WAR DIARY U-38

0800....0950 surfaced average sight, partly foggy 1025 dived (very bad sight)

1200....1320 Noise of screws bad sight, fog, rain....1512 surfaced
Because of very bad sight I decided to commence the cruise to the north and not as first intended to stay during the night in this region. While clouds broke a trawler was sighted. Changed course to south then west.

1600...1703 dived because of trawler which became visible out of fog straight ahead. Later passed close to 3 more trawlers at periscope depth, sighted armament on one of them. Kept dived until dark. Apparently no pursuit. misty, rain

2000....2003 sight got a little better. Surfaced after a trawler was recognised by periscope and sonar in a short distance. After surfacing 6 steamers with lights on were sighted which apparently formed a guard line with north-south course. I decided to give one of them a lesson with our gun.

2113 fired one shot on one trawler at 200m distance. Hit engine room, steamer disappeared in smoke and dust. Steamed off. Later it was recognised that the steamer had not sunk as presumed before. Decided not to attack again, because of the close distance to the other vessels of which some had extinguished their lanterns and others seemed not to have noticed the gunfire.

2400.... average sight....No occurences.

Sevaral other trawlers in the area have been identified as Pelagos, Alvis, Flying Admiral, John Morrice and Sedock (Who had been requisitioned, fitted with a 3 pounder, and then returned as unsuitable). It is possible that she had kept her armament and this is the vessel sighted by Kapitan Leutnant Heinrich Liebe through his periscope.

James Hawkins

69 Park Road, Cottages, Ringsend

Apprentice aged 17

Bernard Smith

10 Boyne Street, Dublin

2nd engineer aged 23

Patricio McCarthy

40 Carlton Road, Marino, Dublin

Cook aged 42

J P Thomasson

63 Lower Mount Street, Dublin

Skipper aged 28

Alec McLeod

53 Kenneth Street, Stornoway, Scotland

Chief Engineer

William Donnelly

26 Thorben Grove, Blackpool

Mate

P J Scanlon

5 Douglas Road, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire

Bosun

T Mulligan

Catholic Seamens Institute, Dublin and Fleetwood

Deckhand

T Pill

Catholic Seamens Institute, Dublin and Fleetwood

Deckhand

Michael Cullen

29 Boyne Street, Dublin

Fireman aged 17

Robert Sumler

63 Lower Mount Street, Dublin and Fleetwood

Apprentice, aged 16