U-536 - 2nd War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with help from Andi Forster

Departed	Date	Arrived	Date	Days at Sea
Lorient	29 August 1943	Sunk	20 November 1943	84

 

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Ships Attacked

None

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    "  U  536  "
			Kommandant:  Kaptl.  S  c  h  a  u  e  n  b  u  r  g
			(Reconstructed by 2.Skl./B.d.U. Op.
		1943
		09.07.43	Lorient	Entered.
		11.08.43		Sea trial.  Trim test.
		12.08.43		Shipyard completed.
		29.08.43	Lorient	Put to sea with orders, objective BE 8320.
		04.09.43
		15.52		From B.d.U.:
				Schauenburg and 2 boats head for CE 40, there supply anticipated.
		07.09.43
		22.46		From B.d.U.:
				Previous objective for U-460 and Schauenburg and U-460 cancelled.  Supply from U-460 anticipated in BD 87.
		08.09.43
		10.17		From B.d.U.:
				Schauenburg is reminded of passing report.
		09.09.43
		06.27		From U-536:
				My position is BE 7644.
		12.09.43
		11.53		From B.d.U.:
				Schauenburg.  Execute task "Kiebitz" (pickup of prisoners from Maisonette Point in the Chaleur Bay).  No supply.
		03.10.43
		12.08		From B.d.U.:
				Schauenburg free to maneuver depending on the defensive situation in named sea area BB and in naval square BA 30. If noticed report situation or position or task execution.
		05.10.43
		07.42	BB 98	From U-536:
				Kiebitz compromised.
		18.13		From B.d.U.:
				Schauenburg:
				1)  Halifax main harbor monthly about 16 inbound and outbound convoys and stragglers.  Steering in general via BB 7570 - BB 7580 Sambro Lightship.
				2)  Ships for Sydney go via about BB 5890.
				3)  Assembly area for convoys to the east about BB 69 center.  To the west about BC 71 center.
				4)  St. Johns main harbor for escort vessels.  Light convoy traffic for Greenland.  Independent traffic.
				5)  Expect heavy air surveillance and being noticed.
				6)  Free to maneuver.
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		06.10.43
		11.26		From B.d.U.:
				Schauenburg when sending next radio message explain belief that Kibitz was compromised.
		09.10.43
		04.12	CC 53	From U-536:
				Moved off.  Hagenuk [Wanze radar warning receiver] failed.  Question spare TB.   6.7. oil trace.  Rubber seal emergency vent flap valve eaten up.  Liberty ship hunted 17 knots, course 260°, CC 53.
		13.10.43
		01.15	CC 52	From U-536:
				CC 52, 9000 ton standard type sunk, course 260°, Wanze again operable, going to operations area.
		15.10.43
		10.49		From B.d.U.:
				To Schauenburg.
				Radio transmitter DJD 11770 khz transmits from 05.45 to 07.30 hours German Oversea- and Abroad Service.  Observe transmitter volume and tone.  Output under codeword Vosalau occasionally append to Radio Messages and in Report provide details.
		05.11.43
		18.22		From B.d.U.:
				Schauenburg.  No supply possible.  Begin return transit accordingly.  As soon as noticed, report situation or position.
		07.11.43
		00.58	CC 42	From U-536:
				1)  Fast independent CC 5270, course 270°.
				2)  Convoy route CB 16, along the 200-meter line between "Brown and Emerald Bank" to Sambro Lightship, sea and air surveillance.
				3)  Vosalau not heard.
				4)  Kiebitz not seen,  On D-Day at meeting point patrol vessel, search cruise, depth charges.
				5)  Return transit CC 42.
		14.11.43
		00.21	CE 1339	From U-536:
				Escorting destroyer east of CE 1339.
		18.11.43
		09.44		From B.d.U.:
				Schauenburg and 2 boats as far as fuel allows, utilize opportunities for success on northbound convoy.
		19.11.43
		18.42	BE 8476	From U-536:
				Mt position is BE 8476.  Bearing of contact holding own aircraft 190°T.
		19.36	BE 8488	From U-536:
				My position is BE 8488, bearing 177°T.
			No further reports are received from the boat.

