U-57 - 4th War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with help from Andi Forster

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Ships Hit
Date	KTB Time	Position	Ship	Tons	Nationality	Convoy
17 Nov 39	20.15	51°51'N, 2°55'E	KAUNAS	1,566	Lithuanian
19 Nov 39	02.13	51°51'N, 2°25'E	STANBROOK	1,383	British
			Total = 2,949
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.

			K  r  i  e  g  s  t  a  g  e  b  u  c  h   "  U  57  "
			=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=
			Kommandant:    Oblt.z.S.    K  o  r  t  h
			Beginning:        14.11.1939
			Concluding:      22.11.1939.
			Enclosures:  2 Track charts
			4 Torpedo firing reports
			3 Radio Messages
			4 Combat sketches.
				© U-boat Archive 2024 - all rights reserved

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

	- 1 -
		14.11.39
		11.55	SSW 3, overcast, Vis. medium	Cast off Wilhelmshaven U-boat Base.
		12.33 - 13.22		3rd Entrance.
		15.02 - 15.12		Trim test within the net barrier.
		15.19		Passed the net barrier, headed down the Jade.
		16.40	Lightship F
		18.15	Norderney Lightship Position	Course for Route Ia.
		21.00	SSW 3-4, Sea 3, 1010 mb, falling
		15.11.39
		02.42	SSW 5-7, Sea 5-6, Vis. medium	Own escort boat on opposite course to port.  Recognition Signals exchanged.
		07.05	Western edge of the English Warning Area	1 hour further on west course, then 193° to the center of the operations area.  HF.
		12.10	AN 6876	English drifting mine 800 meters to starboard, rusty.
		13.45	AN 6879 upper-left	2 position lines, course 206°.
		16.27	SW 4-5, Sea 3-4	Dived for torpedo maintenance.  Torpedo maintenance lasts longer then anticipated because the forward periscope must be overhauled.
		20.38	SW 3-4, Sea 3	Surfaced.
		21.06	AN 8193	3 fishing trawlers using nets.
		24.00	AN 8197	Boat is at the northern edge of the operations area.
		16.11 39		In operations area.
			WSW 4, Sea 3, Vis. medium	Course 206°, HF.
		02.00		Course 180°, on the center line of the operations area.
		03.00	AN 8428	4 fishing trawlers using nets.
		06.00		Independent fishing trawler.
		06.30		Course 270°, to the 40-meter line.
		06.52	AN 8459 lower-left	Dived, course 180°, at depth 15 meters at KF, half hourly at periscope depth.  LF.
		12.30	Rain.
		13.45	AN 8485	Dutch motor cutter, 300 tons, course 270°.
			Rain was heavier, Vis. decreasing
		18.00	Rain has stopped
		18.40	WNW 4, Sea 4, Vis. good, overcast	Surfaced.  Many fishermen using nets.  Course 170°, HF.
		20.00		Steamer on easterly course, 10000 meters to the south.

	Sun and Moon Data 14.11.39
	Sun and Moon Data 15.11.39
	Sun and Moon Data 16.11.39

