U-9 - 7th War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with help from Andi Forster

Departed	Date	Arrived	Date	Days at Sea
Helgoland	2 May 1915	Helgoland	10 May 1915	9

 

Click the icon to download a KMZ file displaying the U-boat track, significant events and locations for this patrol.  You must have Google Earth loaded on your computer to view this file.  Download Google Earth here

 

Ships Hit
Date	KTB Time	Position	Ship	Tons	Nationality	Convoy
3 May 15	14.20	55°36'N, 3°40'E	IOLANTHE	179	British
3 May 15	15.15	55°36'N, 3°40'E	HERO	173	British
3 May 15	16.05	55°36'N, 3°40'E	NORTHWARD HO	180	British
3 May 15	16.45	55°36'N, 3°40'E	COQUET	176	British
3 May 15	17.30	55°36'N, 3°40'E	PROGRESS	273	British
3 May 15	18.45	55°36'N, 3°40'E	HECTOR	179	British
3 May 15	19.15	55°36'N, 3°40'E	BOB WHITE	191	British
4 May 15	07.18	55°15'N, 1°25'E	RUGBY	205	British
5 May 15	15.48	54°36'N, 0°0'W	STRATON	198	British
6 May 15	11.15	54°33'N, 0°30'W	MERRIE ISLINGTON	147	British
8 May 15	04.40	55°57'N, 18°55'W	DON	939	British
8 May 15	05.10	55°57'N, 18°55'W	QUEEN WILHELMINA	3,590	British
			Total = 6,430
Note:  The positions in the table above and in the Google Earth patrol summary are derived from the KTB and in many cases do not match those set forth in authoritative references such as Jürgen Rohwer, Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two or the Uboat.net website.  The goal here is to present the picture relative to the U-boat and not the absolute position that the ship was attacked or sank.

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			G  a  n  z    G  e  h  e  i  m  .
			=====================
			K  r  i  e  g  s  t  a  g  e  b  u  c  h
			of the Command S.M. Unterseeboot  "  U. 9.  "
			Kommandant:  Oberleutnant z.S.  S  p  i  e  ß
				Beginning:  the 2nd of May 1915.
				Concluding:  the 10th of May 1915.
			Enclosures:  1 Track chart.
				© U-boat Archive 2023 - all rights reserved

Click the flag to view the above page from the original German KTB

	- 1 -
		02.05.15	Deutsche Bucht
		8.20 AM	SSW 3-4, overcast	Through Nordhafen steered clear of mines.
		11.30 AM		Course 296°.  Boat balanced, then transit speed .
		11.30 PM	NW 5-6	WNW at KF .
		03.05.15
		3.30 AM	North Sea	Surfaced, transit speed.
			Clear, Swell
		8.30 AM		Several fishing trawlers sighted in the west.
		2.10 PM	WNW 1, very clear, light Swell	1 fishing trawler ahead, closed, recognized as English, forced the vessel to be abandoned by flag signal and 1 shot before the bow.  This fishing trawler lay, as nearly all others attacked before the nets, had ball hoisted.  Called the boat alongside and with it put the sinking party (Watch Officer, ObMaschinist and 3 men) on board.  The trawler, IOLANTHE from Hull, H.328, was sunk by demolition charge.  Boat released.
		2.20 PM		Trawler sank after a boiler explosion.  In the vicinity the smoke clouds of several other fishermen.  A fishing trawler without gear comes from the north.  At the sinking of the IOLANTHE turned towards the others, apparently to warn them.  This steamer was forced off to the north by cannon fire.  The closest gets suspicious, slips the net and tries to escape, is caught and stopped by 3.7 cm fire and rifle fire.
		3.15 PM		Requested by signal to abandon the vessel, called the boats alongside, steamer HERO from Hull, H. 886 sunk by demolition charge.  Closed the next steamer.
		4.05 PM		Fishing trawler NORTHWARD HO, from Hull, H. 455 sunk the same way.
		4.45 PM		Fishing trawler COQUET, from Hull, H. 831, stopped and then closed the next steamer.  In the meantime COQUET was sunk by opening the vents.
		5.30 PM		Fishing trawler PROGRESS, Hull, H. 475 sunk by demolition charge.
		6.45 PM		Fishing trawler HEKTOR , Hull, H. 896 sunk by opening the vents.
		7.15 PM		Fishing Trawler BOB WHITE, Hull, H. 290 sunk by 3.7 cm shots in the waterline, crew had escaped beforehand.  Charts found on board all steamers were taken, some of them bore the note: Destroy before falling to the enemy.
				Course change for Whitby.
		8.40 PM	SE 2, Vis. good	Headed 256°, continued transit.
		04.05.15	North Sea
		6.00 AM	SE 3-4, clear	A fishing trawler in sight to port, which is heading for several clouds of smoke.  Chased.  Fishing flotilla in sight.  The first steamer cuts its nets at the warning shot and ran off.  Pursuit unsuccessful despite automatic cannon and rifle fire.

