SM U-9 - 1st War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with the help of Andi Forster

Like the majority of WWI KTBs, this one was hand written.  The text was converted from the old German schript to modern German by Andi Forster with the help of Herr Fröschl. Translation of this important KTB was only possible due to their many hours of meticulous and exacting work. I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation.
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	Klicken Sie auf die Flagge, um das KTB in modernem Deutsch anzuzeigen

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Ships Hit
Date	KTB Time	Position	Ship	Tons	Nationality	Convoy
22 Sep 14	07.20	52°09'N, 3°45'E	HMS ABOUKIR	12,000	British
22 Sep 14	07.55	52°09'N, 3°45'E	HMS HOGUE	12,000	British
22 Sep 14	08.20	52°09'N, 3°45'E	HMS CRESSY	12,000	British
			Total = 36,000
Military vessels are given in tons displacement vice gross registered tonnage
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 Eberhard Rössler's Die Unterseeboote der Kaiserlichen Marine 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.

			Kriegstagebuch
			of the
			Kommandos SM Unterseeboot "U.9."
			Kommandant:  Kapitänleutnant Weddigen (Otto)
				Beginning:    12 September 1914
				Concluding:  30 September 1914
			Enclosures:  2
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Click the flag to view the above page from the original German KTB in handwritten script

	- 1 -
		15.09.14	Helgoland, U-boat Harbor	Maintenance work.
		16.09.14	Helgoland, U-boat Harbor	Maintenance work.
		17.09.14	Helgoland, U-boat Harbor	Maintenance work.
		18.09.14	Helgoland, U-boat Harbor	Maintenance work.
		19.09.14	Helgoland, U-boat Harbor	Maintenance work.
		20.09.14		Put to sea with the task of taking up a waiting position in the area of the West Hinder Lightship and attacking warships and transport ships.
		05.15 AM	NW 4, heavy Swell, overcast, rain, clear
		05.30 AM		Test dive at Hogsteam.
		06.00 AM		Course 288° passed north of the barrier.
		09.00 AM	Wind and sea increasing	Course 240°.  RPM for 10 knots.  Heavy swell and strong movement speed of the boat speed calculated at 7 knots.
		05.00 PM	NW 6, overcast, squalls, rain, with heavy Swell	Sounding at 45 meters. Am about 45 nautical miles too far north.  The gyro-compass was severely affected by the boat's violent movements. Thereafter sounding along the coast on a southerly course.
		08.00 PM		Petroleum motors stopped, continued on electric motors.
		21.09.14	NW 5, clear, heavy Swell	Sounding at 30 meters.
		04.30 AM
		06.00 AM		Sounding at 28 meters.  Came to course 210°.
		08.30 AM	Ameland Lighthouse abeam	Observed large compass deviations again, so we steered along the coast by land bearings. In the afternoon, the seas shifted astern, the compass calmed down, and we could use it.
			N 7, clear, heavy stern sea
		05.30 PM	IJmuiden Lighthouse abeam to port	Course 200°.
		07.00 PM		Petroleum motors shut off due to darkness and continued on E-motors on the surface.
		07.30 PM	Scheveningen abeam	Dived before a suspicious vessel.  No further details were determined. Subsequently, the boat was ordered to be put on the bottom. The attempt was abandoned because, even at a depth of 25 meters and 6 tons negative buoyancy, the ground swell repeatedly caused the boat to hit the bottom. Blew and hove to at KF.

	Sun and Moon Data 20.09.14
	Sun and Moon Data 21.09.14

	- 2 -
		22.09.14	N 5, clear, dark	Dived before a dimmed vessel about 1000 meters abeam.  Details not distinguished.  Went to depth 15 meters.   Steered course 270° at KF.
		01.00 AM
		05.45 AM	N 3, very clear, Swell	Blew, sounded at 27 meters.  Stopped the petroleum motors to advance towards the lighthouse.
		Scheveningen in 100°T, 22 nm
		06.00 AM		Masts sighted to the south. Dived. Later identified as a warship. Another warship was identified on each side at a distance of about 2 nautical miles. I concluded it was a patrol. The warships were identified as English cruisers with four funnels. Since there was no indication of a following main force until the last moment, attacks were planned on the three cruisers one after the other (according to the attached sketch), namely:
				1)  07.20 AM, Tube II, shot angle 0° on the cruiser positioned in the center. Shooting range: 500 meters. Estimated speed: 10 knots. intercept angle 90°. Hit. After a few minutes, the ship heeled heavily and capsized while initiating attack on the next cruiser.
				2)  07.55 AM  Double shots from tubes I and II at a 5-second interval. Fired at the cruiser on the eastern wing, which was coming to the aid of the stricken ship and assisting it with lifeboats with shot angle 0°. The ship was almost stationary. Aiming was done by turning the boat. Shot range approximately 350 meters. Estimated angle of intersection 70°. 2 hits. The ship heeled and sank unnoticed while the approach for the next ship was being prepared.
				3)  08.20 AM  Double shot from tubes III and IV. Shot angle 180° angle at the last ship (western wing ship), which stopped nearby and also appeared to be participating in the rescue. The ship was almost stationary. Firing range was approximately 1,000 meters. Both shots were fired at a 5-second interval at the center while running off. Only one detonation was felt from the boat - albeit very powerful despite the great distance - (munitions magazine).  It does not seem impossible that the second torpedo was detonated by the first.  The initial impact on the target was marked by a

