[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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Sunday, 21 February 1943 - Danzig

At Danziger Werft AG, for Repairs and Overhaul.

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The Red Army of the Soviet Union celebrates its 25th Birthday.

Axis troops push American troops back toward Thala, Tunisia and threaten to cross the Tunisian-Algerian border. To date, the Americans have lost 100 tanks, 55 heavy guns, and 80 trucks.

According to a report from the German Consul in Laurenco Marques, a convoy of 20 - 30 ships is to leave Capetown on its way to India on the 23rd February.

New objectives for U 522 (Kptlt. Herbert Schneider) will be DH 96. Operation intended in that area. Latest report from Cape Jubi confirms assumption regarding future traffic; 9 ships were sighted northward bound.

U 106 (Kptlt. Hermann Rasch; ex Oesten) was detected in the attack, in spite of minimum use of periscope, and subsequently pursued for a long time. Since there was no contact she proceeded on her outward passage.

Convoy No. 10 (ON.166):
The weather situation in the area of the convoy was wind W. 3. It moderated further during the course of the day and at 2300 there was dead calm in the area of the convoy. U 332 (Oblt. Eberhard Hüttemann) contacted a tanker in BD 3417 at 1100. U 753 (Korvkpt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein) reported a single vessel in ED 2633 probably the same one. At 1408 U 454 (Kptlt. Burckhard Hackländer) then contacted the convoy again in BD 3457.
At 1610 she was again driven off. At 2050 U 92 (Kptlt. Adolf Oelrich) again detected the convoy and reported on it continuously until the next morning. At 0800 she was driven off in BD 3285. In addition to these two boats U 753 came up to the convoy in BD 2969 at 2000 but has ceased to report since then. U 91 (Kptlt. Heinz Walkerling) contacted the convoy at 2000 on the 21st February but was driven off by a flying boat and heavily depth-charged. She was forced to leave the convoy for repairs.
There have been four reports of aircraft from the boats, apparently only flying boats escorting the convoy.
The convoy proceeded on its south to south-easterly course up to the night of 21st then turned to course 250° towards midnight. Speed 8.3 knots according to data.

The operation on the convoy which was in BD 5285 at 0740 on the 22nd is being continued. U 377 (Kptlt. Otto Köhler) is not to operate against the convoy as it is too far away.

Convoy No. 11 (ON.167):
At 1850 on the 21st, U 664 (Oblt. Adolf Graef) sighted a convoy on a southward bound course in BE 1152. 4 boats in the vicinity, U 758 - 591 - 84 and 432 were sent into operation following this report. After taking on supplies U 409 further to the south, was also to operate against the convoy.
The convoy was reported by U 664 to consist of 10 steamers. Presumably this was the ONS convoy expected according to dead reckoning, which, however was not confirmed in view of the speed of 9 knots estimated. It might equally well be a small part of a convoy.
Contact with the convoy was maintained up to 2135 by U 664 which reported continuously. At 0337 on the 22nd February U 758 (Kptlt. Helmut Manseck) the next boat in line, then contacted the convoy and reported it for the last time at 0510 as being in BD 3654.

The operation on the convoy, which was in BD 3568 at 0945 on a S.W. course, is being continued. It is important for control purposes that contact be maintained with the convoy in order that further boats from the Höltring convoy (No. 10; ON.166) may be sent later to operate against it.

U 409 (Oblt. Hanns-Ferdinand Massmann) supplied U 437 (Oblt. Hermann Lamby) with spare parts.

"Milkcow" U 460 (Kptlt. Ebe Schnoor) refueled U 606 (Oblt. Hans-Heinrich Döhler) and U 303 (Kptlt. Karl-Franz Heine; both will operate on Convoy No. 10 (ON.166); U-Schnoor also, reported an enemy U-boat in BD 42; Rendezvous of supply Group "Schnoor" will be therefore, be moved to BD 4595.

The patrol lines of Group "Rochen" will be broken up. The boats will refuel as from 23 February "Milkcow" U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler) in DG 3155.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) conducts Torpedo Firing Training with the 25th Flotilla Danzig.

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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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Monday, 22 February 1943 - Danzig

At Danziger Werft AG, for Repairs and Overhaul.

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Winston Churchill is said to be "on the mend" after a severe fever.

Air Marshall Sir Arthur Harris is appointed chief of RAF Bomber Command with a new remit: attempting to hit specific military and industrial targets is, in the main, to be abandoned in favour of the most densely built-up areas of German cities. The area bombing directive essentially says that if the RAF cannot destroy the factories it should destroy the homes and the morale of the workforce.

