R  e  p  o  r  t    on  E  x  p  e  r  i  e  n  c  e  s    "  U.  459  "
  
 
(On the war patrol from 21.3. to 15.5.42)
  
     
 
1.) In heavy seas and with high or steep swells the boat lies very well in the water.  Mild movements and little water taken over on the conning tower.  However, in my opinion, a disadvantage is the large loss in speed in head seas, which is about 40 to 50%.
2.) The crew has distinguished itself in the particularly heavy duty and worked to the limits of physical capacity. For example, supply of 4 boats in over 16 hours one day or 8 to 10 hours at hanging in the straps in constantly over coming seas and breakers.  Severe injuries did not occur, but this is due more to chance.
3.) Countless shipbuilding ineptitude's and thoughtless characteristics were already the subject of complaints at U.A.K., remaining work was cancelled or took a back seat for military reasons.  Nevertheless a subsequent remedy appears appropriate.
4.)  Magnetic compass was never compensated, because initially at the shipyard it was so built over that one could not get access and later, after final adjustments and overhaul, because of ice conditions and lack of time.
5.) As expected, the so-called container for the 6 meter rubber boat was too narrow and blocked.  The rubber boat was hard to man on deck with slightly rough seas.  The cover was totally chafed and tattered.   Fittings on the boat were ripped off, as far as was possible the boat became swamped.  If continued use of such a boat is intended, it must be stored in some kind of sheet metal trough with no corners.
6.) In any case, the 6 meter rubber boat is not suitable as a transport boat.  However a very small yellow so-called flyer rubber dinghy is absolutely necessary, that can be carried in the boat, blown up on the coning tower and thrown from there to the water and meets the requirements fully.  It is well suited to ferry over 2 to 3 men even in choppy water to instruct Kommandants of particularly clumsy boats as may often be expected to come in question, and as carried successfully by Kaptlt. Shuren and proven in the present supply.
 
     
     
     
Click the flag to view the above page from the original German KTB
     
 
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7.) Hot air drying cabinet for soaked clothing is essential for drying deck gear from approximately 25 to 30 men 2 or 3 times in 24 hours.  In practice, drying for so many has proved not to be feasible but is absolutely necessary.
8.) Weight situation see experiences in the K.T.B. Machine.  Much excess weight can be saved in the convenience equipment of the boat which can be offset against provisions or fuel.  Regarded as superfluous are: the dinghy with outboard motor, iron gangway, iron supply chute, davits for the bow room hatch, galley hatch, stern room hatch, diver pedestal, diving ladder, diver davit, many hundreds of potash canisters.
9.) The weather was favorable on during the entire period of operation yet on only a single day the opportunity would have existed to deliver torpedoes undamaged by means of rubber boat.  No boat had torpedo requirements and at present the supply boat also does not have [a torpedo firing] installation.  Suggestion:  Torpedoes off the boat! especially the ungainly torpedo delivery device off the boat.
10.) In practice the center berths in the Petty Officer and crew compartments are not used as bunks.  Suggestion: remove them and in their place put assemblable removable wooden racks as necessary to provide for stowage of provisions.  At once this once provides enlarged storage space for supplies and also improved living conditions in the two spaces.
11.) A supply of 20 boats with fuel and food can then be carried out without difficulty. That's what matters!
 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
                                     
 
 
R  e  p  o  r  t    on  E  x  p  e  r  i  e  n  c  e  s    "  U.  459  "
  
 
Concerning fuel oil supply of 15 U-boats.
  
 
(On the war patrol from 21.3. to 15.5.42)
  
     
 
1.) The task was performed in volumes of 20 to 55 cubic meters of fuel oil. Lubricating oil was required in only one case and was delivered in 3 cases during the entire patrol.  Fuel oil delivery times varied between 1 hour 35 minutes and 5 hours depending on weather conditions, amount and seamanship and technical dexterity of the individual boats.  Average from sending gear to recovering gear was about 3 hours 30 minutes.  The weather fluctuated between Wind and Sea 1-2 and 4.  The latter strength is the extreme limit and required flawless operation of the boat to be supplied.  It was made running at 3-4 knots, with E-motors while delivering.  More does not appear appropriate with the current gear.
2.) The extending and recovery of the gear could be carried out even in inclement weather on average 1/2 hours for each.  Experiences and improvements thereto:
  a)  The manila hawser to be replaced by a 5 cm steel hawser with hooks and backup.
  b)  On the towing hawser every 5 meters an attachment point [for a float] (previously 15 meters), on the hose an attachment every 10 meters (previously not).  The recovery is accelerated and ensured thereby.
  c)  The gear is taken up solely with the bow capstan to a straight part, not through a snatch block system with the rear capstan, especially since the latter is too weak.
  d)  The hose boxes must be made lighter and water permeable. When opened against the sea they offer too much resistance, strike suddenly with their hundredweight thus endangering the working party and delaying extending and recovering of the gear.  Suggestion: To make the cover of stiffened strong wire mesh or to pare away the wood with much larger gaps and even make them collapsible in the longitudinal direction to reduce the surface area exposed to the sea.
  e)  The U.A.K. removed starboard railing must be remade over the entire length of the box to aft hose trough again, reinforced and stiffened, as high as the hose box cover can be opened up.  The existing railing parts broke away by the weight of the lid like matchsticks.
 