Sun and Moon Data 22.09.14

	- 3 -
		22.09.14		particularly large blast cloud in the periscope. When I first showed the periscope after about four minutes delay, I could detect a suspicious roll of the ship, but not a list due to the lateral bearing of the ship. To be on the safe side, I decided to fire the last torpedo, the sixth.
				4) 08.35  Tube I, 0° angle, on the stationary, wrecked ship. Range: 500 meters. Hit. At the first sighting - after 5 minutes - the ship was heeling at about 45° and - as clearly observed by the departing boat - gradually tilted more and more to her side, then keel up, and finally disappeared completely. This process took about 35 minutes. The sinking of the first two ships likely occurred in the same manner.
				Note: The periscope was only shown at low speed and only when absolutely necessary (see the sketch below). The observations of the stricken ships are therefore not entirely accurate. Fully occupied boats - only about five were clearly identified - were drifting around the battlefield at the end; I also saw a steam launch.
				"U-9." continued submerged at high speed to the north for about 20 minutes, then surfaced and began the return transit. To prevent any possible angled shot failures, only 0° and 180° shots were fired. The success was made complete by large ships rushing to the aid of another ship stricken by a U-boat, thereby exposing themselves.
				Until torpedo boats or steamers arrived, the ships should have limited their assistance to sending motorboats and rowboats. No counteraction- gunfire - was offered. It is likely that, given the general dismay of the enemy, the periscope was never seen, and the presence of a U-boat was not recognized in time.

Sun and Moon Data 22.09.14

	- 4 -
		To 22.09.14		Battery condition before the approach:  6050 Amp.
				"              after the approach:     3300 Amp.
				2750 Amp.
				(3000 Amps had already been used during the night submerged transit)
		08.30 AM	N 2, clear	Began return transit on course 310°, to mislead pursuing forces.
		09.20 AM		Came to course 20° and headed for the Terschelling Bank at 12 knots.
		04.00 PM	Very clear weather	Several rapidly moving smoke clouds ahead to port - in the direction of Terschelling Bank - later recognized as English destroyers, apparently to intercept returning U-boats. U-9 flooded to avoid being seen; blew again at 05.15 PM and continued the return transit.
		05.15 PM
		07.00 PM	Terschelling Lightship abeam
		07.20 PM		Enemy destroyer ahead. Dived and continued submerged on a northerly course. The destroyer frequently sailed back and forth on easterly courses at high speed. Went to depth 15 meters and to the northeast on course 50°.
		10.30 PM		Came to course 80°.
		11.30 PM		Put the boat on the bottom, depth 30 meters.
				Saved current, calm.
		23.09.14
		05.00 AM		Went to depth 10 meters until a clear horizon was observed in twilight.
		05.35 AM		Surfaced, blew and continued return transit to Helgoland at 12 knots.
				Radio Message to the cruiser of the Ems-Sicherung for relay to SMS Hamburg and S122.
	[WWI grid square 6A117 = 52°09'N, 3°45'E]			On 22 September, between 06.00 and 09.00 AM, U-9 sank three English armored cruisers - presumably from the 3rd Armored Cruiser Squadron - with six torpedoes in square 117 α, supplemental number 6."
		07.40 AM		Passed Ems-Sicherung.
		01.35 PM		Arrived Helgoland U-boat Harbor.

	Sun and Moon Data 22.09.14
	Sun and Moon Data 23.09.14

	- 5 -
		24.09.14	Helgoland - Wilhelmshaven	Put to sea for Wilhelmshaven.
		08.00 AM	NNE 1	Delivered Kriegstagebuch copies of the remote operation by S.M.S “FRIEDRICH DER GROßE" and "SEYDLITZ".
		01.00 PM		Passed through the III Entrance Lock.
		02.15 PM		Made fast in the inner torpedo yard.
		25.09.14	Wilhelmshaven Torpedo Yard	Maintenance work.
		26.09.14	Wilhelmshaven Torpedo Yard	Maintenance work.
		27.09.14	Wilhelmshaven Torpedo Yard	Maintenance work.
		28.09.14	Wilhelmshaven Torpedo Yard	Maintenance work.
		29.09.14	Wilhelmshaven Torpedo Yard	Maintenance work.
		30.09.14	Wilhelmshaven Torpedo Yard	Maintenance work.
				Concluded:  30 September 1914
				in Wilhelmshaven
				Kapitänleutnant

Sun and Moon Data 24.09.14

 

	Enclosures to SM U-9's KTB - click on the text at left to proceed to the document
Chart	Track chart of entire patrol
Sketch	Combat sketch for 22 September 07.00 - 09.00 hours

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