U-505 - 1st War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with help from Andi Forster

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				1st Copy
			K  r  i  e  g  s  t  a  g  e  b  u  c  h
				U-505
				Commenced:  26.8.1941
				Concluded:       3.2.1942
			Kommandant:  Kapitänleutnant    L  o  e  w  e
				© U-boat Archive 2023 - all rights reserved

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

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		26.08.41		Commissioning of the boat.
				Deutsche Werft Hamburg
		27. - 29.08.41		Break in days on the Elbe.
		30.08.41		Transfer voyage Hamburg - Kiel.
		31.08. - 03.10.41		U.A.K. Testing.
				Kiel, Rönne, Danzig.
		04.10. - 15.10.41		Training with Agru-Front.
				Danzig, Hela.
		16.10. - 10.11.41		25.U.-Flottille Fanzig.
				Torpedo- , artillery firing, depth charge training.
				Tactical training ashore.
		11.11. - 22.11.41		27.U.-Flottille
				Tactical training, Baltic.
		23.11. - 27.11.41		Transit via Stettin for Hamburg.
		27.11.41 - 08.01 42		Final adjustments and overhaul at Deutsche Werft.
				Hamburg.
		09.01. - 11.01.42		Transit to Stettin to the 4.U.-Flottille
		12.01. - 15.01.42		Outfitting Stettin.
		16.01.42		Transit to Kiel.
		17.01. - 19.01.42		Degaussing, radio direction finder calibration.
				Trim compensation, trim test by 5.U.-Flottille
			Completed

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		19.01.42	Kaiser Wilhelm Canal
		16.00		Departed Kiel for 1st War Patrol.
		16.30		Holtenauer Lock.
		23.30		Made fast Brunsbüttel.
			Completed
		20.01.42	Brunsbüttel
		07.00		Ready for sea.  Brunsbüttel Lock.
		09.00		Departed Brunsbüttel.
				Delay because Sperrbrecher 17 had great difficulty turning in the ice of the inner harbor.
		10.40		Abeam Cuxhaven.  Heavy drift ice in the Elbe.
			Day's run:  66 nm
		12.40		Elbe I.  Sperrbrecher 17 not operable (compass system).	°
		15.30	Helgoland	Arrived Helgoland to turn in ice protector.
				B S N sent, as Kommandant determined by telephone, replacement Sperrbrecher 161.
		19.30		Departed Helgoland.  Heavy anti-aircraft fire in the south.
		21.50		Taken in convoy by Sperrbrecher 161 at Point A.
		24.00	E 3, Vis. good, slight overcast	Point 14.
				Completed

	Sun and Moon Data 19.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 20.01.42

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		21.01.42
		00.00	Point 14, southern North Sea.
			E 3, Sea 2, 1/2 overcast, Vis. medium
		01.40	AN 9546	Released by escort.
				Continued transit on Route Blue.
		04.00	E 2-3, increasing cloudiness, Vis. medium
			AN 6632	Test dive.  Afterwards put the boat on the bottom, depth 47 meters.
		12.00	Day's run:  117 nm
			2 nm
		20.00	AN 6632	Surfaced.  Continued transit.
			E 2-3, Sea 2, overcast, low clouds, Vis. medium
		24.00	AN 9138
			Completed
		22.01.42
		04.00	AN 3842
			ENE 2, Sea 2, overcast, isolated light snow squalls, Vis. medium
		08.00	AN 3581	Northern North Sea
		09.00		Dived.  Proceeded submerged.
		11.20		Reached the 200-meter line.
		12.00	Day's run:  132 nm
			8 nm

	Sun and Moon Data 21.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 22.01.42

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		continued
		22.01.42
		19.15	AN 3542	Surfaced.
		20.00	SSW 5, Sea 4, heavily cloudy, temporarily freshening, Vis. changing
				Completed
		23.01.42
		00.00	Northern North Sea
			Wind and Sea quickly increasing
		04.00	AN 3173
			SSW 5-7, Sea 5, Vis. good, overcast
		08.00	SSE 7-9, Sea 7, overcast, Vis. good
		09.18		Dived transit.
		12.00		Day's run:  142 nm   23 nm.
		19.40		Surfaced, heavy seas.  Cruised before the sea.  Boat lies best at HF, Sea 50-60° off the stern.
		20.00	AN 2399
		22.10	AN 2393	Short Signal to B.d.U.:
			SSE 7-9, Sea 7	Passed 60°N to the north.  Signal was confirmed at 23.00 hours.
				Completed
		24.01.42
		00.00	AN 2367
			SSE 7-9, Sea 7, overcast, Vis. medium
		10.00	AF 8715	Dived for test dive and to pull the torpedoes.  Navigation very inexact, the good night starry sky at dusk unfortunately again quite obscured.  Therefore closed the Norwegian coast.
			SSE 5-7, Sea 6, overcast, Vis. good
		12.00		Day's run:  171 nm (including 21 nm correction)  28 nm.
		14.15	AF 8484	Surfaced.  Norwegian coast well in sight.
				Drifting mine 300 meters abeam.
		15.30		Ship's position determined perfectly by land bearings and soundings.  Navigation error 87°T about 21 nm.
		15.50		Incoming Radio Message 1232:  Loewe at high speed

