[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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Tuesday, 9 September 1941 - Bay of Biscay -

0030 - Reached enemy air cover zone.

Cmdr.: As of now, the entire crew has to be on the qui vive!

0033 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
New attack areas are ordered for the boats belonging to Group "Seewolf". They lie west of Iceland between 51° and 55° N, and between 15° and 20° W. The change has been made to enable co-operation with air reconnaissance from this area.

0215 - Boat is operating on ship contact report 0200/9, positioned in Qu.4532BF, on course SW, slow speed. New course 185°, 2xH.F.

0320 - Morning Dawn.
On new course 198°. "Surface Vessel!".
Steamer bearing 321°, E=5000, on course 230°, speed 5kn.
Cargo ship of 2750ts, draught 5.0m. It is ship contact report 0200/9.

Overtaking cargo ship along its stbd. beam.

0400 - On course 140°, slow ahead. Diving for submerged attack.

0403 - S-Tiefe. "Battle Stations!". Flooding tube I.
Due to the lighting conditions, the attack is being run with the B-Sehrohr. It cannot be ascertain, which nationality the steamer has.

0410 - 0415 - The steamer is being attacked by four pairs of Blohm & Voss Bv138 - apparently from the 1./K.Fl.Group 406 in Brest - approaching from 90°true. The bombs from the airplanes knock off the aft mast and leave the steamer continuing on with a fire in the aft section. The steamer is trying to fend off the attacking airplanes with her deck gun and actually manages to set one of them ablaze. The airplanes fly off on an easterly heading.

0422 - Qu.4537BF - Shot with tube I: G7e/G7H (K-b/AZ); Running depth 3.0m; Vt30. Own course 140°; Own speed 2kn.
Target ship: General Cargo Ship of 2750ts, draught 5.0m.
Target course 230°; Target distance 1315m; Target angle green90°; Target speed 5kn; Firing angle α 351°.

Torpedo is a failure - understeers!

0422 - Shot with tube II: G7e/G7H (K-b/AZ); Running depth 3.0m; Vt30. Own course 140°; Own speed 2kn.
Target ship: General Cargo Ship of 2750ts, draught 5.0m.
Target course 230°; Target distance 976m; Target angle green90°; Target speed 5kn; Firing angle α 004°.

The torpedo is a hit midships, after 60sec.!

The steamer explodes and sinks with further internal explosions over the stern, within 30sec.

0430 - Surfaced after 30min. and 1sm.

Running to the sinking position. Nothing found but picked up life belt from the water. Apparently ship is from the "Lykes Lines" (Lykes Brothers Steamship Company).

0439 - Running off on easterly course and high speed. "Dismissed from Battle Stations!".

0457 - Sunrise. Weather unchanged since 8 Sep., 1540h.

0522 - 9sm from sinking position. 1/3-Ahead.

0853 - Qu.4618BF - Diving from Spanish Colonial Steamer bearing 338°. Sighted at E=9000, diving at E=8000. Boat remains submerged for torpedo loading and maintenance, and for trial dive.

0920 - T=50. 65rpm, 1.6kn. Starting torpedo works.

0937 - Tubes I & II reloaded with G7a, K-a.

1110 - O₂=20%. Tubes III & IV (G7e, K-b) serviced.

1130 - Both stern tubes reloaded with G7a, K-a.

1200 - Qu.4618BF - Days Run: 197.4sm - ↗ 191.3 (20h 23') - ↘ 6.1sm (3h 37').
27.3cbm (7.0cbm/24h). 9500Ah. T=50. O₂=20%.
10 internal torpedoes. 10.5cm: 55xSpG+24xLkG. M.G.-C/30-2cm: 7820.

1300 - Beginning trial dive. 135rpm, 3kn.

1320 - Boat is safe and secure on 2A-Meter. Reacts well at 135rpm.

1345 - Surfaced after 5h and 8.5sm.
Weather unchanged since 22h. O₂=20%. Battery=9400Ah.

1351 - Boat ventilated.

1430 - Incoming F.T.: From U 85:
"Gustav Gelb!". Convoy in AD 9259. On a northerly course, proceeding at 7 knots. - Greger -

Group "Markgraf" (14 boats) is instructed by B.d.U., to operate on this convoy.

1730 - Incoming F.T.: From U 85:
Convoy now in AD 9262. - Greger -

1943 - Sundown. Weather unchanged in 28h.

2235 - New course 78°.

2357 - Incoming F.T.: From U 85:
Convoy now in AD 6881. - Greger -

Boat operating acc. Op.-Orders as per B.d.U.-F.T.1947/8.

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.

