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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)
Thursday, 22 April 1943 - 12th U.-Flotilla Bordeaux (Korvkpt. Klaus Scholtz; ex U 108) -
Daily F.d.U. Briefing
O.K.W.-Report:
a) South African and British fighters intercepted an Italian air convoy off Tunisia, and claimed to have shot down 12 transport aircraft and 7 escorts. On the ground, the final Allied assault began against the remaining Axis forces in North Africa with armoured thrusts from Sidi Nsir, Medjez, and Pont du Fahs. Only at Enfidaville was there a halt. Resistance remained fierce, however, and was professionally handled by the Axis troops, allowing Luftwaffe units to be evacuated from the shrinking perimeter.
B.d.U.-Report:
a) Convoy No. 28 (HX.234):
Weather conditions in the convoy area are reported as wind N.W. 5, visibility 10 seamiles on 22nd. Contact, which was broken off at 2000, was not reestablished during the day. Only 2 steamers on a course of 60, a destroyer and an aircraft were reported by U 413 (Kptlt. Gustav Poel) in the evening. U 306 (Kptlt. Claus von Trotha) resumed contact with the convoy, lost it again and then reported the convoy in AJ 3361 at 0800. This boat also reported aircraft with the convoy.
At 2350, U 648 (Oblt.d.R. Peter Arthur Stahl) is ordered per F.T. 2345/22/117, if no further contact, occupy until 1400, assigned position in patrol line AJ 2526 to 2959. U-Stahl is running a highest speed to assigend position.
U 134 (Oblt. Hans-Günther Brosin) began the return passage owing to heavy damage to engine, not caused by enemy activity. 18 boats are now operating on the convoy.
B-Dienst Report:
a) British Mosquito reconnaissance aircraft photographed on of our rockets at Peenemünde, but intelligence analysts can not be certain of the object photographed.
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)
Friday,
23 April 1943 (Good Friday) - 12th U.-Flotilla Bordeaux (Korvkpt. Klaus Scholtz; ex U 108) -
Daily F.d.U. Briefing
O.K.W.-Report:
a) Our 17.Armee abandoned the attempt to dislodge the Soviet bridgehead at Novorossisk in southern Russia.
B.d.U.-Report:
a) Convoy No. 28 (HX.234):
Weather conditions in the convoy area were reported as wind W.N.W. 5, visibility 15 sea miles at 1700 on 23rd. A boat reported wind N.W. 2, seaway 1 at 0200.
U 306 (Kptlt. Claus von Trotha) reported the convoy on the 23rd at 0247 per F.T.0212/22/119 in AJ 3377, on northerly course and at 0807 per ßß-Signal in AJ 3361, course 60°, speed 8kn. Contact was reported throughout the day in such an exemplary fashion that 11 more boats were able to approach during the day and night owing to the good messages, e.g., beacon locator signal at 0909 which is heard by
U 648 (Oblt.d.R. Peter Arthur Stahl) in 350°true, being positoned south of the convoy. At 1210,
U-Stahl sights smoke plumes of 3-5 steamers and 2 masts, apparently in keel-line in, in 18°true, AK 1513, the ßß-Signals sent by
U-Stahl and again at 1350 are not heard by command. At 1633,
U-Stahl sends ßß-Signal: Enemy position AK 1533, 105°, which is immediately acknowledged by command. At 1928,
U-Stahl has to crash-dive from a 4-engine land based A/C and has to evade an escort, ejecting a Bold. At 2120,
U-Stahl surfaces but has lost its forward position to the convoy. At 2230, the weather rapidly starts to deteriorate. At 2346 in AK 1379,
U-Stahl is at "Battle Stations", as the Commander wants to attack using the approaching rain and hail squalls from the West as cover. On 24 April, 0010,
U-Stahl dismisses from Battle Stations as the hail squall is over and the boat losses its cover by the clouds lifting again for a surface attack and the distance is too great for a submerged attack. As the convoy cannot be seen,
U-Stahl dives at 0138 for a listening check and obtains a good contact in 330°true, and surfaces again at 0153. U 306 reported the convoy in AK 2443 at 0700 on the morning of the 24th. Various boats again lost contact. In spite of this 7 boats were in the convoy area in the night. Not until 1900 was the convoy escorted by aircraft. The Command found it difficult to form a clear picture of the surface defence as only a few boats reported depth charge attacks. 4 boats were attacked with depth charges, one sustained considerable damage. One boat was attacked by aerial bombs. The mass attack on the convoy did not have the desired results. U 306 sank a steamer of 7,000 GRT at 1500 in an underwater attack. U 954 (Kptlt. Odo Loewe) also scored a hit in a daylight attack on a large steamer at 1600. U 610 Kptlt. Walter Freiherr von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen) scored a "FAT" hit at 0635 on the 24th.
15 boats are now operating on the convoy, as 3 boats are attacking the recently intercepted S.W.-bound convoy.
B-Dienst Report:
a) Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier USS Bogue (CVE-9) and her task group departed Argentia, Newfoundland, bound for mid-Atlantic rendezvous with eastbound Convoy HX-235.
RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115