foremast was used to lift the Arado and at 07:17 the aircraft was put in the water, engine started, and took off. At 10:45 the Arado returned and the pilot Oblt Fritz Anderson reported to the Kommandant. Schiff 35 continued her passage north, the radio room reported several ships nearby (4 British, 1 Soviet, 6 Norwegian, and 1 Greek) on July 18th Schiff 35 arrived at her ordered position Naval Square AB 1323 and will remain here until further notice.

[CPTLTJASON]

8/31/1939 North Greenland Sea, Kriegstagebuch Nr.2 61st day at sea

Since the last report, the radio room has picked up numerous radio messages indicating war might be imminent so the Kommandant has stepped up training. For 42 days the crew carried out Artillery, Minelaying, torpedo firing, ship boarding, aircraft launching, and ship boarding exercises. The Kommandant is now satisfied that the crew is ready for action. Today at 03:36 Lookouts sighted smoke bearing 177°T range 7.750 m the ship closed to 1.300m and exchanged recognition signals its is the freighter Kybfels under the command of KKpt Karl Miller (EK I) the ships tied alongside and began loading fuel, fresh food, 3 prize crews (2 officers, 5 petty officers, and 15 ratings each), parts for the Leichte Schnellboote and the Aircraft (4 spare floats, 2 wings, and 3 engines), and some maps , sailing instructions, and pilot books not available at the time of Schiff 35’s departure. By 19:42 loading was complete while the Kommandant of Schiff 35 and the Kybfels held a conference the radio room picked up a radio message for Schiff 35. here is part of the radio message “Open sealed orders and proceed as directed.” Schiff 35 is ordered to make for the Barents Sea and await further instructions. She is to sail along with the Kybfels as soon as possible. Hartmann will weigh anchor early tomorrow morning and make for the ordered position “Schiff 35 and the Kybfels are to patrol the area between 30° E and 100° E” these would be naval squares Ä G, Ä F, XA, and YB. The Camouflage of the ship was altered the funnel’s red band was made wider and the hammer and sickle larger. Schiff 35 and the Kybfels will depart tomorrow at 00:00 hrs.

[CPTLTJASON]

9/5/1939 Barents Sea, Kriegstagebuch Nr.2 66th day at sea

On September 1, 1939 at 05:30 hrs. the radio room Wehrmacht marched into Poland on September 1, 1939 at 05:00 hrs. the crew was mustered at 12:00 hrs. and given the news, it was received in silence. After a lecture by their respective division officers on security the crew went on with their duties.. Schiff 35 entered the Barents Sea late on the 2nd. The following day at 13:30 the radio room messenger came tearing into the Kommandants cabin with a hot message from Berlin , “Commence hostilities against England Forthwith” The following day a one word message was sent to the Kybfels, (Kaperfahrt) with this both.
ships began Handelskrieg . FKpt.z.S Hartmann ordered the Kybfels to scout 10 km ahead of Schiff 35 and report immediately any developments. Later that day Australia declared war. September 5th at 07:12 Kybfels reported, “Smoke on the horizon bearing 336°T range 9.300m” at 07:15 the engine room telegraphs rang out full ahead and soon Schiff 35 was making 19 knots. 07:30 over the loudspeakers came the order “Crew to battle stations standby to decamouflage”. Schiff 35 sped past Kybfels which had slowed to 7 knots. By 09:00 hrs. Schiff 35 had closed the range to 1.800m and was covered by a fogbank . At 09:10 came the order “Hoist battle ensign, decamouflage, and fire a warning shot over the bow” in less than 2 seconds Schiff 35 was ready for action, the foremost 5.9 fired a warning shot, the now identified.
British freighter turned on a searchlight and began to transmit. Hartmann signaled to the ship “Cease transmissions and abandon ship” the vessel did not comply, Hartmann ordered Schiff 35 to open fire. The Artillery Officer Kplt.z.S.V Byer had no trouble finding the range and 24 HE 5.9 in shells sent the small freighter to the bottom there was no change of boarding the ship as she quickly caught fire. The Kybfels soon arrived and began picking up the 15 survivors. The captain of the British came aboard Schiff 35 (Master G.D. Ridley) and was promptly interrogated by the Kommandant he hardly gave any information the captain was sent to the prisoner’s quarters.
British freighter MAYBURRY 4.686 grt from London she belonged to the Bibby Line and was leased by the whaling company Whalers United Ltd.
The second mate (A.L. Jones) of the Mayburry was brought aboard for interrogation the following information was obtained “Special whaling fleet under charter of the British Admiralty is operating between 90°E and 110°E. The fleet consists of 2 whaling factories (former White Star Line liners) 10 whalers, and one depot ship. A transport ship and tanker will arrive at the beginning of October to take on whale meat, oil, and the mail.” When pressed for more information the officer went silent. We will take this information with a grain of salt and will proceed to the ordered coordinates from the Seekriegslietung. The radio room successfully jammed the distress calls of the Mayburry as no station or ship has acknowledged or asked for a repeat. Course East 090°.

[CPTLTJASON]

9/13/1939 Barents Sea Kriegstagebuch Nr.2 74th day at sea

Schiff 35 has been hunting the elusive whaling fleet , 2 days earlier the catapult was put to use and launched 2 Arados without much difficulty. The second Arado reported faint signals near position 81°E, 49°W Schiff 35 closed on this position and arrived yesterday Hartmann stopped the ship and radio room went to work, 3 radio messages were picked up which confirmed the presence of the fleet. Kybfels was summoned to our position, however early today the operation fell apart when a group of destroyers were heard approaching the fleet. Hartmann decides it’s not worth the risk and will meet Kybfels for a mining operation off England after that both will make for operations in the Atlantic.

Alterations to ship’s camouflage bridge face painted white with black line. Remaining camouflage will remain until we reach the Atlantic.