	- 2 -
		continued
		16.11.39
		20.15	Cloud deck breaking up, moonlit
		21.00		Dutch lighthouse in sight below the horizon.  GF, course 110°.
		21.16		3 lighthouses in sight, course 140°.
		21.45	WNW 4-5, Sea 4, increasing, Vis. very good, cloudy	Course 170°.
		23.00	AN 8499	Triple bearing:  Westkapelle, Westschouwen, Westhoofd.  Lighthouses burn as in peacetime,  Schouwenbank Light Buoy and Light Buoys in the vicinity of the coast also burn.
		23.05		Course 270° to check position of the Nord Hinder Lightship.
		23.15		Hoek van Holland lighthouse burning, I suspect for arrival of the previously observed steamer.
		24.00	WNW 6-7, Sea 6
		17.11.39
		03.30	40-meter line	Course 0°.
		04.00	WNW 4, Sea 3	Vessel abeam to starboard, maneuvered ahead.
		04.28		Dutch motor ship on course 280°, 8-9 knots at the same time lightship in sight ahead to starboard.  Steamer probably runs Rotterdam - Harwich,  Therefore I believe I have found a steamer route.
		05.20		Back and froth in the vicinity of the lightship.
		06.58	WNW 3-4, Sea 3, overcast	Dived, ran towards the lightship.
		07.45	AN 8488	Lightship "Nord Hinder" Identifier according to the Standing Kriegsmarine Order of B.d.U.:
				Single flash 0.5 seconds   Pause 7   seconds   Flash 0.5 seconds   Pause 2   seconds   Flash 0.5 seconds   Pause 2   seconds   Flash 0.5 seconds   Pause 7   seconds         Repeat 20 seconds.
				About 700 meters northeast therefrom nun buoy as station buoy, red-white, horizontally striped.
		08.00		Course 110°.
		08.45		Steamer in sight, target angle 70°, range 5000 meters, course 220°, through the Channel, 6000 tons.
		09.00		Course 90°.
		11.22		Large Dutch passenger steamer, "STATENDAM", 28291 tons, broad target angle, course 50°, passing distance 8000 meters.
		12.00		Course 180°.

	Sun and Moon Data 16.11.39
	Sun and Moon Data 17.11.39

	- 3 -
		continued
		17.11.39
		12.08		About 15000 ton freighter, 4 high masts, 1 smokestack, course 95°.  Passing distance 8000 meters.
		13.00		20000 ton passenger steamer, white with 2 smokestacks, course 90°, passing distance 10000 meters.
		13.15		Directly ahead a Dutch tanker, 1000 tons, course west, passing distance 5000 meters.
				Starboard abeam steamer northerly course, mastheads.
		13.30		Dutch steamer, course west, passing distance 6000 meters.
		13.45		Course 0°.
		14.30		To the south 5000 ton steamer, course east.
				To the north a steamer, course west, 3 masts, 1 smokestack, passing distance 8000 meters.
				Medium steamer, course east.
		15.30		Motor cutter, course east.
				5000 ton steamer, course 70°, passing distance 5000 meters.
				Even with a short day, the low capacity of the battery does not allow one to run continually at LF.  Because the boat cannot be held at KF due to the swell, must always go again to depth 15 meters.
		17.45		Large Dutch steamer, course east, passing distance 2000 meters.
		18.19	Vicinity of Nord Hinder	Fishing trawlers run around at great distance.
			Moonshine, Swell	1 steamer on northeast course.
		19.00	SW 0-1	Suspicious vessel bearing 90°T.  Held onto it, vessel lies at anchor, has anchor lights set.
		19.22	Bright moonshine	Dived.  Ship is fully loaded, 2000 tons of larger.  No nationality markings,   Turned towards to shoot submerged.
		20.15	AN 8723	Shot tube III from control room periscope.  Detonation after 46 seconds, 690 meters, depth 4 meters, lead angle 3° for current.
				Boat settles to depth 23 meters.  Immediately again at periscope depth.  Steamer lies deeper astern, sank 7 minutes after the shot.  2 lifeboats show red beacons.  Especially suspicious that the steamer lying at anchor had 2 lifeboats ready.  Boats were taken over by fishing cutters.  There are many fishing cutters in the vicinity of the shooting location.
		20.59	Moon behind the clouds	Surfaced.  1 steamer heads for the shooting location, then runs on NW-course.
				Moved off on northerly course.
				Today 16 steamers were observed. Of these 10 steamers (2 passenger steamers) with courses for Holland or North Sea harbors, 4 steamers with course for England, 1 steamer on course for the English Channel.