	Sun and Moon Data 02.05.15
	Sun and Moon Data 03.05.15
	Sun and Moon Data 04.05.15

	- 2 -
		continued
		04.05.15		Leads close to the steamers lying before nets RUGBY, Grimsby, G.Y. 1188, the crew of which go into the boats after a stop signal and a shot before the bow.  Rudder motor fails.  All steamers in sight raise steam, so that pursuit is impractical.
		7.18 AM		RUGBY was sunk with a bronze torpedo because no more demolition charges were available, the crew with their boat had already rowed far away and the seas were too rough for the boat's dingy.  All fishing trawlers in sight apparently cut their nets and ran at highest speed in a fan from each other. Continued transit on a deceptive course.
		1.50 PM	ESE 3-4 clear	Dived before a fishing trawler, remained submerged, so as not to have the objective point on the coast recognized.
		4.00 PM		Surfaced, charged the battery, held in position.  Port forward P.-motor out of service.
		05.05.15	North Sea
			E 1-2, light Swell, lightly misty	It was decided to postpone the advance to the coast one day and effect motor repairs.  The starboard P.-motor, which faces major repairs, constantly breaks cooling piping while charging, after repairs it will be used only for transit speed, whose lower RPM it can withstand.  The port forward motor is out of service for the duration of the patrol.  Now there is only the aft port motor for charging.  The rudder motor can be repaired.
		3.48 PM		Dived before smoke.  Closed it.  It is a fishing trawler before the nets.  Since he would force U-9 to change position surfaced and sank trawler STRATON, Grimsby, G.Y. 208 by operning the vents.  For the advance planned for next morning, crew was not released until 11.00 PM so as not to be reported.
		06.05.15	North Sea
		3.30 AM	Wind calm, misty, Vis. 3 nm	Began advance on course 240°.  Dived several times before fishing trawlers, that were heading for the coast, half blew, charged, for that ran at lower speed.
		8.15 AM		Vessel ahead, dived, fishing trawler MERRY ISLINGTON, Grimsby.  Surfaced.  Before the trawler can be sunk the boat is forced to quick dive.  The first two freighters of the entire patrol in sight, couldn't attack.  Apparently a steamer route.  Due to battery consumption and inexact navigation ran

	Sun and Moon Data 04.05.15
	Sun and Moon Data 05.05.15
	Sun and Moon Data 06.05.15

