Kapitänleutnant Michael Hoffmann
Patrol # 9

Duration:	25.10.1940 - 28.11.1940, 34 days on sea
Patrol Area:	AE83
Ship:	U-364, U-Flachs
Type:	IX B
Flotilla:	9. Flotille, Brest

25.10.1940/11.44
Our first patrol with the new boat! After 60 days of training in the baltic sea, we transferred the u-boat to Brest. What a Lulu! This IXB is a fat cow compared to our old VIIB. But with that load of torpedoes and the increased sea duration we will show the Tommies who is taking over!
Our little convoy is shelterd by a swarm of Me 109 from JG 26. These guys made a good job during their short appearance. Even "Sundowner" Timmermann reports empty skies. I hope this will stay for the next future. Obltn. Kronau-Wahrsteiner gave me a bottle of his miracle Nußschnaps. "For emergency case only" he told me with a gwin in his face. May be I could use this "gift" for torturing captured pilots, if they are not willing to give us some informations.
Our patrol area is AE83 southeast to the coast of iceland. Wonder what we shall do there. "Führer befiehl, wir tragen die Folgen!"
20 seamiles west from Ile de Molène the IWO reports an enemy airplane. We are hoisting a red flag and the swarm of Me 109 shows that they have understood what we signaled. The swarm divides into two Rotten. One is climbing, to get a superior attack altitude. The other one is retreating from our boat on the same altitude to be prepared, if the Tommies are planning a surprise.
The airplane is approaching and is identified as a Sunderland. The crew in it must be really surprised to see us manning the AA-guns instead of crash-diving. They are advancing and must be thinking that we are bloody greenhorns to engage them.
5 km ahead of us their fate is decided. The attacking Rotte comes out of the sun. The leader is firing first with all machine guns and the canon in the propeller nose. The outer left motor is burning and the plane is going down. The second Me 109 finishes her off. The left wing breaks from the Sunderland and the rest of the airplane smashes in the sea out of height of 200m.
Although no survivors can be expected one of the mine sweepers takes course towards the sinking place.
Scratch one bandit!

28.10./08.26 AM4125
On the way to our patrol area we are stumbling over a britsh 3.000 BRT tanker "Red Eagle". No reactions on our signals to abandon the ship. Although we are facing heavy sea with overcoming waves the crew is manning the deck-gun. Target practice!
After 20 rounds the ship is sinking. Gun-crew had only 4 misses. No survivors.

29.10./07.36 AM1277
II WO reports a contact. In approaching it is identified as the dutch "Kässköppche", a freighter with 8.000 BRT. It has a mighty deck gun on the bow, so we have to attack without a warning.

/08.13
I release a G7a out of 390m distance. We managed to get in good shooting position although we are on periscope depth. The torpedo hits and the freighter is sinking like a stone in 30 seconds. Strange, did they load iron?
For practising purposes I decide to reload one stern torpedo to the bow tubes. Crew showed good results, but performance could be increased.

29.10/16.54 AE8688
Enemy airplane spotted. Crash dive. No Wabos. Resurfaced at 18.00 with empty sea and air.

/23.51
Patrol area reached. Beginning search course.

03.11./21.57 AE8256
Third shift reports contact. In approaching identified as a british freighter with 8.000 BRT. Again a deck-gun is visible. For practising purposes I order a over-surface attack with the stern torpedoes.

/22.21
A G7a is released out of 990m distance, with an angle of 175 degree. Soundman reports torpedo immediately as dud. "Oh, du heilige genotzüchtigte...."
Second G7a out of 900m, same distance same angle. Torpedo hits and ship is sinking slowly. Radio-man reports "SSS" over all waves. We have to retreat.

10.11./12.00
A boring week. Nothing happens. All jokes are told (at first the dirty ones). Radio-man reports a lot of convoy sightings but too far away. Crew is looking for entertainment. I told my officers some stories over Kronau-Wahrsteiner and his "noble" birth, but they are all known and no great news. "Scheiss Gammelfahrt!"

18.11./14.20 AE8291
After another boring week the ring of the Alarm bell is a realy hit to the nerves. I WO reports an airplane sighting but type could not be identified. No Wabos. Resurfaced after one hour.

/19.41 AE8237
A polish freighter comes in sight. 1.000 BRT and ship's name is "Zubruvka". May be the II WO from Obltn Reiss can translate this for us. Freighter does not react on our flagg signals. Sinking after 5 rounds with the deck-gun. No survivors visible.

19.11./14.15 AE8297
I WO reports lonely ship and some seconds later airplane. Crash dive. No Wabos.

/14.35
Back to surface with ship in over 27km southeast to us. On intercept course.

/15.12
Ship identified as french freighter with 2.000 BRT "Marie Louise". Crew leaves ship and is in two survival boats. Ship sinks after 9 rounds. Showed course to iceland. With a litlle bit of luck, they will get there.

23.11./13.55
U-195 reports convoy in AM5354 on eastcourse. Decide to intercept.

24.11./10.15
BdU has comfirmed. I WO reports enemy airplane. Crash dive. No wabos. Resurfaced at 11.00 and back on intercept course.

/14.15 AM2576
We got them! II WO reports smoke on the horizon.

/15.40
In approaching the convoy an escort is setting course towards us. Although using all tricks they stay behind us. With the escort 13 km away I decide for an periscope attack.
In diving I set course to backbord but with the hull beneath the surface I go with full flank ahead steuerbord.

/16.05
Sound man reports HS-screws.

