U-boat Archive - U-521 - Interrogation Report



	In reply refer to Initials
	And No.

	Op-16-Z


	NAVY DEPARTMENT

	OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS

	WASHINGTON


	O.N.I. 250 – G/Serial 14

	REPORT ON THE
	INTERROGATION OF SOLE SURVIVOR FROM U-521
	SUNK ON 2 JUNE, 1943

	Lt. Kuhn












	22 July, 1943

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter	I.	INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

	II.	CREW OF U-521

	III.	PERSONAL HISTORY OF KAPITANLEUTNANT KLAUS BARGSTEN

	IV.	EARLY HISTORY OF U-521

	V.	FIRST PATROL OF U-521

	VI.	SECOND PATROL OF U-521

	VII.	THIRD AND LAST PATROL OF U-521

	VIII.	DISAPPEARANCE OF U-521

	IX.	DETAILS OF U-521

	X.	PERSONAL REMINISCENCES OF KLAUS BARGSTEN

Annex A.		U.SN. EQUAVALENTS OF GERMAN NAVY RANKS



	Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

	U-521, commanded by Kapitänleutnant*Klaus Bargsten, was attacked by PC 565 on 2 June, 1943in position 37⁰ 43’ N., 73⁰ 16’ W. at about 1239Q. The U-boat was proceeding submerged at a depth of 31 meters when suddenly propeller noises were heard directly overhead. Immediately thereafter, five depth charges were dropped by PC 565. Bargsten gave the order to dive. The U-boat sustained considerable damage, and the Engineer Officer thought that the boat was sinking rapidly. Orders were given to blow all tanks. Actually, the boat had only reached a depth of 50 meters, so that she broke the surface with unexpected suddenness. Bargsten hurried to the bridge and saw PC 565 preparing to ram. Considering the situation hopeless, he gave the order to abandon ship. The U-boat sank beneath him unexpectedly, leaving him in the water. Bargsten, the sole survivor, was picked up by PC 565.

	The prisoner was taken to an interrogation center in the United States for questioning. Although he was rather security conscious, he was wiling to talk about certain aspects of his history and the history of his boat. This report is based, almost entirely, on statements made by the prisoner.
	__________________________________________________________________________
	* For U.S.N. equivalents of German Navy Ranks, see Annex A.

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	CHAPTER II. CREW OF U-521

	It was not possible to get a very clear picture of the crew of U-521. Her Commanding Officer, Kapitänleutnant Klaus Bargsten was the sole survivor. He was somewhat hesitant about speaking of his shipmates, since he felt that through some miraculous chance his boat might have escaped. Consequently he refused to give a complete crew list.

	The Executive Officer of U-521 was Oberleutnant Schepuka, a Lithuanian by birth. (O.N.I. Note: This name does not appear in the German Navy List of 1940.) Bargsten described him as a serious man, very reliable, and greatly respected by the crew.

	The Second Watch Officer was Leutnant Aschmann* of the October 1938 naval term. Aschmann was a native of Berlin, and his father was a Kapitän zur See in the German Navy. His family was wealthy and owned much property in Mecklenburg. Aschmann served for a time on torpedo boats before being assigned to the U-boat arm. Bargsten was particularly fond of this officer whom he regarded as the best type of German soldier. He was carefree, happy, optimistic and at the same time, very efficient.

	The Engineer Officer, Oberleutnant (Ing.) Henning of the 1936 naval term, was a native of Wernigerode.

	Bargsten spoke warmly of the rest of the crew with whom his relations were always extremely happy. He said that he was able to maintain this relationship by looking after the men’s needs and by giving them generous leave. He said that he never resorted to propaganda. A small canteen was maintained on board which made a profit of over 2,000 R.M. Whenever a member of the crew had a child, Bargsten gave him a gift of 100 R.M. from this fund with which to start a savings account for the new son or daughter. Bargsten

	*Not in GNL. First name unknown. From P/W correspondence, this is assumed to be the second son of Kapt. z. See Frank ASCHMANN.

