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TOWARDS PEDESTAL

An agent had been safely landed on the coast near Oran, and U73 turned towards the open sea to continue its patrol. 鈥淎LARM - FLUGZEUG!!!鈥� echoed through the boat. The attack was almost fatal and U73 crashed dived but escaped with major damage. She lay on the bottom, silent and leaking oil. The bomber crew reported a successful attack. Many hours later the U73 pumped the last of her compressed air into the flooded tanks and slowly surfaced to be greeted by the sight of extensive damage. Gradually she regained some degree of control and so began an epic and outstanding voyage back to La Spezia. Incredibly they met no opposition during the 3 days and 2 nights that followed; though previous journeys in those waters had meant 'ALARMS' several times a day.

Eventually they struggled into their 'Stutzpunt' (home port) with a stern that was likened to a crumpled cigar. Inevitably the U73 was berthed at a repair wharf and reconstruction began with utmost dispatch. She was laid up for many weeks, and during that time the senior port officer, Commodore Leo Kreisch, being short of experienced crews, decimated the original crew of U73 and dispatched many of them to other duties, whist the conscripted civilian workforce reluctantly applied themselves to the requirements of the boat, implanting small acts of negligence that meant that the completion of the repairs was delayed. Nevertheless, it was of interest to note that somehow time had been found to repaint the 2 symbols on the conning tower of the shattered submarine. One symbol was that of the arms of their 'Patenstadt', Duisburg. (The town that had adopted the boat). The second symbol represented the name of the commanding officer - Rosenbaum, and obviously was in the form of a rose tree. The fascination lay in the fact that the overall commander of the U Boats, Admiral Doenitz, had decreed that whenever U73 completed a successful mission an extra rose bud should be added to the emblem.

After many weeks, in early August, Rosenbaum, Commanding Officer of U73, was ordered to take the boat from the repair wharf to the wharf at the other side of the harbour for reloading munitions and restocking with provisions. At that time he was due to be rotated and he took aboard the young Lt Deckert who would relieve him after his next sortie. For the next few days it was not unusual to see Deckert with his list of requirements sitting on some discarded crate on the dock side supervising the activities of men who included a leading ship's cook, who had once worked in the Senior Port Officer's kitchen, as they checked off bags, bales, boxes and bundles of seagoing foodstuffs that had to be stored not only safely and securely, but had to be packed in such a way that there would also be space for fresh vegetables, fruit bread, cheese and salami. This fair-haired lad was a typical specimen of the Germanic culture. His name was Horst Morwitzt. Horst survived the war and I met him several times afterwards.

The day eventually arrived when Rosenbaum was ordered to leave La Spezia. He sailed with the intelligence that a convoy was due to attempt to force a passage through to MALTA, and an aircraft carrier would be included. He was advised that if he could sink the carrier, or damage it in such a way that it could not operate its planes, thereby depriving the convoy of air protection, this would allow the Luftwaffe uninterrupted access to the convoy; then he would 鈥減erform a great service for the Fatherland.鈥�

He took U73 into the Mediterranean and soon became aware of the activities of the dockyard workers. Listing among some of the faults was the failure of the diesel engine exhaust cut-outs, a serious leakage in the periscope gland, inoperable air scrubbers, reflector gyroscope off centre, diving planes oscillating, missing clamps from watertight doors and many other minor irritants like broken or useless screws in drawers. One major concern was the dubious quality of the fuel oil. To aggravate his worries several of his replacement crewmembers, unaccustomed to the claustrophobia of the boat and the unattractive heavy diet, soon developed gastric influenza. With this knowledge, and knowing that when the time came he would need an efficient crew, he subjected his men to every punishing exercise and drill that existed. For himself, he kept a punishing 3 days and 3 nights huddled in the cramped space of the 'konnen turm' (conning tower), until his crew were startled by his cry '鈥滱CHTUNG -Bring me a brandy!!鈥� It seemed that an electric shock coruscated throughout the boat Ober Bootsman Helmut Spieler was heard to say 鈥淭his is the first time I have ever seen him like this.鈥� Time passed in silence, a second brandy was ordered. Again time passed and Rosenbaum started to report over the boat鈥檚 intercom the approach of the expected convoy; stating that he had never seen so many masts. Hienz Matejke, the 'Moses' (youngest man in the boat), was in the forward torpedo room. Receiving orders he set the depth and the spread on four 鈥榝ish'. 鈥淪pread salvo鈥�, he adjusted the remote controls; 鈥淣arrow salvo鈥�, in his minds eye he had a vision that at least one of the deadly weapons would strike and find it's target. Eagle, the anticipated carrier was approaching on a zigzag course. In the 'kontrol turm' Rosenbaum stiffened. The carrier had swung into an ideal attack position. 鈥淟OS!!鈥� Hienz reacted without thought, and four torpedoes sliced through the blue water. 鈥淒OWN SCOPE, TAKE HER DOWN FAST!!鈥� The U73 had passed under the escorting screen of protecting destroyers to within 500 yards of the Eagle. The resulting detonations were almost instantaneous and as the boat angled down Rosebaum ordered 鈥淎LLE MANNE VOWORTS鈥� to increase his escaping manoeuvre.

Soon began the dreaded 'wasser bomben' 鈥攅in-drie-vier-ein-ein and gradually fading away. When Funk Maat Karl Bernt from Dresden reported no more explosions the U73 slowly rose to periscope depth and found itself quite alone on an empty sea. Surfacing, it was quickly discovered that she was leaking oil from a ruptured tank and immediately pumped the remaining oil into other partially used tanks. This considerably upset her trim but it was a controllable list and it was concluded that the leaking oil had deceived the British into thinking she had been sunk. A signal was sent off, and U73 resumed her pursuit of the convoy.

Next day it was reported that Matrose Ober Gefrieter Rudolf Herholt, from Thessen, the last of the victims of gastritis, was making a good recovery. This pleased Rosenbaum more than the news that he had been awarded the Ritterkruez.

Two days later Rosenbaums war diary reported: 鈥淥vertook convoy. twenty-one zestorers (destroyers). One in damaged condition. Query heavy class vessels. Time 1825. At 1848 attacked damaged destroyer. 61 seconds later detonation heard. 8 minutes later 3 large explosions followed by sinking noises. Continued patrol. Returned to La Spezia 5th September.
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Added by: Alan Brigham - www.hullwebs.co.uk

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