Post by keyboy on Jan 22, 2016 13:55:00 GMT
U-Boat Name and ID Number U-73 Haifisch Köder
KKpt - Wilhelm Hartmann
Patrol Assignment Spanish Coast
This Patrol 10th
Successful Patrol Yes
Number of Freighters Sank 3
Number of Tankers Sank 1
Number of Capital Ships Sank 0
Total Tonnage Destroyed 39,700
Ships Damaged
Ships Destroyed British Steam Merchant of 4,600t – Shaftesbury, British Steam Passenger Ship of 11,100t – City of Benares, British Steam Passenger Ship of 10,000t – Yorkshire and French Motor Tanker of 14,000t - Emile Miguet
Refit Time 1 month
Award Requests None
Crew Names:
KKpt Wilhelm Hartmann
1WO ObLt Viktor Gelhaus
2WO ObLt Siegfried Hardegen - Experte
LI (Eng) LtzS (Ing) Ludwig Klausen
Doctor AArzt Dr Herbert Mohr
U-73 (Haifisch Köder) enters La Rochelle on 30th April 1941 with four victory pennants flying from her conning tower
Well, I finally got to dress up as a pirate and surprise the crew. The crew probably thought I had finally cracked, when I boarded the Haifisch Köder with a false wooden leg, eye patch and stuffed parrot on my shoulder. When asked about the attire, I just remarked in my best English pirate accent “We are off to the Spanish Main for rich pickings.” Some of the crew still didn’t get it, but their mates had worked it out and shouted out some obscenity about the Atlantic and how we were all off to sunnier climbs.
We were the first to leave base for this patrol on the 1st April and the crew were happy that I had got us away as soon as possible. We set out for the Spanish Coast. The passage to our assigned patrol station (BF48) was uneventful and all watch commanders had a very easy time of it.
During the afternoon of the 7th, Second Officer Hardegen picked up some strange soundings and he pinpointed a lone steam Passenger Ship and we knew it would only be about quarter of an hour to reach it. I made the decision to dive and approach carefully and then make a surfaced attack.
I identified the viable target as the British Steam Passenger Ship, the City of Benares (11,100 tons) and the recon was correct, it was unescorted.
The deck gun fired and both rounds slammed into the superstructure of the ship. Both shells that hit exploded; hitting something that wasn’t stable.
The City of Benares was listing and in trouble and the watch command witnessed the demise of the Passenger Ship as it sunk towards its slippery grave off the Spanish coast. The dive alarm was sounded and we cleared the deck and submerged. The crew was on a high after our first kill.
During the evening of the 13th the lookouts spotted some lights on the horizon. I ordered the boat to dive and make a submerged approach, finding a British Steam Merchant, the Shaftesbury (4,600 tons) in company with a small escort; I kept hidden and at medium range till nearly midnight and then surfaced for attack. I fired two eels from the bow tubes and submerged to periscope depth. Both hit; The first caused the tanker to stop, but it was the final torpedo that hit and caused the tanker to list. The escort bore down on us at speed, but my evasive manoeuvres to port evaded any depth charge hits. It turned quickly and luckily this time we were undetected and the Haifisch Köder slipped away.
1WO Gelhaus spotted smoke on the horizon on the morning of the 17th and the U-73 approached the British Steam Passenger Ship Yorkshire (10,000tons) submerged. Once I was sure it was unescorted, I gave the order to surface and prepare the deck gun.
We got to close range and the gunners hit with the 88mm gun and soon the crew of the small freighter were trying to put a small fire out. I fired our first electric eel from the aft, which hit with great accuracy and did the job as it the ship started to sink. I waited till the crew and passengers had made their escape and finished the ship off with two eels from the front tubes, which both hit. We submerged once more and made our way further down the coast.
The watch commander spotted a light on the horizon on the evening of the 23rd and the U-73 approached the French Motor Tanker, the Emile Miguet (14,000tons) submerged. Once I was sure it was unescorted, I gave the order to surface and prepare the 88mm gun.
We got to close range and the gunners fired with the deck gun and missed. I fired our final electric eel from the aft, which hit with great accuracy but little explosive power. I came about and fired all four loaded tubes. Three hit, but the 2nd eel did all the damage when it hit a fuel compartment, the others just broke the ship in half and the crew cheered about our fourth sinking. We did not hang around, just in case there were enemy ships in the vicinity.
The rest of the passage to La Rochelle was uneventful and we arrived back at base on the 30th April. The Spanish Coast had indeed been rich pickings and the crew had earned the warmer climate and repaid me with maximum efficiency.
After shore leave and re-supply, U-73 will be ready to resume patrol in June.
