Editing German submarine U-556 (section)

====The sinking of ''Bismarck''====
{{main|Last battle of the battleship Bismarck}}
On 26 May, while returning from patrol, low on fuel and having fired all her torpedoes, ''U-556'' was ordered to reconnoitre the most recently reported position of the [[battleship]] {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck||2}}.

''U-556'' and ''Bismarck'' had been neighbours in the ways at Blohm & Voss and their construction was completed at about the same time. (''Bismarck'' was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 24 August 1940.) In January 1941, as ''U-556''{{'}}s commissioning ceremony approached, Wohlfarth wanted a band for the celebration, but could not afford to hire one. ''Kapitän'' [[Ernst Lindemann]], commanding officer of ''Bismarck'', lent him his ship's band.<ref name="uboatnet"/><ref name="specialbond">{{Cite web
|url=http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck_class/bismarck/miscellaneous/special_bond/specialbond.html
|title=Bismarck – The Special Bond between the Bismarck and the U-556
|work=bismarck-class.dk
|access-date=15 February 2010
}}</ref>

[[File:patenschafts.png|right|thumb|Wohlfarth's ''Patenschaftsurkunde'']]
As thanks, Wohlfarth drew up a humorous ''Patenschaftsurkunde'' ("Certificate of Sponsorship") promising that ''U-556'' would protect ''Bismarck''. A drawing shows Wohlfarth as the knight [[Percival|Parzival]] [Percival] (his nickname) on the deck of ''U-556'' simultaneously bringing down planes with a sword and reaching underwater to stop a torpedo with his thumb. A second drawing then shows the submarine towing the battleship to safety.<ref name="specialbond"/>

The text accompanying the drawing reads:<ref name="specialbond"/>
{{Blockquote|''Wir U556 (500 to) erklären hiermit vor Neptun, dem Herrscher über Ozeane, Meere, Seen, Flüsse, Bäche, Teiche und Rinnsale daß wir unserem grossen Bruder, dem Schlachtschiff Bismarck (42.000 to) in jeder Lage, zu Wasser, unter Wasser, zu Lande wie in der Luft beistehen wollen.''
::''Hamburg, den 28. Januar 1941''
::''Kommandant u''
::''Besatzung U556''

We, ''U-556'' (500 tons), hereby declare before [[Neptune (god)|Neptune]], Lord over oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, brooks, ponds, and rivulets, that we will provide any desired assistance to our Big Brother, the battleship ''Bismarck'' (42,000 tons), at any place on the water, underwater, on land, or in the air.
::Hamburg, 28 January 1941
::Commander &
::Crew U556}}

Around 19:50, Wohlfahrt saw the [[battlecruiser]] {{HMS|Renown|1916|6}} and the [[aircraft carrier]] {{HMS|Ark Royal|91|6}} coming out of the mist at high speed. He recorded in his log, "Enemy bows on, 10 degrees to starboard, without destroyers, without zigzagging," but without any torpedoes, could only submerge and avoid them. Wohlfahrt saw activity on ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s flight deck, which transpired to be the launching of the second, fatal attack on ''Bismarck''. At 20:39, Wohlfahrt surfaced and transmitted, "Enemy in view, a battleship, an aircraft carrier, course 115, enemy is proceeding at high speed. Position 48°&nbsp;20′&nbsp;N, 16°&nbsp;20′&nbsp;W." ''Renown''{{'}}s and ''Ark Royal''{{'}}s course toward ''Bismarck'' coincided almost exactly with his own; he proceeded on the surface at full speed behind them.<ref name="specialbond"/>

Wohlfahrt's War Diary contains these entries for 27 May 1941:<ref name="specialbond"/>
:00:00, (wind) north-west 5, seaway 5, rain squalls, moderate visibility, very dark night. Surfaced. What can I do for Bismarck? I can see [[Shell (projectile)#Illumination|star shells]] being fired and flashes from Bismarck's guns. It is a terrible feeling to be near and not to be able to do anything. All I can do is reconnoitre and lead in boats that have torpedoes. I am keeping contact at the limit of visibility, reporting the position, and sending directional signals to call up the other boats.

:03:52: I am moving around on the east side to the south, in order to be in the direction of the activity. I soon reach the limit of what I can do in view of my fuel supply. Otherwise, I won't get home.

:04:00: The seas are rising ever higher. Bismarck still fighting. Reported weather for the [[Luftwaffe]].

Around 06:30 Wohlfahrt sighted {{GS|U-74|1940|2}} and transferred the mission of maintaining contact with ''Bismarck'' to ''Kapitänleutnant'' [[Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat]]. He gave Kentrat ''Bismarck''{{'}}s position based on his observations of the star shells fired during the night, adding: "I have not seen her directly. You assume contact. I have no more fuel." Wohlfahrt then submerged and did not surface again until noon, a time at which radio signals were routinely repeated. That was when he heard for the first time the order radioed to him between 07:00 and 08:00 to pick up ''Bismarck''{{'}}s War Diary. He replied to the ''[[Befehlshaber der U-Boote]]'' ("Commander-in-Chief for Submarines") [[Karl Dönitz]], asking that this mission be transferred to Kentrat, who received the radio order, "U-boat Kentrat pick up Bismarck War Diary," but was unable to locate ''Bismarck''. The battleship had been sunk before Wohlfahrt had received the first message at noon.<ref name="specialbond"/>

''U-556'' arrived at [[Lorient]], in occupied France on 30 May 1941 after 30 days at sea,<ref name="patrols"/> where Wohlfahrt received the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross|Knight's Cross]] (''Ritterkreuz'') from Dönitz personally.