U-Boat Name and ID Number U-74 Stachelrochen
Patrol #16
FKpt – Volkhard Schreiber
Patrol Assignment Atlantic - Wolfpack
Successful Patrol Yes
Number of Freighters Sank 1
Number of Tankers Sank 3
Number of Capital Ships Sank 0
Total Tonnage Destroyed 40,400
Ships Damaged Frederika Lensen and
SS BrowningShips Destroyed British Motor Passenger Ship of 11,300t –
Abosso, British Motor Tanker of 10,500t –
ER Brown, British Motor Tanker of 10,500t –
WB Walker, British Motor Tanker of 8,100t –
San Demetrio
Refit Time Standard
Award Requests Crew Advancement Roll
Crew Names: Crew Status: EliteFKpt Volkhard Schreiber
1WO Goetzpeter Staufenbiel
2WO Adam Luedtke
2WO - EXPERTLI (Eng) Reinhold Kraft
Doctor Herrmann Rieger
Doctor - ExperteU-74 (Stachelrochen) enters La Rochelle on 30th December with four victory pennants flying from her conning tower.We were the first to leave base for this patrol on the 1st December, just a few minutes into the first day of December and the crew were happy that we had left early, as this was our opportunity to make up for the unsuccessful last patrol in the Atlantic and I had guaranteed to them that we would be back early to see in the new year and put the last one behind us. We traversed the Bay of Biscay without incident and had no contact with the enemy on transit to the patrol area.
On the morning of the 7th December we arrived at our patrol area and this winter morning met us with a calm sea and snow in the air.
After ten days, I was beginning to think history was repeating itself and it looked like we were heading for two strikes in a row. The evening of the 17th broke the silence and lady luck had led us to a convoy, rich for the pickings. A large passenger ship and two tankers were our pray, so I ensured that; we reached medium range, surfaced, fired and then submerged once again. The passenger ship was hit by both of the torpedoes aimed at it and after both detonated, the
Abosso began to sink. Only one of the two torpedoes hit the largest tanker, which caused some damage and forced her to slow. The electric eel hit the smaller tanker, but failed to detonate and so the
Regent Tiger would be safe this evening. I ordered the use of the BOLD decoy and we avoided being detected. We followed the damaged tanker in the hope that the escort would not stay with her, but that hope was to no avail. At medium range the last G7e was fired at the Motor Tanker and the crew must have been relieved as it passed the stern of their ship. Once again we followed hoping for the tanker to become unescorted and once again we were disappointed. I ordered the 1WO to keep us at long range and as he goy us into position, I plotted the solution and fired a single G7a at the tanker. The torpedo ran straight and true and detonated and this time the
ER Brown would not need an escort. At this range the escort struggled to find us and the
Stachelrochen slipped away.
On the 21st December, just some four days later we managed to find the back end of a convoy and trailed it till evening. With only bow tubes available, all further attacks would be text book unless something juicy presented itself. Just two small freighters and a tanker did not inspire me and so we remained at long range and fired a spread of steam torpedoes. One G7a hit the
Frederika Lensen, but the damage just slowed her. Another completely missed the
Marcrest. But the brace of torpedoes aimed at the tanker, hit amidships and detonated, breaking the
WB Walker and sending her to a watery grave. Another decoy was released and again, we remained undetected.
I was presented with the choice of following the damaged Steam Merchant or having another go at the convoy with the remaining three torpedoes. I decided upon the latter and hoped for a bigger fish.
After an hour, we had two new targets to focus upon and at long range the final three torpedoes were fired. One hit the
SS Browning, which started listing, but it was clear it wasn’t going to sink. The brace aimed at the tanker both hit and detonated and I saw the
San Demetrio sink beneath the waves as I gave the order to fire the last BOLD canister from our u-boat. The escorts were looking in the wrong area and we were not detected. We followed the damaged freighter hoping she would be unescorted now and be able to finish her off with the deck gun, but lady luck had decided enough was enough and the escort remained with the
SS Browning which would survive to haul its cargo another day. With no means to attack, we left the convoy and headed towards our last patrol point.
We continued with our patrol for the next few days, but there were no unescorted ships to attack. We celebrated Christmas Day and then headed for home.
We made no further contacts and there was no further engagement with enemy ships or planes. We continued on our way back to the Bay of Biscay.
The rest of the passage to La Rochelle was uneventful and we arrived back at base on the morning of 30th December 1942
After shore leave and re-supply, U-74 will be ready to resume patrol in February.
FKpt Volkhard Schreiber