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
  f)  A sturdy approximately 3 meter long and correspondingly high railing on both sides of the stern is essential. Without the banged up approximately 3 meter long wire stern railing the boat would never have coped without casualties.
  g)  The stern light on deck aft is forward of the after edge and the cannon should be moved, because as a result every hose maneuver is interfered with.
3.) Eight boats incurred more or less delaying mishaps, due to hose leaks, which were caused by bad maneuvering repeatedly running over the hose, due to improper handling on deck (chafing and tearing due to lack of chafing mats and the like) or hooking on the diving planes.  Usually the entire gear then had to be recovered by me and the the leaking torn hose length replaced, in one case cut off on the deck of the receiving boat.  One boat having fouled the hose on the diving planes, ripped the hawser and both hoses off and lost them requiring the entire gear to be replaced.
4.) It was very unfortunate that of 15 boats, of which 13 had come from the bases, only 5 were aware of the refueling instructions although these were provided by the 2. Admiral der U-boote on 23 March.  The instructions were given by me ahead of time, but as many incorrect maneuvers and technical delays demonstrated, they were not always followed.
5.) The every time handover and return of small accessories from boat to boat in a sea bag to the deck of the receiving boat is extremely inconvenient and time consuming,  One takeover manifold, a couple of connection pieces, closure cover and wrench should be provided as soon as possible on board each outgoing U-boat. (Subparagraph a) of "Provisional Instructions Refueling of U-boats from U-tankers").
6.) Taking the Type IXC boats in tow did not go well.  With U-108 the hawser constantly slipped from its tow hook, with U-103 the hawser broke at the eye of U-459 with a very slight swell.  With the VII C boats it went well once, otherwise not.  They usually drove sharply staggered [with the hawser] driven in a curve. Then however the heavy hawser is unnecessary.
  Suggestion:  As is common with towing maneuvers instead of the current wire lead an approximately 25 cm thick and 15-20 meters in length Manila-lead with a short steel wire to be placed on the tow hook of the boats.  At the same time by its slight buoyancy this Manila-lead prevents the tangling on the hydroplanes and facilitates taking over.
 
     
     
     
 
 
 
7.) Many boats have terrible trouble fishing out the working line with colorful cork buoys with boat hook to for taking over the hose and hawser.  Suggestion:  take along a so-called buoy hook.
8.) Very High Frequency communications proved the fastest means of communication for the heavy and the inevitable message orders and traffic exchange between Engineering Officer and Engineering Officer (breakdowns, pumping station, oil-comparison, etc.).  Some of the boats had no Very High Frequency and used seamanlike communication by signal flags.
9.) For purely technical experiences see Appendix No. B 3 to the K.T.B. Machine.
 
 
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Report on "  U.  459  " Experiences concerning Provisions Supply
  
 
of 14 U-boats.
  
 
(On the war patrol from 21.3. to 15.5.42)
  
     
 
A. Provision stowage before departure.
  1.) The principle must be that at any time every lot is available that they lay together as a group, and that varying types are stowed according to their durability. This was a success.
  2.) 24000 kg provisions were stowed.  In so doing a 10% surcharge for packing resulted in a weight of 26730 kg.  An additional 4-5000 kg could easily be accommodated for space and weight.
  3.) Provisions load III:  fruit, canned vegetables, 1000 kg of flour, canned bread, crackers, biscuits, hard bread, dried potato, macaroni, crisp bread, 5 boxes of milk, 40 hundredweight [50 kg] potatoes in boxes 9800 kg lemons, oranges and egg cartons as well as fresh vegetables and potatoes in sacks on bunks in the bow compartment 1700 kg.
    Provisions load II:  All canned meats, pickles, sauerkraut, 3/4 of the butter and margarine, lard, 19 boxes of milk, sausages, canned sausages, canned fish, hard cured sausage, ham, 20 hundredweight of potatoes in sacks and fresh vegetables 6000 kg.
    Provisions load I:  250 bottles of fruit juice, 1/4 of the butter and margarine, honey, 1 drum sardines 1200 kg.
    Deep freezer load:  All fresh meat, sausage and quick frozen vegetables and quick frozen fruit 1800 kg.
    Drying loft E-motor:  Sugar, flour, salt, grain mill products, dry soups, mixed fruit and leftovers 3300 kg.
    Coat lockers, stern room etc:  Bread and remainder of the potatoes 500 kg.
    Day provisions room:  All sorts of current consumption.
  4.) Provisions loading was completed in 2 days.  Only half the space in the freezer was used.  Packaging of potatoes was excellent in permeable crates.
B. Provisions storage and condition.
  1.) Fresh fruit and vegetables only 50% usable because they rot. Explainable with vegetables since suffered from frost before embarkation. Potatoes proved excellent in crates. No failures. Because they are resistant, also easy to stow and transport (40 kg boxes), this packaging is very desirable for delivery purposes.
  2.) Meat for deep freezer load. It was frozen on board
 