	Sun and Moon Data 22.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 23.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 24.01.42

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		continued
		24.01.42
		15.50		Incoming Radio Message 1232:  Loewe proceed to Lorient at high speed.
		16.00	AF 8486	Came to 14 knots.
		20.00	AF 7665
		24.00	AF 7566
			Weather unchanged from 16.00-24.00 hours:  SSE 7, Sea 6, Vis. changing, overcast.
				Completed
		25.01.42
		04.00	AF 7546
			Wind SSE 7, Sea 5 and high Swell, overcast, Vis. medium heavily changing, snow squalls
		08.00	AN 7486
		10.00		Dived to transit due to the proximity of English air bases and heavy low clouds, danger of being surprised.
		12.00		Day's run:  268 nm   5 nm.
				While proceeding submerged gyro compass secured and repaired (cooling water temperature too high).
		19.15	AF 7754	Surfaced.  It has abated somewhat.  Boat can run at 14 knots.
		20.00	SSE 5, Swell, overcast, Vis. medium, moonshine
		24.00	Vis. heavily changing, thick hail squalls, moon breaks through again and again through holes in the low hanging clouds
				Completed
		26.01.42
		03.00	AN 3281	Boat stays in the middle between the English warning areas.  Visibility changing greatly, occasionally bright moonshine, then hail and rain squalls.  Outside of squalls good visibility.  During the entire night nothing sighted.
			Between the Faeroe Islands and North Scotland
			Wind SSO 3-5, heavy swell
		08.00	AM 3178
			S 4-5, Sea 4, high confused Swell, Vis. changing

	Sun and Moon Data 24.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 25.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 26.01.42

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		continued
		26.01.42
		09.55	AM 2432	Dived.  Test dive and proceed submerged close to the English air bases.  Low broken clouds and insufficient training of the crew, attributable to 6 weeks shipyard period from the end of November, change of 4 stokers and two sailors (all inexperienced) and lack of exercise and training time after the shipyard period make measures such as those taken yesterday, appear to be necessary.
		12.00	North Atlantic	Day's run:  188 nm   24 nm.
		12.17	AM 2431	Detonation heard in the boat.  Far off.  Afterwards two times sounds like underwater telephone signals.  Nothing seen in the periscope.
		15.06	AM 2423	Three distant detonations.
		15.16		Three distant detonations.
		19.45	AM 2421	Surfaced.
		20.00	SSW 3, Sea 2-3, W-Swell, Vis. good
		21.45		Incoming Radio Message 1502:
				Mannstein reports convoy in AM 4641, 5-7 knots, course 230°.
				Decide to operate on it.  I am located nearly 400 nm behind him and can reach him in about 48 hours.
		21.55		Incoming Radio Message 1520 from B.d.U.:
				Returning boats operate if position is favorable and report doing so by Short Signal.
		23.21		Short Signal to B.d.U.:
				My position is AM 23.        "U-505".
				Was confirmed by B.d.U. with the order to switch immediately to Ireland Circuit.
				Completed
		27.01.42
		00.00	North Atlantic
			AM 2330
			S 3-4, Sea 3, old W-Swell, Vis. good, occasional moonshine occasional overcast
		08.00	AM 1450	No contact keeper reports.  Continued return transit.  In the short swell the boat takes over considerable water.  Now I go strongly to the west, I can then make a long south leg. I can not go against [the swell].
			SSW 3-4, Sea 3, confused Swell, Vis. changing

	Sun and Moon Data 26.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 27.01.42

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		continued
		27.01.42
		10.30		Test dive, in so doing deep dive to A +40 meters to check throughout the boat.
		12.00	AM 1450	Day's run:  124 nm   26 nm.
		13.20		Surfaced.
		16.00	AM 1320
			WSW 4, Sea 4, old W-Swell, Vis. good, changing cloudiness, hail squalls
		20.00	SW 5-7, Sea 5, hail squalls
		21.00		The boat moves laboriously with one diesel at HF.  The lee shaft is stopped, because with the heavy overtaking seas the exhaust is so far under water that the engine threatens to drown.
		24.00	AM 1520
				Completed
		28.01.42
		01.30		Radio Message 0130 to B.d.U.:
				Rotterdam no traffic, no surveillance, otherwise no observations.  Naval square AM 24 by day distant scare depth charged heard.  Position AM 1550.  Return transit.  Along with this a Short Signal weather report is sent.
		04.00	AM 1540
		08.00	AM 1740
			High W-Swell, WSW 4, Sea 3, hail squalls, overcast, occasional moonshine
		11.00		Test dive.  Due to improper ballasting the boat is so heavy that almost no pumping reserve exists submerged.  Therefore all wash water (some 3 tons), and a forward torpedo compensating tank is pumped out.
		12.00		Day's run:  165 nm   4 nm.
		14.15		Surfaced.  In the mean time it has freshened heavily.
		16.00	W 7, in squalls 8-9, Sea 6, high W-Swell, rain squalls Vis. good

