U-boat Archive - U-530 - Interrogation Report

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Copy No. 13 of 17.

REPORT ON THE INTERROGATION OF

PRISONERS FROM U-530 SURRENDERED

AT MAR DEL PLATA, 10 JULY 1945.

DISTRIBUTION:

COMINCH (F-20) (2)

COMASDEVLANT

COMNAVEU

BAD (2)

DNI (Ottawa)

G-2 (Col. Sweet)

Op-16-FA-4

via: Op-16-1-F

Op-16-1

Op-16

Op-20-G

N.A. Argentina (2)

(1 copy for M.A., Argentina)

22 August 1945

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REPORT ON THE INTERROGATION OF

PRISONERS FROM U-530 SURRENDERED

AT MAR DEL PLATA, 10 JULY 1945.

D E T A I L S

Number:	U-530.

Type:	IX-C.

Tonnage:	740 Tons.

Commanding Officer:	Oblt. z.S. Otto WERMUTH, Class of October 1939, for last patrol. Klt. Kurt LANGE, Class of 1933, for first 4 patrols.

Building Yard:	Deutsche Werft, Finkenwärder, Hamburg.

Commissioned:	14 October 1942.

Armament:	2 Twin 20-mm. guns on Platform I.
	1 37-mm. automatic gun on platform II.

Torpedoes:	8 T-3a Lut torpedoes with Pi-2.
	6 T-5 torpedoes with Pi-4c.
	Of the 14 torpedoes 3 Luts and 1 T-5 were loaded forward, with 2 spare Luts and 2 spare T-5's stowed below the floor plates forward and 1 spare T-5 above the floor plates forward; 1 Lut and 1 T-5 were loaded in the tubes aft and 1 spare Lut and 1 spare T-5 stowed above the floorplates aft.

Fuel:	222 tons at start of last patrol.

Diesels:	M.A.N. 9 cylinder. Mechanical supercharger.

Motors:	Siemens.

Switchboard:	Siemens.

Schnorchel:	Fitted. Head and top of trunk rubber covered.

G.S.R.:	Tunis antenna with Mücke and Fliege. Naxos amplifier with cathode ray tube visual indicator.
	Two Rundipole, one on bridge, one on Schnorchel head.

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Radar:	Hohentwiel mounted on bridge (never used).

Radio equipment:	200-W. Transmitter.
	40-W. Emergency Transmitter.
	Emergency transmitter for life rafts (hand-operated).
	2 "Main" receivers.
	1 All-wave receiver.
	1 Radione receiver.

D/F:	Lo6/39.

Hydrophones:	G.H.G. (old style, not Balkon).

Rundipole:	Naxos (either audible or with cathode ray visual indicator at will).

S.B.T.:	Fitted but not used on last patrol.

R.D.B.:	Carried about 200. Not used on last patrol.

E A R L Y H I S T O R Y

Standing by during final stages of construction: August to early October 1942 at Deutsche Werft, Finkenwärder, Hamburg. Commissioning 14 October 1942. Usual trials and tests. Arrived at Stettin on or about 28 December 1942 and made minor changes and repairs, also final overhaul. Loaded and armed for first patrol, leaving Stettin early March 1943.

F I R S T P A T R O L

Equipped for first patrol in Stettin and departed on or about 4 March 1943 under command of Klt. Kurt LANGE. Topped off provisions and fuel in Kiel, leaving for the Arctic on or about 10 March 1943. Touched at no Norwegian ports. Given credit for sinking one 6,000-ton freighter and one 9,000-ton freighter in mid-April, using a spread of three torpedoes in each attack. Was attacked by DD which dropped 30 depth charges. The torpedo tubes and the upper deck were damaged. The patrol ended on or about 6 May 1943 at Lorient, where U-530 was assigned to the 10th Flotilla.

S E C O N D P A T R O L

After being docked, repaired, and painted, left Lorient on second patrol on or about 5 June 1943. Three weeks later rendezvoused with another IX-C U-boat and a VII-C U-boat and supplied both with fuel and

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	provisions. Made no attacks. Returning through Bay of Biscay was attacked by a plane, which dropped 3 bombs without any damage. Ended patrol at Bordeaux mid-July 1943.

