Heading Home

28 May 1942
10:00 local time
A radio transmission had my heart pounding until i took a look at the charts and realized we could never intercept the convoy that was reported. Of course with onyl one torpedo we may not have been able to do much except shadow them so that other captains might have a chance.
We are currently 1000km due west of Brest and laying low during the clear daytime weather.

17:43 local time
A small tanker was spotted just after 11:00 this morning. The blue skies benefitted us for once as the lookouts saw her at roughly 6000 meters. We had plenty of time to prepare for our attack and sent our last eel out on a perfect track. There was a large explosion and the tanker began to sink aft. I ordered the boat up to the surface to engage the target witht he deck gun, but the effort was unneeded. We sent out a contact report and slipped beneatht he waves before air support had time to arrive on the scene.

30 may 1942
6:12 local time
A British destroyer was spotted in the murky weather at 3500 meters just after midnight. We dove for cover but it appeared that he did not take any notice of us. A lone Hurricane was spotted at first light and didn't seem to notcie us., though a Sunderland came roaring in half an hour later forcing us below the surface yet again.

31 May 1942
1649 local time
After several hours of rain the weather broke to reveal three type 34 destroyers! Our friendly pickets there to welcome the u-boats back home. We were even happier to see them when a flight of hurricanes decended and the sky lit up with a flak barrage! One manage to drop a depth charge near us before succumbing to the deadly atrillery of our escort. With the approaching nightfall I've decided to ring up full speed ahead and make our final run for port!

1 June 1942
4:12 local time
We are home! The crew has just completed the docking procedures and it's time to set foot on dry land once again. Despite the long hours spent watching and waiting for anything to happen I just realized I have not had a chance to actually sit and think about the patrol. I guess the constant worry about keeping to schedules, overseeing the officers and crew, and the lack of sleep has kept me in a constant state of worry since we left this very same dock. or maybe I've been dreading the thought of the men I lost off the French coast not soon after this patrol began. I'll have some difficult letters to write after i see the boat tied up in her berth.