German Armeegruppe Mitte launches an offensive between the Dneiper and Donets Rivers in southern Russia.

Allied troops pre-emptively strike the Axis attacking forces near Thala, Tunisia.

Enemy reports torpedoing of a destroyer in the vicinity of Cape Spartel indicates a new sinking through the mines laid by U 118 (XB; Korvkpt. Werner Czygan), since no German boat was operating in this area at the time.

Convoy No. 10 (ON.166):
The weather situation in the area of the convoy was wind W. 4, sea 3 and variable visibility at midday on the 22nd February. Towards evening wind was S.W. 7.
The contact with the convoy was not broken. At 1025 U 606 (Oblt. Hans-Heinrich Döhler) detected the convoy again in BD 5551. U 603 (Oblt. Hans-Joachim Bertelsmann) also contacted it at 1035 and U 628 (Oblt. Heinrich Hasenschar) at 1601 in BD 5458. In the course of the night U 92, 358, 223 and 186 also came up to the convoy. At 0738 U 628 reported it in BD 4564. According to the reports of the boats it was proceeding at 8 knots and maintaining its mean course of 250 - 260°.
Few reports were received regarding enemy escort. No air cover at all was reported. U 753 (Korvkpt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein) reported having been depth-charged, one Diesel being out of action for 20 hours and main periscope and stern tube being faulty. She received orders to operate against the subsequent Graef convoy after repairs. 5 boats reported being driven off by destroyers. The operation on the convoy is being continued. 5 boats from the supply group will also operate against the convoy, i.e. U 358, 707, 223, 186 and 403.

Convoy No. 11 (ON.167):
Last contact report came from U 664 (Oblt. Adolf Graef): 0945 enemy in BD 3568. No further contact.
Boats operating in this area will form Group "Sturmbock". Operational orders, course 230 - 250°, enemy speed 7 - 9 knots. Indications of convoy route: U 403 (Kptlt. Heinz-Ehlert Clausen) reported at 0128 on 23rd single destroyer BD 6116, 236°, speed slow. U 753 (Korvkpt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein) reported at 0510 destroyer in BD 5238, no hydrophone fix. According to this the convoy is following Convoy No. 11.

Convoy No. 12 (UC.1):
U 522 (Kptlt. Herbert Schneider) reported at 1413 convoy in DH 1165. The following were sent into operation Group "Rochen" including U 66, 521, 43, 218, 504, 558, 87 and 202. In addition U 107, 382, 569 of Group "Robbe". U 522 reported continuous contact until 2016. Mean course of the convoy 235°, speed 10 knots. After losing contact the boats were ordered to search in the sector from 280 - 230°, 2 boats each in a 10° sector, one boat at enemy speed 11 knots, the other 9 knots. U 107 (Kptlt. Harald Gelhaus) broke off operations as she was too far away. U 522 freedom of action. At 0740 U 522 again contacted the convoy in DG 6239. Group "Rochen" was sent in.

Rendezvous of supply Group "Schnoor" ("Milkcow" U 460; Kptlt. Ebe Schnoor) will be revised to BD 4355 in view of the direct westerly course of the convoy. The boats there are ordered to operate against Convoy No. 10 or, if refueling later, against Convoy No. 11. Further refueling is permitted. For this reason U 462 (U-tanker; Oblt. Bruno Vowe) is ordered to proceed to BD 81 at high speed.

Since Group "Rochen" has been ordered to operate against Convoy No. 12, refueling from "Milkcow" U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler) has been temporarily suspended. U 461 will, therefore, arrive at 1600 on the 23rd February in CF 7355 with U 511 (Oblt. Fritz Schneewind) to carry out refueling and to supply a Radar intercept antenna. Subsequently U 461 will proceed at slow speed behind the convoy, U 511 will cover the operational area ordered off Gibraltar.

U 620 (Kptlt. Heinz Stein) and U 442 (FrgKpt. Hans-Joachim Hesse) have not replied in spite of repeated orders to report. U 442 last reported on the 9th February a destroyer in CG 4861 and U 620 on the 12th February two destroyers in CF 9266. Both boats had been ordered to return, but up to now have not arrived in their port of destination. They were probably lost on operations on the south-bound Gibraltar convoy, sighted by U 569 (Oblt.z.S.d.R. Hans Johannsen) on the 12th or 13 February in area CG 40. On the night of the 13th February several U-boats were attacked by aircraft (British Intelligence reports).

Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie, members of the White Rose, are executed in Stadelheim Prison in Munich.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) conducts Torpedo Firing Training with the 25th Flotilla Danzig.

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RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115