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

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Wednesday, 10 September 1941 - Bay of Biscay -

0102 - Incoming F.T.: From U 207:
Group "Markgraf": Torpedo failure against Troop Transport. Pursue not possible due to high speed. - Meyer -

0200 - Outgoing F.T.: To B.d.U.:
On 9 Sept., at 0425h, sunk Cargo Ship of 2872ts, in Qu.4537BF. Still have 10 internal eels and 25.5cbm. Will be Point Luci2 on 11 Sept., 0430h. SW5/4, partly cloudy, light haze, visibility 5sm, >1000mb. - RST -

0214 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
RST: Escort will be Point Luci2 on 11 Sept., 0500h.

0222 - Point Lore. New course 90°.

0447 - Sunrise. Weather unchanged in 35h.

0501 - Incoming F.T.: From U 81:
Group "Markgraf": On 9 Sept., at 0655h, sunk SS Empire Springbuck 5591ts from Convoy "Greger", in Qu.6886AD. Was straggler from convoy SC.42, is running along the Greenland east coast on a northerly course. Current position of convoy is AD 6835. - Guggenberger -

0920 - Qu.5196BF - ALARM! Diving from one twin engine airplane approaching from 345°true on course SSW. Sighted at E=7000, diving at E=6000. Bridge watch says that airplanes turned toward boat just as they closed the conning tower hatch. At T=40, 4 bombs, light vibrations, no damages.

0925 - A-Meter, 135rpm, 3kn. Boat remains submerged.

1058 - Reception Depth.

1100 - Surfaced after 1h 40' and 5sm. Battery 8900Ah.
SSW6/5, partly cloudy, light haze, visibility 4sm, >1000mb.

1200 - Qu.5278BF - Days Run: 193.9sm - ↗ 185.4 (20h 35') - ↘ 8.5sm (3h 25').
24.6cbm (2.7cbm/24h). 8900Ah. 10 internal torpedoes (2xEto, 8xAto). 10.5cm: 55xSpG+24xLkG. M.G.-C/30-2cm: 7820.

1201 - First status request for U 501 (Förster).

1312 - Qu.5279BF - ALARM! Diving from two pair of twin engine airplanes approaching from 005°true on course south. Sighted at E=6000, diving at E=5000. At T=25, four and at T=30, another four well placed bombs, strong vibrations, no damages.

Cmdr.: This shows that,
1. the Bay of Biscay has the expected strong enemy air cover,
2. the decision to travel surfaced by day was the right one and
3. that the boat should dive at minimum at E=6000 to approaching aircraft, in order to reach a relatively safe depth from bombs (~40m).

1320 - A-Meter, 135rpm, 3kn. Boat remains submerged.

1347 - Surfaced after 35' and 2sm. Battery 8800Ah.
ESE7/6, partly cloudy, light haze, visibility 4sm, >1000mb.

1356 - Reducing speed due to the swell continually washing over the bridge.

1401 - Second status request for U 501 (Förster).

1422 - Incoming F.T.: From U 81:
Group "Markgraf": Convoy "Greger"/SC.42:
In second attack run, sunk Sally Maersk, 3252ts. - Guggenberger -

1436 - Incoming F.T.: From U 82:
Group "Markgraf": Convoy "Greger"/SC.42:
Sunk Catapult Ship Empire Hudson, 7465ts. Miss on Skeena. - Rollmann -

1453 - Incoming F.T.: From U 432:
Group "Markgraf": Convoy "Greger"/SC.42:
Sunk 2 ships with 4318ts. - Schultze -

1502 - Incoming F.T.: From U 111:
Southern Boats: Sunk 1 ship of 5719ts northeast of Brazil. - Kleinschmidt -

1604 - F.T.1600/10: From B.d.U.:
B-Dienst reporting a neutral convoy southwest of Pen March, on course ESE, speed 5kn.

1801 - Norddeich Radio sending report about first advances of the XIX. Mountain Troop Corps against strong Soviet resistance at Liza, Karelia. Also, the German Blockade Runner "Annelise Essberger" arrived in Bordeaux from Dairen, China.

1934 - Sundown. ENE7/6, partly cloudy, light haze, visibility 4sm, >1000mb.

1955 - Outgoing F.T.: To B.d.U.:
Was bombed twice by aircraft on Path Herz - no damages. Diving for submerged cruise. Will be at Point Luci2 on Sept.11, 1200h. - RST -

2000 - Diving for submerged cruise at T=50, 105rpm, 2kn, silent running.

2231 - O₂=20%.

Boat operating acc. Op.-Orders as per B.d.U.-F.T.0214/10.

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.