Sun and Moon Data 17.11.39

	- 4 -
		continued
		17.11.39
				Nord Hinder was passed by the steamers at great range on the observed courses.
		23.16		Radio Message 2255/17/21:  German destroyer advance reported.
		18.11.39		Back and forth north of the lightship at LF.
		02.15	SW 3-4, Sea 2-3, Vis. bad, overcast	Destroyer in sight on SE course at high speed.  Destroyer zigzags to the SW, quickly passes out of sight.  Passing distance 1000 meters.  Destroyer has faint steaming light and blue stern light.
		04.39		Crash dive!  Destroyer passes about 200 meters behind the stern, was seen too late in the bad visibility.  Submerged 2 destroyers at high speed on changing northeasterly courses.  Presume:  German destroyers on advance and return transit.
		04.56		Surfaced.
		06.49	Vis. improving	Dived, back and forth on E-W courses.
		10.40	Vis. good	Steamer on easterly course, far off.
				Steamer, course 310°, passing distance 9000 meters.
		14.00	Choppy sea, Vis. decreasing	Empty Greek steamer, course 350°.  G 7 a was reloaded.
		18.10	14 nm northeast of Nord Hinder	Surfaced.  In further distance individual fishermen.  Transit to the SW-edge of the operations area.
			Overcast, light Swell, WSW 2, Vis. good
		20.00	Rain, Vis. remains quite good
		19.11.39
		01.12	SW 3-4, Sea 3, Vis. medium, rain	Dimmed steamer in sight on northerly course.  Turned away, pursued at AK.  Favorable position to weather of the steamer.  Shortly before the shot the steamer zigzagged towards.  Range below 300 meters.  Turned away, passing distance 150 meters.  Unseen because no Radio Message or hard turn was observed.
				New pursuit, steamer out of sight for 10 minutes in rain, now steers 300°, 6000 tons, fully loaded.
		02.13	AN 8713	Tube III, G 7 a, low range shot, target angle 80°, speed 9 knots, depth 3 meters.  Firing failure.  Linkage is withdrawn, tube runner.  Mech.Mt. Wiegand notices the return valve is jammed, pulls it by hand, torpedo was ejected with a slight delay (about 3 seconds).
				Detonation after 30 seconds, after leaving the tube 600 meters.  Hit aft 20 meters, just underneath.  Steamer breaks apart.  Aftership sinks immediately, foreship sinks after 2 minutes.  Moved off to the lightship.  After a while white flickering lights were observed, rafts?

	Sun and Moon Data 17.11.39
	Sun and Moon Data 18.11.39
	Sun and Moon Data 19.11.39

	- 5 -
		continued
		19.11.39
		03.02	SSW 4-5, Sea 4, rain, 1018 mb falling	Steamer in sight course 320°, held onto it.  Steamer is dimmed, however has no flag or illuminated markings.  Maneuvered ahead.  Steamer zigzags continually about 30-40°.  Because suspicious attacked.  About 2000 tons.
		03.58	AN 8479	Shot tube I G 7 e, target angle 75°, speed 9 knots, depth 5 meters.  Missed ahead.  Detonation at the end of the run after 95 seconds (2925 meters).
				Target angle was sharp, steamer had 2 widely separated masts, looked larger than he was, yawed strongly in the heavy seas.
				4th torpedo saved for a valuable target.
		04.00	Vis. improving, individual showers	Moved off to the NE, inside the 40-meter line, to get out of the suspect area after the three torpedo shots.
				Many fishermen all around.
		04.40	Freshening wind, heavy rain, barometer has fallen 38 mb in the last 12 hours.
		07.17	AN 8452	Dived, boat can no longer be held at periscope depth, proceeded at depth 20 meters.
		12.00		Boat put on the bottom.  Crew rest.
		18.51	NNW 5-6, increasing, Sea 5, cloud deck often tears, strong barometer rise	Surfaced, back and forth on course 330°/150°.  All around in a wide area many fishermen.  No steamers.
		20.11.39
		07.30	AN 8429	Dived, course 220°.  Intend to head for the SW-edge of the operations area.  Boat can only be held at periscope depth with difficulty.
			Winds and sea a bit weaker
		12.00	Sea 4-5, WNW	Boat can be held at periscope depth at LF.
		12.45		Sound quickly growing louder bearing 300°T.  All around sweep shows a single destroyer, course 35°, target angle 30°.  Attacked.
				Destroyer has 2 smokestacks, at the level of the bridge "H 8 . . . ", ANTALOPE class, 1350 tons.
		13.05	AN 8455	G 7 e from tube II, target angle 70°, speed 15 knots, range 400 meters, lead angle 30°, depth 5 meters.  Own depth 12 meters.
				At the call:  "Tube II" the Chief Engineer flooded and trimmed, at "Fire" all men forward, periscope in.  Despite this the boats rose quickly to depth 11 meters, Chief Engineer over flooded for safety.  I call: "Boat must be held, all men astern".
				Detonation after 13 seconds, 200 meters.  Chief Engineer orders all me astern.  With hard rudder and HF turned away to port.  A bit later the periscope came free for a moment.  I see the destroyer in relative bearing 120° with a target angle of 160°.

