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Well, I think I should post at my blog!
Yesterday I stumbled about several journals from my grandpa. OMG ... 60 years ago! His KTB. [Kriegstagebuch ... captain's war juornal] He was an U-boat commander in WWII. He joined German forces in 1938 and took over the command as lieutenant in early 1939. He got the command of a Type VIIB submarine. OMG! Such a young man!
He started at the 7th Flotilla at Kiel 1st of September 1939. In April 1940 he asked for 1st Flotilla at Wilhelmshaven. When German forces overwhelmed France in autumn 1940, 1st Flotilla was redeployed to Brest in north France. That was his base port for many combat missions. There is a better word in German, but I didn't find a good translation to English: Feindfahrt. It's because the U-boat men were "driving" [fahren] to their rides.
That year - 1940 - was a good year for the "Wolfes". The "Tommies" weren't ready yet for a merciless U-boat war. Their merchant-ships were easy victims although Britannia introduced the convoy system very soon. But they didn't own enough destroyers or other warships. So they fitted up trawlers and fishing boats with cannons and depth charges. But all this little helpers weren't fitted with detectors. So the Wolfes had a walk-over.
Summer 1940 grandpa had a terrible Feindfahrt ... desolating a big convoy all alone. After that battle his boat was in desolate condition. Two crew members were wounded from defending the boat with their Flak against attacks from RAF. When he came back and docked at Brest port, Karl Dönitz himself asked for come aboard and awarded to him the Knights Cross with golden oak foliage and brilliants. He was upgraded to lieutenant commander [Kapitänleutnant, slang wise in German spoken as "Kaleun" by the staff].
Later in 1940 the German U-boats were widely successful and sunk many many merchandise ships. But Churchill didn't give up and doubled his efforts to defend the feed of the british isles. Anyhow in the beginning of 1941 it was looking like UK would lose this battle. Especially because of the German u-boats. They cutted UK away from all its feed. UK was short before to lose this war.
My grandpa returned from another successful Feindfahrt at March 6th to Brest. That may be the start of blogging 60 years old reports here ... kinda live reporting from the past. Next time he and his crew have to embark is April 7th 1941.
I will try to translate his entries at his KTB. Stay tuned!
P.S. Got some photos as well from an old album of my grandma. She was "Funkhelferin" in Lorient since February 1940.
Yesterday I stumbled about several journals from my grandpa. OMG ... 60 years ago! His KTB. [Kriegstagebuch ... captain's war juornal] He was an U-boat commander in WWII. He joined German forces in 1938 and took over the command as lieutenant in early 1939. He got the command of a Type VIIB submarine. OMG! Such a young man!
He started at the 7th Flotilla at Kiel 1st of September 1939. In April 1940 he asked for 1st Flotilla at Wilhelmshaven. When German forces overwhelmed France in autumn 1940, 1st Flotilla was redeployed to Brest in north France. That was his base port for many combat missions. There is a better word in German, but I didn't find a good translation to English: Feindfahrt. It's because the U-boat men were "driving" [fahren] to their rides.
That year - 1940 - was a good year for the "Wolfes". The "Tommies" weren't ready yet for a merciless U-boat war. Their merchant-ships were easy victims although Britannia introduced the convoy system very soon. But they didn't own enough destroyers or other warships. So they fitted up trawlers and fishing boats with cannons and depth charges. But all this little helpers weren't fitted with detectors. So the Wolfes had a walk-over.
Summer 1940 grandpa had a terrible Feindfahrt ... desolating a big convoy all alone. After that battle his boat was in desolate condition. Two crew members were wounded from defending the boat with their Flak against attacks from RAF. When he came back and docked at Brest port, Karl Dönitz himself asked for come aboard and awarded to him the Knights Cross with golden oak foliage and brilliants. He was upgraded to lieutenant commander [Kapitänleutnant, slang wise in German spoken as "Kaleun" by the staff].
Later in 1940 the German U-boats were widely successful and sunk many many merchandise ships. But Churchill didn't give up and doubled his efforts to defend the feed of the british isles. Anyhow in the beginning of 1941 it was looking like UK would lose this battle. Especially because of the German u-boats. They cutted UK away from all its feed. UK was short before to lose this war.
My grandpa returned from another successful Feindfahrt at March 6th to Brest. That may be the start of blogging 60 years old reports here ... kinda live reporting from the past. Next time he and his crew have to embark is April 7th 1941.
I will try to translate his entries at his KTB. Stay tuned!
P.S. Got some photos as well from an old album of my grandma. She was "Funkhelferin" in Lorient since February 1940.
