[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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Saturday, 27 February 1943 - Danzig

At Danziger Werft AG, for Repairs and Overhaul.

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Bletchley Park Scientist, Alfred Dillwyn "Dilly" Knox, passes away from lymphoma.

U 607 (Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen) reported at 1414, 3 destroyers in BD 4533, 2250 speed slow. At 2100 boat lost contact in BD 4525.

U 182 (IXD2; Kptlt. Asmus Nicolai Clausen) reported: for 3 days in KP 53 at night off harbor entrances 5 Portuguese vessels bound to and from the north. Boat operating up to 35 and 38.

U 156 (KrvKpt. Werner Hartenstein) did not encounter any traffic. Moving operational area to ED.

Convoy No. 13 (HX.227; Group "Neptun"):
Information was only received by Control at 1700, owing to radio interference in the Greenland area, through a radio repeat by U 405 (KrvKpt. Rolf-Heinrich Hopman), that U 759 (Kptlt. Rudolf Friedrich) had detected a convoy at 0300, and lost it at 1100 in AJ 2839, 30°, 7 knots. Boats were on the group frequency provided for this contingency, communications within the Group at least being guaranteed by this. In order to clarify the situation, the boats were radioed that Control was assuming that all "Neptun" boats would operate against this convoy. U 529 (Kptlt. Georg-Werner Fraatz) and U 664 (Oblt. Adolf Graef) were detailed to repeat radio messages so that Control might receive information on the course of the operation even, if possible, during combat. At 1740 U 405 reported destroyers in AJ 2650. According to a delayed message from U 759 the convoy consisted of numerous steamers in three wide columns. "Neptun" later received orders that only boats in a favorable position as regards distance were to continue the operation, and were to report on this, giving position. The following will definitely be operating at present: U 759 - 405 - 376 - 608. Probably U 448 - 359 and 135. Owing to unfavorable position, U 638 (Kptlt. Hinrich-Oscar Bernbeck) received orders to break off operations. Last report at 0618 from U 405: 1 steamer, 3 destroyers course 60° in AJ 2057 (?) weather, wind S.E. 5, sea 4, snow showers.

After refueling from "Milkcow" U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler) operations are intended, with Group "Rochen" on the convoy detected by special intercept message.

U 513 (KrvKpt. Rolf Rüggeberg) rendezvous with "Milkcow" U 459 (KrvKpt. Georg von Wilamowitz-Möllendorf) carried out.

U 508 (Kptlt. Georg Staats) will be in BD 9595 with U 172 (Kptlt. Carl Emmermann), as from 1200 on the 28th for rendezvous with U 590 (Kptlt. Heinrich Müller-Edzards). All remaining boats operating under U 508 will be ordered to continue outward passage also U 172 after rendezvous with U 590.

General:
The importance of the Tunisian campaign makes it imperative to do everything possible to interrupt enemy supplies to North Africa. Operations up to now in the Atlantic to this end have only led initially to satisfactory results. Later operations off Gibraltar west of the Iberian Peninsular and further north and south of the Azores have led only to slight successes. Reasons for this have been set out earlier.
On the orders of the Naval High Command attempts are now to be made with large boats to intercept supplies off American harbors i.e. off New York primarily. Prospects of success for this are not particularly favorable in view of the scarcity of the traffic and the vastness of the area not covered by air escort and reconnaissance. In spite of this it also must be attempted.
U 106 (Kptlt. Hermann Rasch; ex Oesten) - U 172 (Kptlt. Carl Emmermann) and U 513 (KrvKpt. Rolf Rüggeberg) will proceed to the area off New York as the first boats on these operations.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) transits the K.W.K. to 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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Sunday, 28 February 1943 - Danzig

At Danziger Werft AG, for Repairs and Overhaul.

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712 RAF aircraft (457 Lancaster, 252 Halifax, and 3 Mosquito) attack Berlin; 20 terror-bombers are shot down.

Admiral Hipper is decommissioned from service and Werner Ehrhardt is named the commanding officer of Cruiser Prinz Eugen.

U 757 (Kptlt. Friedrich Deetz) reported a large freighter at 16 knots at 1930 in BE 1991 probable hit by F.A.T. torpedo.

U 435 (Kptlt. Siegfried Strelow) starboard thrust bearing burnt out, repairs 48 hours. On the 20th February group of patrol vessels with aircraft in BF 4234.

Convoy No. 13 (HX.227; Group "Neptun"):
U 566 (Oblt. Hans Hornkohl) reported several hydrophone fixes: 1230 AD 9771 - 3300, 1530 - AD 9751 - 2600, 1815 in 9721 - 0°. At 0130 fix on a underwater telegraphy. Weather sea 5, misty, wind southeast 5-6. U 405 (KrvKpt. Rolf-Heinrich Hopman) contacted 5 steamers in AJ 3341 90°.
Control considers that reports from U 566 concern the main convoy and that the 5 steamers reported by U 405 are part of a convoy. At midnight U 405 reported part of a convoy dispersed with course 60°, 11 knots. One steamer was hit twice and left burning. At 1045 on the 1st March U 759 (Kptlt. Rudolf Friedrich) reported unescorted steamer in AK 1132, course northeast probably part of the convoy. U 709 (Oblt. Karl-Otto Weber) and U 634 (Oblt. Eberhard Dahlhaus) were also ordered to operate against the convoy. The following are returning: U 135 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Heinz Schütt) owing to damage and fuel, U 376 (Oblt. Friedrich-Karl Marks) owing to serious defects and fuel. At the present there is only contact with single vessels presumably separated.

U 448 - 359 - 638 - 89 - 529 will join Group "WILDFANG" (432 - 758 - 664 - 84 - 409 - 591). The Group is ordered to take up patrol line at 0800 on the 3rd March from AJ 4686 to 9112. If U 448 - 359 - 529 are, however, operating against Convoy No. 13 they should continue the operation.

New objective for U 119 (XB; Kptlt. Alois Zech) is BD 36.

U 358 - 707 - 303 - 604 - 454 have refueled as ordered for return.

Six newly arrived Norwegian agents of the British Special Operations Executive (code named Gunnerside) join the four agents already in place since Oct 1942 (code named Grouse) in sabotaging the Norsk Hydro-Elektrisk Vemork heavy water production plant in Telemark, Norway, thereby depriving our atomic weapons scientists of 500 kilograms of heavy water and near-future heavy water production capability.

Meanwhile, construction begins on the first full-scale plutonium production reactor in the world at Hanford, Washington, United States.

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

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RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115