               
     
     
 
 
 
    in lieu of special frozen fresh meat.  As reported by Baurat Grim of O.K.M., who was embarked, the Kiel Quartermaster had already been informed half a year ago regarding the availability provision and delivery of frozen meat.  However, nothing happened.  On board the fresh meat was inevitably frozen together into a block and had to be separated with a crowbar. This damaged the cooling system which was finally completely out of service. Proper delivery to the system must be ensured.
C.) Fresh Bread Supply. 
  In about 10 hours of work around 80 fresh loaves each 1 kg. can be baked on board.  About 800 of these loaves were made during the nights, were delivered and were received with joy by the boats.  In addition, about 250 loaves were baked for own use. The rye bread produced has a very excellent taste, is nutritious and preserves well.
D.) Provisions delivery:  According to information from the 5. U.Flottille 24300 kg of provisions corresponded to outfitting for 140 days with 55 day portions. 14 boats were supplied with 13000 kg provisions as follows:
   
U-108
700 kg
6 days
U-98
1100  " 
12   "   
U-333
1100  " 
14   "   
U-564
500  " 
4   "   
U-571
500  " 
4   "   
U-582
1400  " 
18   "   
U-352
1100  " 
12   "   
U-566
800  " 
8   "   
U-572
1100  " 
12   "   
U-594
800  " 
8   "   
U-69
1000  " 
10   "   
U-558
1000  " 
10   "   
U-751
500  " 
5   "   
U-753
1500  " 
14   "   
Total
13100 kg
137 days
  Own consumption of the boat was around 8000 kg including the spoilage of vegetables, fruit and potatoes.  The composition of provisions was good and in general the special requirements of the boats were met.  The outfitting of fat and coffee was insufficient. In any case, the requirements of the boats according to the daily rations of other provisions issued was not met.  In the strenuous service of my crew during supply days (up to 16 hours of all hands maneuver drenched on the upper deck), I agree that the fat ration not sufficient. The difficult situation of overall fat supply, etc.
 
     
     
     
 
 
 
  is not unappreciated.
E.) Seamanship experiences and suggestions.
  1.) The 6 meter rubber boat was intended for the delivery provisions from boat to boat.   How [to deliver provisions] was questionable.  Large iron davits were put aboard for the hoisting of provisions from all deck hatches.   It was only prudent to open these hatches on one single day of the entire patrol during the return transit.  Otherwise only the conning tower hatch could be used. On that single day perhaps the boat could have served as a delivery vessel, if it had not already fallen out of service during the first supply.  I am firmly convinced that also on this single day delivery by boat would have taken four times as long as in my proven line method, which was carried out in all weather conditions.
  2.) Receiving boats come alongside to port 25 to 40 meters with the wind and sea somewhat astern.  By line throwing gun an approximately 300 meter long manila supply line 5-6 cm in circumference, in the middle a round grommet with 0.5 meter steel wire pennant, with 2 to 3 snap hooks.   Transport in parcels (sea bags, which, however, very quickly wear out), nets of "lashing" in size of a net hammock.  For water sensitive parcels transport containers made of aluminum 50 x 35 x 50 with a water-tight seal.  After using up the sea bags I used this some ordinary net hammocks and completely waterproof 3.7 cm ammunition containers.  Receiving boat takes up the line from the conning tower, due to the additional passing up men in the conning tower, the sending boat has the line holders and pay out men on deck.
    By this method with hard work on both sides as best performance 1000 kg was passed in 40 minutes.  With a boat, 1500 kg of provisions plus 1000 kg of lubricating oil in 30 liter water containers were passed in 2 hours 30 minutes.  These times could never be achieved in rough seas with the cumbersome loading and unloading of the boat.
  3.) Suggestion:  Immediately outfit delivery boats with a) 15 units - transport nets for provisions (size of a hammock) braiding from lashing, untarred, b) 6 units - canisters with waterproof closure, aluminum 30 x 35 x 50, c) 300 meter long manila supply line 6 cm in diameter, in the center a grommet with steel pennant for snap hooks.
 
     
     
     
 
 
 
    d)  100 units - rockets for the line throwing pistol, 15 boxes of sending line - small, in addition 2 - large.
    The existing equipment was inadequate, and it was awkward when boats wasted a lot of time establishing a line connection.
    e)  A davit to allow men to pass [provisions] out of the coning tower hatch and the disposal of all other heavy davits and cranes.
  4.) Provisions delivery is all hands maneuver in which all seamen are on deck, the off watch machinery personnel are employed below deck moving provisions to the Control Room and packaging them up according to pre-calculated plan.
  5.) Speed of 3-4 knots with E-motors before the sea or with the receiving boat a little to leeward has proven itself.  Transverse distances over 50 meters complicate and delay delivery and thus completion.
 
 
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