Oberleutnant Michael Hoffmann
Patrol # 3

Duration:	14.12.1939 - 24.12.1939, 11 days on sea
Patrol Area:	AN59
Ship:	U-116, U-Flachs
Type:	II C
Flotilla:	9. Flotille, Brest

14.12.1939 11.55
We have passed the Goulet and the escorts are turning back to base. The bad results of our second patrol are still in our mind. My LI and I had long discussions with the technicial officers in the base, but found no explanation for the desaster with the torpedoes. The TOs promised us to do everything they can, but we are not the only boat facing torpedo problems. Hopefully the third patrol will be under a better star.
Our assigned patrol area is in near of the british coast. We have a very bad visibility which has to be expected in this time of the year. It is very foggy.

17.12/ 22.59 AN5641
We are surprised by a ship in 1.420m distance. This damned fog! We are approaching the target to identify it.

/23.05
We have to close to 400m distance to identy the ship! It is a british tanker with 2.000 BRT. We have only identified the flagg. No shipname visible.
Out of an angle of 0 degree we are firing a G7e, magnetic ingniter by 400m distance. The soundman reports the torpedo immediately as dud! We are looking with pale faces at each other. Will the same mess happen again?

/23.10
We have closed to 350m distance. The second G7e with a kontakt ingniter is released. The torpedo hits and the ship beginns to burn at once. We retreat from the place.

With heavy loop side the ships is sinking. Burning all over the chances for survivors are to zero.

18.12./03.00 AN5677
BdU is ordering us to intercept a convoy in AN7947. Hell, that is in the Channel! We are setting course and run with full flank ahead in the direction. What are our chances to catch the convoy with this bad visibility.?

/12.06 AN7632
We got them! But they are extraordinary fast. The general speed is about 11 knots, one knot less than our top speed. We wired the Kontaktmeldung. With that speed of the convoy we are not able to shadow it. An immediate attack will be our only chance. We are in front of the convoy by luck. In regard of the day-time I decide for a persicope attack. The visibility is getting better and our chances are sinking for an unrecognised approach. Many thanks! Other good news available? Yes, water-depth is only 160m!

/12.50
We are in opposite of the first line of the convoy. The nearest target is a 3.000 BRT freighter. We have to attack it, because they will see our periscope if we do not. Bigger targets in the first ans second line are a tanker with 7.000 BRT in 900m and a freighter with 5.000 BRT in 1.500m. We release all our three torpedoes (G7e, magnetic ingniters) against the three ships.
The first target receives the hit and is sinking. But soundmann reports second and third torpedo again as dud!
We are diving to 100m to reload the last torpedo and see what will follow. We are very frustated about the torpedoes. At the end we have to be thankfull that the first torpedo was not dud.

/12.56
HS contact in 40 degree. ASDIC is pulsing and depth charges are dropped. But far away from us

/13.19
With the last torpedo reloaded and no hs contacts we are back at periscope depth. The convoy is 5.000m away from us. A single eninge airplane is turning his rounds above the convoy. I decide to follow the convoy, even with the speed problem

/18.12
That damned fog! It took us five hours to get back in visible contact. We had submerged every hour for hydrophonic search and found always the convoy sound but never got visible contact. Kontaktmeldung wired: AN7357, main course 16 degree, main speed 11 knots. Immediately we lost visible contact again.

19.12./03.00 AN5582
Nearly 8 hours later with hydrophonic search we have visible contact. Kontaktmeldung wired. We try our best to get in a good postion.

/14.43
11 hours of fruitless attempts to close in. The speed of the convoy is too high! And now an escort turns towards us. We have to retreat.

/15.55
Approaching back we can not believe our eyes. Three escorts and two airplanes in sight! We submerge and drive to the last border of visibility.

20.12./04.15
We have lost even the hydrophonic contact! We are very near to the british coast. I decide to break up. What shall we hunt? The enemy is too fast and the visibility is too poor. We are turning towards our old patrol area.

23.12./06.45 AN5831
I WO reports contact in 1.400m. In approaching we identify a british merchant of 5.000 BRT. Out of a superb shooting postion we release the last torpedo, a G7a with kontakt ingniter. Soundman reports torpedo as dud! We are leaving the area and setting course back to base.

24.12./15.09
We have returned to base. Although having scored two ships, we feel that the luck has turned away from us. 4 dud torpedoes against 2 operational. The fruitless hunt of the advised convoy gave a further hit to our morale. I'm ordering my whole crew to the bar of Logonna. Only a lot of alcohol can solve our problems in the moment.What a lousy christmas!

PATROL RESULTS

DECORATIONS

U-boat badge	1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class

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