U-23 - 6th War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with help from Andi Forster

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Ships Hit
Date	KTB Time	Position	Ship	Tons	Nationality	Convoy
11 Jan 40	16.32	58°45'N, 0°06'E	FREDVILLE	1,150	Norwegian
12 Jan 40	06.50	58°59'N, 2°54'W	DANMARK	10,517	Danish
			Total = 11,667
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.

			K  r  i  e  g  s  t  a  g  e  b  u  c  h   "  U 23  "
			==============================
			Kommandant:    Kapitänleutnant  Kretschmer.
			Beginning:    8.  1.  1940
			Ending:      15.  1.  1940
				Enclosures:   2 Track charts   Kriegstagebuch, Section Maschine   (only with 1st Copy)   Torpedo firing reports
				© U-boat Archive 2025 - all rights reserved

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

	- 1 -
		08.01.40	Kiel, Tirpitz Mole	Ready for sea.  Cast off from "DONAU".
		23.57
		09.01.40
		00.30 - 07.30		Cruise through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal with the assistance of the Arsenal tug "MONSUN" as icebreaker.
		08.55		Down the Elbe tug "EISFUCHS" and from Cuxhaven also Sperrbrecher "SPO" as icebreaker to buoy Elbe I.
		11.15	Vis. good on the Elbe, heavy drift ice	Passing report at Cuxhaven.
		13.45 - 14.05		Test dive at buoy Elbe I.
		14.10		Put to sea for the operations area on route "Blau alpha".
		14.30 - 15.25		Recognition Signals exchanged with own patrol vessels.
		16.00	L 2531 center-right edge
			S 3-4, Sea 1, Vis. good, no moonshine
		20.00	L 2768 lower-center
		10.01.40
		00.00	L 2943 center-right edge
		04.00	L 2950 upper-right corner
		08.00	E 2824 left edge upper
		08.15		Dived and proceeded due to enemy two enemy U-boats, reported off route "Blau alpha".
		12.00	E 2765 upper-left corner	Day's run = 207 nm.
		16.00	E 2706
		17.48		Deep dive to depth 60 meters, afterwards surfaced. No issues.
		20.00	E 2589 right edge upper
			Wind 1, Vis. good, Sea 1-2, Norther Lights, no moon

	Sun and Moon Data 08.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 09.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 10.01.40

	- 2 -
		11.01.40
		00.00	E 2353 center-left edge
		04.00	E 2057 upper-right
		08.00	E 1880 upper-center edge
		12.00	E 1585 lower-right	Day's run = 171 nm.
		16.00	E 1347 upper-left
		16.32		Sighted a steamer in E 1288 course 90°.
				Immediately thereafter a tanker came in sight in E 1348 (≈3000 tons) course 270°.  Closed up in the south and maneuvered ahead.  After determining the shooting values exactly attacked from the north.
		18.33		1st shot:  G 7a  Eearly detonator after a running track of 260 meters.  Steamer stopped, set out boats, examined the side of the hull.
		19.11		2nd shot:  G 7e  From the south:  miss.
		19.20		3rd shot:  G 7e  Hit aft.  Steamer broke in two parts.  Aftership sank quickly (3 minutes).  Did not wait on the sinking of the foreship because time was running out for the operation into Inganess Bay. For that the boat should be in the vicinity of Auskerry around 04.00 hours, so that it can definitely leave the Stronsay Firth on the surface in darkness.
		20.00	E 1168
		20.15		Loaded the reserve torpedo (G7e) in tube III.
				Unfortunately, after firing 3 torpedoes, only one was left for the main operation.  But I thought it was necessary to destroy the tanker in any case.
		12.01.40
		00.00	E 8010 lower-right	I had decided to first go to Inganess Bay, because the since the entrance to the Stronsay Firth was known to me from previous ventures.
		04.00	E 511
		03.30		Operations Order B.d.U. B.Nr. Gkds 1294 of 3.1.40 Copy No. 5,
				Keying Sheets Nr. 0701-0763 and Keying Data TIN (2x) for 1-12.1.40 were destroyed by fire.
		04.30	Starry clear, misty horizon, SW 1, Sea 1, bit of a Swell	At 04.30 hours the NE tip of Stronsay Island came in sight.  All light beacons were extinguished.

	Sun and Moon Data 11.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 12.01.40

	- 3 -
		continued
		12.01.40		Turned to the south, broke through the patrol vessel line off Burg Head and went around south of Auskerry at AK entering the Stronsay Firth.  I held to the south under land at the Mull of Deerness to Rerwik Head, so as not to be seen by vessels entering and leaving Shapinsay Sound, although it was of course possible with the prevailing wind, that vessels were anchored on the south coast.
				Just east of Rerwik Head avoided a patrol vessel lying there to the north.
			Overcast, SSW 3, Sea 1-2, Vis. good, no moon	Two other patrol vessels were passed, one east of the Head of Holland, the 2nd in the entrance to Inganess Bay. Entry into Inganess Bay succeeded unnoticed.  In the SW corner of the bay 2 badly dimmed large merchant ships were made out, shot the last torpedo at the closest, a tanker of 8000-10000 tons.  Hit center.  Steamer sank forward apparently laying on the bottom.  At first the stern remained on the surface.  Further sinking not observed because we ran out at AK.  The patrol vessels did nothing.
		06.50	E 330 upper-center
				Since all torpedoes were expended, began return transit.  As patrol vessels counted 11 lighted vessels off the Stronsay Firth  (fishing trawlers), of these a few up to 5 nm from the coast.
		08.20		At 08.20 hours passed a freighter, which was apparently ready to enter Kirkwall A north-south steamer track was passed between the Meridian of 2° and 2°10'W.
		08.00	E 450
		09.15		Dived for enemy patrol vessels.  Dwpth 16 meters and 30 meters.
		12.00	E 569	Day's run = 194 nm.
		16.00	E 629 lower-center edge
		17.28		Surfaced.
		20.00	E 927
		13.01.40
		00.00	E 1285 upper-center edge
		04.00	E 1643 upper-left
		08.00	E 1879 center-right edge
		12.00	E 2175 center-right	Day's run = 197 nm.

	Sun and Moon Data 12.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 13.01.40

	- 4 -
		continued
		13.01.40
		14.15		Dived for transit by day due to U-boat danger north of the own mined area.
		16.00	E 2412 lower-left
		17.15		Surfaced.  Sent position report by Radio Message.
		20.00	E 2589
		14.01.40
		00.00	E 2884
			SSW 2, overcast, Sea 2, no moon
		04.00	L 2948
		08.00	L 2895
		08.15		Dove.  Put the boat on the bottom, because in accordance with Radio Message orders arrival Wilhelmshaven is ordered first on 15 January.
		12.00 - 16.00	L 2895	Day's run = 170 nm.
		17.23		Surfaced.
		20.00	L 2891 lower-center
		15.01.40
		00.00	L 2891 center-right edge
		04.00
		07.30		Back and forth in position at Lightship "D".
		09.32		Arrived Wilhelmshaven with tug as ice breaker (from Lightship "F").
				Wilhelmshaven - South Lock
				Made fast U-boat base.
				Kapitänleutnant and Kommandant.

	Sun and Moon Data 13.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 14.01.40
	Sun and Moon Data 15.01.40

	- 5 -
			Special Experiences.
			It was observed: 1.) A steamer track square E 1228 on east and west courses         2.) A steamer track at the level of the Orkney's between 2° and 2°10'W on north and south courses         3.) All lighthouses on the Orkney's are extinguished.

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