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	was especially proud of a compliment given him by the Commanding Officer of his flotilla, who said that Bargsten’s crew was by far the best in the entire flotilla.



















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	Chapter III. PERSONAL HISTORY OF KAPITÄNLEUTNANT KLAUS BARGSTEN

	Kapitänleutnant Klaus Bargsten, Commanding Officer of U-521, has an extremely pleasant personality, is enthusiastic and carefree, and gives the impression of being an excellent officer. He was greatly admired by his crew for these qualities. Although he is an ardent patriot, Bargsten is in no way a typical Nazi and, in fact, hinted that he was not altogether in sympathy with the Nazi regime. He was security conscious to a certain degree but was always pleasant with his interrogators and talked freely on what he regarded as harmless subjects. He had a keen sense of humor and was an excellent raconteur.

	Bargsten was born 31 October, 1911 in Bad Oldesloe. His mother came from an aristocratic family, and his father was of peasant stock. His grandfather had made a fortune in farm machinery and banking. After completing his schooling, Bargsten attended a school for training merchant marine officers and was later employed by the North German Lloyd Steamship Co. He served mostly on freighters but was also on the S.S. Europa for a time. He joined the Nazi party but received such adverse criticism from his family that he later resigned.

	In 1935 Bargsten entered the naval academy. As a midshipman, he served for a time on the Admiralty Yacht, Grille. This ship was frequently used by Hitler and other Nazi party leaders but, being only a humble midshipman, Bargsten had little contact with them.

	Bargsten entered the U-boat Service shortly before the outbreak of war. In September 1939 he was assigned to U-6, a 250-ton U-boat commanded by Kapitänleutnant Matz of the 1932 naval term. (O.N.I. Note: Matz was later commanding officer of U-70 which was sunk on her first cruise on 7 March, 1941.

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	See: C.B. 4051(18).) Bargsten probably made two short cruises with this boat and spoke of one which lasted only 14 days.

	After leaving U-6, Bargsten served for a time as adjutant to Korvettenkapitän Ibbeken, then commanding officer of the U-boat School at Pillau. At this time he married and established his home in Bremen.

	In April 1940, shortly before she was commissioned, Bargsten was assigned to U-99 as Executive Officer. Her Commanding Officer, Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer, was one of the most successful U-boat officers at the time and it was under his skillful guidance that Bargsten received his most valuable instruction. Bargsten made six patrols under Kretschmer and witnessed the sinking of about 252,100 tons of shipping. (O.N.I. Note: U-99 was sunk on her seventh patrol on 17 March, 1941. See: C.B. 4051(20).)

	Bargsten described how Kretschmer once sank a tanker that had previously been torpedoed by the famous Prien. Prien had scored two or three hits on the tanker. As the oil ran out of the holes in her sides, the ship rode higher and higher in the water. Finally Kretschmer put a torpedo in the engine room aft, and the tanker sank.

	In December 1940, after U-99 had completed her sixth patrol, Bargsten was relieved of his duties as Executive Officer and was probably sent to the U-boat Commanders School at Flensburg. In March 1941 he became the Commanding Officer of U-563. U-563 was a 500-ton boat built by Blohm and Voss, Hamburg. She was commissioned the end of March 1941. Bargsten spoke at great length of the Executive Officer of this boat, Oberleutnant Petersen. (O.N.I. Note: This may have been Kurt Petersen of the 1936 naval term.) Petersen, according to the prisoner, was a well known engineer from a wealthy German family. He was a very tall man and spent many years in America, possibly working for Ford. In Germany, he specialized in mines and torpedoes. Before entering the

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	U-boat Service, Petersen had been Commanding Officer of a patrol boat based on a Norwegian port. Once he was flying from Berlin to the base with a suitcase full of secret documents. The plane was forced down and landed in the waters of a Norwegian fjord. In spite of the ice cold water, Petersen managed to swim ashore with his suitcase. Petersen is now said to be Commanding Officer of a new Hamburg built U-boat.

