Former crewmember with assignment Control Room of this very vessel until we got captured in a running battle between the coast off Cape Blanco (French West Africa) and the Cape Verde Islands, on 4 June 1944 by the so-called "Hunter-Killer" Task Force Group 22.3, GUADALCANAL, US NAVY Atlantic Fleet, consisting of the aircraft carrier USS GUADALCANAL and five destroyer escorts CHATELAIN, FLAHERTY, JENKS, PILLSBURY and POPE.

5 March - 2252 hours, FIRING 2 TORPEDOES, TUBE I AND IV!

Both are missing target, unknown reason. Distance 600 meters, off couple hundred meters, closing up again - heavy phosphorescing sea. Changing course abruptly we went to flank speed. The ringing sound of the machine telegraphs made us alert. Our nerves were like extended strings; will we have success this time?

The dials on our torpedo computer changed a few times. Now; course, range, speed and gyroangle, all were set up in a matter of seconds. Nobody heard the noise of the diesels anymore, realized what was going on around, but the command:

"TUBE II, distance 400 meters, depth 3 meters. Torpedo - LOS!"

We all began to count: "15, 16, 17, 18, 19"....then we heard the explosion. We hit! Right amidships. The steamer stops, lifeboats are brought out. A big lifesaving buoy is thrown in the sea. Ship starts broadcasting like wild: "SOS - SOS - TORPEDOED" and it gave the position and name 'BENMOHR'; 5,920 BRT (Bruto Register Tons).

2324 hours - Sinking slowly, deeper and deeper - a second torpedo fired with TUBE III, depth 4 meters, distance 300 meters hit at bridgesection

2347 hours - Ship broke apart amidship and sank quick. After all was over we began to realize again what's going on around us. A short time later it is moonlight, we disappear in the opposite direction.

It was not long in coming and we had our next victim. The next morning already another smoke plume drifted to windward over the horizon, not even far away.

0300 hours - ALARM for SUNDERLAND coming from moon sector.

0930 hours - Ahead in a distance of 8 - 10 miles, out of a thick squall a tanker visible heavily zig-zagging - whole bridge out- as immediately identified. Inside the boat front and back torpedorooms, everybody assists the torpedomechanics in reloading the tubes. Things had to be removed & stored somewhere else as in the way where the spare torpedoes were tied down. We were very busy to be ready for the next attack. The tanker was running the same general course as the ship from yesterday, also Freetown. Is running at 10mph. Tanker is fully loaded. Submerged to attack. Distance is getting very close. Ship was zig-zagging shortly before firing position.

No nationality flag, no neutrality signs. Estimated oil engines. Guessed 8,000 BRT, type British CONFIDENCE.

1022 hours - Diving to attack. It is an attack according to the rules. We only get 1/3 of the target in vision, even with smallest adjustment of the periscope. That means shortest distance, only 170 meters.

Now everything had to be done in haste not to get in trouble ourself. Torpedo depth, 4 meters. Bearing 130. Everybody held his breath; the torpedomen had their fists up, ready to knock the red button on TUBE V and VI. The Controlroom Mate ready to open the inlet valve to the torpedocell for gaining weight and fixing the trim.

1131 hours - Torpedo V, LOS! Torpedo VI, LOS! Off they went with a hissing sound. Counting: "....7, 8, 9"....a sharp explosion whose shock wave rocked us a couple of seconds. Periscope cutting under, nothing to see for about one and a half minutes.

Two minutes later, Loewe looked through the periscope - nothing but a white smoke plume to see. The tanker had been loaded with gasoline. We still could hear detonations after about two to three minutes.

After minor repairs on diesel clutch at 1218 hours Loewe gave order: "BATTLESTATIONS SURFACE!" Closing up toward wreck location; inside a fast spreading oil lake, wrecked goods, one lifeboat and two rafts with about 20 men, all are thick covered with oil; parts of them are burned.

While getting closer to help as much as possible in providing them with freshwater, food and medicaments and bandaging material as well as finding out the name of the ship (later name was confirmed SIDEHAV) but all at a sudden a SUNDERLAND came in vision 8,000 meters east. So we had to go fast, ending our intentions, showing our small silhouette and run off with high speed. If we would have known that the plane did not care about us and neither saw that big oil lake, we perhaps would have finished our mission. That's war, and you never know what's going to happen the next minute.

1930 hours - Another plane 8,000 meter aside; ALARM!

2045 hours - Surfacing and after making decision; searching in knowing general course of ships toward Freetown; carry on operating in Naval Square ET 80.

7 Mar 2300 hours - Beginning to reload spare torpedoes out of container 9 and 10 into front torpedoroom. Running with electric engines high speed in front of swell to keep boat in steady position. But there is always something not fitting in our plans. This time our work was interrupted by heavy showers. But that would have made that much of trouble.

An upperdeck plate built by the Lorient Shipyard was hindering that bad, that after troublesome and hardworking two hours breaking it off, we could continue our dangerous job, which took us way too long. After having great luck that no airplane came our way. We finally made it by 0345 on 8 March.

8 March, 2014

F.T. (radio telegram) to Merten and Loewe:

I. As soon as enemy knows your presence, report situation;

II. Aviso "LA SURPRISE" with four steamers on 9.3 from Marine (Naval) EK 46 through ET 42, ET 94, EU 76 to EU 83. Do not attack!

We're going to reply the 9.3 at beginning darkness.

More U-505

U-505: 1 [KTB 104]
U-505: 2 [KTB 105]
U-505: 3 [KTB 106]
U-505: 4 [KTB 107]
U-505: End [KTB 108]