U-533 - 2nd War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with help from Andi Forster

Departed	Date	Sunk	Date	Days at Sea
Lorient	5 July 1943	Gulf of Oman	16 October 1943	104

 

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Ships Hit

None

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.

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			K  r  i  e  g  s  t  a  g  e  b  u  c  h    "  U  533  "
			Kommandant:  Kaptl.    H  e  n  n  i  g
			(Reconstructed by 2.Skl./B.d.U.Op.)
		1943
		24.05.43	Lorient	Arrived and made fast K 13.
		25.05. - 26.05.43		Cleared the boat.
		27.05. - 28.05.43		Shifted to K 21 and began shipyard work.
		29.05. - 15.06.43		Dry-docked, shipyard work.
		16.06. - 25.06.43		Un-docked and continued shipyard word.
		26.06. - 27.06.43		Trim test and sea trial.
		28.06.43		Final trim test, degaussing, radio direction finder calibration, magnetic compass calibration.
		29.06. - 30.06.43		Final adjustments, completion of radio direction finder calibration, magnetic compass calibration, degaussing.
		01.07.43		Continuation of radio direction finder calibration, trim test, magnetic compass calibration.
		02.07.43		Continuation of radio direction finder calibration.  Deviations in the radio direction finder graphs and finding their causes
		03.07. - 05.07.43		Outfitting the boat for war patrol.  Loading of fuel, ammunition and provisions.
		05.07.43	Lorient	Put to sea with Orders to head for CG 17 via BF 84, BF 78.
		10.07.43
		19.24		From B.d.U.:
				1)  . . .
				2)  New objective for Monsun boats is DG 77.
		11.07.43
		09.05	CG 1135	From U-533:
				9 July 23.00 hours hunted by 2 destroyers in BF 7738.  Up to now light air.  Position CG 1135.
		12.07.43
		05.12	CF 3373	From U-533:
				My position is CF 3373
		05.50		From B.d.U.:
				To Hennig.  By Short Signal "Yes" of "No" report if contact on convoy.
		07.11		From U-533:
				"No".
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		18.07.43
		12.58		From B.d.U.:
				1)  . . . .
				2)  . . . .
			[EJ 6975 = DS 1975]	3)  U-160 from 19 July evening in square EJ 6975 each 35 cbm give to . . . Hennig.  Last boat arrives about 24 July.
		20.07.43
		23.24		From B.d.U.:
				Hennig and U-532 remain in position.
		21.07.43
		16.20		From B.d.U.:
			[EQ 9979 = DR 9979]	U-516.  From 26 July in EQ 9979 give all fuel and provisions in equal parts to U-509, 532 and Hennig.  Only retain for economical return transit.  After completion U-516 report in accordance with Standing Kriegsmarine Order 188, paragraph 22 and return transit.  Remaining boats continue southern transit in accordance with Operations Order Monsun.
		26.07.43
		01.07		From U-516:
				Supplied Hennig, now still 207 cbm.
		14.08.43
		14.56		From B.d.U.:
				1)  U-198 report position.
				2)  Afterwards Hennig suggest meeting point with U-198 by Officer-Only Radio Message for instructions concerning Bellatrix.
				3)  Report carrying out instructions.
		21.17	GF 1417	From U-533:
				Suggest 18 August 09.00 GG 4437.  Position GF 1417.
		07.09.43
		20.44		From B.dU.:
				To Monsun.
				1)  . . .
				2)  . . .
				3)  Hennig proceed via the area off Mombasa, then along the coast to the northeast into the individual operations area.  Depending on the defenses penetrate westward into the Gulf of Aden.  By surprise great success is possible here.
		13.09.43
		18.16		From U-168:
				Five Monsun boats well supplied.  Nautical Yearbook clear.
		15.09.43
		15.09		From B.d.U.:
				Attack absolutely prohibited against U-boats.  More to follow.
		08.10.43
		10.16		From B.d.U.:
				1)  . . .
				2)  Hennig and U-168.  If operations area U-188 (Gulf of Oman) appears as promising as own, free to operate according to U-188 situation report.
		12.10.43
		18.26		From B.d.U.:
				1)  . . .  Hennig report position or situation.

		13.10.43
		23.30	MF 62	From U-533:
				My position is MF 62.  No steamer traffic in sea area.
		28.10.43
		12.47		From B.d.U.:
				Hennig as soon as possible report situation or position.
		29.10.43		From B.d.U.:
				Hennig.  After exhaustion return transit LF 64.  Transit route and behavior like other Monsun boats.
			Request for situation or position reports on 30 October, 1 November, 4 November and 7 November remained unsuccessful.         No further information concerning loss.         "U-533" was declared missing one star on 29 November with effect from 7 November 1943, two stars on 1 September 1944 with effect from 19 October 1943.         On this day one man of the crew was taken prisoner, 52 soldiers, among them the Kommandant, are lost.
				For the Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote
				- The Chief of the Operations Department -

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