[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...

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Monday, 1 March 1943 - Danzig

At Danziger Werft AG, for Repairs and Overhaul.

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Heinz Guderian is appointed Inspector-General of Armoured Troops.

Our troops begin falling back from the Rzhev area in Russia.

U 510 (Korvkpt. Karl Neitzel) reports absence of traffic from area EO 66 to EP 73, and slight air activity. Owing to the breakdown of "Metox" the intended operations in the lower section of ED are doubtful. The oil track experienced earlier has not yet been eliminated.

U 218 (VIID; Kptlt. Richard Becker) - on the return passage owing to rudder breakdown - sighted an eastbound convoy at 1527, speed 8-10 knots in CE 8688. Shortly afterwards the boat was beaten off and at 1800 lost sight of the convoy during a squall. Two steamer masts were sighted, a smoke trail and a light grey two-funnel destroyer.
U 513 (KrvKpt. Rolf Rüggeberg) presumably had contact with the same group at 1230 on CE 8989 and also lost it. Both boats continue their passage. Operation was not possible as there were no other boats in the vicinity.

U 511 (Kptlt. Fritz Schneewind; ex Steinhoff) reported convoy on a course of 310° in CG 8433 at 2352. Boats of the Group "Robbe" who should have been able to attack the same night were ordered to operate. U 511 was fired at from smoke cover in CG 8433. Contact was lost in the subsequent hydrophone activity. No further reports were received from any of the boats. The operation was broken off.

U 406 (Kptlt. Horst Dieterichs) pursued an isolated vessel on a course of 200°, speed 15 knots in BD 3938. Contact was lost after an eight hour chase.

Convoy No. 13 (HX.227; Group "Neptun"):
Isolated messages: U 405 (KrvKpt. Rolf-Heinrich Hopman) sank a motorship of 9,000 GRT similar to type Perthshire, at 0039 on 1.3 in AK 1385. It subsequently sighted another steamer with destroyers in AK 1383, very low speed, and at 1355 a suspected "Q-boat" on a variable course of 0° - 270°. Further the boat chased 2 large steamers on a course of 250° at 1900 in AK 1442, one of which sank at 2056 suddenly without an explosion. The pursuit of the second ship continues.
U 759 (Kptlt. Rudolf Friedrich) chased large steamer on a course of approx. 60° and speed 11 knots at 1150 from AK 1133 to AD 7859. After a single miss is broke off operations owing to Diesel damage. U 634 (Oblt. Eberhard Dahlhaus) operated on this ship from AK 3171 and sank it in AD 8264 after three hits. According to call sign the "Mary Weather Sayis" of 6,800 GRT.
U 566 (Oblt. Hans Hornkohl) did not establish contact in spite of the previous hydrophone bearings and continued further operations on presumed convoy course of 90°.
At 1321, U 608 (Kptlt. Rolf Struckmeier) encountered a westbound convoy in AK 1328. At the same time, U 376 (Kptlt. Friedrich-Karl Marks) chased a tanker on a westerly course in AK 1191 and sighted in the meantime another steamer group in AK 1319. The boat presumes this to be the southerly part of U 608's convoy. The general course is 250, speed 8 knots. The Command conjectures that these are 2 different convoy sections. "Neptun" boats have received orders to operate on the target at the most favorable range. Both boats have apparently great differences in positions. U 608 pursued its group via AK 1347 to AD 9861 and was beaten off by destroyers at 2230 in AD 9852. The last course was west.
According to a possible new fix, U 376's convoy was in AK 1324 on a southwesterly course at 2100. This is a fast group of 10 steamers who made a strong deviation to the north as far as AK 1172 at night ad then proceeded to the southwest. The boat was beaten off by the apparent extremely strong and constantly attacking escort.
At 0230 contact was finally lost and was not re-established until morning.

On the supposition that the replenishing of supplies from "Milkcow" U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler) was carried out before the evening of 2.3, U 504, 66, 43, 202, 558, 106 and U 521 are incorporated in Group "Tümmler" and disposed in patrol channels from DF 6899 to DS 1125 at 0000 on 3.3. Interception of the convoy made known on 27.2 in a Radio Intelligence report (special). The boat was directed to maintain strict wireless silence, also the Group "Wildfang" and "Burggraf".

