Korvettenkapitän Manfred
Buchmann
Patrol # 28
Duration: | 18.11.1943 - 13.12.1943, 26 days on sea |
Patrol Area: | BB 56 |
Ship: | U 841, Crossed Swords |
Type: | IX C/40 |
Flotilla: | 9. Flotille, Brest |
18 Nov 1943, 19:00, Brest
We have received orders to take two guests from the Abwehr to the coast of
Newfoundland. An interesting twist to our usual patrol assignments! They
are good chaps, although not very talkative. The Abwehr has made sure of
that, I see.
19 Nov, 09:10, BF4358
Air alarm. No damage, although it certain shakes up our two guests!
20 Nov, 15:30
U-536 under command of my friend Rolf Schauenburg fails to respond to calls
from BdU.
21 Nov, 13:25
U-538, sister boat to U-536, also fails to respond.
23 Nov, 08:00
U-648 reports she is sinking in BD8628.
25 Nov, 13:25
U-849 fails to respond.
26 Nov, 08:33, BC4554
Air alarm. No damage.
27 Nov, 18:10, BB5697
We reach our assigned patrol area - on my birthday, too! I am now 34 years
old - quite the "old man"! After a celebration on board the boat, we stow
away our decorations and prepare for the more serious matter of sending our
guests off on Newfoundland. We surface, with decks awash, and successfully
deposted the two men on the beach via rubber boats. As we leave the area,
gunfire is thought to be heard coming from the vicinity. I wonder what that
was all about.
Part of our patrol assignments indicate that we are allowed, although not suggested (or recommended, for that matter), to patrol inside the Newfoundland gulf. Hoping to find sheltered shipping, we as a crew decide to attempt it.
28 Nov, 08:00
U-542 is sinking from aircraft in CF98.
15:14, BB2786
Air alarm. A torpedo is dropped from the aircraft, but it does nothing.
29 Nov, 17:15, BB2423 (deep inside the gulf!)
A ship is spotted at 9 degrees (relative). One stern shot sinks the merchant
for 4000 BRT. We are deep inside the gulf at this point! Quite a feat for
U-841!
1 Dez, 23:10, BB4564
We receive a message from U-1160 that a convoy is headed outbound at BB7525,
not very far away from us. Very soon after that, we receive a message from
BdU ordering us to intercept. The chase is on!
2 Dez, 17:32, BB8422
Contact is made with the convoy, and we send a radio signal. At this point,
escorts bear down on us, so we keep just on the other side of a rain squall
to avoid our pursuers. I lead them around the back of the convoy, then I
shoot ahead straight into the rear of the columns. It's a very small convoy,
however, a small 10.000 BRT aircraft carrier is sighted! I keep out of its
way and approach from the flank. Submerging, I shoot two torpedoes into its
side, and it rolls over. Surfacing, I can now take control of the situation!
Back and forth I go, running up and down three columns of ships. 5 merchants
and 2 tankers are sunk for 33.546 BRT! As I search around for more ships,
I realize that was the entire convoy! Only the escorts are left! I race out
of the area. How bewildered the escorts must be at this point - no U-boat
detected, and the entire convoy of 7 ships (plus aircraft carrier) sunk!
4 Dez, 14:55, BB6489
Luck can't always be with U-841, and that is evident as a Hudson bomber sweeps
down from the clouds and unleashes four depth charges. Our gunners manage
to shoot it down, but not before the charges knock out our electric motors,
destroy our forward exterior tube doors, and severely damage our fuel tanks.
We decide to head home. We are crippled with no electric motor or forward
tubes to work with.
7 Dez, 08:02, BC3986
Air alarm. No damage.
9 Dez, 10:45, BD3598
Air alarm. No damage.
13 Dez, 04:41, Brest
We return to base.
PATROL RESULTS
Merchants |
Escorts |
Warships |
BRT |
|
Patrol results: | 9 |
0 |
1 |
37.546 |
Total career results: | 226 |
13 |
2 |
1.455.768 |
DECORATIONS
U-boat badge |
1939 Iron Cross |
1939 Iron Cross |
Knights Cross |
Knights Cross |
Knights Cross with |
Knights Cross with |
|
|