Frederick Kleist, Corporal, U-552 (November 1942)

Frederick Kleist

28 November 1942

U-552, with our emblem of the red devil with two torches signifying life and destruction has had a fantastic campaign so far. We were the first ones to get a US warship, the USS Reuben James, and we are glad that we are sinking tonnage well into the 100,000 tons range. I do have to say that I miss my family, and with the narrow miss the other day (We were attacked by an enemy submarine at the Cape Verde islands) it seems to be like we are not so invincible after all. However, the idiots had torpedoes running close to the surface and our commander obviously had the insight (though I would argue us men do more work than him) to turn away. This war seems to keep going on, and we are perpetually trying to make sense of the directives that Doenitz is giving. Oh well, let's hope we get more of the enemy scoundrels and return victorious to our Motherland.

Karl Doenitz (1942)

Karl Doenitz, 

late 1942

There can no longer be any doubt that even though we have made such considerable progress, the enemy is tactically gaining the upper hand with surface location by destroyers, escort vessels, and aircraft have deprived our tactical advantages. We need to transfer the submarines to a more appropriate under-water element-we need an approach where we have a high underwater speed submarine. We have been testing the high test peroxide turbines which are helping us, and on June 24 I had laid out very clearly that the new Walter U-boats must be speeded up and this is because the U-boats are qua boats, which means their faulty armaments leaves them in an inferior position. I wish to stress how importance of installing the Fu MB which are search receivers and they have afforded considerable relief! Let us push harder.