[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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U 115
- KTB -
First War Patrol
(17th war patrol overall)

Sunday, 30 May 1943 - Northeast of Brazil

0445 - Qu.2785FD - Crossing Equator -

Outgoing F.T.: To B.d.U.:
After standing up and down for 3 days, supply boat still not found. Continued outbound transit. Switching to Circuit Afrika-I. 6 eels. 447 cbm. WNW1/1, clear, very good visibility, >1000mb.

1006 - Incoming Radio Report: From B.d.U.:

The orders given, in view of the new situation, for the protection of boats against surprise aircraft attacks are summarized as follows in B.d.U.-Standing Order No. 13:

The danger of surprise by locating aircraft, particularly by night is great. The following basic principles should be observed by the boats: be as careful as possible while under way and at waiting positions - avoid losses. If the enemy is sighted then go into operation with courage and tenacity in spite of danger from aircraft, remain surfaced and ward off attacks of aircraft when necessary. It is, therefore, ordered that:
1) U-boats approaching and returning from the Biscay area up to 18° W and in the approach area home North Atlantic up to and including square AL, upper third, will proceed submerged as a general rule. They will surface only for charging the battery and ventilating the boat and only by day. Surface run by day is permissible only in very good visibility which excludes the possibility of surprise. Boats should proceed surfaced as a rule on incoming routes. Only submerge when danger of aircraft is acute. Boats will proceed out in the morning and in at evening, so that the incoming route is passed by day. See Standing Order 483, Section D 1.
2) Special instructions will follow regarding passage of several boats together.
3) Procedure in the operational area North Atlantic, i.e. AL, lower and middle third, AK, AD, AJ, BC, BD, north half BE, CG, CF east half, under way and when stopped in position.
a) By night: One main engine slow to half speed and the other Diesel engine ready to start up, boat's ventilator switched off. Reason: to detect aircraft approaching by means of hydrophone.
b) By day: With higher cruising speed than before confirm that the boats is maneuverable and able to dive.
c) If weather conditions are unfavorable, proceed only submerged by day and night.
4) Procedure in coastal area os America, the Caribbean, middle and South Atlantic according to situation and decision of the Commanding Officer.
5) When operating against the enemy no restrictions as to surface run, attack is the most important factor.
6) When proceeding on the surface always keep radar interception apparatus and Flak guns ready for action and manned.
7) B.d.U.-Standing Order No. 483, Section a) Fig. 2 and Section C) invalid at present. Carry out correction in pencil. B.d.U.-Standing Order No. 13, dated April 1943 and admonitory radio message 2303/22/48/165/259/379/416/718/845 is therefore invalid and should be destroyed.
8) In message to O.K.M., O.K.W. is reporting that development of new FuMB-Technology and Accoustic Torpedoes is continuing with highest priority.

1025 - Early Morning Dawn. 1/4-Moon in the East.

1122 - Sunrise. SW1/1, clear, very good visibility, >1000mb.

1149 - All engines stop. Manning flak guns (still outside of Ascension Island air cover zone) - Equator-Crossing Ceremony -

1200 - Qu.5194FD - Days Run: 187.9nm - ↗ 180.6nm (21h 35') - ↘ 7.3nm (2h 25')
Total: 4682.4 (25tg 22h) - ↗ 4473.4nm (22tg 17h 59') - ↘ 209.0nm (3tg 04h 01')
447cbm (1.5cbm in 24h); Battery 97%; Course 169°; 3xT-3, 2xEtoFat, 1xT-4; 9xBold; SSW1/1, clear, very good visibility, >1000mb.

1400 - Continuing outbound transit. 2x225RPM/8kn.

2000 - SE5/4, clear, very good visibility, >1000mb.

2321 - Sundown.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115

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

+++++++

U 115
- KTB -
First War Patrol
(17th war patrol overall)

Monday, 31 May 1943 - South Atlantic

0815 - Qu.8218FD - Reached the Air Cover Zone of Ascension Island.

1040 - Early Morning Dawn. 7/8 Moon in the East.

1133 - Sunrise. Weather and Sea unchanged in 15.5h.

1200 - Qu.8276FD - Days Run: 172.8nm - ↗ (24h)
Total: 4855.2 (26tg 22h) - ↗ 4646.2nm (23tg 17h 59') - ↘ 209.0nm (3tg 04h 01')
445cbm (2cbm in 24h); Battery 97%; Course 169°; 3xT-3, 2xEtoFat, 1xT-4; 9xBold; SSW1/1, clear, very good visibility, >1000mb.

1313 - Qu.8279FD - Crash dive for training. T=10 after 41 Sec. (w/o Diving Officer).

1316 - A-Meter.

1320 - Setting for T=20 at 96rpm.

1329 - Leveled-off at Reception Depth (9min. for 60m). Battery 97%; Compressed Air Supply 280Atü.

1333 - Surfaced after 20min. and 1.2nm. - Weather and Sea unchanged.

1337 - Compressed Air Supply filled. 2x225RPM/8kn.

1533 - Qu.8527FD - Crash dive for training. T=10 after 42 Sec. (w/o Diving Officer).

1535 - A-Meter.

1540 - Setting for T=20 at 96rpm.

1548 - Leveled-off at Reception Depth (8min. for 60m). Battery 94%; Compressed Air Supply 280Atü.

1553 - Surfaced after 20min. and 1.2nm. - SSE6/5, clear, very good visibility, >1000mb.

1556 - Compressed Air Supply filled. 2x225RPM/8kn.

2307 - Incoming Radio Reports:

From O.K.W.:
a) The US 15th Airforce attacked German and Italian airports at Foggia and claim that many airplanes were destroyed on the ground.

From O.K.M.:
a) The Führer expressed extreme dismay at the withdrawal of our submarines from the American coast.
b) In Operation Gearbox II, HMS Cumberland joined HMS Cruiser Bermuda to relieve garrison at Spitzbergen, Norway, escorted by Destroyers HMS Eclipse and HMS Athabaskan (RCN) covered by Aircraft Carrier HMS Furious, Cruiser HMS Scylla, screened by Destroyers HMS Echo and HMS Middleton.

From B.d.U.:
a) U 563 (Oblt. Gustav Borchardt) was bombed by aircraft at 1650 in BF 4466. The boat was able to dive and requested air cover. Later she was attacked again and sent a distress message by radio. Boats in the vicinity were ordered to give assistance. Of these boats, U 621 (Oblt. Max Kruschka) reported going to assist U 563. On the way, U 621 was also bombed and has only limited diving capacity.
It appears from a decoded aircraft message, that U 563 was sunk and the crew swimming in the water. U 621 broke off the search towards morning in view of fuel shortage. Our own aircraft could not be sent in owing to bad weather conditions, however, the first formation of Junkers, consisting of 8 airplanes, will be sent starting at 0700 on 1st June. The aircraft will take rubber boats with them, which can be dropped if necessary.
b) U 467 (Kptlt. Heinz Kummer) has not reported since putting out from Bergen. After receipt of a special intercept message of 29th May regarding an aircraft attack on a U-boat in AE 58 with a Mark 24 FIDO acoustic homing torpedo from a PBY-5A Catalina, the boat was ordered several times to give her position but did not reply. According to dead reckoning, she was in the proximity of the attack position. She must be considered lost.

B-Dienst Report:
a) Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier USS Bogue (CVE-9) and her escorts departed Argentia, Newfoundland on a purely offensive anti-submarine patrol. This is Bogue's first Hunter-Killer sortie without concurrent convoy escort duty.

2322 - Sundown. Weather and Sea unchanged in 7.5h.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115