U-9 - 2nd War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason

Departed	Date	Arrived	Date	Days at Sea
Kiel	16 January 1940	Wilhelmshaven	22 January 1940	7

 

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Ships Hit
Date	KTB Time	Position	Ship	Tons	Nationality	Convoy
18 Jan 40	23.53	54°06'N, 2°50'E	FLANDRIA	1,179	Swedish
19 Jan 40	01.45	54°26'N, 2°45'E	PATRIA	1,188	Swedish
			Total = 2,367
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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			K  r  i  e  g  s  t  a  g  e  b  u  c  h
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			Of the Unterseebootes  "U  9".
			Kommandant:  Oberleutnant zur See    L  ü  t  h  .
			Beginning:  16.1.1940
			Concluding:  22.1.1940
				© U-boat Archive 2025 - all rights reserved

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

	- 1 -
		16.01.40
		21.45	Kiel	Cast off from "DONAU".  Cruise through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal.  From Niebüll in tow of a canal tug.
			ENE 6, Vis. moderate, -10°C
		17.01.40
		06.45	Brunsbüttel	Made fast in the lock.
		08.00	Elbe	With a short line to the tug "EISFUCHS" towed behind Sperrbrecher VII
			S 2, clear sky
		12.00		Alte Liebe abeam.   [Pier in Cuxhaven]
		13.20	Elbe 2 Lightship	Passed abeam.
		14.20		Released towing connection.  Ice protector given to the tug.
		14.50		Dived next to the tug over the diesel exhaust gas valves because vents 1 and 3 were iced.
		15.25		Surfaced, released the tug.
		16.04		Elbe 1 abeam to starboard.
		17.40	Lightship F	Passed to port.
		20.00	Deutsches Bucht	Transit via Point C, D, E, on Route 1.
			AN 9585
			WSW 6-8, Vis. 3000 meters
		18.01.40
		07.40	SE 3-4, misty	In the morning twilight dived 3 nm from the exit of Route 1.
				Deep dive to depth 42 meters.  All tight.
		12.00	AN 6812	Day's run Surfaced 175 nm, Submerged 13 nm.
				Course 270°.
		16.00	AN 6733
		18.10	AN 6732	Surfaced, transit to English Warning Area on course 270°, 10 knots.
			Changing cloudiness, moonshine, Vis. very good
				Fishermen bearing 210°T and 60°T with bright lights.
		20.00	AN 6722
		20.30	AN 6721	Fisherman bearing 250°T on northerly course.
				One steamer bearing 300°T on southerly course.
				Matched speed:  Course 160°, 9 knots.  Steamer carries irregular illumination.  Flag is not distinguished, painting on the side of the hull is not seen despite distance 500 meters.
		22.23	AN 6751	1st shot.  Distance 500 meters.  Miss ahead.
				Initiated new attack.
		22.40	AN 6751 rkm	2nd Shot.  Distance 600 meters.  Miss.
		23.10	AN 6755	Vessel running on opposite course in sight bearing 140°T.
				Initiated attack on the first steamer.
		23.53	AN 6758	Ran in to shoot when the moon was covered by a large cloud.  Vessel proceeding in the opposite direction 6000 meters abeam.  3rd shot.  Distance 900 meters.  Hit center.  Steamer about 4000 tons, 110 meters long, 5 cargo hatches, deeply loaded, sank in 20 seconds.
			SW 3, heavy Swell, cloudiness breaking up, moonshine

	Sun and Moon Data 16.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 17.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 18.01.40

	- 2 -
		continued
		18.01.40		No Radio traffic observed.
				Came about, initiated attack on 2nd steamer.
				Matched speed:  10 knots, course 348°.
		19.01.40
		01.45	AN 6725	4th shot, distance 350 meters.  Hit between the forward mast and the bridge.
			Moon covered by the clouds
				Steamer 8000-10000 tons, length 140 meters, blunt very wide stern, width 20-25 meters.
				Foreship settles, steamer sank in 15 minutes.
				Radio Traffic was not observed.  Afterwards ran off into the dark horizon to the NE and began return transit via Route 2.
		04.00	AN 6495
		07.40	AN 6518	Dived.
			Morning twilight, cloudy
		12.00	AN 6518	Day's run Surfaced 156 nm, Submerged 18 nm.
		12.57		Radio Message from F.d.U. West:  Enter on Route 1 . . .
		18.00	AN 6516	Surfaced, transit to Helgoland on Route 1.
			S 7, rain
		20.00	AN 6557
		22.00	AN 6822	Navigation fix by radio bearings.
			S 8	Transit on Route 1 up to 24.00 hours, sighted 12 fishermen 1-2 nm from one another.
		20.01.40
		08.00	AN 6969	Dived.
			ESE 6
		10.15	NNE 9	Surfaced.  Continued transit to Helgoland.
		12.00	AN 9548	Day's run Surfaced 145 nm
		20.00	Helgoland	Made fast.
		21.01.40	Helgoland	Lay at the East Mole.
		15.00		Radio Message from B.d.U.:  Tomorrow 11.00 hours be at Lightship F for intake by ice escort and transit to Wilhelmshaven.
		22.01.40
		08.45	Helgoland	Put to sea.
		11.00	Lightship F	Ran up to the ice limit in the Jade and waited for the ice escort.
		13.00		Proceeded behind Sperrbrecher VI and tug to Wilhelmshaven.
		19.00	Wilhelmshaven	Made fast U-boat base.

	Sun and Moon Data 18.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 19.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 20.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 21.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 22.01.40

 

	Enclosures to U-9's KTB - click on the text at left to proceed to the documents
Torpedo	Torpedo firing reports
Maschine	KTB Maschine

 

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