	During the U.A.K. (U-boat Acceptance Command) trials of U-563 at Kiel, Bargsten experienced several mishaps. Once when his quartermaster was at the helm, the propellers of the U-boat became tangled in the chain of a mooring buoy. Bargsten was successful in smoothing things over with the U.A.K. officials, and no one was told of the incident. He reported “miscellaneous damage” to the extent of R.M. 500 and was able to get a new propeller.

	On another occasion the damage was much more serious. U-563 was in the deperming range which, at the time, was located at the Scharnhorst Brücke and not, as now, in the lock at the entrance to the canal. The passage was extremely narrow and was made more difficult by a strong current. The boat proceeded up and down the range several times. The last time, Bargsten felt that she was going too fast and feared that the current would carry her into the gates of the range. He called to the petty officer at the controls to stop engines but the man failed to understand the order. He then gave the order “Both engines back full speed”, but again the order was misunderstood. Realizing that a collision was inevitable, Bargsten ordered the men standing on the bridge to sit down to prevent from being thrown from the boat. The U-boat slued around and became entangled with the deperming cables, many of which fell on the men. The bow struck the gates at the end of the range and was stove in. The damage was repaired at a cost of R.M. 4,000. Bargsten received a written reprimand which stated that a repetition of such carelessness would

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	result in his being placed under arrest and subject to court-martial.

	After completing the trials and tactical exercises, Bargsten made two highly successful cruises as Commanding Officer of U-563. Several merchant vessels and one British destroyer were sunk, but it probably was about 35,000 tons.

	On one of these cruises, Bargsten’s boat was sighted by a German aircraft which mistook her for a British submarine. The plane attacked the U-boat, which dived and escaped without sustaining damage. The pilot of the plane signaled that he had sunk a British submarine. Bargsten sent a message to Dönitz saying to disregard the report as the “British” boat was none other than U-563.

	On his third patrol with U-563, Bargsten sailed from Brest in December 1941 and headed for his operational area in the Mediterranean. While passing through the Bay of Biscay, he was attacked by a British aircraft. The plane dropped six bombs and severely damaged the U-boat. U-563 submerged for a time, but damage forced her to surface. The plane then made a machine gun attack, and forty-two shots pierced the conning tower housing. Bargsten and several members of the crew went to the bridge to watch the plane fly off. The tail gunner fired a burst at the boat and Bargsten was wounded by two shots in the left shoulder. Two of the men were also wounded.

	U-563 was unable to continue on her patrol, and Bargsten was forced to put back to port. The repair facilities at Brest were crowded, so he was ordered to put in at Lorient. At Lorient is was decided that the damage was so great that it could only be repaired properly at the building yard in Germany.

	Bargsten’s cruise from Lorient to Hamburg with U-563 was somewhat adventuresome. The boat was unable to proceed submerged. She sailed on the

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	Surface through the “Rosengarten” to Bergen, this phase of the trip taking 14 days. On nearing the Bergen Fjord, Bargsten had difficulty in locating the entrance due to the similarity of the snow covered landmarks on the Norwegian coast. He asked directions from a passing fisherman who deliberately sent him 40 miles off his course. Later, a second fisherman was brought aboard and was forced to show the exact course to be followed.

	Bargsten remained in Bergen for two days. He and other officers were invited to a celebration at the house of the German consul. After the party was over, the guests returned to their boats. One of then was the Commanding Officer of a patrol craft. As he came aboard his boat, he noticed a large group of sailors enjoying a bit of a celebration. Among them was a petty officer from U-563, who was toying with a small pistol. The pistol suddenly went off, and the bullet passed through the foot of the captain. There was much discussion in the base over this incident, and Bargsten was finally instructed to punish the petty officer for shooting an officer and for illegally carrying weapons.

	Late in the evening of the second day, U-563 sailed for Helgoland. Being unable to make headway submerged and fearing daylight aircraft attacks, Bargsten ordered his boat to lie on the bottom during the day, proceeding on the surface at night. U-563 lay over at Helgoland for several days waiting the arrival of an ice-breaker, without which she would be unable to negotiate the Elbe. U-563 and the ice-breaker both became frozen fast in the mouth of Elbe, and a second ice-breaker was dispatched to the rescue. Bargsten finally arrived at Hamburg late in January 1942.