			Concerning the sinking of U-536 Daventry gives the following report on 6.1.44 19.00 hours. "U-Schauenburg returned from his special task, which had taken the boat to South America. On the homeward journey U-Schauenburg (joined?) with other boats to attack an Allied convoy.  That was in last November. U-Schauenburg was still on the way to the convoy proceeding on the surface when it was caught and trapped in a searchlight. The only remedy!  Quickly into the cellar! The men of the U-Schauenburg could hear British escort ships carry out a depth charge attack. However they were at great depth. Additionally, the detonations were at some distance from their boat.  So they they believed that bombing came down on one of the other boats in the group. Then - without any . . . by propeller noises or other sounds - the men of U-Schauenburg suddenly (heard?) the horrible ping ping of a British (search gear?) beat on their hull. A series of depth charges followed immediately without leaving them time to prepare for the attack.         The consequences of this sudden (depth charge attack?) without warning coming out of the blue were disastrous for the submerged boat. The attack caused a serious leak in the aft section and  - . . . . -  The boat literally stood on its end, vertically, or better, not on its head but conversely, bow up, stern down. Bolt upright, still submerged between the water surface and unfathomable depth.  A number of men, who the entire . . . . the bow division . . . . at the forward torpedo tubes.  (a cabinet was on its side in the officers' mess?).  A radioman was suddenly standing horizontally . . . . at the bow end of the Kommandant's berth.  Then the lights failed.  The fuses were blown with the appearance of flames . . . . thick smoke . . . . Almost everyone on board sensed the last hour had struck. Everything was lost. . . . The Chief Engineer pointed out the usual measures in such occasions.  . . . . the forward . . . . tanks and let the stern be blown. . . . . without great hope, that these measures would have some effect.  . . . . because the water could have forced its way inside.  However, to his great surprise, the boat began to respond to emergency trim again. For this miracle only one explanation could be given and that was that in the aft section, the leak was overcome and . . . . because of the inrush of seawater. . . . here on their own initiative the U-boat men had shut the watertight bulkheads.  They had done so in full awareness, that the boat had one chance to surface, and there was minimal opportunity for themselves. . . . to escape.  It was of course impossible due to the stern down angle to continue to keep the boat in trim. The Kommandant (Kapitänleutnant?) Schauenburg gave . . . . the command to surface.  U-Schauenburg

			came in sight of the British warships, bathed in a glaring spotlight.  One could see that the stern of the boat was low in the water.  Fire was opened on U-Schauenburg.  Transfixed the men on the British ship observed how the crew of the U-boat went overboard and into the rubber boats. . . . The boat still ran ahead slowly. . . . and finally sank over the sternpost."         Kaptl. Dietrich Loewe [OLt.z.S. Dietrich Loewe First Watch Officer of U-110] returned from captivity, reported on the attempt to pick up the prisoners and the sinking of the boat after consultation with Kaptl. Schauenburg:         While on his way to the meeting place on the convoy route off Halifax - Greenland there was ongoing continuous monitoring by a destroyer and two aircraft, between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia monitoring by 3 destroyers. At 00.00 hours at the meeting point the pick-up point was remarkably calm, all boats were pulled ashore. The rest of the coast was busy with an abundance of traffic. U-536 dived for Northern Lights. After 10 min, depth charges dropped, apparently scare depth charges and a search by 8 destroyers and U-boat hunters took place. The boat ran to the south in shallow water and hauled out of the bay. The commander assumed that the operation was blown. Reasons: 1)  Upon approaching the meeting point the Qu-code "Komm, komm" was given without the agreed encryption. 2)  The depth charge pursuit without being discovered. 3)  As become known later, the Kaptl. Heyda was arrested 1000 meters away from the meeting point. Sinking of U-536 on 19./20.11.43:         Night before sinking artillery fire, without previous sighting or detection.  Depth charges.  No damage.  During attack on convoy forced to submerged by aircraft.  Artillery fire, aircraft bombs, depth charges observed.  Overrun by center forward search group, detected by starboard search group, that was pursuing another boat and had sunk it (sinking sounds).  U-. . . .   carpeted, torpedo tubes torn, settled through depth 3A meters [240 meters].  2 depth charges detonated under the boat.  Negative buoyancy tanks torn.  Water intake, E-motors out of service.  Blew, rammed by "SNOWEBERRY", boat sank.  Taken aboard "TWEED".  (Other escorts:  CALGARY, NENE, POLLY [possibly FOLEY], ESSINGTON, CRANE).          On 19 December 1943 U-536 was declared missing one star with effect from from 25 November 1943, on 1 September 1944 missing two stars with effect from 20 November 1943.         On 20 November 1943 the Kommandant and 16 men of the crew got into captivity; 36 soldiers dead.                      For the Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote                   - The Chief of the Operations Department -

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