/16.25
Escort identified as 1.000 to class korvette. Releasing a double shot out of the aft torpedo tubes out of 600m. The korvette recognises the torpedoes and goes on us.
In crash diving towards 200m we receive a shower of wabos. Front lower rudder damaged and sound system damaged. LI estimates 11 hours work. Great!

/18.00
With no sound contacts we are going back on periscope depth. Sea and air seems empty. It is suicide to attack with no active sound system. We will shadow the convoy until all systems are repaired.

25.11./03.03
LI reports after 11 hours sound system and lower rudder repaired. In approaching towards the convoy we can barely believe our eyes. Out of of 9.000m distance we count 10 columns with 6 rows and there must be more! Over 60 ships! "Ein fetter Brocken".
BdU had already given permission to attack. No other boats are in the near.

/03.15
We are approaching the convoy from the left side. The moon is on the other side and we are in the shadow. Our first prey is a 10.000 BRT tanker.

/03.20
A double shot with two G7e out of 900m distance. At the same moment we receive a grenade hit out of the nowhere. Wo had shoot this round? In ordering crash dive I release a G7a out of the aft tube towards the ship who is next to us, a 2.000 BRT freighter.
We can hear sinking noises of two ships but we are struggeling to get the incoming water under control. Sometimes we can hear HS-screws but no ASDIC and no Wabos

/04.05
Pressure hull is repaired, but still HS-screws around.

/04.30
We are back on periscope depth. The convoy is over 10.000m away and were behind him. We resurface and I order the deck torpedoes to reload in the hull. We will shadow the convoy until the operation is finished.

/07.20
We managed to get in front of the convoy, but the reload operations are still ongoing.

/13.45
All inner tubes are reloaded. But we wait for the night for a further attack. Although sending Kontakmeldungen every hour BdU is not able to send more boats.

/14.15
Enemy airplane sighted! Crash dive. Under surface we hear the explosions of Wabos far away. Is there another boat out there? Sound man reports convoy in 48 degree.

/14.45
With empty sea and sky we are resurfaed. Convoy far out, trying to get in front for the night attack.

/16.15
Heavy fog and the starting of the dawn brings us a chance to attack earlier than expected.

/16.35
We attack a freighter with 6.000 BRT in the second column. After releasing the torpedo we get immediately again a hit in the machine room! ALARM!!! Where do these shells come from? LI reports only minor damages in the diesel-machines. We maintain the boat on persicope. The freighter received the torpedoe and we can hear the ckrackling hull.
We will stay on periscope and choose our preys.

/16.47
Double shot on a 7.000 BRT freighter out of 1.200m distance. First is dud, but second sinks the ship. Out of 610m distance a torpedo for a 4.000 BRT freighter. And one more ship to our list!

/16.56
A tanker with 5.000 BRT sinks after receiving a shot out of the stern tube. 850m distance.

/17.00
Another 5.000 BRT freighter sinks after receiving a torpedo out of the aft tube. 820m distance. Soundman reports sometimes HS-screws, but far away. Nevertheless we dive to 150m. The tubes habe to be reloaded anyway.

/17.20
We are back on periscope depth and behind the convoy. For the first time I see two escorts to the left and the right. After resurfacing we are beginning to reload the remaining torpedoes from the deck into the hull.

/23.58
All torpedoes are in and we are trying again to attack from the side. It is impossible! Grenades are exploding aorund the boat and we are still not able to locate the firing ship. We retreat and get in front for a persicope attack.

26.11./00.24
We are in front of the convoy on periscope depth. A 20.000 BRT troopship is coming towards us. I have to fire a double shot G7a out of 1.380m distance, because sound-man reports HS-screws advancing. In crash diving we can hear one hit.

/00.30
Back on periscope depth I identify a korvette in 1.000m distance. The troop ship is leaving the convoy. A 9.000 BRT tanker is in reach. One torpedo for him and crash dive. Sinking noises overall.

/00.45
Again on periscope depth. The convoy is changing course and a 8.000 BRT freighter is moving right before our tubes. I'm searching for the troop ship which is leaving on 330 degree the convoy. Release a torpedo on the freighter and back to 150m distance. Sinking noises. We are leaving the convoy to intercept the troop ship.
Sometimes sound man reports HS-screws, but no Wabos.
We are fighting now over 24 hours without any sleep. I do not know how long we can stand that.

/02.20
We are resurfaced and engaging in estimated troop ship course.

/02.45
We got him!

/03.32
A double shot with G7a on a MTB attack finishes him off. We retreat back immediately towards the convoy. One torpedo is left and that is good chance not to think what he had eventually done.

/04.39
Smoke on the horizon!

/05.10
Nearly 40 hours with no sleep shows heavy impact on me and my crew. I have to make an end. I go on periscope depth and let me sink in the convoy from the front.

/05.45
I release our last torpedo out of 1.700m to get the damned eel out of the tubes on a freighter with 6.000 BRT. Official version is that I had to shoot out of that distance because escorts is advancing. Sound man reports torpedo as dud.
Wabos far away from us.

/06.45
Back to periscope depth. Convoy is far out.

/07.26
Radioed patrol result: "15 merchants with 95.990 BRT." BdU orders us home. I'm opening the bottle of Nußschnaps "Den Rest für die Mannschaft...." than I do not remember anything more. My I WO told me that I gave him the bottle said "Good Night" and felt asleep in the main control room. They brought in my cabine and I slept for nearly 20 hours.

28.11./13.17
Returning in Brest. Thomsen and the Lion on the pier. Diamonds for my neck. But we need a lot of alcohol (and some Connies, if possible) tonight, to become some kind of human again.

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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