Korvettenkapitän Manfred Buchmann
Patrol # 32

Duration:	29.07.1944 - 16.08.1944, 18 days on sea
Patrol Area:	DG 22
Ship:	U 841, Crossed Swords
Type:	IX C/40
Flotilla:	9. Flotille, Brest transferring to Wilhelmshaven

29 July 1944, Brest
U-841 leaves Brest for the last time. KvtKptn. Thomsen has given me instructions to have my base of operations for the time being at Wilhelmshaven, to where I will return from this patrol. I am to keep in contact with him and submit to him all correspondance both at sea and on land. I do not have many of my old friends left at Brest, and so my departure is not as sad as I expected it would be. Poor old U-841 - quite an ancient boat compared to some of the new ones that are being talked about. The lines are cast off without any fanfare, and Thomsen waves goodbye at the quay. "Keep in touch," I hear him shout. I just wave back and adjust my cap.

I look at the crew still on deck. Many of them fresh faces, both to me and to the world. Back in the beginning, the young folks were full of excitement and confidence. Now their faces are creased not with the lines of aging, but of uncertainty and desperation. The old hands on the boat are numb to it all; they go through the routines without giving much of it a thought. I think they resigned themselves to St. Peter long ago, and instead of fearing his beckoning, it is anticipated.

30 July 1944, 05:33, BF5732
Air alarm. Again at 16:25 in BF4987.

31 July 1944, 05:09, BF7198
Air alarm. Again at 08:09 in BF7422.

13:25, BF7418
U-333 doesn't respond to calls from BdU. That's Erich Cremer's boat. I hope he got that transfer order he was looking for before his boat was shipped out again.

1 Aug 1944, 09:58, CF3361
Air alarm.

2 Aug 1944, 07:35, CF2955
Air alarm. We heard a torpedo being dropped, so we went to 210 meters for 10 minutes before rising to 150 meters.

4 Aug 1944, 10:35, CE9851
Air alarm. Just before we dive, we receive a message from U-671 at 50.23N, 00.06E reporting destroyers. The signal ends abruptly.

16:47, CE9797
A Sunderland swoops down from out of the clouds. It's too late to dive - we rush to the guns and try to swerve out of the way. The charges are let loose and explode near the bow of the boat. Immediately damage reports come up - the bow tubes and the fore hydroplanes are out of action. Damn! That marks the end of our patrol; without hydroplanes and bow tubes, we are useless. The Sunderland flies off, and we radio HQ. We are told to go to BD33 and await orders.

This could have been the end

8 Aug 1944, 07:32, BD6257
Air alarm.

9 Aug 1944, 00:09, BD3377
We reach BD33. HQ is contacted, and we are told to return to base - in Wilhelmshaven. Through the English Channel. Nothing ever comes easy anymore.

09:07, BE1191
Air alarm. Again at 23:21 in BE1386.

11 Aug 1944, 06:43, BE3644
A Sunderland swoops down again without warning. This time we are able to shoot it down and swerve out of the depth charges' way. We are shaken up but still intact.

10:22, BE3664
Incredibly enough, a lone tanker of 3000 tons is spotted! A rare sight nowadays. We take advantage of our working stern tubes and send it to the bottom. We leave the vicinity very quickly.

14 Aug 1944, 15:23, AN8459
Air alarm.

16 Aug 1944, 11:10, Wilhelmshaven
We tie up at the pier.

PATROL RESULTS

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

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