	Sun and Moon Data 19.11.39
	Sun and Moon Data 20.11.39

	- 6 -
		continued
		20.11.39
				It has a stern spar out to starboard like our own destroyers.  I have the impression that the destroyer had stopped to listen.
				G.H.G. and depth sounder are out of service.
				Boat settles to depth 23 meters.  Balanced the boat at KF for about 20 minutes due to the over flooding and because the starboard regulating tank had to be taken under pressure to pump (port regulating tanks was already pumped).
		13.30		To periscope depth.  Destroyer is no longer seen, instead a fishing trawler in its direction with continually changing courses. Presume:  destroyer moved off, had possibly thrown a buoy, for which the fishing trawler searched.
				Moved off on course 90°.
		15.15		Depth sounder and G.H.G. in service again.
				It is incomprehensible why the destroyer did not throw depth charges, had called aircraft or other destroyers of searched himself.
		15.58	NNW 4-5, Sea 4	Surfaced.
				On the horizon mastheads of three fishermen.
				Began homeward transit on course 20°.
				No enemy surveillance was observed in the operations area.  Submerged special attention was paid to aircraft surveillance however no aircraft were observed.  Boat had to remain submerged by day due to the numerous fisherman and on the steamer route because one steamer after another came in sight.
				Heavy steamer traffic was found in the vicinity of the war positions of deployed Nord Hinder lightship.  A direct east-west track was not particularly noticeable.
				Dutch lighthouses burn at the level of the operations area as in peacetime.
				Radio bearings were taken on Radio Hilversum, Brussels and Paris.  Brussels was usually off.  Bearings give only a rough indication.
		20.00	AN 8169	2 dimmed steamers on course 350°, 3000 meters away, broad echelon.  Avoided to the east.
		22.45	AN 8246
			NbyW 3, Sea 3, long Swell	Radio Message 2245/37:  Report to F.d.U. West concerning success and homeward transit.
		21.11.39	Wind and sea were weaker	Radio Message 1335/20/34 just now received as a repetition because at the time it was sent the boat lay on the bottom due to heavy seas.  Because delayed a day and am out of torpedoes, continued homeward transit.
		07.50	AN 6845	Dived, course 270°.
			NW 1, mirror flat sea, light Swell

	Sun and Moon Data 20.11.39
	Sun and Moon Data 21.11.39

	- 7 -
		continued
		21.11.39
		08.30		Course 55°.
		12.00	AN 6843	English reconnaissance aircraft, type "Anson" course N, high altitude.
				On the horizon steamer with 4 masts, course NW.
		13.51 - 14.10	Wind and sea 0	Surfaced.  Took navigation fix.  Received Radio Messages on short wave.  Ventilated the boat.
		14.07		Radio Message 1229/21/43:  Orders concerning entry route.
		15.41 - 15.59		Surfaced for navigation fix, fix poor due to low sun altitude.
		17.10		Surfaced, very good star navigation fix.  Course to Route Ia.
		18.31	In Warning Area	On Route Ia.
		22.11.39
		02.10	SE 2-3, Sea 1-2	Passed the German Warning Area.
		04.11	Wreck buoy at Juist.
		05.52	Norderney
		07.36	Lightship "F"	Passing report via Wangerooge to F.d.U. West.
		08.30		Passed the Jade barrier.
		08.45		Passing report for Schillig.
		10.00 - 1005		First entrance.
		10.40		Made fast U-boat Base.

	Sun and Moon Data 21.11.39
	Sun and Moon Data 22.11.39

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