Korvettenkapitän Manfred Buchmann
Patrol # 26

Duration:     26.07.1943 - 27.09.1943, 33 days on sea
Patrol Area:   EQ 52
Ship:   U 841, Crossed Swords
Type:   IX C/40
Flotilla:   9. Flotille, Brest

26 Jul, 1943, 20:47, Brest
We leave the base. We always feel a little bit more danger each time we ship out. The lookouts are constantly reminded to be vigilant.

28 Jul, 08:00
U-359 in ED9325 says they're abandoning ship. Poor fellows.

14:00, CG1344
Air alarm. No damage.

29 Jul, 13:25
BdU radios U-614 to see if they reached their assigned area. There is no response.

30 Jul, 22:50
There is no response to BdU's messages from U-461.

31 Jul, 05:40, DH1263
Air alarm. No damage.

13:25
We receive an important message from BdU. All U-boats are advised to use extreme caution when using the Metox device. In areas of heavy air traffic, we are advised to turn it off if sighting the aircraft is possible in good time. In dark or bad visibility, or where there is not a lot of air activity, commanders can make a choice whether or not to use it.

1 Aug, 08:00
U-383 reports that they are sinking in BF5126 from aircraft. They request help.

2 Aug, 13:25
U-106 fails to answer calls from BdU.

3 Aug, 07:50
U-647 fails to respond.

4 Aug, 11:39
U-489 reports she is sinking in AE7935.

7 Aug
U-117 fails to answer calls at 13:25. At 15:30, U-615 fails to answer as well. Two boats sunk in two hours! We are dumbfounded.

9 Aug, 08:00
U-664 is slowly sinking in CD66 from carrier aircraft.

11 Aug, 13:25
U-525 fails to respond.

19:23
U-604 reports they are scuttling their boat to avoid capture in EE8821. There are escorts and aircraft.

14 Aug, 15:30
BdU radios all boats instructing us to discontinue the use of Metox immediately. Well, well, the Brits must have counteracted this device.

15 Aug, 06:19, EQ5263
Ship at 332 degrees (relative). One stern torpedo dispatches the 5.000 BRT freighter at 06:40.

16 Aug, 16:38, EQ5281
Air alarm!! In these waters? It must be from a carrier! As we are heading for the depths, the sonar man reports a torpedo has been released! Good God! We submerge to 153 meters. The screws dissipate. After one hour, we surface and search the area for a possible surface group. Nothing. We resume our patrol.

20 Aug, 13:25
BdU calls for U-197 to "report passage of the Cape". They fail to respond. Looks like their view of the Cape is permanently underwater.

22 Aug, 13:25
U-458 fails to respond.

24 Aug, 11:00
U-185 fails to respond.

12:45
Less than two hours later, U-84 in CE45 reports she has been hit by carrier aircraft and they are abandoning ship.

25 Aug, 23:40
"U-523. CG1645. Escorts. Heavy Damage. Will fight..." Transmission is cut off.

30 Aug, 06:10
U-634 fails to respond.

31 Aug, 14:30, EQ5267
A ship is at 264 degrees. Within a short time, we sink the American tanker with one torpedo for 6.000 BRT.

4 Sep, 15:10, EQ5237
A catalina plane is spotted with a torpedo! We crash dive to 210 meters! The torpedo misses and we surface an hour and a half later.

18:32, EQ5238
A short time later we see a ship at 16 degrees. One torpedo sinks the 4.000 BRT merchant.

7 Sep, 12:50
U-669 fails to respond to calls.

8 Sep, 04:50
"U-760. CG2121. Heavy Damage. Will try to make Vigo."

12 Sep, 08:00
U-617 in CH7566 reports many escorts and aircraft. They are setting scuttling charges.

13 Sep, 15:00, EQ5239
Air alarm. No damage.

15 Sep, 05:00
We decide it's time to return home. What a waste.

17:17, EQ3149
Ship at 304 degrees. Two torpedoes send it to the bottom for 7.000 BRT.

17 Sep, 15:40, EH1599
We sight a ship at 11 degrees. As we approach the tanker, it begins shelling at 6.000 meters. We submerge and blow the 11.000 BRT ship apart with two torpedoes.

20 Sep, 08:00
"U-338. AD8911. Aircraft attack. Pumps can't keep up. Will try..."

22 Sep, 13:25
U-229 fails to respond to calls from BdU.

16:00, DG9454
Ship at 270 degrees. After a long underwater pursuit we sink the ship with one torpedo for an additional 6.000 BRT.

24 Sep, 12:01, CF6337
Air alarm. Liberator. We escape with no damage.

13:25
No reponse from U-221.

25 Sep, 15:34, BE9961
Air alarm. Two aircraft this time. No damage.

26 Sep, 15:50, BF8138
Air alarm.

27 Sep, 10:51, Brest
We return to the base.

Personal analysis:
This patrol has been very disheartening. 23 U-boats have been sunk during this patrol. I do not share this with the men; only the officers and the radio man are aware of this fact. We are fortunate to have such a fine crew, who knows how different our situation would be if the aircraft we encountered were not spotted in time. We also found out that Italy has surrendered to the Allies. Looks like there will be no more operations in the Meditteranean Sea.

PATROL RESULTS

Merchants

Escorts

Warships

BRT
Patrol results:

6

0

0

39.000
Total career results:

200

13

1

1.298.577

DECORATIONS

U-boat badge

1939 Iron Cross
2nd Class

1939 Iron Cross
1st Class

Knights Cross

Knights Cross
with Oak Leaves

Knights Cross with
Oak Leves and Swords

Knights Cross with
Oak Leaves, Swords
and Diamonds

Back to top of page