Oberleutnant Manfred Buchmann
Patrol # 4

Duration:	09.01.1940 - 13.01.1940, 5 days on sea
Patrol Area:	AN15
Ship:	U-59, Crossed Swords
Type:	II C
Flotilla:	9. Flotille, Brest

9 Jan. 40 16:17
We leave port. We are all hoping desperately that something has improved regarding our torpedo situation. I guess the saying "All Beginnings are Difficult" really is true!

11 Jan. 40 09:46 AN4454
Lookouts spot a convoy ahead! I am very excited; we've never attacked a convoy before. We radio headquarters our findings: course 250 degrees, speed 7. We move closer on the surface to get a better look at exactly what we're up against. Two destroyers are seen farther off and they apparently are headed the other way.

12:20
A destroyer, about 14.000 meters away, spots us. Damn! We must have come too close! Crash dive! We level off at 150 meters. That was the fastest we ever dove! For the first time we hear a destroyer's "ping" that we've all been told about. It's a very eerie experience. It moves off without dropping any depth charges, so I come to periscope depth at 13:50. Nothing in sight. I surface and continue to track the convoy. We regain contact and I maneuver ahead of the convoy and prepare for interception at dusk.

18:47
The convoy is now heading for us, but escorts are all over the place. My hopes for a surface attack is now not practical, so I submerge and ask for constant tracking from my sound man.

19:44
The sound man reports the convoy has changed direction. Blast! We come to periscope depth. After a quick look around, we are facing the convoy's left flank. The nearest freighter is about 8.800 meters away, the nearest destroyer about 10.000 meters and heading another way. We're closer to the convoy than any escort, and it's a night with no moon. Shall we chance surfacing, making a quick dash and hitting the convoy? Absolutely! Surface and flank speed!

20:05
Surging through the ocean at 11 knots, we focus on a 6.000 BRT freighter before us. As we near it, I am alerted to an escort approaching us to our left, plowing at close to 30 knots, headed right for us! I turn back to the freighter, 1.230 meters away. Quick! No time to lose. I'm not as close as I'd like to be, but this will have to do. Three torpedoes fired, then crash dive! As our motors drive us down into the depths, two torpedo hits are heard! The third torpedo must have missed; it's been over a minute since it should have hit.
The destroyer approaches overhead. The pinging is terrible. The water is shallow, so I can't go any deeper than 150 meters. In the meantime, we hear bulkheads bursting, so the ship must have gone down. The escort can't seem to find us; no depth charges are dropped.

21:32
The destroyer seems to have moved off. Periscope depth reveals nothing. I surface, reload the tubes and head towards the convoy. Unfortunately, that means into more shallow water, but we'll take the risks.

23:00
The freighters are sighted ahead of us. A destroyer is sighted passing astern, far away, headed the other direction, so we haven't been seen. Ahead a 21.000 BRT ship plods along! It's unbelievable; it's monstrous! Focusing on that ship, we come broadside and fire our remaining three torpedoes. Our tubes are empty, so we turn around and try to dash out the way we came in. As we're turning, two brilliant flashes with resounding "booms" occur! The ship begins to list towards port, filling rapidly. It sinks by the stern.
Chalk up 27.000 tons for this patrol! Now, full speed out of this place! We radio headquarters our results and convoy course. Heading for port.

13 Jan. 40 17:02
Arrive at base.

U-87 on it's way to his element and his new captain

PATROL RESULTS

DECORATIONS

U-boat badge	1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class	1939 Iron Cross 1st Class

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