U-23 - 1st War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with help from Andi Forster

Departed	Date	Arrived	Date	Days at Sea
Wilhelmshaven	25 August 1939	Wilhelmshaven	4 September 1939	11

 

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Ships Hit

None

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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				Kriegstagebuch    "  U  23  "
				-----------------------------
				1st sea journey
				from 25.VIII. - 4.IX.39.
				Kommandant:  Kretschmer
				© U-boat Archive 2025 - all rights reserved

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

	- 1 -
		25.08.39
		03.50	NE 2-3, Vis. good, clear weather, Sea 2	Put to sea from Wilhelmshaven.  From the Norderney Lightship ran to the north on the steamer track.  From 12.00 hours course west.  Avoided or dived for all vessels and aircraft.
		22.00		U-boat to port: recognized as German (U-15).
		26.08.39	E 3-4, sea 2-3, Vis. good, moonshine
		06.45		Aircraft astern to port (German long-range reconnaissance).
		12.00	K 720, 719, 670, 669	In position proceeded mainly submerged by day, at night on the surface.  Back and forth in squares K 720, 719, 670, 669.
		28.08.39
			SSW 1-2, Sea 1, few clouds	On Radio Message order occupied new squares K 628, 578 at the onset of darkness.
			K 628, 578
		29.08.39
		07.30	NW 2, Sea 1-2, few clouds, Vis. moderate	Sighted a German seaplane.  Course east.
		31.08.39	K 720	On Radio Message orders went back to the old position at the onset of darkness.
		18.54	NE 1, few clouds, Vis. moderate, E 1-2, overcast, misty
				Aircraft sighted (German seaplane).
		01.09.39
		18.15	E 1-2, overcast, misty	Aircraft sighted	)
		02.09.39			)          Type
		18.17	NE 102, overcast, misty	"             "	)    either He 111
		03.09.39			)            or
		07.04	ESE 4-5, Sea 3-4, Vis. good	"             "	)     Avro Anson.
		18.00		"             "	)
				On Radio Message orders began homeward transit at the onset of darkness.
		04.09.39
		02.00	E 3, Sea 2-3, overcast, misty, at times rain	Sighted a medium size steamer in the area north of Terschelling and south of the blocked area, northeast course.  Out of sight in a rain squall (Radio Messages sent).
		18.00		Made fast Wilhelmshaven U-boat base.

	Sun and Moon Data 25.08.39	Sun and Moon Data 31.08.39
	Sun and Moon Data 26.08.39	Sun and Moon Data 01.09.39
	Sun and Moon Data 27.08.39	Sun and Moon Data 02.09.39
	Sun and Moon Data 28.08.39	Sun and Moon Data 03.09.39
	Sun and Moon Data 29.08.39	Sun and Moon Data 04.09.39
	Sun and Moon Data 30.08.39

	- 2 -
				Navigation beacons:  On the Westfriesischen coast and islands on 3 and 4 September Terschelling Lightship withdrawn.  Main lighthouses extinguished.  Secondary beacons and identifiers for buoys changed.  Indication:  Signal Station Terschelling occasionally "TE 2".
				signed in draft:    Kretschmer.
				Kapitänleutnant and Kommandant.

 

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