	U-563 underwent a complete overhaul in Hamburg. Bargsten felt that the damage she had sustained had been so severe that she would never be able to operate with complete efficiency. A new commanding officer was assigned to

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	U-563, and Bargsten was given command of U-521.























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	Chapter IV. EARLY HISTORY OF U-521

	U-521 was a 750-ton U-boat, type IX-C, built by the Deutschewerft, Finkenwerder, Hamburg. She belonged to the series U-501 to U-523 assigned to this yard.

	During the final phases of construction, Bargsten took command of the boat. She was probably commissioned in May 1942.

	After commissioning, U-521 sailed for Kiel for trials under the U.A.K. and then proceeded to the Baltic for her working up exercises. According to Bargsten, during the tactical exercises, several Russian submarines appeared and posed as German U-boats. The Russians fired several torpedoes at the German U-boats. The Russians fired several torpedoes at the German boats but were such poor marksmen that none took effect. In July 1942, U-521 was in Danzig. Nothing further could be learned of this phase of her history.

	Bargsten said that the final overhaul lasted about seven weeks and took place in a Baltic port.






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	Chapter V. FIRST PATROL OF U-521

	U-521 sailed from Hamburg on her first patrol about mid-October 1942. She followed the usual course, sailing up the coast of Norway and then west, through the “Rosengarten” into the Atlantic. When she was north of Scotland, U-521 was attacked by a plane. According to Bargsten, he was standing on the bridge when a plane suddenly appeared out of the clouds, flying very low. The plane was carrying a trailing antenna, which almost struck the boat. Bargsten thought at first that it was a new weapon. The bomb-bay doors were open, but the plane did not drop any bombs. The U-boat submerged, and, after it had obtained considerable depth, several bombs were heard to explode.

	The first war cruise lasted over nine weeks and accounted for five merchant vessels and a corvette. Two ships were sunk from an eastbound convoy and two from a westbound convoy. The fifth ship was a freighter which had been crippled by an attack from another U-boat and had dropped out of convoy. She was guarded by a corvette. U-521 approached this target by night on the surface. The first torpedo was fired at a range of about 2,000 meters. Because of the presence of the corvette, Bargsten was somewhat cautious and after firing, immediately turned the boat in order to be able to fire again from his stern tube while escaping. The first torpedo passed astern of the merchantmen and hit the corvette which sank rapidly. The freighter was then easily disposed of at close range.

	The first patrol of U-521 ended about mid-December 1942. She put in at Lorient where she was attached to the 2nd Flotilla, commanded by Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze of the 1925 naval term. Schütze was greatly admired by Bargsten, and he spoke of a four-hour interview that he had with the Flotilla

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	commander. Bargsten was given credit for having sunk 29,000 tons of shipping and one corvette.

	U-521 remained in Lorient for about three weeks, taking on supplies and preparing for the next cruise.





















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	Chapter VI. SECOND PATROL OF U-521

	Early in January 1943, U-521 sailed from Lorient on her second patrol. Her operational area was in the vicinity of the Azores.

	Several convoys were attacked on this patrol in company with other U-boats. One of these attacks took place about 25 February, 1943 in company with a boat commanded by Oberleutnant Johannsen. (O.N.I. Note: Johannsen was Commanding Officer of U-569 which was sunk on 22 May, 1943. See O.N.I. 250-G Serial No. 12.)

	During the course of an attack on a Gibraltar-bound convoy, U-521 sank three ships. After firing at the last of the three, Bargsten noticed another U-boat on a collision course. U-521 came to a full stop, and the other boat crossed her bow at about 50 meters. These maneuvers attracted the attention of American destroyers escorting the convoy, and U-521 was severely depth charged. Although about 70 depth charges were dropped, Bargsten was rather scornful of this attack. He stated that he easily eluded his enemies without making use of the S.B.T. and he criticized the destroyers for lack of tenacity. The U-boat sustained some damage including a slightly bent propeller shaft.

