Oberleutnant Michael Hoffmann
Patrol # 6

Duration:	03.06.1940 - 09.06.1940, 7 days on sea
Patrol Area:	AK73
Ship:	U-302, U-Flachs
Type:	VII B
Flotilla:	9. Flotille, Brest

03.06.1940 11.53
We are leaving the port under the shelter of two Me110. The airplanes are buzzing like big hornets over our little convoy. Our head aches from their noise and also as a surplus from the celebration yesterday night in Logonna. Obltn. Reiss received the EK II and Kptnltn. Timmermann returned from patrol. I think a lot of my crew and I will never drink any more vodka. These guys from U-102 are really crazy!
Our patrol area is AK73. The middle of the North-Atlantic, far away from any enemy airplanes. Very good!

06.06./04.47 AM3443
We spotted an enemy airplane. It is too far away to be indetified correctly. In crash diving we receive two depth charges causing no damage.

/17.46
II WO reports a contact in 20.000m distance, bearing 270 degree. Course 310 degree, speed 2 knots. We are advancing to identify the target.

/18.15
The contact is identified as the canadian freighter "Bear trap" with 1.000 BRT . We signalise them to leave the ship, because we will open fire with our deck-gun. The ship stops and two life boats are set out.

/19.30
With the enemy crew in in a safe distance we open fire. After 4 rounds with the 8,8 the ship is sinking. The crew in the life boats wants nothing from us, because they had enough time to supply themself. We show them the way to the scottish coast and wish them good luck.

07.06./01.25 AM1453
It is as dark as in the ass of an ice-bear. I WO reports an escort in 4.200m distance to the left behind us. Only one escort? There must be something more around here. We turn our boat and pass the escort now on the right in 3.000m.

/01.32 AM1429
We have visual contact to two merchants in a column. It seems that we are in the middle of a convoy. The visibility is so low, that we cannot see anything more.

/01.37
Out of a distance of 670m we fire a G7e torpedo with a kontact ingniter on an unidentified tanker with 3.000 BRT. The torpedo hits and the ship is sinking.

/01.40
The second ship is a freighter with 3.000 BRT. It sinks after receiving a G7e torpedo with kontakt ingniter, shot out of a distance of 600m. We allocate a further tanker in the column. Also three eskorts are setting course to the sinking place of the first target. We identify an escort 2.800m behind us. Two other escorts are passing us on the left and the right in a distance of 3.000m

/01.45
I release the stern torpedo out of a distance of 1.120m towards the tanker. Normally I do not shoot out of such a far distance, but we see now the next column in front of us and if we hit the 4.000 BRT behind us, the escorts will leave us in peace whilst we are attacking the next preys.
The torpedo hits and the ship is sinking. We can hear also the explosion of depth charges far behind us.

/01.47
In the column in front of us we identify three ships. We attack them from behind. The first ship to fall is a freighter with 6.000 BRT. We got him with a G7e mangetic ingniter out of a distance of 830m.

/01.50
The next ship is a 4.000 BRT tanker. The last torpedo in our bow tubes, a G7a kontakt ingniter gets him out of a distance of 800m.

/01.59
The torpedo maat reports the first bow tube reloaded. We fire a G7a kontatk ingniter on the third target, a mass good freighter with 8.000 BRT out of distance of 710m. The torpedo hits but the ship is only reducing its speed. Visibility is dropping more and more.

/02.15
After reloading the stern tube we attack the damaged freighter. It sinks after receiving a G7a magnetic ingniter torpedo.

/02.17
Bow tube reloaded

/02.25
The convoy must have changed his course. We see two ships passing our course from the right to the left. we attack 2.000 BRT freighter with a G7a magnetic ingniter out of distance of 650m distance. It sinks immediately.

/02.55
We are shadowing the second ship in 3.000m distance. Sometimes escorts are in sight, but they are on search course and always disappearing. The crew in the ship is working as mad to get the tubes reloaded. I order also the deck torpedoes to reload in the ship knowing that this is a risky operation, but the visibilty is so low and we did not find any destroyer before. If they see us we will run with our superior speed.

/03.10
With two bow tubes reloaded I attack the 9.000 BRT freighter. The ship is sinking after the first hit and the second hit blows it in pieces.

/03.45
An escort is behind us and trying to attack, but we are faster and run with full speed ahead. Unfortunately the visibility is getting better.

/04.35
The escort is still behind us and distance is growing only slowly, but we have finished our reload operations.

/07.00
The escort does not give up. I decide for a persicope attack.

/07.21
The escort is 2.000m ahead. The ASDIC pings are all around. I identify the escort as a british 1.000 to Korvette. In ordering sneak drive the bow tubes are openend.

/07.25
Out of a distance of 600m I release a double shot with G7a magnetic ingniters, both miss!

/07.26
The third torpedo is fired out of only 300m. The escort towards us and we are crash diving. Soundman reports torpedo as dud. We receive some depth chrages very near. Radio and bow bilge pumpe damaged.

/08.25
We are back to periscope depth. An escort (the same?) is in 13.700m distance. We retreat on persicope depth waching the movments of the escort.

/08.52
Escort is passing our position in 2.200m distance.

/09.53
Back on surface with no escort in sight. LI reports radio as repaired. Wiring our result: 9 merchants sunk 40.229 BRT

/12.37
Bow bilge pump repaired. The last torpedo in the stern tube is transferred to the bow tubes.

/17.37 AM1358
II WO reports contact in 27.000m distance. We are advancing slowly to finish the transfer operation of the torpedo.

/18.10
Torpedo transferred

/18.20
A lonely 12.000 BRT british tanker. What a gift! We fire our last torpedo out of a distance of 810m. The torpedo hits and the tanker is slowing down. We send the crew flag-signals to leave the ship before we start to shell it with the deck gun.

/19.28
After the crew has left the ship, we destroy it with 28 rounds. We can not offer them much help. They have to have luck to get to a shore.
Although we have not reached our patrol area, we can return to base with success. The curse is broken. I radio status of the ship and request permission to return which is granted.

09.06./22.58
We have returned to Brest. Dönitz is again on the pier decorating me with the Oak Leaves and other awards for my crew. U-Flachs is a lucky boat again!

PATROL RESULTS

DECORATIONS

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

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