Berlin 18 October 1918.                                                              To   16128  Office  A. IV.
 
 
Ganz Geheim!
  
 
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  I Excerpt of the Kriegstagebuch des Unterseebootes "U   .   .140.   .    "Designation  Kapitänleutnant  
                                                                                                                                               Weddigen"  
                                                   from    2 July    to    20 September 1918.  
     
                    Kommandant:    Korvettenkapitän  Kophamel.  
     
 
  Operations area:  Merchant warfare at the Nantucket Lightship and off New York, until U-107 began return transit, then between Nantucket Lightship and Cape Hatteras.
His Excellency  
  submitted Outbound transit:   )
  Chef  i.  B                              )   Through the Sound and North of the
                               )
  Return transit:        )                                        Shetland Islands
   
   
   
  Successes:   3 steamers, 2 sailing vessels, 1 lightship = 30041 tons.
   
   
   
  Shooting results:  6 torpedoes shot, 2 hits = 33 1/3 %.  1 miss attributed to the turning away of the target at the moment of the shot.
   
   
After countersignature by  
OI to OIV  
 
     
 
Course of Events of the Patrol:
  
     
          The boat put to sea for long range patrol on 2 July.  Little traffic in the Kattegat, however fishing vessels encountered everywhere; outside territorial waters in the Kattegat passed Swedish battleship "SVERIGE" and battle cruiser "FYLGIA".  Speed reduced in the North Sea due to increasing wind and seas.  Stability of the boat was very bad.  Boat condition in bad weather extremely uncomfortable.  
          On 4 July 12.30 PM entered the German blockade area, shortly thereafter Recognition Signals exchanged with "UB 91".  
          On 6 July main drain pump out of service, bearing failed, after about 20 hours in service.  On the outbound transit an attempt should first be made to meet  
     
     
Click the flag to view the above page from the original German KTB
     

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the steamers of the northern route on the Great Circle, for which the information on observed steamer routes and the American instructions for 1916-17 (weather charts) are used.
          On 11 July at 53°56'N, 26°W a convoy consisting of 8 steamer and an English cruiser of the BACHANTE Class was sighted.  
          On 15 July at 44 °38'N, 32°48'W the steamers "KAISER WILHALM II, KRONPRINZESSIN CECILIE, GEORGE WASHINGTON or "ADRIATIC" and MAURETANIA were passed without escort, due to large distance no attack.  
          On 19 July at 41 °25'N, 41°27'W the Danish steamer "OLAF MAERSK" with petroleum and benzine for the Swiss government was stopped, papers on board, steamer released.  
          On 25 July at 39 °56'N, 57°40'W the Swedish steamer "UPPLAND" with phosphate for Landskrona was stopped, papers on board, steamer released.  
          On 26 July at 38 °40'N, 60°50'W the armed English steamer MELITTA (15000 tons) was attacked with artillery.  Steamer returned fire and passed out of sight due to speed advantage.  On the same day the armed English steamer "BRITISH MAJOR" was attacked with artillery, fire was returned.  Pursuit of the steamer broken off, speed excess was too slight and already a third of the fuel had been consumed.  
          On 27 July at 39 °18'N, 60°40'W the Portuguese 3-masted Bark "PORTO" (1128 tons), cargo wood from Savannah to Oporto, was sunk by demolition charge.  
          On 30 July at 38 °27'N, 67°50'W two torpedo shots on the American steamer "KERMANASAH".  Undershot the target both times.  By statement of the Kommandanten second shot was better left undone.  
          On 1 August at 08.10 PM torpedo hit on the armed Japanese steamer "TOKUYAMA MARU" (7029 tons).  Because the steamer still did not sink, during the night remained in its vicinity and the ship was sunk with artillery on 2 August at 7.00 AM at 39 °27'N, 70°26'W.  Because in the previous operations are only inbound traffic was observed, more important traffic should be sought.  
          On 4 August at 36 °33'N, 73°54'W torpedo shot on American steamer  
     
     
 
     

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"O.B. JENNINGS" (10300 tons).  At the moment of the shot the steamer changed course by 4 Strich, thereafter was attacked and sunk with artillery.  The Second Officer of the steamer was on his urgent request, taken on board as a prisoner, his statements are assembled in a special report.  Over time a large oil trace emerged, the boat left a strong oil slick.
          On 5 August at 34°58'N, 73°20'W the American Schooner "STANLEY M. SEAMAN" (1060 tons), cargo coal, was sunk by demolition charge.  
          On 6 August at 35°05'N, 75°19'W 2 steamers came in sight and were stopped with artillery.  While the first [the lightship] stopped, the other continually changed course and was then shot at by the U-boat.  The [first] ship was now recognized as the Diamond Shoal Lightship, whose crew abandoned ship.  During the shooting of the other ship the lightship sent a Radio Message signal and was later sunk by artillery.  The other steamer was the American steamer (earlier Dutch steamer) "MERAK" (3024 tons), cargo coal, was sunk by torpedo.  On the same day the armed English steamer "BENCLENCH" was attacked with artillery, returned fire, due to unfavorable position combat broken off.  Further traffic at Cape Hatteras [illegible hand written word - presumably expected], therefore gradually moved the operations area towards Nantucket.  
          On 10 August at 36°32'N, 73°32'W the Brazilian steamer "UBERABA" (earlier "HENRY WOERMANN) was attacked with artillery.  Dur to an oncoming destroyer dived and was covered with 16 depth charges, which lay close to the boat, whereby various strong leaks arose (details on this see K.T.B.).  Leakages partially sealed.  Proceeding at depths greater then 15 meters was no longer advisable.  Due to the condition of the boat gave up the Nantucket Lightship operations area and moved further to sea.  
          On 17 August it was determined that during the 45 sea days 35 cbm of fuel oil had been lost.  The loss is due to poor shipbuilding of the bunkers on the part of the Germania Werft.  Up to the end of the patrol oil loss increased up to 65.8 cbm.  
          On 21 August at 40°40'N, 65°14'W the armed English steamer "DIOMED" (7500 tons), from Liverpool to New York in ballast, was sunk with artillery.  
     
     
 
     

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        On 21 August began return transit due to fuel shortage
          On 22 August at 40°04'N, 62°48'W the armed America steamer PLOJNDES (3750 tons) was attacked unsuccessfully.  
          On 24 August at 40°21'N, 61°26'W torpedo miss on an unknown steamer, target undershot.  
          On 1 September at 45°50'N, 37°32'W the armed American tanker "FRANK H. BUCK" was attacked with artillery.  Ceased fire because with the the strong lurching of the boat hits could not be expected.  
          On 1 September meeting with U-117" was requested to give over fuel oil.  The transfer of 19 cbm took place on 12 and 13 September (details on this see "Experiences U-140").  
          On 17 September passed the new English blockade area.  About 2-3 nm from the halfway point of the same sighted 3 round red wooden or cork floats which presumably served as floats for small nets.  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
     

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Comments:
     
          In particular on the explanations in the K.T.B. it is noted:  
     
  For A I under 4, 11, 15 July, 17 September.  
    "  A II    "     3 July.  
    "  D I     "     4, 7, 8, 11, 17 July, 4, 10, 11, 13, 17, 20, 21, 27 August  
                        2, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19 September.  
    "   D II   "     7, 10, 19 July.  
    "   D V   "     6, 7, July, 10, 11, 13, 17, 20, 21, 27 August, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19 September.  
    "   B IV  "     19, 25 July, 6 August.  
     
     
     
 
Experiences:
  
     
          See Enclosure "Experiences U-140" especially [illegible few hand written words] the remarks concerning sea keeping properties and "Oil transfer for "U-117".