	In spite of the damage, U-521 was able to remain at sea and succeeded in sinking another merchantman and a corvette. The freighter, a Liberty Ship, was hove to and was being guarded by a corvette when she was sighted by the U-boat. It was a bright moon lit night, and the corvette was patrolling the dark side of the freighter. Bargsten, realizing that the corvette expected an attack from the dark side, approached from the moon lit side, on the surface. While drawing near to his target, Bargsten turned to his Executive Officer and

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	said, “I feel like a naked man walking through the streets of a city”. The Executive Officer fired five torpedoes. Four of them missed completely and the fifth hit the corvette just as she was coming forward of the target. A sixth torpedo was fired by the Second Watch Officer and found its mark. Bargsten attributed the poor marksmanship of the Executive Officer to the fact that he failed to take into account the slight roll of the boat when he was making his calculations.

	When U-521 was almost ready to return to her base, she was met by a supply U-boat from which she took over oil and provisions. Bargsten stated that other U-boats were present, including U-569 commanded by Oberleutnant Johannsen.

	U-521 returned to Lorient about mid-March after having been at sea 79 days. Schütze had been replaced by Korvettenkapitän Ernst Kals of the 1924 naval term as Commanding Officer of the second Flotilla. Bargsten’s interview with Kals was a brief one, and he felt that Kals was much less understanding than Schütze. Bargsten was credited with sinking 39,000 tons of shipping and one corvette on this patrol.

	U-521 entered drydock in Lorient for repairs. Bargsten was given leave and went to his home in Bremen where he remained until 28 April, 1943. While in Bremen, Bargsten witnessed a daylight bombing raid by American flying fortresses. He said that about 20 of the American bombers were shot down.

	Bargsten arrived in Lorient 29 April, 1943. On 2 May, 1943, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Korvettenkapitän Hans Rösing of the 1924 naval term made the presentation.

	Three days later, U-521 sailed on her last patrol.

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	Chapter VII. THIRD AND LAST PATROL OF U-521

	U-521 sailed from Lorient at about 1300 German Summer Time, 5 May, 1943. Her operational area was designated as being off the U.S. coast in the neighborhood of Cape Hatteras. She reached this area about 30 May, 1943 and on the same day, sighted planes and two destroyers. The U-boat was not discovered, however.

	On 2 June, 1943 at about 1200Q, U-521 was proceeding on course 250⁰ at a depth of 31 meters. The sound operator reported propeller noises, but a few minutes later he reported that the noises had faded out and that all was quiet. Bargsten was lying in his bunk reading a travel book, immersed in a chapter called “Middletown, U.S.A.”, when PC 565 gained a Q.C. contact on U-521 and was closing for attack.













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	Chapter VIII. DISAPPEARANCE OF U-521

	At about 1230Q on 2 June, 1943 in position 37⁰ 43’N., 73⁰ 16’W., while escorting Convoy NG 365, PC 565 obtained her first contact on U-521. She altered course, maintained contact, and at 1239Q dropped a standard five charge pattern set for 100 feet.

	Meanwhile Bargsten was peacefully reading in his bunk when the sound operator rushed in to report propeller noises directly overhead. Immediately thereafter, the depth charges exploded. Instruments were shattered, the lights went off, the motors stopped, rudder and diving planes were rendered useless, and water entered the control room through the depth gage and tank pressure gage connections.

	Bargsten at once gave the order to dive, although he did not know the extent of the damage received. After a few seconds, the Engineer Officer reported that the boat was at 150 meters. Bargsten told him that was “nonsense”, but the Engineer insisted and called off further readings from the control room depth gage: “160 meters; 170 meters”. The order was given to blow all tanks, and the boat rose rapidly to the surface. Later on, Bargsten realized that the U-boat could not have descended to the depths called off by the Engineer Officer without becoming heavy by the bow or by the stern, whereas she had kept an even keel throughout. Upon breaking surface, Bargsten went to the bridge to make a topside estimate of the situation.

