[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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KTB - U 113

Thursday, 25 December 1941 - North of the Azores -

0800 - Early Morning Dawn.

0918 - Sunrise. Weather unchanged since Etmal.

1200 - Qu.9777BD - Days Run: 179.7sm - ↗ 170.9sm (21h) - ↘ 8.8sm (3h).
207.5cbm (2.6cbm/24h). On course 256°. Battery 9300Ah. 14 internal and 8 external torpedoes. Weather unchanged since last Etmal.

1302 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
Second position and status request for U 567 (Endraß!) and third position and status request for U 79 (Kaufmann), boat is presumed lost.

(U 79, VIIC, Kptlt. Wolfgang Kaufmann, was sunk on 23 December 1941 in the Mediterranean Sea north of Sollum, in position 32.15N, 25.19E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Hasty and HMS Hotspur. 44 survivors, no casualties.)

Cmdr.: Surely, Endraß has merely some problems with his radio equipment, which is not uncommon on board of Uboats ...

1801 - Norddeich Radio sending report about the Japanes Army taking Hongkong and capturing 26 ships for 52,604ts, in the harbor. The island of Jolo in the Sulu Sea of the Philippins is also being occupied by the Japanes.

1819 - Sundown. Weather unchanged since Etmal, 24 Dec.

Boat operating acc. to Op.-Orders "Paukenschlag".

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.

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

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KTB - U 113

Friday, 26 December 1941 - NNW of the Azores -

0250 - Qu.2155CE - On new course 261°.

0805 - Early Morning Dawn.

0927 - Sunrise. Weather unchanged since Etmal, 24 Dec.

1200 - Qu.1382CE - Days Run: 194.6sm - (↗ 24h).
204.8cbm (2.7cbm/24h). On course 261°. Battery 9300Ah. 14 internal and 8 external torpedoes. Weather unchanged in 48h.

1202 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
Third position and status request for U 567 (Endraß!), boat is presumed lost.

(U 567, VIIC, Kptlt. Engelbert Endraß, was sunk while operating on convoy HG.76, on 21 December 1941 in the North Atlantic north-east of the Azores, in position 44.02N, 20.10W, by depth charges from the British sloop HMS Deptford. 47 dead, all hands lost.)

1402 - Norddeich Radio sending an O.K.W. report about Kptlt. Gerhard Bigalk and Kptlt. Klaus Scholtz being awarded with the Knights Cross, and Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer being awarded with the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords.

(At this time, Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer is already a P.O.W. in Canada, in Camp 30 - often referred to as Camp Bowmanville - during which time he manages to remain in contact with B.d.U. He will return to Germany in December 1947.)

1834 - Sundown. Weather unchanged since Etmal, 24 Dec.

Boat operating acc. to Op.-Orders "Paukenschlag".

Cmdr.: The operation against convoy HG.76 is broken off by B.d.U. We have lost 4 boats on their first war patrol - plus U 567 (Endraß) - against this convoy, for only 4 ships sunk. The "Happy Days" from last year, certainly seem to be over. That the O.K.W. is announcing the award with high decorations of commanders in allied captivity, seems to be evidence of this.

- to be continued -