KKpt Wilhelm Hartmann
KKpt - Wilhelm Hartmann
Patrol Assignment Spanish Coast
This Patrol 10th
Successful Patrol Yes
Number of Freighters Sank 3
Number of Tankers Sank 1
Number of Capital Ships Sank 0
Total Tonnage Destroyed 39,700
Ships Damaged
Ships Destroyed British Steam Merchant of 4,600t – Shaftesbury, British Steam Passenger Ship of 11,100t – City of Benares, British Steam Passenger Ship of 10,000t – Yorkshire and French Motor Tanker of 14,000t - Emile Miguet
Refit Time 1 month
Award Requests None
Crew Names:
KKpt Wilhelm Hartmann
1WO ObLt Viktor Gelhaus
2WO ObLt Siegfried Hardegen - Experte
LI (Eng) LtzS (Ing) Ludwig Klausen
Doctor AArzt Dr Herbert Mohr
U-73 (Haifisch Köder) enters La Rochelle on 30th April 1941 with four victory pennants flying from her conning tower
Well, I finally got to dress up as a pirate and surprise the crew. The crew probably thought I had finally cracked, when I boarded the Haifisch Köder with a false wooden leg, eye patch and stuffed parrot on my shoulder. When asked about the attire, I just remarked in my best English pirate accent “We are off to the Spanish Main for rich pickings.” Some of the crew still didn’t get it, but their mates had worked it out and shouted out some obscenity about the Atlantic and how we were all off to sunnier climbs.
We were the first to leave base for this patrol on the 1st April and the crew were happy that I had got us away as soon as possible. We set out for the Spanish Coast. The passage to our assigned patrol station (BF48) was uneventful and all watch commanders had a very easy time of it.
During the afternoon of the 7th, Second Officer Hardegen picked up some strange soundings and he pinpointed a lone steam Passenger Ship and we knew it would only be about quarter of an hour to reach it. I made the decision to dive and approach carefully and then make a surfaced attack.
I identified the viable target as the British Steam Passenger Ship, the City of Benares (11,100 tons) and the recon was correct, it was unescorted.
The deck gun fired and both rounds slammed into the superstructure of the ship. Both shells that hit exploded; hitting something that wasn’t stable.
The City of Benares was listing and in trouble and the watch command witnessed the demise of the Passenger Ship as it sunk towards its slippery grave off the Spanish coast. The dive alarm was sounded and we cleared the deck and submerged. The crew was on a high after our first kill.
During the evening of the 13th the lookouts spotted some lights on the horizon. I ordered the boat to dive and make a submerged approach, finding a British Steam Merchant, the Shaftesbury (4,600 tons) in company with a small escort; I kept hidden and at medium range till nearly midnight and then surfaced for attack. I fired two eels from the bow tubes and submerged to periscope depth. Both hit; The first caused the tanker to stop, but it was the final torpedo that hit and caused the tanker to list. The escort bore down on us at speed, but my evasive manoeuvres to port evaded any depth charge hits. It turned quickly and luckily this time we were undetected and the Haifisch Köder slipped away.
1WO Gelhaus spotted smoke on the horizon on the morning of the 17th and the U-73 approached the British Steam Passenger Ship Yorkshire (10,000tons) submerged. Once I was sure it was unescorted, I gave the order to surface and prepare the deck gun.
We got to close range and the gunners hit with the 88mm gun and soon the crew of the small freighter were trying to put a small fire out. I fired our first electric eel from the aft, which hit with great accuracy and did the job as it the ship started to sink. I waited till the crew and passengers had made their escape and finished the ship off with two eels from the front tubes, which both hit. We submerged once more and made our way further down the coast.
The watch commander spotted a light on the horizon on the evening of the 23rd and the U-73 approached the French Motor Tanker, the Emile Miguet (14,000tons) submerged. Once I was sure it was unescorted, I gave the order to surface and prepare the 88mm gun.
We got to close range and the gunners fired with the deck gun and missed. I fired our final electric eel from the aft, which hit with great accuracy but little explosive power. I came about and fired all four loaded tubes. Three hit, but the 2nd eel did all the damage when it hit a fuel compartment, the others just broke the ship in half and the crew cheered about our fourth sinking. We did not hang around, just in case there were enemy ships in the vicinity.
The rest of the passage to La Rochelle was uneventful and we arrived back at base on the 30th April. The Spanish Coast had indeed been rich pickings and the crew had earned the warmer climate and repaid me with maximum efficiency.
After shore leave and re-supply, U-73 will be ready to resume patrol in June.
KKpt Wilhelm Hartmann