Please note that this interrogation report on U-434 survivors has been transcribed, all efforts have been made to accurately represent the original text.

REPORT OF INTERROGATION OF SURVIVORS FROM "U 434", A 500-TON U-BOAT, SUNK AT ABOUT 1000 ON 18th DECEMBER, 1941, IN APPROXIMATE POSITION 36.08'N, AND 16.02'W

I - INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

This report contains only material relative to the actual cruises, technical details, early history and manning of "U 434".

All extraneous matter such as usually attaches to a report on any one U-Boat has on this occasion been collated into the report on "U 131", due for circulation shortly. The "U 131" report will also contain extraneous material relating to "U 574". The chief reason for this course of action has been that it was considered of greater assistance to readers if extraneous material relating to all three U-Boats attacking the homeward-bound convoy on 17th/19th December, 1941, might be collated in one report. The numbers of these U-Boats were "U 434", "U 574" and "U 131".

II - CREW OF "U 434"

The complement of "U 434" at the time of her sinking totalled 44. Of these, four were officers, three chief petty officers, 10 petty officers and 27 men. Survivors numbered 42, one officer and one man being missing.

The commanding officer was Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant-Commander) Wolfgang Heyda, of the 1932 term. Born on 14th November, 1913, he was 28 years of age. He might be described as almost fanatically Nazi in his outlook. He gave frequent instructions to his crew on all security matters, but in contra-distinction to the lectures given by Korvettenkapitän (Commander) Baumann of "U 131", sunk the day previously, which were given for genuine reasons of security, those handed out by Heyda were based almost solely on hatred of the British as frustrators of Nazi progress. When first interrogated this officer did not prove to be amenable to ordinary methods, but his attitude became more friendly with the passage of time.

In 1937 he had been attached to the Gunnery Experimental Department in Kiel. In 1938, as Oberleutnant-zur-See (Lieutenant), he served in the "Admiral Scheer" and was promoted to his present rank in March, 1940. He was subsequently transferred to the U-Boat service and at one time commanded one of the older 250-ton U-Boats in the training flotilla.

Leutnant-zur-See (Sub Lieutenant) Klaus Janus, aged 29, was a law court clerk in civil life and seems to have joined the Navy in 1940, having formerly been on the reserve. Of sombre and forbidding appearance, he was, throughout the period of his interrogation, correct to the point of insolence and must be rated as one of the most difficult prisoners who have passed through British hands, Interrogating officers described him as being the type who might very well have been a Gestapo agent. When it was suggested to him that he might like to be taken for a walk by an officer, he refused to give his word not to attempt to escape and was consequently left in his room. He admitted having studied French in Paris and to having visited England on several occasions during yachting trips.

Leutnant (Ing.) (Engineer Sub-Lieutenant) Friedrich Oesterlen, the engineer officer of "U 434", was 28 years of age and had been on the reserve list of the German Navy before the war. In civil life he had been an engineer. He was as Nazi in his attitude as his two senior surviving officers, but rather less insolent in his manner.

The remaining officer, Oberleutnant-zur-See (Lieutenant) Wolfgang Frank, lost his life when his U-Boat was sunk by becoming entangled in the propellers of H.M.S. "Blankney". He was the 1st Lieutenant and had already been awarded the Iron Cross, 1st Class, in addition to various decorations for valour in the air. He belonged to the 1936 term and had been in the naval air service. When the shortage of pre-war trained U-Boat officers became acute, he was transferred to this service.