Folios 67-72: CB number 01361 O.X.O, Copy number 339, U.45 Interrogation of Survivors,...

Folios 67-72: CB number 01361 O.X.O, Copy number 339, U.45 Interrogation of Survivors, October 1917.

Folio 68: Cover sheet, U.45.

Folio 69: Table of Contents.

Folio 69: Report of Interrogation of Survivors of U.45 The two survivors are Leading Telegraphist Josef Pustelnik and Stoker Otto Babbel. Pustelnik had been drafted first to the battle cruiser Moltke and sent temporally to U.45. Babbel had been drafted to U.45 in which he made six cruises.

Folio 69: Complement of U.45 was three officers, three warrant officers and 41 or 42 petty officers and men. Lieutenant-Commander Sittenfeld had been in command of U.45 since she was commissioned. Lieutenant Schmidt was the senior watch keeper.

Folios 70: Details of U.45. Armament of one 4.1-inch gun, 22 pounder and six 19.7-inch torpedo tubes, four forward and two aft. Twelve torpedoes were carried. Two 6-cylinder diesels, 14 to 15 knots on surface and 9 knots submerged. W/T and Acoustic Signally gear fitted. Two periscopes. Had dived to 70 metres (230 feet).

Folio 70: Previous Cruises of U.45 U.45, built at Imperial Yard Danzig, commissioned in October 1915 and after trials joined the 3rd Flotilla in Emden. Claimed to have sunk 62,000 tons of merchant shipping. Babbel remembered six cruises: (1) An uneventful 10-day cruise in July-August 1916. (2) A similar cruise commencing October 1916 followed by a refit. (3) A 31-day cruise operating southward to southeast of Ireland commencing January 1917. (4) A 3 or 4 week cruise to the Arctic commencing April 1917. (5) Operating southward of Ireland proceeding north-about, June-July 1917. (6) 3RD Flotilla transferred to Wilhelmshaven and last cruise commenced from there.

Folios 70-71: Last Cruise of U.45. Left Wilhelmshaven on 5 Sept. 1917 in company with U.54. U.45 passed between Fair Isle and North Ronaldshay and about 10 September arrive at western entrance of the North Channel. Had been there three days when sunk by submarine HMS D.7.

Folio 71: Sinking of U.45. Sighed a distant submarine, thought to be U.54, but did not reply to signals. Pustelnik and Babbel had gone on to conning tower when U.45 was torpedoed. They were the only survivors rescued by D.7. Both testified to the good treatment they received.

Folio 71: Habits of U.45. U.45 proceeded on surface unless hostile craft were actually in sight. Submerged at night only in misty weather. When submerged proceeded to depth of 30-40 metres. Steered a zigzag course where an attack by a British submarine was considered likely. Ordered to make few wireless signals other than arriving on station and in North Sea on way back.

Folio 71: Special Recognition Mark for Aircraft. Displayed a white ring on deck when in the presence of aircraft.

Folio 71: Organisation of Submarine Service. First Submarine Flotilla at Brunsbuttel consisting of mine layers. Second Submarine Flotilla at Heligoland. Third Submarine Flotilla at Wilhelmshaven. Fourth Submarine Flotilla at Emden.

Folio 71: Submarine Cruisers. Both prisoners had heard that Deutschland had been converted into a man-of-war and numbered U.155.

Folio 71: New UB Boats. Unable to give details but longer than UC class.

Folio 71: Neither prisoner had seen or heard of a Seaplane Carriers in the North Sea although knew of one or more in the Baltic.

Folio 72: Battle Cruiser Moltke. Pustelnik's first Captain was von Levetzow until relieved by von Karpf early in 1916 who was relieved by Captain Gygas in September 1916. He believed that von Karpf went to Hindenburg. Moltke had not been fitted with a tripod mast. A new top for fire control had been fitted on fore mast since Battle of Jutland.

Folio 72-73: Battle of Jutland. When Lutzow fell out of line Vice-Admiral Hipper transferred to the Moltke while under heavy fire. Moltke was hit three times by heavy shells. The superstructure was completely wrecked thought to have been done by 6-inch guns. Repairs took nine weeks.

Folio 72: Drawing of Moltke showing armour and location and size of guns, produced by Naval Staff (I.D.) Oct. 1917.

Folio 73: Moltke took part in attempt to enter the Bight of Riga. Torpedoed forward by a submarine and repairs took eight weeks. Took part in Lowestoft raid on 26 April 1916. In action with two British destroyers one of which was supposed to have been sunk.

Folio 73: Hindenburg had not joined 1ST Scouting Group. Practically a sister-ship to Derfflinger. Both fitted with tripod mast.

Folio 73: Von der Tann, flagship of Rear-Admiral Boedicker, Second Admiral in 1st Scouting Group.

Folio 73: Both prisoners had seen new battle cruisers on slips in Wilhelmshaven.

Folio 73: Recognition Signals. Two rings of lights fitted around foremost funnel composed of red, white or green lights. Old Night Signal Apparatus is fitted on either side of main yard arm consisting of three lamps which can show either a red or white light.

Folio 74: Telegraphic Communication. All important harbour ships are fitted with a Fernschreiber arrangement, a tape machine used to relieve pressure of wireless communications.

Folio 73: Discipline Indefatigable the High Sea fleet. Pustelnik stated that there had been a mutiny on Konig Albert and Captain Thorbecke had been thrown overboard. Babbel version was that he fell overboard in an accident. An official obituary notice said he perished in an accident.

Folio 73: Appendix. Translation of a letter from Pustelnik to his mother dated 26 September 1917 in which he said that the British sailors took a great deal of trouble to try and save more of his comrades.