[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)

Saturday, 1 May 1943 - Bordeaux

- Taking on of Provisions, Ammunitions, Torpedoes:

- Rohr V: EtoFAT, Pi-2/39H(MZ/AZ) - only as circle runners against escorts.
- Rohr VI: T-4 ("Falke"), Pi-4(MZ) - only stern tube; only against merchants due to its slow speed of 20kn.
- Aft below floor plates: 2 x EtoFAT, Pi-2/39H(MZ/AZ) and 1 x T-4 ("Falke"), Pi-4(MZ)

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Daily F.d.U. Briefing

O.K.W.-Report:
a) The International Medical Commission completed its investigation on the Katyn Massacre, concluding that the Soviet Union was responsible for the atrocity.
b) US troops captured Hill 609 in Tunisia.

O.K.M.-Report:
a) Seaplane tender Richthofen is commissioned into service.

B.d.U.-Report:
a) Convoy No. 33 (ONS.5):
The continuing bad weather also prevented contact being reestablished on 1st May.
At 0428 the I.W.O.(Ltnt.z.S. Gerhard Nolte) of U 648 (Oblt.d.R. Peter Arthur Stahl) gives ALARM, as he believes to have seen an airplane shining a light on the water in the distance. The latter has been confirmed by U 954 (Kptlt. Odo Loewe) per F.T.1800/1/883. At 1200, position of U-Stahl is Qu.AJ 3247, snow flurries. There is still no sound contact of the convoy and the F.T. reception is very poor, sound volume 1. At 1712, U-Stahl sends a short weather report as ordered with F.T.1253/1/878. At 2143, U-Stahl receives F.T. 2011/1/885: If at dusk no contact, break off operation. Remain in the current position. "Stahl" send position and fuel. At 2400, position of U-Stahl is Qu.AJ 3428.
To sum up:
The operations against the convoy with 16 boats in all suffered from first to last from very hazy weather and strong S.W. wind, against which the boats had to struggle during their pursuit of the enemy. Lookout, finding and shadowing of the convoy were much hampered thereby. In all, only 5 boats contacted the convoy. After 29th April contact could not be reestablished.
The only success was scored by U 258 (Kptlt. Wilhelm von Mässenhausen), who probably sank 2 ships and torpedoed a third. Naval defences were not reported as very strong. No reports were received about them. There was some air activity on the first day, but only seaplanes. During the last night a boat reported continuous air patrol, probably based on Greenland. The same boat observed what was probably a new type of location gear. The Commander repeatedly noticed planes approaching at great height and carrying a light like a planet that went on and off. No location was heard at the time.
Two boats had to give up the chase because of enemy counter-measures. They were bombed and depth-charged and badly damaged. No boats were lost while attacking the convoy.
The whole operation was hampered by heavy atmospherics, so that Operational Control had no definite information on the course of the operation from midnight until noon the next day. It can therefore be said that this attack failed only because of the bad weather, not because of the enemy's defences.
As there was little prospect of picking the convoy up again while weather remained hazy, the boats were ordered to break off the operation at dusk on 1st May.
b) "Milkcow" U 487 (Oblt.d.R. Helmut Metz) has given her remaining fuel to "Milkcow" U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler), has taken over Engineer Officer from U 504 (Kptlt. Wilhelm Luis) and is continuing her homeward voyage.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115

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, 2 May 1943 - Bordeaux

- Loading of Cargo for transport to Penang in upper deck containers.

- Final Repairs and Adjustments. Basin Trials.

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Daily F.d.U. Briefing

O.K.W.-Report:
a) Japanese aircraft conducted a raid on Darwin, Australia.

O.K.M.-Report:
a) Order: In future do not report when Iceland-Faroes have been passed. Report by short signal when passing 61° North to the south.
b) U 183 (Kptlt. Heinrich Schäfer) has refueled from U 117 (XB; Korvkpt. Hans-Werner Neumann) and is returning.
c) As the Italian submarine (Leonardo da Vinci) did not keep her rendezvous for refueling, U 117 has turned back.

B.d.U.-Report:
a) Convoy No. 34:
At 0012, U 648 (Oblt.d.R. Peter Arthur Stahl) reports via ßß-Signal: "My position is AJ 3429, 41cbm.". Is not received by HQ, in general very poor signal volumes. At 0430, U-Stahl is passing a big Iceberg to Stbd. At 0600, U-Stahl repeats F.T. from 0012, is again not received by HQ. At 0815, in Qu.AJ 3497, U-Stahl crash-dives for training and remains submerged for torpedo maintenance until 1316.
During the morning of 2nd May weather was reported from the convoy area as wind south 5, visibility 6 miles. Towards evening the wind freshened to south 9, stormy, visibility up to 3 miles. One boat reported fog. The only news of the convoy came from U 628 (Kptlt. Heinrich Hasenschar), who reported at 0956 from AJ 8695 a wide band, probably a convoy, on a true bearing of 300°.
Only at 1720, U-Stahl receives F.T.1035/2/895: To Stahl: "Operate on Hasenschar-Convoy. Switch to Amerika-I circuit immediately.". This important F.T. was not received for the first time by U-Stahl until 1347, which is now operating on course 260° and 2xH.F. If the convoy steers North, U-Stahl should be positioned in front of the convoy at noon tomorrow. At 2000, U-Stahl position is Qu.AJ 3769, Wind South to West 7, Sea 7, visibility 2nm, 1003mb, the boat is shipping much water.
U 358 (Kptlt. Rolf Manke) reported that she had searched on a northerly course without success. U 260 (Kptlt. Hubertus Purkhold), who had sighted a star shell during the night of 1/2 May, searched from 30 to 40°, also without success. According to the report from U 628, the convoy has probably steered a course of 20-25° and speed of 7.7 knots by dead reckoning. This information was radioed to the boats as a clue. Boats were also informed that enemy courses of 10-50° and 6.8 knots might be reckoned on for further hunting of the convoy.
U 92 (Kptlt. Adolf Oelrich) had to move away as her Diesel coupling and thrust bearing were faulty, 2 cylinder heads had cracked. The operation is being continued with 29 boats.

B-Dienst Report:
a) Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier USS Bogue (CVE-9) and her task group arrived at Banghor Bay, Belfast Harbor, where Bogue will have HF/DF radio detection gear installed (Huff-Duff).
b) The RAF Bomber Command reported to the British Air Ministry that it currently has 725 ready crews for operations; the number included 129 crews of Wellington bombers and 250 crews for Lancaster bombers.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115