U-162 - 3rd War Patrol

Translation by Jerry Mason with help from Andi Forster

Departed	Date	Sunk	Date	Days at Sea
Lorient	7 July 1942		3 September 1942	59

 

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Ships Hit
Date	KTB Time	Position	Ship	Tons	Nationality	Convoy
19 Aug 42	04.37	11°45'N, 62°27'W	WEST CELINA	5,722	American	TAW(S)
24 Aug 42	11.13	13°39'N, 57°33'W	MOENA	9,286	Netherlands
26 Aug 42	?	13°09'N, 58°27'W	THELMA	8,297	Norwegian
30 Aug 42	?	11°51'N, 59°56'W	STAR OF OREGON	7,176	American
			Total = 30,481
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  162  "
			Kommandant:  Freg.Kapt. Wattenberg.
			(Reconstructed by 2. Skl./B.d.U.Op.)
		1942
		08.06.42	Lorient	Arrived.  Made fast A 4
		09.06.42	"	Shifted from A 4 to S 4
		10.06.42	"	Shifted from S 4 to K 5
		11.06.42 -	"
		28.06.42	"	Overhaul work.
		29.06.42	"	Shifted from K 5 to B 3
		30.06.42	"	Shifted from B 3 to S 3
		02.07.42	"	Sea trial and trim test.
		03.07.42	"	Shifted to S 4
		04.07.42	"	Outfitting the boat.
		07.07.42	"	Shifted from S 4 to A 4.
		07.07.42	"	Put to sea with orders to head for DF 10.
		12.07.42
		06.33		U-162 reported weather from BE 97 and gave passing report at the same time.
		17.07.42
		23.07		U-162 reported that it was operating on northbound convoy.
		23.28		U-162 reported position from CE 4730.
		18.07.42
		11.58		U-162 reported that on 15 June in CE 39 he had shaken off 2 R-Booten type vessels.
		19 07.42		U-162 reported fuel inventory 194 cbm.
		21.07.42		U-162 received orders to go to EE and EO and operate according to experience.
		20.07.42		U-162 received orders to head for EE 81.
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	- 2 -
		28.07.42
		21.50		U-162 reported position on request in DR 55.
		22.23		To U-162:  Head for FC 40 at economical transit speed in legs.  Expect north-south and widely scattered northwest traffic.
		01.08.42		U-162 reported: 11 July 08.15 hours BE 9534 Sunderland.  Aircraft bombs.  Apparently before detection 300 meter high cloud deck.  142 cbm.  EF 62 nothing seen.
		04.08.42
		08.47	EP 22	From U-162:  Can I take fuel from Lassen?
		09.58		To U-162:  Lassen give 20 cbm to U-162.  Meeting point in 1112 on 5 August from 20.00 hours.  After completion Wattenberg report fuel inventory.  U-162 after supply go into U-160 attack area.
		05.08.42
		21.20		U-162 to U-160:  Direction finder out of service, sending bearing signals from 22.10 hours.
		06.08.42
		06.02		U-162 reports fuel inventory 147 cbm.
		17.56		U-162 reports:  Enemy steers 243°.
		18.10		From U-162:  Enemy EE 9775, course 245°, 15 knots.
		16.32		From U-162:  2 smokestacker EE 9769. course west, 15 knots.  Am in the wake.  Who wants Bearing Signals?
		21.56		Last steamer position 19.30 hours EE 8988.  Course 240°, 15 knots, no contact.  Suspect heading for EE 8860 after darkness.
		07.08.42		To U-66 from U-162:  Intend disposition west of escort vessel.  Request report position changes.
		14.08.42	EE 71	U-162 reported:  In sector EE 79, ED 99, EE 71 including Passage nothing seen except for strong air between ED 99 and EE 71.  Presume traffic diversion.

	- 3 -
		14.08.42		192 cbm.  Intention:  Operate in northern sector around ED 98.
		16.08.42		To U-162:  Attack area west of the longitude of ED 9880.
		19.08.42
		03.30		U-162 reported convoy in ED 9468 northwest course, low speed.
		05.05		U-162 reported last sound bearing in ED 9464.
		08.30		From U-162:  Always forced to submerge by aircraft.  Contact lost, in pursuit.  Sank 04.37 hours ED 9467 from convoy 1 freighter 6000 GRT, course 340°, 7 knots.
		20.08.42	ED 6748	From U-162:  In pursuit of Suhren-convoy.  Question Mona or Jamaica?  Operating on last north course observed yesterday at 11.00 hours.
		10.10
		10.58		U-162 reports reported a patient and received treatment measures.
		24.08.42
		12.02		U-162 reported:  Strong northeast-southwest traffic running through line EE 72 to 82, air surveillance.
		15.17		From U-162:  11.13 hours in EE 5745 steamer sunk course northeast, 6 over filled lifeboats, transport possible.  Due to air and steamer hunt nothing more determined.  Estimated 5000 GRT.  Cost 6 torpedoes, among them pistol failure with heard impact with two-fan.  Still 14 torpedoes, 88 cbm.  Request supply.  Must set off to repair failed diesels.
		26.08.42	EE 73
		03.15		From U-162:  Strong traffic in EE 57 . . .

	- 4 -
		26.08.42
		03.15		73 and 81 stopped.  Yesterday 2 fast ships in EE 57 southwest course hunted in vain.  Diesels in service again, 81 cbm.
		08.39		Radio Message from B.d.U.:  For Wattenberg supply from Vowe anticipated.
		27.08.42	EE 7312	From U-162:  Just now tanker 10000 GRT sunk course 240°.
		30.08.42		From U-162:  Modern three-masted freighter EE 74 course 240 sunk.  From crew statements, "STAR OF ORANJE" or similar 7735 GRT.  Still 6 torpedoes, 64 cbm fuel oil, only still 1.2 cbm lubricating oil.  Will keep monitoring northeast-southwest lane.
		01.09.42
		01.00		From U-564 to U-162:  Was not heard, request take over leadership of meeting.  Holding in EE 49, cannot send bearing signals.
		02.30		From U-162 to U-564:  Meeting 1 September in EE 4966 at 20.00 hours.  Sending bearing signals from 22.10 hours.
			There followed no reply to question concerning pistol failures on 5 September, as well as request for situation and position reports on 7 and 11 September.
			U-162 was declared missing one star on 23 September 42, on 18 April 43 with effect from 3 September 1942 missing two stars.  49 men, among them the Kommandant were taken prisoner on 3 September 1942.  2 soldiers were lost in action.
			For the Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote
			The Chief of the Operations Department

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