U-23 - 1st War Patrol
Translation by Jerry Mason with help from Andi Forster
Departed |
Date |
Arrived |
Date |
Days at Sea |
Wilhelmshaven |
25 August 1939 |
Wilhelmshaven |
4 September 1939 |
11 |
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Click the icon to download a KMZ file displaying the U-boat track, significant events and locations for this patrol. You must have Google Earth loaded on your computer to view this file. Download Google Earth here |
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. |
Kriegstagebuch " U 23 " | |||||
----------------------------- | |||||
1st sea journey | |||||
from 25.VIII. - 4.IX.39. | |||||
Kommandant: Kretschmer | |||||
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© U-boat Archive 2025 - all rights reserved | |||||
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Click the flag to view the above page from the original German KTB |
- 1 - |
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25.08.39 | ||||||
03.50 | NE 2-3, Vis. good, clear weather, Sea 2 | Put to sea from Wilhelmshaven. From the Norderney Lightship ran to the north on the steamer track. From 12.00 hours course west. Avoided or dived for all vessels and aircraft. | ||||
22.00 | U-boat to port: recognized as German (U-15). | |||||
26.08.39 | E 3-4, sea 2-3, Vis. good, moonshine | |||||
06.45 | Aircraft astern to port (German long-range reconnaissance). | |||||
12.00 | K 720, 719, 670, 669 | In position proceeded mainly submerged by day, at night on the surface. Back and forth in squares K 720, 719, 670, 669. | ||||
28.08.39 | ||||||
SSW 1-2, Sea 1, few clouds | On Radio Message order occupied new squares K 628, 578 at the onset of darkness. | |||||
K 628, 578 | ||||||
29.08.39 | ||||||
07.30 | NW 2, Sea 1-2, few clouds, Vis. moderate | Sighted a German seaplane. Course east. | ||||
31.08.39 | K 720 | On Radio Message orders went back to the old position at the onset of darkness. | ||||
18.54 | NE 1, few clouds, Vis. moderate, E 1-2, overcast, misty | |||||
Aircraft sighted (German seaplane). | ||||||
01.09.39 | ||||||
18.15 | E 1-2, overcast, misty | Aircraft sighted | ) | |||
02.09.39 | ) Type | |||||
18.17 | NE 102, overcast, misty | " " | ) either He 111 | |||
03.09.39 | ) or | |||||
07.04 | ESE 4-5, Sea 3-4, Vis. good | " " | ) Avro Anson. | |||
18.00 | " " | ) | ||||
On Radio Message orders began homeward transit at the onset of darkness. | ||||||
04.09.39 | ||||||
02.00 | E 3, Sea 2-3, overcast, misty, at times rain | Sighted a medium size steamer in the area north of Terschelling and south of the blocked area, northeast course. Out of sight in a rain squall (Radio Messages sent). | ||||
18.00 | Made fast Wilhelmshaven U-boat base. | |||||
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Sun and Moon Data 25.08.39 | Sun and Moon Data 31.08.39 | |
Sun and Moon Data 26.08.39 | Sun and Moon Data 01.09.39 | |
Sun and Moon Data 27.08.39 | Sun and Moon Data 02.09.39 | |
Sun and Moon Data 28.08.39 | Sun and Moon Data 03.09.39 | |
Sun and Moon Data 29.08.39 | Sun and Moon Data 04.09.39 | |
Sun and Moon Data 30.08.39 |
- 2 - |
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Navigation beacons: On the Westfriesischen coast and islands on 3 and 4 September Terschelling Lightship withdrawn. Main lighthouses extinguished. Secondary beacons and identifiers for buoys changed. Indication: Signal Station Terschelling occasionally "TE 2". |
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signed in draft: Kretschmer. | |||||
Kapitänleutnant and Kommandant. | |||||
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