	Sun and Moon Data 27.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 28.01.42

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		continued
		28.01.42
		20.00	AL 0390
			WNW 7-8, rain squalls
				Completed
		29.01.42	West of Ireland
		00.00	AL 6337
		08.00	AL 6621	In the course of the night it has abated considerably.
		10.30		Test dive.
		12.00	AL 6643	Surfaced.  Day's run:  146 nm   10 nm.
			W 2, old Swell, overcast, Vis. good
		16.00	AL 6850	In the course of the afternoon three crash dives for training.
		20.00	AL 9220
			S 3-4, Sea 2, overcast, Vis. good
				Completed
		30.01.42	West of the Channel
		00.00	AL 9520
			S 3-4, Sea 2, S-Swell, overcast, Vis. medium
		02.30		Reported weather by Short Signal as ordered.
		04.00	AL 9560
			WNW 4, Sea 3, overcast, Vis. medium
		08.00	AL 9910
		10.30		Test dive.
		11.35		Surfaced.
		12.00	BE 2330	Day's run:  274 nm   12 nm.
			NNW 6, Sea 5, Vis. good
		16.00	BE 2630
		20.00	BE 3710
			NW 3-4, Sea 3, flat Swell, Vis. good, 9/10

	Sun and Moon Data 28.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 29.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 30.01.42

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		continued
		30.01.42
		22.40		Radio Message 2200:  From Loewe
				Request return 3 February before dawn or at midnight high water, because otherwise 2 day's delay due to ordered commitments.
				Along with this a Short Signal weather report is sent.
				Completed
		31.01.42	Western Bay of Biscay
		00.00	BE 3780
		04.00	BE 6190
		08.00	BE 6540
		12.00	BE 6560	Day's run:  282 nm.
			NNW 3-4, Sea 3, flat NW-Swell, Vis. good, overcast
		15.00	BE 6680	Reached 12°W.
				Test dive, afterwards proceeded submerged.  The pumping reserve submerged still amounts to 2.5 tons.  Therefore again pumped drinking water (1.7 tons), to lighten the boat.
		18.00	BE 6690	Several distant detonations heard in the boat.  (As we later learned from a report it was an aircraft attack on U-553 (Thurmann) range = 45 nm.
		21.00		Surfaced.
				Completed
		01.02.42
		00.00	BF 4490
		04.00	BF 4820
		08.00	BF 4950
			NW 2-3, Sea 2, flat swell, Vis. good, full moonshine, moon is covered by clouds now and then
		09.15		Dived to proceed submerged.
		10.28	BF 5740	One distant detonation heard.

	Sun and Moon Data 30.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 31.01.42
	Sun and Moon Data 01.02.42

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		continued
		01.02.42
		12.00	BF 5740	Day's run:  223 nm   8 nm.
		16.00
		20.00	BF 5740
		21.00		Surfaced.  Short Signal:
				Positioned 36 hours off return harbor.  Request Lorient Bearing Transmitter II.
				Completed
		02.02.42
		00.00	NW 3, Sea 2, Vis. good, moonshine, occasional overcast, rain showers
		04.00	BF 5820
			Overcast
		06.45		Reached the 200-meter line.
		08.00	BF 5833	Dived.
		12.00	BF 6474	Reached Point Tanne, day's run:  155 nm   21 nm.
		16.00	BF 6470
		20.00	BF 6470
		20.40		Surfaced.  Proceeded by Lorient II Bearing Transmitter.
				Completed
		03.02.42	Belle Island 4 nm abeam to starboard
			NW 1, Sea 0, Vis. 2 nm, 7/10, moonshine
		00.33		Because up to now have not met escort.
				Radio Message 2359:  Position 3 February 07.00 hours Point Luci II.  Request escort.
		01.15		Dived, 10 nm off Luci II.
		06.30		Surfaced.
		09.10		Taken under escort at Luci II.
		11.30		Entered Lorient.
				Day's run:  50 nm   28 nm.
			Distance covered	Total distance 2371 nm
				91 nm
				Total      2562 nm
				No particular experiences.
				Completed

	Sun and Moon Data 01.02.42
	Sun and Moon Data 02.02.42
	Sun and Moon Data 03.02.42

	Enclosures to U-505's KTB - click on the text at left to proceed to the document
Chart	Track chart covering entire war patrol

	Comments of the Befehlshabers der Unterseeboote
	-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
	on the Kriegstagebuch of "U-505" from 26.8. - 3.2.42.
	-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
	Transfer voyage to Westfrankreich.  No remarks on execution.  If there is excess time before escort intake, the boat must dive before reaching the 200 meter line.  Diving at or shortly off the intake point must be avoided because of the existing ground mine danger.
		Signed in draft:    D  ö  n  i  t  z  .
		For correctness:
		Leutnant (V) and Adjutant i.V.

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