Journal of Wolfgang Schewe (Kriegsmarine)
subject: The journal of someone who served on a German U-Boat. The journal describes his time in training and the photos seem to show him during active duty. Most of the entries are during 1941, and the final date written near the logo for U-929 being in 1945 just 5 days before VE Day. The passenger/cargo motor vessel CARIBIA (12,049 GRT / 5480 tdw) was laid down in 1931, and launched on 1 March 1932 by the Blohm & Voss shipyard, Hamburg-Steinwärder, yard number 493. Completed on 5 Febr 1933 for the Hamburg-America Line (HAPAG) for their West Indies-Central America service. As a twin-screw vessel, Caribia was powered by two 8-cyl. MAN diesel engines with a total power of 11,500 HP, giving a service speed of 15 kn, maximum speed 17 kn. She could accommodate 447 passengers in three classes and had a crew of 198. Caribia begun her maiden voyage from Hamburg in March 1933, remaining on the West Indies route until 1939 before the outbreak of World War II. After 1 Sept 1939 the ship was first laid up and in 1940 requisitioned by the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) for the use as an accommodation ship in Flensburg-Mürwik, close to the Naval Academy. Caribia was painted overall gray and was armed with some AA-guns, remained in her role as a floating barrack throughout the whole war without any notable incident. German submarine U-929 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was ordered on 2 April 1942, and was laid down on 20 March 1943, at Neptun Werft AG, Rostock, as yard number 516. She was commissioned under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Werner Schulz on 6 September 1944. German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the heavier Type VIIC submarines. U-929 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), an overall beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 i…
description: Watch and Duty Small Watch Groups Watch Officer: Lieutenant Fraszezak Engineer Officer: Lieutenant Thielmann Chief Engineer: Senior Engineer Hegmann Helmsman: Petty Officer Meissner Division Commander: Captain z. See Gumprich The Training Period from 7 January to 31 May 1941 My Introduction to Active Service On January 7, 1941, around 6 p.m., I traveled with the 13th platoon from Berlin to the port of Stralsund. We arrived there at about 6 a.m., after a journey of several hours. Upon our arrival, we were assigned to the accommodation in the barracks and soon went to the naval training company. There was a lot of hustle and bustle! We were met by our commanding officers. “Gentlemen! You are now part of the submarine service!” We were given a short speech. Slowly, I began to feel proud to belong to such a company. Everything here was new and exciting. In the afternoon, we were assigned to our platoons and groups. I came to the 4th company for further training and was placed in the 3rd platoon, 9th group. Basic training began immediately afterward. ________________________________________ 3 Months of Basic Training Introduction Finally, the long-awaited day of basic training had come. For a long time, I had been preparing myself to fulfill the duties of a German sailor to the best of my ability. Although I already had an idea of what awaited me — the hardships and difficulties of a sailor’s life — I was still determined to give my best. We were now to learn everything that belonged to the foundation of military service: discipline, obedience, and physical endurance. The last days were spent with intensified exercises, and we were tested in the use of rifles and hand grenades. The training lasted four weeks. Training – Basic Exercises The Basic Training The first days of service were quite tough. In addition to the regular duties, we began with basic training. That meant: “Introduction to basic exercises!” The instructors were strict. The commands had to be carried out …
source: Purchased from Don Kochi and part of the Tom Long collection. Translation provided by ChatGPT. Information on the Caribia and Cordillera taken from ShipsNostalgia.com. Information on U-929 taken from Wikipedia.
date: January 7, 1941 - May 3, 1945