	PC 565 was about 400 yards distance when the U-boat appeared on the surface. The patrol craft fired about 55 rounds with her 20 mm. gun, scoring several hits on the conning tower. Her gun jammed as she was turning to ram her target. Another escort vessel, PG 89, named USS Brisk, fired one shell

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	from her No. 1 gun and missed the U-boat by about 50 yards. She ceased firing then, as PC 565 was in the line of fire.

	When Bargsten observed the maneuvers of PC 565 and saw the patrol craft bearing down on him, he realized the U-boat’s position to be hopeless and gave the order to flood and abandon ship. It was not until he saw his Engineer Officer coming through the conning tower, that Bargsten realized the former had become panicky, since the Engineer’s station was in the control room. U-521 then suddenly sank, leaving Bargsten swimming in the water. His last view of his boat was of water pouring down the conning tower hatch as she went under.

	When the U-boat disappeared, PC 565 altered course to the right to pass ahead of the swirl. At 1243Q she dropped one depth charge set at 100 feet about 100 yards ahead of the position of the sinking. She then moved in to pick up the survivor and several large air slugs were observed. The patrol craft continued to search the area and at 1325Q several oil slicks were sighted. One slick was dark with globules of brown oil, but it was not iridescent. Patches of vegetable fiber and splinters of freshly broken wood were observed. At 1338Q, PC 565 picked up a large piece of human flesh. The search was abandoned at 1430Q.

	At 0045 on 3 June, 1943, USS Chickadee conducted a box search in the vicinity of the sinking. Results were negative. At daylight, an oil slick was seen, originating at the approximate position of the sinking and extending approximately 060⁰ for 19.7 miles. Its width varied from 25 yards to 300 yards. Samples of oil were taken and, after analysis, proved to be lubricating oil.

	Operating on the theory that the U-boat was not sunk but was proceeding

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	submerged and bleeding oil, Chickadee conducted a box search in the vicinity of the origin of the slick. The results were again negative. It was observed that the current was flowing in the direction of the wind, 060⁰ T. The conclusion was reached that the combined effect of wind and current caused the great length of the oil slick and that, in fact, the U-boat had been sunk.



















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	Chapter IX. DETAILS OF U-521

	TONNAGE

	750 tons.

	TYPE

	IX C.

	BUILDING YARD.

	Deutschewerft, Finkenwerder, Hamburg.

	FLOTILLA.

	2nd Flotilla, at Lorient.

	RADAR.

	Not fitted.

	G.S.R.

	Fitted.

	S.B.T.

	Fitted.

	TORPEDOES.

	Stated to be 20 in number. Types are not known. It was stated that the new F.A.T. 8 torpedoes had never been carried.

	CONNING TOWER DEVICE.

	Oak leaf sprig and the motto, “Horrido”.

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	Chapter X. PERSONAL REMINISCENCES OF KLAUS BARGSTEN

	Bargsten told his interrogators many anecdotes about events and personalities in the German Navy.

	While he was serving as a midshipman on the yacht, Grille, Bargsten had occasion to see many of the leading members of the Nazi party. Once, he said, when a group of these Olympians was aboard, an orchestra was playing for their entertainment, but the ship’s ventilators were making so much noise that the music could scarcely be heard. Goebbels complained to the captain in his usual high handed manner, ordering him to do something about it. The captain, while engaging Goebbels in conversation, managed to back him into position in front of one of the ventilators. When he gave the order for the ventilators to be shut off, the shutter gave Goebbles a resounding whack on the back side.

	Bargsten also spoke somewhat heretically about the alcoholic habits of the Nazi great. Hitler, he said, objected strenuously to drinking and often gave his staff violent temperance lectures. Shortly after having been subjected to one such harangue on board the Grille, the staff gathered in the saloon to sooth their frayed nerves with a bottle of champagne. Suddenly Hitler appeared in the doorway and the bottle, which had just been opened was discreetly hidden beneath a table. Hitler strode into the room, kicked the bottle, spilling its contents, turned on his heel, and walked out without uttering a word.

