U. S. S. VARIAN (DE 798)
FLEET POST OFFICE
NEW YORK, N. Y.
  File No.   
                                                                   25 April, 1945  
     
 
INFORMATION FROM PRISONERS OF WAR FROM "U546" TAKEN ABOARD THE
 
 
U.S.S. VARIAN (DE 798) APRIL 24th. 1945.
 
     
          Prisoners included the Executive Officer and eight men, three of whom seem quite willing to talk.  These men; THALER, W., HUTTNY, G., and PFEIFER, K.  
     
          Information obtained is as follows:  U546 carried 59 men and 6 officers.  One man testified that she was 80 metres in length.  Several men seemed quite familiar with Brazil and the delta of Mississippi.  One man asked in particular, as to what bases we had between Pensacola and the Mississippi Delta.  Klught, Executive Officer, was on board in training as commanding officer.  Some men had been home for Christmas in the Fatherland and general estimates are that they had been out four to five weeks from information obtained.  
     
          In off hand conversation it was disclosed that they were the submarine the Bogue aircraft spotted on the 23rd. of April, also that they torpedoed the U.S.S. F. C. DAVIS (DE 136).  They admitted having fired a second torpedo when surfacing yesterday in a desperate effort to get another escort before surrendering.  They had been at general quarters for 30 hours and had not eaten for 24 hours.  Physical condition of the men was excellent in view of the strain that they had been under.  The Executive Officer wanted above all to get in the sun.  MUGGE, G. is a rather shrewd character.  Seems to be the leader of the enlisted personnel who were kept separate from the Executive Officer.  MUGGE speaks English fairly well as understands it extremely well, but is careful at most times to show that he is not understanding it.  Prisoners were quite interested as to who the new President was.  They seemed to approve of Roosevelt, but could not say much in favor of the British.  From one prisoner it was ascertained that they received broadcasts daily without surfacing, using their Schnorchel antenna, and transmitted any messages likewise.  The Executive Officer had been shipmates with HERNING, W. whose gear was recovered when TG 22.8 sunk a weather reporting submarine off the Azores in January.  The Executive Officer said that HERNING was a man of small stature and that he had not seen him since 1939 and did not know what boat he had been on.  
     
          The Executive Officer enlisted in 1937 and became an officer in 1941.  The Executive Officer according to the men had given specific instructions before they were taken aboard not to talk, and he talks little himself, not being willing to divulge the submarine identification number or other pertinent information as contained in this memo.  
     
          It is felt that the three men whose names have been mentioned as willing to talk will do so profusely in private as may others in private interrogations.  
                                                                                               
     
     
     

 

     

S E C R E T  
U. S. S. VARIAN (DE 798)
FLEET POST OFFICE
NEW YORK, N. Y.
  File No.   
     
                                   UNIDENTIFIED DIARY  
     
 
Date    
10 March, 1945 Left Kiel A.K.K. 20**
     
11 March, 1945 Anchored at Labö L.B.A.
     
12 March, 1945   S. (same entries 13 and 14 March)
     
15 March, 1945 Friedrichhafen Fr. H.D.**
     
16 March, 1945 Arrived Horten H.-Nw.
     
17 March, 1945 Left Horten for Kristiansand  
     
19 and 20 March 1945 Out to lighthouse and back  
     
21 March, 1945 Left Kristiansand 1900  
     
22 March, 1945 Second day on patrol T-A-Sht
     
23 March, 1945 Schluck 1340 Kg T-Kuch-Hochz.
     
24 March, 1945   Backschaft
     
25 March, 1945   Kr .S                          B
     
26 March, 1945   After Compartment     B
     
29 March, 1945   After Compartment
     
30 March, 1945 Battle Stations for the first time 1000 4 - 0 N-E-g    Backschaft
 
     
     

 

     

S E C R E T  
U. S. S. VARIAN (DE 798)
FLEET POST OFFICE
NEW YORK, N. Y.
  File No.   
     
                                   UNIDENTIFIED DIARY  
 
                                         CONT'D
  
     
 
Date    
11 April, 1945 Poisoned  
     
2 April, 1945 Schlucken A. T-v-E
    E-Av-sch-v.  H-nn
    T. V. A.-g.Ku
     
3 April, 1945   Ge-In-Herr.A
     
4 April, 1945   T.v.Anl.-EN.-
    Ag.-Hedel
     
5 April, 1945 (sentimental poem)  
     
6 April, 1945   T-An.
     
7 April, 1945 surfaced for the first time.  8 hours on the surface  
     
8 April, 1945 Standby for escape lungs Grd.b.  An.Kni.
  0400 Fire in diesel compartment  
     
10 April, 1945 0500 Schlucken An.  
     
14 April, 1945 Surfaced 2300 - slight sea.  
     
15 April, 1945 Surfaced 2330 - sea six to seven - Battle Stations 4- - 0  
     
16 April, 1945 1100 Battle Stations (Plus) Z (Destroyer)  Escaped undamaged 1630  
     
18 April, 1945 1927 W.-Pro.  
     
22 April, 1945 2200 C (Destroyer?)  
     
23 April, 1945 2200 (plus) - 0  
  G.F.  
 
     
     

 

     

S E C R E T  
U. S. S. VARIAN (DE 798)
FLEET POST OFFICE
NEW YORK, N. Y.
  File No.   
     
                                   UNIDENTIFIED DIARY  
 
                                 _____FOR 1944______
  
     
 
Date    
17 April, 1944 Bay of Biscay  
     
21 April, 1944 First arrival at Lorient  
     
28 April, 1944 Went on leave  
     
16 May, 1944 Returned to Lorient  
     
15 June, 1944 Left Lorient on the patrol for the first time  
     
25 June, 1944 Left Lorient for the second time  
     
11 November, 1944 Arrived Flensburg from second patrol  
     
28 December, 1944 Went on leave