Patrol 18 U-201 KK W.Schulz cmd
TypeVIIC
Sector BE2-BE5
Dec 1940
LOG (excerpts)
15 Dec 40 1830h Slipped lines and left Brest, all hands accounted for. Boat reprovisioned. Little fruit available, vegetables already poorly. Will monitor. KH 1stOff
18 Dec 40 0100h reached patrol sector, few contacts, weather poor. Visibility schiesse. WS cmd
19 Dec 40 1940h Enigma message, decoded. Orders to seek Empire Audacity and sink her before she reaches Liverpool. General coordinates of convoy given. Will attempt to intercept. WS cmd
20 Dec 40 0200h Hydrophone located several screws WNW of us. Possibly the correct convoy. Course laid in. KH 1stOff
21 Dec 40 1030h After action report messaged to BDU. We caught the enemy convoy at 0010h, maneuvered into the midst of the 30+ ships. Killed HMCS Snowflake (corvette) who stumbled on us. Torpedoed and sank SS Bloody Marsh (US tanker, 14947 tons, delivering oil to Englanders so fair game) at 0503h. Launched rear torpedo at a cargo ship, dud x1. Forward tubes reloaded. Star shells fired by enemy escorts. Located EmpAudacity, fired a two torpedo spread, both duds. Fired the 88mm at the enemy, trying to disable their engine room. Deck became too hot as we were subject to naval cannon and oerlikons. Fired one torpedo at closing enemy destroyer, missed, likely due to hurried solution. Flank speed to the middle rear of convoy, more starshells. Diesels damaged, slowed to half. Enemy corvettes and destroyers now closing. Damaged to hull repaired, dive valves repaired. My engineers saved us. Crash dove to 95m, checked integrity. Small leaks, men repairing. Hydrophone indicated overhead propellors, ordered silent running, electric motors at 1. Torpedo tubes inoperable but leaks stopped. Depth charging began. Minor damage, no one panicking, but we are a very veteran crew. Took her down to 115m. Deeper to 135m. 145m. All stop. Silence. Then the overhead screws and splashes. Boat was jostled but nothing burst!. Ordered rudder full port, flank speed as the explosions hammered the sea above us. Then yanked the boat to starboard. As explosions died away we went All Stop. Screws further east, depth charging to the east of us. Hydrophone estimates at least 3000m distance. Sat still and silent for another two hours. Screws faded. Periscope depth, sea around us empty. Surfaced at 0940h. Crew busy cleaning and repairing. Radioed FDU. Course laid in for West, away from convoy, then home. Torpedo tubes need port repair. WS cmd
23 Dec 40- 2330h Made port. Reports given, repairs underway. Weber (Chief ING) awarded IC1st for heroic actions saving U 201. Crew sent to Bavaria for much needed R&R, WS cmd.