	Several unusual accidents to U-boats were described by Bargsten. He related the well-known story of how U-43 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Lüth sank at the pier in Lorient in January 1941 because the men on watch failed to notice an open vent. At the time, Oberleutnant Bernbeck of the 1934 naval term was Executive Officer and Oberleutnant Erwin Witte of the 11935 naval term was Second

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	Watch Officer. They were both held responsible for the accident by a board of inquiry in Berlin and were required to pay for the repairs to the boat. These repairs lasted five months and included the installation of new electric motors. Bernbeck was later assigned to an old U-boat, formerly Dutch, which now is serving as a school boat in the Baltic. Witte spent a year in Kiel, attached to the 5th Flotilla. He was then sent to Flensburg where he was put in charge of clearing land which was to be the site of new barracks. Neither officer has been promoted since the accident although other members of the 1934 and 1935 naval terms are now Kapitänleutnante.

	Another accident described by Bargsten was the collision of two U-boats in the Baltic in August or September 1942, during their tactical exercises. One boat was commanded by Oberleutnant Ulrich Pietsch of the 1935 naval term. The other U-boat was commanded by an officer named Friedrichs. Bargsten was under the impression that the latter was U-195. (O.N.I. Note: U-195 has been reported as a 1200-ton U-boat. It has not been possible to identify Friedrichs with any certainty. There are three officers of this name in the German Naval List of 1940. Kapitänleutnant Adolf Friedrichs of the October 1937 naval term, has had a post in the coast artillery.) The rudder of Pietsch’ boat became jammed, the two boats collided, and both were badly damaged. A second accident occurred to Pietsch’ boat during the working up trials. During torpedo firing exercises, while submerged, Pietsch heard propeller noises in an area in which no other ships were supposed to be present. Suddenly his boat was rammed. On surfacing, he discovered that the ship was none other than the Scharnhorst.

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	Bargsten said that in Danzig he had seen the Baltic freighter, Morgenrot, lying on her side after being rammed by U-512 under command of Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang “Nase” Schultze. He said that “Nase’s” brother, Kapitänleutnant Heinz Otto Schultze of the 1934 naval term rejoices in the nickname of “Maske” (mask).

	The prisoner recounted the story of an artillery duel in June 1942 between a destroyer and U-333 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Erich Cremer. He said that Cremer was so severely wounded that a plane was sent to take him from the U-boat and rush him to a hospital. (O.N.I. Note: This apparently happened in the Bay of Biscay, probably on a patrol subsequent to the one in which he was rammed by a tanker (June 1942) and brought his U-boat to port completely battered. See O.N.I. 250 – G/Serial 4 U-210.)

	Bargsten told many anecdotes about his friends and acquaintances in the U-boat Service. His most intimate friend and classmate was Korvettenkapitän Reinhard “Teddy” Suhren. It was stated that Suhren, good looking and popular, could considerably lower the alcoholic stocks of any port in which he found himself. His personality was described as enthusiastic and carefree. Two incidents in which Suhren figured were recounted by Bargsten. On one occasion, Suhren met another U-boat at sea. Suhren and the captain of the other boat were on the bridge as they approached each other. An exchange of greetings and affectionate insults passed across the narrowing gap between the two boats. So immersed were the two captains in conversation that their boats collided, necessitating the return of both U-boats to their base for repairs. Despite his carelessness, Suhren was readily forgiven this peccadillo.

	On another occasion, Suhren was stalking a convoy which he had previously reported to the Commander-in-Chief U-boats. In due course, he received an

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	“inspirational” message from Dönitz telling him to “pursue relentlessly and attack fiercely”. Upon returning from this cruise, which was highly successful, Suhren was summoned to the office of Dönitz to give his report. In the course of the interview, Suhren violated decorum by referring to the signal as unnecessary, if not insulting. Dönitz was taken aback for a moment by this impudence but recovered in time to seize Suhren by the neck, lay him across the table, and administer a sound spanking to the naughty boy.

	While on the subject of signals, Bargsten spoke of a message that Dönitz sent to Prien on the occasion of the birth of Prien’s daughter. The message read, “Ein U-boot ohne Sebrohr ist heute angekommen” (A submarine without periscope arrived totay).