	T H I R D P A T R O L

	After repairing sea valves and general overhaul of the boat, U-530 began her third patrol mid-October 1943 from La Pallice. About 1,000 miles northeast of the Caribbean a type XIV U-boat (U-BARTKE) supplied her with about 40 metric tons of fuel and two weeks' provisions. After two unsuccessful attacks had wasted five torpedoes, a hit was scored on a 10,000-ton tanker 100-150 miles north of Colon late December 1943. A few days later U-530 attacked another tanker, was rammed by the tanker and lost her bow buoyancy tank and sustained damage to main ballast tank #8. Passing between Martinique and Dominica the U-boat started for Lorient, and although frequently attacked in the vicinity of the Azores with aerial bombs and depth charges, she made port 22 February 1944.
	(O.N.I. Note: Contrary to previous reports, U-530 prisoners denied that their boat had ever entered a Spanish harbour, although such an incident during early Spring of 1944 was not unknown to them.

	F O U R T H P A T R O L

	The long, unsuccessful fourth patrol of U-530 began from Lorient 22 May after fitting Schnorchel to U-530. Two weeks were needed to pass the Azores because of strong air patrol. Another two weeks later at a point about midway between Freetown and Trinidad, U-530 rendezvoused with a Japanese submarine. Kapitänleutnant SCHAFER and two radiomen transferred to the latter. After diving again many DC's heard and Japanese boat said to have been sunk. Many weeks wasted looking for a suitable target in Trinidad-Georgetown-Tobacco area at 150-meter line or deeper. After being almost three months out, she was ordered back to Norway. Schnorchel not used on way back due to faulty greasing. Reached Kristiansand about 3 October 1944 and Flensburg a few days later.

	F I F T H A N D L A S T P A T R O L

	Left Kiel 19 February 1945 at 1800. Diving and Schnorchel trials at Horten. Left Kristiansand 3 March 1945 together with 500-ton U-boat under command of Oberleutnant zur see KOCH. U-530 herself under command of Oberleutnant zur See Otto WERMUTH.

	Followed 200-meter line northwards 30 miles from Norwegian Coast, turning northwest above Bergen. At 65° N. turned on southwestern course, continuing use of Schnorchel for four hours each night, otherwise on motors at 60 meters.

	From 61° N. - 19° W. U-530 was required to give periodically at night brief weather reports; this duty was later taken over by U-KREMPL (probably Oberleutnant Erich KREMPL of October 1939 Term), (said to have been off Halifax in late April 1945).

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	After passing 25° W. U-530 surfaced four hours each night and a few days later, the whole night. After rounding the 100-fathom Newfoundland Bank she steered for 41° N. - 60° W., and from there by radio was ordered to operate off New York.

	In mid-April Germany's strongest long-wave station ("GOLIATH") went off the air; and when U-530 resumed the use of her Schnorchel about a week later, the reception from Nauen became progressively worse. Short-wave reception was still possible until the end of April.

	On about 28 April, U-530 crossed the 200-meter line and remained for some two weeks south of Long Island, once coming within two or three miles of land. On about 4 May a spread of three Lut torpedoes was aimed at a convoy of 10 to 20 ships. Two torpedoes missed and the third got stuck in the tube and its battery exploded.

	Two days later a very large convoy was sighted. Again a spread of two Lut torpedoes missed. A single Lut also missed a tanker. An hour later a single Lut also missed a tanker. An hour later a single T-5 missed a straggler from the convoy. One day later (7 May 1945) two single T-5 shots missed their target in another large convoy. During this period two blimps and one plane were seen in the periscope, and several aerial bombs fell fairly close to the U-boat. At this point it was decided to turn away from the operational area and try to reestablish radio contact.*

	Surface reception was attempted on 15 or 16 May. An open German signal was picked up demanding surrender of U-boats intact but not entirely believed to be genuine because of the signature "B.d.U.op." instead of F.d.U.West", Ob.d.M.", or no signature at all.

	The commanding officer, after some discussion with the other officers, decided in favor of steering for Argentina, thought to be still neutral. He and the other were indeed soon convinced that Germany's position was hopeless, A small minority of the enlisted men favored surrender, but their opinions had no effect. Internment in Argentina, perhaps even settling there, appealed to many.

	The five remaining torpedoes were jettisoned, the one damaged being left in the tube. Ammunition and secret papers were thrown overboard. On a southeast course, U-530 passed to the east of Bermuda and possibly less than 100 miles away. The equator was passed in mid-June.

	Late on 9 July 1945, in sight of Mar del Plata, the commanding officer ordered the Diesels run at high speed, without full lubrication, for 15 minutes. For good measure one-half liter of battery acid was put into the lube oil system, so that sabotage would be indicated. The next morning U-530 used her motors to enter Mar del Plata.

	* (O.N.I. NOTE: Convoys HX 354, UC 65A and ON 298 were in this area during the period from 3 May to 7 May, and are probably the convoys referred to. HX 354 and ON 298 were badly scattered because of fog. No submarine contacts were reported by these convoys.)

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