	- 3 -
		continued
		06.05.15
				off from the coast, which is not visible itself, and surfaced at the abandoned trawler to sink it.  Passed a destroyer of the E-Class, quick dive, was not seen.
		11.15 AM		Shot the fishing trawler under water with a bronze torpedo, then ran off from the coast submerged.
		12.35 PM		Course 40°.  Surfaced, ran off further on the surface.
		3.50 PM		Lay stopped, charged.
		07.05.15	North Sea
			Wind calm, very misty
		5.00 AM		Began on advance to Coquet Island on course 332°.  Weather is unfavorable due to mist.
		11.20 AM		Quick dive before steamer.  Swedish markings, no flag, in ballast.  Attacked, bronze torpedo, miss.  Run not observed, impact angle was mis-estimated by 10° due to the short approach.
				Steamer set Swedish flag.
		12.10 PM		Surfaced.
		1.30 PM	Fog	Due to fog went to depth 20 meters.
		9.50 PM	W 1, misty	Surfaced and charged.
		08.05.15	North Sea
			NE 1, Vis. 3 nm, flat sea
		3.45 AM		Streamer in sight from the north, carried out a surface attack on E-motors, C/06  depth 3 meters, range 200 meters.  Undershot, clearly visible bubble track went through between the smokestack and the after mast.  Steamer without neutrality markings and flag, black smokestack, noticed the torpedo track or the U-boat just at the onset of twilight and tried to turn away, constantly changing course with hard rudder, so that it loses all speed.  Forced to stop by gunfire at the bridge and sunk with a bronze torpedo.  Crew launched boats immediately.
		04.40 AM		During the explosion another English steamer in sight, that immediately turned away and launched his boats.  By this it was recognized that no counteraction was intended, submerged attack was no longer possible, therefore followed on E-motors at highest speed.
		05.10 AM		Steamer stopped with rifle fire and the crew abandoned so quickly that they had already rowed away before U-9 approached and turned for a stern shot.  C/06 torpedo struck the steamer QUEEN WILHELMINA, Sunderland in the engine room,  Charged in the vicinity, to observe

	Sun and Moon Data 06.05.15
	Sun and Moon Data 07.05.15
	Sun and Moon Data 08.05.15

	- 4 -
		continued
		08.05.15		the sinking.  The ship is relatively large and doesn't settle much deeper, apparently floats on battened down cargo holds (was in ballast), so that in the calm weather and proximity of the coast towing seems possible.  Attempt to open valves or cargo hatches by the Watch Officer and Ob.Machinist by using the ship's boat still nearby, was unsuccessful.
		6.30 AM		Therefore shot a second C/06 torpedo, which hit in the boiler room.  Despite this the steamer remained floating. with unchanging draft.  After that shot vent holes with the 3.7 cm cannon and rifle fire.
		7.15 AM		The steamer slowly started to list a bit, so that sinking is apparently assured.  After that began return transit, have shot all torpedoes, demolition charges and automatic cannon ammunition.  Course 90°.
		7.45 AM	ENE 2-3, somewhat misty horizon	Norwegian bark KONGEN from Brevik stopped, had ice for New-Castle, released after examination.
		10.45 AM	It clears up completely	Came to course 67°.  Speed 10 knots.
		11.00 PM		Course 90°.
		09.05.15	North Sea
			NNE 5-6, very clear
		7.30 AM		Course 114°.  Head for Red Cliff on Sylt.
		5.15 PM		Passed several German fishing trawlers.
		11.40 PM	NNW 3	Put the boat on the bottom in sight of Sylt, Radio Message communications with Helgoland.
		10.05.15	Deutsche Boucht
			SE 2-3, very clear
		6.00 AM		Surfaced.  Exchanged Recognition Signals with a naval aircraft. Steered east of Amrum Bank for Helgoland.
		11.30 AM		Made fast in the U-boat harbor.

	Sun and Moon Data 08.05.15
	Sun and Moon Data 09.05.15
	Sun and Moon Data 10.05.15

	- 5 -
		E  x  p  e  r  i  e  n  c  e  s  .
		=====================
			Observed steamer traffic very light.
			The new allocation of demolition charges was still not on board, a further increase to 12 seems advisable.
				Concluded, 10 May 1915.
				Oberleutnant z.S.

 

	Enclosures to U-9's KTB - click on the text at left to proceed to the document
Chart	Track chart of entire patrol
Torpedo	Torpedo list

 

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