	Bargsten stated that listening to British broadcasts, while forbidden in Germany, was quite common. He said that severe penalties were dealt out, not for listening, but for spreading news. When Bargsten’s friend, Oberleutnant Hans Ey, Captain of U-433, was captured in November 1941, the news of his rescue was later broadcast on a British program. On the day of the broadcast, Ey’s wife received three anonymous telephone calls and on the following day, eight anonymous letters congratulating her on the good news.

	In speaking of training and tactics, Bargsten said that the training of prospective U-boat commanders through a “Konfirmandenfahrt” (guest cruise) had been abandoned. He said that captains were now drawn from the ranks of watch officers and that the Agru Front (Active Service Training Group) was considered sufficient additional training. He did not hesitate to confirm this practice made the first cruise of a new U-boat captain even more perilous than heretofore.

	Bargsten told of how officer candidates at U-boat school were required

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	to pump out the heads of a U-boat at a depth of about 20 meters. After successfully performing this act, they were presented with a “W.C. Schein” (W.C. Certificate) which describes in a facetious way their great acts of heroism.

	Bargsten stated that in his opinion, the greatest tactical aid in escape maneuvers was the S.B.T. He attributes his own escape in U-563 from a destroyer attack to this device and said that many other U-boats have been saved by its employment.

	According to the prisoner, 250-ton U-boats are known as “Einbaume” (dugout canoes).

	Bargsten spoke at some length on the Commando raid on St. Nazaire of March 1942. He said that the British soldiers, posing as Germans, would approach a sentry and ask, Kamerad, hast du Feuer?” (Comrade, have you a light?). When the sentry would reach for a match, he would be attacked. It was stated that officers and crews of U-boats were forbidden to take part in the action, as they could easily have been captured in their white night shirts. They were transported from the danger area in automobiles. One famous U-boat captain, now the commanding officer of a flotilla, made the excuse of having to relieve himself and got out of the car. He later succeeded in returning to the scene of the fight and was wounded in the foot. He was placed under arrest for disobeying orders.

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Annex A. U.S.N. EQUIVALENTS OF GERMAN NAVY RANKS

Korvettenkapitän	Lieutenant Commander

Kapitänleutnant	Lieutenant

Oberleutnant zur See	Lieutenant (j.g.)

Leutnant zur See	Ensign

zur See – denotes officer of the line.
(Ing.) – denotes engineering duties only.

OTHER U-BOATS

U-164	The loss of Korvettenkapitan Otto Fecher in U-164 was confirmed

U-522	The loss of Kapitänleutnant Schneider in U-522 was confirmed.

U-von JESSEN	Bargsten related that a U-boat commanded by Kapitänleutnant von Jessen of the 1935 naval term was lost during her working up trials.

JAPANESE SUBMARINE

Bargsten stated that an outward bound Japanese submarine was attacked by aircraft in July or August 1942 in the Bay of Biscay. He stated that the boat was definitely sunk. (O.N.I. Note: This may have been the attack carried out by a Catalina aircraft of 202 Squadron on 7 August, 1942. A photograph of this action appears in C.B. 04050/42(8).)

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	OFFICERS

	GODT

	Bargsten’s opinion of Dönitz’ chief of staff, Rear Admiral Godt, was that he was an efficient academic. He felt that Godt would never arouse the personal enthusiasm enjoyed by Dönitz.

	SCHOLTZ

	Bargsten stated that the commanding officer of the 12th Flotilla at Bordeaux was Korvettenkapitän Klaus Scholtz of the 1927 naval term. (O.N.I. Note: This officer had previously been reported as the commanding officer of a flotilla at an unnamed Atlantic base.)

	SCHÜTZE

	Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze of the 1925 naval term, former commanding officer of the 2nd Flotilla at Lorient, has been replaced by Korvettenkapitän Ernst Kals of the 1924 naval term. It was stated that Schütze now is in charge of the readiness section of the U-boat training flotillas. While he does not carry the title of F.d.U. (officer in charge of U-boat operations) the assignment is said to be similar to that held by an F.d.U. in an operational theater.




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