Oberleutnant Manfred Buchmann
Patrol # 6

Duration:	10.06.1940 - 26.06.1940, 16 days on sea
Patrol Area:	CG38/AD59
Ship:	U-87, Crossed Swords
Type:	VII B
Flotilla:	9. Flotille, Brest

10. Jun. 40, 21.40
Leave Port. I'm very excited at the prospects of coming home expecting a Knight's Cross! Only a few hundred more tons to go! However, I can't help but feel a little nervous. We have been ordered on station near Gibraltar at CG88. Obltn. v.u.z. Kronau-Wahrsteiner was attempting a breakthrough and has not been heard from, so we must be alert in case we are needed for help.

12 Jun 40, 16.29
We receive a message from Obltn. v.u.z. Kronau-Wahrsteiner in U-770 in which he explains his intentions to abort his mission and return to base. His torpedoes are expended and his boat is slightly damaged, and it would be a lot better to try a Gibraltar break-through under better circumstances. After receiving this, I radio BdU to confirm whether or not I should continue to CG88. BdU responds with the order to patrol AD59 instead.

23.45, AN4422
A freighter to port. Guns are visible on both the fore and aft decks. Our first torpedo launched at 560 meters, but it missed. As we swung around to get a better angle, the ship fires once. The first shot hits us! Unbelievable accuracy! Minor leaks in the control room, the chief reckons it will take one hour to repair. Meanwhile, dive to periscope depth and release two torpedoes. Both hits, and the ship breaks in half and sinks. Some crew got into lifeboats, but when we surface to try to assist, they row frantically away. Despite our best efforts, they refuse to come near. They can't be helped if they won't let us, so we resume our patrol. Chalk up another 10.000 BRT freighter for me! Now that I've surpassed 100.000 BRT, I'll get the Knight's Cross! Everyone cheers

The last tons for the Knight Cross!

.

13 Jun 40, 15.27, AM3218
Merchant sighted. At 5.200 meters it opens fire, so we go to periscope depth. It's a heavy merchant with general cargo, 8.000 BRT. At 450 meters one torpedo is fired. It hits, and the ship sinks! We resume patrol.

14 Jun 40, 03.52, AE9742
Air alarm. We surface again at 05.00.

15 Jun 40, 23.29, AD5998
We reach our assigned patrol quadrant.

17 Jun 40, 15.12, AD5995
Smoke on the horizon, 41 degrees (relative). We radio in, and it looks to be possibly 9 ships with only 2 escorts. Great! As we try to work our way in closer, we see three, no, four, no, FIVE escorts. I can't believe it. Two are in persuit, but I maneuver out of the way to avoid them. By 02.23 the visibility has turned to almost zero, and we keep a sharp lookout. We run right into the flank of the convoy. Maneuvering around at flank speed, we fire the stern tube at a 2.000 BRT merchant. Hit, sunk! Bow shot at another 2.000 BRT merchant. That hits and it sinks as well. Now there's an escort right on my tail, so I crash dive. We are hunted for an hour and a half. Depth charges blast all around us, and the forward hatch is damaged.

04.00
We surface. The fogs burns off as we go after the convoy, and it's revealed that there are 8 destroyers guarding this rich flock. We send one last message off to BdU and call it quits. We resume patrol.

19 Jun 40, 09.59, AD5992
Smoke clouds ahead. We radio BdU and send constant reports, shadowing until dusk. We attack the left flank of the convoy at 20.10, firing all four forward tubes. We hit and sink 2.000 BRT, 6.000 BRT, and 8.000 BRT ships! Hurrah! Two destroyers charge up to the rear, so we crash dive. They don't seem to have a fix on us, so I stay at 30 meters. Once they pass overhead I come back up to periscope depth and fire the stern tube at a tanker worth 2.254 BRT. The torpedo hits and the ship sinks. We are lightly depth-charged, and we work feverishly to reload the torpedo tubes. Once that is done we come back up to periscope depth to let two eels loose at a 8.000 BRT merchant. They both blow the stern off the ship, and it founders in a matter of seconds. By this time the 6 escorts have attained a fix, and I'm punished severely. We go to 200 meters.

05.00 (20 Jun)
The boat is heavily damaged. At one point the boat was blasted down to a remarkable depth of 253 meters! The chief gives me the damage report: Fore hydroplanes damaged beyond repair. Forward exterior doors blasted to hell and completely useless. Hydrophones are damaged. Pressure hull is damaged. Bow compartment pumps are broken, and the radio and forward hatch are damaged. I come to periscope depth and find nothing. No one around. I surface and head the boat back towards Brest.

21 Jun 40, 07.48, AL2259
Air alarm.

23 Jun 40, 07.14, AM4898
We run into a convoy, and signal it's particulars. It's outbound, a small convoy with not much of an escort. Too bad I'm in such poor condition with no torpedoes!

26 Jun 40, 14.52
We return to port flying nine pennants! And the Knights Cross is presented to me on the pier from the Lion himself!

PATROL RESULTS

DECORATIONS

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

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