U-756 - 1st War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with the help of Ken Dunn, Rainer Kolbicz and Andi Forster

Departed
Date
Arrived
Date
Days at Sea
Kiel
15 August 1942
Lost
1 September 1942
18

 

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Ships Attacked
None

 


 
                                                                                              
 
   
   
   
   
  Commissioning                                                     Copy No. . . 4 . .  
                         
   
   
   
 
K  r  i  e  g  s  t  a  g  e  b  u  c  h
 
 
=======================
 
   
 
"  U  756  "
 
 
========
 
   
   
                     Kommandant:  Kapitänleutnant     H  a  r  n  e  y  
                    
   
                     Copies to:  
 
                  6. U-Flottille
                  B.d.U.
                  2. A.d.U.-Boote
                  O.K.M.
Copy No.
1
"
2
"
3
"
4 and 5
 
   
   
   
   
                     Enclosures:  
                     None  
   
                         Beginning:  30.  December 1941,  
                         Ending    :  14.  August 1942.  
   
                     
                
           
           
  © U-boat Archive 2020 - all rights reserved  
Click the flag to view the above page from the original German KTB
 
 
           
           
           
           
           
    30.12.41 Wilhelmshaven Commissioning at the Kriegsmarinewerft  
    31.12.41 -   Took over the boat from the shipyard, fitting out, degaussing, and compensation.  
    03.01.42    
    04.01.42 -   Transfer to Kiel.  
    05.01.42      
    06.01.42 - Kiel U.A.K. trials  
    24.01.42      
    25.01.42 -   Education duties due to ice impediment.  
    17.04.42      
    18.04.42 -   Transit to the East, to Cape Arkona under escort from "KMS SCHLESIEN".  
    20.04.42    
    21.04.42 - Hela Agru -Front training.  
    04.05.42      
    05.05.42 - Rönne (Bornholm) Sound trials.  
    09.05.42      
    10.05.42 Hela Agru - Front training, transit to Danzig.  
    11.05.42 Danzig Transit to Gotenhafen.  
    12.05.42 - Gotenhafen T.E.K. - trials.  
    13.05.42      
    14.05.42 -   D.W.K. - Gotenhafen.  
    17.05.42      
    18.05.42 Danzig Transit to Danzig.  
    19.05.42   U.A.K. - test run to Hela.  
    20.05.42 -   Torpedo firing with the 25. U-Flottille.  
    31.05.42      
    01.06.42 - Gotenhafen Tactical training with the 27. U-Flottille.  
    10.06.42      
    10.06.42   Transit to Danzig.  
    11.06.42 Danzig Transit to Königsberg.  
    11.06.42 - Königsberg At the U-boat base.  
    14.06.42      
    15.06.42   Begin final adjustments and overhaul at Schichau yard  
    24.07.42   First sea trial.  
           
           
           
 
 
 
           
           
           
           
           
    27.07.42   2nd sea trial.  
    01.08.42 -   Transit via Swinemünde for Rönne (Bornholm).  
    03.08.42      
    04.08.42 Rönne Sound trials.  
    05.08.42   Transit to Kiel.  
    06.08.42 - Kiel K.M.W. because of noise from the diving planes.  
    12.08.42      
    13.08.42 -   Arming.  
    14.08.42      
           
           
                                
                                Kapitänleutnant and Kommandant  
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
 
 
 
           
           
           
           
           
   
K  r  i  e  g  s  t  a  g  e  b  u  c  h  "  U  756  "
 
   
===============================
 
           
   
 
   
 
Kommandant:  Kapitänleutnant Harney
 
(Reconstruction by BdU)
 
 
 
    1942                                                   
    15.08.42 Kiel Put to sea with orders to proceed to AL 22.  
    19.08.42   To U-756:  On 20.08.42 at 08.00 switch to Ireland circuit.  
    22.08.42   Request for weather report.  
    23.08.42   Request for weather report and ordered to proceed to AK 39.  
    24.08.42    
    08.23 AE 5219 From U-756:  AE 87 east side heavy patrol cordon with air.  North-south.  Sighted during breakthrough.  117 cbm.  
    25.08.42      
    18.36   Radio message from BdU:  . . . . . Harney . . . . . form Group "Vorwärts".  In order mentioned with economical speed occupy patrol line from AK 3765 to 6629.   Depth 20 nm.  
    31.08.42   U-756 reports smoke cloud AK 0213 upper-right.  
    01.09.42      
    00.15   U-756 reports:  Driven off by destroyers during day attack. Depth charges without damage.   Chasing after.   Last location convoy 24.00 hours quadrant AK 3771.   General course 70 degrees, 7 knots, about 20 steamers, 8 destroyers and escorts.  
           
      The boat made no further reports, message requesting position of 3 September remains unanswered.  It is probable that the boat was lost at the convoy.  
      Effective 3 September 1942 to 22.10.42 U-756 is missing - one star, on 07.03.43 missing - two stars.  A total loss must be accepted.  
           
       
For the Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote
 
       
- The Chief of Operations -
 
       
 
         
           
           
Sun and Moon Data 31.08.42
Sun and Moon Data 01.09.42

Note: the position on 24 Aug at 08.23 (AE 5219) plots off the NE coast of Iceland and therefore must be in error.  U-411 recorded the position in this radio message her KTB as AS 5219.  This is a disguised grid square and with the method of disguising grid squares in use at the time, the AS and 5 are substituted and the 219 is correct.”  The most likely square given a SE course passing through AE 87 towards AK 37 and ending in 219 is AL 2219.  This is also the same square that U-756 was ordered to make for when she departed on patrol so it is reasonable that the breakthrough was considered to have been achieved when it was reached and is a likely position from which to send the breakthrough message.


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