[The following is taken from Otto Giese’s memoir, Shooting the War: The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in World War II. In particular, the following events take place in 1942-1943.]
On the morning of 7 November [1942], I received orders to sign off the U-405 and be ready for U-boat training in Germany. I was invited by Captain Hopman and his officers to the Grande Café for an excellent lunch. That same afternoon the U-405 set off on another patrol in the Arctic Sea and the North Atlantic. With many other soldiers of all arms, I stood on the pier and joined enthusiastically in the farewell calls. I waved and waved my cap. Several of my old comrades returned my salute. Sadly, I would never see them again.
North Atlantic storms, high seas, and constant attacks on convoys continued to play havoc with U-boat sailors. They were chased by “hunter-killer” groups and planes day and night. By late 1943 the Allies had greatly strengthened their antisubmarine forces, and their new equipment and more sophisticated tactics had turned the hunger into the hunted. U-boat crews faced constant danger as they continued their attacks on convoys.
On 1 November 1943, the U-405 battled the American four-funnel flush-deck destroyer Borie some seven hundred miles north of the Azores. In a ferocious night surface encounter the valiant U-boat was lost with all hands. The Borie, mortally wounded, went to the bottom the following day.
I was in Bordeaux during the battle and was saddened to hear of the loss of my dear comrades. I had a vivid dream that night. The once-merry faces of my brave shipmates looked tired and hopeless. I prayed that God would have pity on their poor souls.
Source:
Giese, Otto, and James E. Wise. “Fourth Patrol.” Shooting the War: The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in World War II. Naval Institute, 2003. 161-62. Print.
Further Reading:
USS Borie (DD-215): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Borie_(DD-215)
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