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NAVY DEPARTMENT
 
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
 
 
Washington
  
  Op-16-P/W  
  E11-1/SS/U-701  
     
                                                                                                                          July 13, 1942.  
     
 
        Memorandum for Colonel Catesby Jones,
  Interrogation Section G-2,
  War Department.
 
 
     
SUBJECT: Brief outline of cruises, sinking, and list of Survivors of U-701.
     
Enclosure: (A) Copy of Secret Memo to Comdr. Riheldaffer (from Lieut. H.T. Gherardi) dated July 11, 1942, on Subject.
     
 
          1.        I am enclosing a copy of the preliminary report of interrogation of prisoners which took place on July 9, 10, and 11.  Copy of completed report will be furnished you when prepared.  
     
     
     
     
                                                                                     John L. Riheldaffer,  
                                                                                  Commander, U. S. Navy, (Ret.).  
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
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July 11 1942
 
     
 
MEMO TO COMDR. RIHELDAFFER
 
     
                            The following brief outline is the brief summary of fact.  
     
 
1. No. of boat U-701 - Device:  Red deep sea fish.
   
2. Type VII C  500 tons.
   
3. Built at STULKENWERFT, Hamburg.
   
4. Commissioned 16th July, 1941, being 1st U-boat built at that yard.
   
5. Commander Kapitänleutnant HORST DEGEN.
   
6. Two complete sets of acceptance trials lasting 5 months, due to faulty planning.  Boat was returned to building yard twice.
   
7. 1st War Cruise:  Left Kiel 27th December 1941, did not stop in Norway.  Operational area in North Western approaches to England.  Sank one 3000 - 4000 ton freighter off Rockhall in daylight with two electric torpedoes, both hits.  Freighter not in convoy.  Arrived St. Nazaire early in February.
   
8. 2nd War Cruise:  Sailed from St. Nazaire early in March 1942 for operational area off Iceland.  Sank four armed trawlers on four consecutive days, all in daylight, with one electric torpedo each.  At end of cruise were intended to return to BREST.  Crew were told this was due to St. Nazaire being over crowded with U-boats, but may have been due to damage caused by Commando Raid.  Arrived BREST approximately 15th April, 1942 and underwent overhaul in U-boat shelter, alleged to be able to house nine (9) boats.
   
9. 3rd War Cruise:  Left BREST at end of May with most of 2 patrol boats and 2 Messerschmitts, and called at Lorient to complete with fuel.  Leaving Lorient they passed the Azores where they met and exchanged greetings with a three-masted Portuguese sailing vessel.  They proceeded direct to an operational area off Cape Hatteras.  Their first attack appears to have been about 15th or 16th June when they fired two torpedoes at an 8000 ton freighter both of which missed.  On the night of 19th June 1942 they sank by gunfire YP 389, five miles N.E. of buoy #4.  A large number of shells were used, including H.E., S.A.P. and incendiaries.  A few days later a convoy was sighted but was unable to intercept it.  On 27th June he attacked a southbound convoy in daylight, singling out a medium sized tanker in ballast and made one hit aft which started a fire, possibly of fuel oil.  A few minutes later there was a second explosion.  It was not known aboard the U-boat whether another hit had been made although two (2) electric torpedoes had been fired as the U-boat immediately dived and was attacked by destroyers.  Depth charges were dropped and electric motors were temporarily out of commission and some gauge glasses broken.  The boat, however, was not seriously damaged.
 
 
 
 
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          That night two torpedoes carried in upper deck containers were transferred into the boat.  This operation lasted several hours and was considered difficult and dangerous.  War heads are not carried on torpedoes stowed in upper deck containers but are affixed inside the boat.  Torpedoes in upper deck containers are air driven.
          The following day, 28th June, he attacked a large tanker going alone with an air escort.  The tanker was hit by one electric torpedo shortly after noon and set on fire.  A counter attack was made but explosions were some distance away.  They returned at night and fired a second torpedo which sunk the ship.  This was her last success.
   
10. Sinking
          Prisoners stated that while in American waters they were attacked almost daily by aircraft.  It was their custom to lie on the bottom during the day, but occasionally the air became intolerable in the boat and they came up for breathers.  On one such occasion on 7th July a sleepy lookout failed to sight an approaching bomber.  They attempted to dive too late and one or two bombs made direct hits aft.  The pressure hull was torn open and water pored in.  The captain blew all tanks and by some means seventeen men managed to escape through the conning tower hatch.  So swift was the end of the boat that no coherent account has been forthcoming.  The last man out said that water at that time was waist deep.  Of seventeen men who escaped only 7 survived after 50 hours in the water.
 
     
                                                                                         H.T. Gherardi  
                                                                                         Lt. U.S.N.R.  
     
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Notes 1.  From information available it appears that ship attacked on 27th June is "BRITISH FREEDOM" 6985 tons damaged by one torpedo while in convoy in position 34 - 45 N.  75 - 22 W.
   
  2.  The captain stated that all secret documents were left in the boat.
   
  3.  Ship attacked on 28th June was "WILLIAM ROCKEFELLER" 14000 tons, attacked while traveling alone in position 35 - 01 N. -  75 - 05 W.  The hit was made with one torpedo.
   
  4.  Mechanikersegefreiter FAUST stated that from January to the end of April this year he worked at a torpedo regulating establishment half an hour's bus ride North of LA ROCHELLE and a few miles in from the coast.  TORPEDOREGELSTELLE was in a village the name of which began with CHATEAU and ended possibly with the letter M.  It is suggested that this is CHATEAU MUSSET about a mile southwest of SERIGNY.  Ratings lived in LA ROCHELLE and traveled there daily by bus.  It is suggested that this is a secret inland torpedo dump supplying the LA PALLICE U-boat base.
   
  5.  Names of dead officers:
          Oberleutnant (Ing) BAHR
          Oberleutnant z. See JUNKER
          Leutnant z. See BAZIES
          Fähnrich (Ing.) LANGE
  Leutnant z. See WEINITSCHKE was on board for trials but detached before first war cruise.
 
  A further sixteen dead ratings have been identified.
 
     
     

 

 
 
 
(3)   
                                                                       
 
 
 
 
The seven survivors are:
 
 
 
 
Kapitänleutnant Horst DEGEN
Age
 29  
Obersteuermann Winter KUNERT
"
 28 UN-1244/35-S
Maschinengefreiter Gerhardt SCHWENDEL
"
 19 UO-6157/40-T
Mechanikersegefreiter Werner SELDTE
"
 21    N-5831/40-S
Maschinenmaat Ludwig VAUPEL
"
 21          429/39-T
Mechanikersegefreiter Bruno FAUST
"
 19 UO-6242/41-S
Funkmaat Herbert GROTHEER
"
 24 UN-25/38-T
 
 
 
 
The Field Post Number of the U-boat was M.44322.
 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
   
 
 
 
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