U 68 (Oblt. Albert Lauzemis; ex Merten) received the ops. area center and eastern third of grid EC after repairs to its "Metox" apparatus have been carried out.

U D 3 (Krvkpt. Hermann Rigele; ex Dutch submarine O 25) is detailed as training ship for the home front.

Cruiser Köln is taken out of service and will remain so for one year.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) undergoes Final Repairs at Blohm & Voss shipyard Hamburg.

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RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115

Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...

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Tuesday, 2 March 1943 - Danzig

Concluding Repairs and Overhaul at Danziger Werft AG.

B.d.U. HQ moves from Paris to Berlin, Hotel am Steinplatz (until 12/43).

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Our troops destroy the Soviet 3rd Tank Army near Kharkov, Ukraine, which had only just been recaptured by the Soviets two weeks prior.

U 518 (Kptlt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann) sighted a convoy on an easterly course, speed 8 knots in FJ 8719 at 1400 on 28.2. All together 18 empty steamers, 5 escort vessels. The boat attacked and sank a freighter of 7,000 GRT in FJ 9411. In other attacks with 14 electrical torpedoes, under good firing conditions there were 8 failures owing to erratic depth keeping. Set depth 2 and 3 inches, seaway 1, slight swell.
In the course of 2.3. U 518 was continually forced to submerge by non-stop air activity, and broke off the pursuit owing to the hopeless position.
Situation: No traffic was confirmed apart from the reported convoy during a 7 day search in FJ 80. There was a slight surface but strong systematic air patrol. Radar activity off Bahia. Further operations are intended in FJ 30.

Convoy No. 13 (HX.227; Group "Neptun"):
In order to obtain a clear picture of the intentions of the boats, they were requested to send a situation report. Subsequently they received the following orders: U 634 (Oblt. Eberhard Dahlhaus) and U 566 (Oblt. Hans Hornkohl) were to make for AJ 69 at economical cruising speed. Both boats are so far astern that pursuit of the convoy was pointless. U 448 (Oblt. Helmut Dauter), U 359 (Oblt.z.S.d.R. Heinz Förster), and U 659 (Kptlt. Hans Stock) continued to operate on a convoy course of 230° and 250° with a passage speed of 7 to 10 knots. U 608 (Kptlt. Rolf Struckmeier) and U 377 (Kptlt. Otto Köhler) broke off ops owing to fuel shortage, without having established contact, and are proceeding to supply point, U 376 (Kptlt. Friedrich-Karl Marks) to Western France without replenishment. U 405 (KrvKpt. Rolf-Heinrich Hopman) also had no contact. A clear report of the numbers and size of the ships sunk is requested. Search for the convoy continues. No new sightings up to morning. U 709's (Oblt. Karl-Otto Weber) wireless transmitter has broken down and it operates independently from now on (confirmed subsequently from report of 5.3.).

New position for boats supplied by "Milkcow" U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler) for further operations is BC 33. Reinforcing of Group "Burggraf" is proposed.

The following have taken on supplies from "Milkcow" U 462 (Oblt. Bruno Vowe), U 332, 603, U 628 (Fu.M.B.) on 28.2., U 383, 753, 226 and 91 on 1.3. Amount in tanker 384 cubic meters, provisions for 102 days, 4 torpedoes.

U 590 (Kptlt. Heinrich Müller-Edzards) is near U 508 (Kptlt. Georg Staats) and remains there to assist until it has decided whether the boat is able to submerge or not. U 172 (Kptlt. Carl Emmermann) has filled up and is now proceeding to the ordered position = CA 50.

U 525 (Kptlt. Hans-Joachim Drewitz) was bombed by an a/c in BF 5546 and is unable to submerge. It proceeded at a speed of 9 knots on the approach to Lorient. 3 fishing steamers and 2 Junkers 88 were sent to render assistance. The boat put in to Lorient without further incident.

On Aircraft Carrier USS Ranger’s (CV-4) return voyage from North Africa to Norfolk, one of her patrol planes observes two life boats adrift. One of Ranger’s escorts, destroyer USS Hobson, picks up 46 survivors from the British merchant ship St. Margaret, torpedoed by U-66 (Kptlt. Friedrich Markworth; ex Zapp) three days earlier on 27 Feb 1943.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) undergoes Final Repairs at Blohm & Voss shipyard Hamburg.

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RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115