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Old 06-08-23, 05:39 AM   #454
Kapitän
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Default U 115 - First War Patrol (2nd leg) - Steamer sunk

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kapitän View Post
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)

Monday, 7 June 1943 - East of Brazil -

0708 - Qu.5573FS - Supply Ship in sight. Diving for Trial Dive.

0715 - A-Meter. Beginning of Trial Dive acc. B.d.U. Standing Order No.507 and No.308. 145rpm/3kn.

0751 - Boat is safe and secure at 2A-Meter.

0752 - Setting for T=20 with 96rpm.

0809 - Reception Depth. (17min. for 140m). Battery 67.2%; CO₂ 1.2%.

0818 - Surfaced after 1h 10' and 3.9nm. - Weather and Sea unchanged.

0819 - Boat ventilated. 2xSmall-Ahead.

1140 - Early Morning Dawn.

1200 - Qu.5548FS - Days Run: 110.9nm - ↗ 95.1nm (16h 50') -
↘ 15.8nm (7h 10')
Total: 5872.3 (33tg 22h) - ↗ 5620.3nm (30tg 1h 34') - ↘ 252.0nm (3tg 20h 26')
434cbm (1cbm in 24h); Battery 67.2%; At Supply Ship; 3xT-3, 2xEtoFat, 1xT-4; 9xBold; SSE6/5, clear, visibility 5.7nm, >1000mb (Weather and Sea unchanged in 6days, 20h)

1234 - Sunrise.

1335 - Supply Ship in sight, bearing 17°, E=14000.

1500 until 1750 - Second attempt supplying at the Leeward side of Supply Ship.

S u p p l y :

1.) Meeting was good (including Recognition Signal exchange).
2.) Fuel oil transfer according to plan and smoothly (76 cbm in 2.5 hours; 510 cbm/100%) Batteries charged (2h 48' for 32.8%).
3.) Provisions transfer considerably complicated and delayed because in addition to inflatable boat as cargo boat only 1 small boat from the supplier as towing boat (Launch of the motorboat and torpedo loading not tried because of the poor sea state).
4.) Signal personnel at tanker at a strength of 1:1 was sufficient but is not enough for group supply.
5.) Beyond fuel and provisions the supplier was not fitted out for supply (hardly any spare parts etc.).
6.) The kindness of the supply ship Captain to the last crew member was exemplary.
7.) Supply was great for morale of own boat and for the raider crew.
8.) Sea conditions throughout were consistently poor with high winds and swell.

Messages transferred by Supply Ship:

From B.d.U.:
a) Because of the successes reported by U 198 (IXD2; Kpt.z.S. Werner Hartmann) the following boats in the same sea area have been given freedom of action: U 181 (IXD2; KrvKpt. Wolfgang Lüth) to the E to square KQ inclusive, U 196 (IXD2; KrvKpt. Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat) to the N including U 198's attack area and U 178 (IXD2; KrvKpt. Wilhelm Dommes) in addition the same attack area as U 196. U 177 (IXD2; KrvKpt. Robert Gysae) is proceeding E and is to haul out far to the S, so that she can use Bachstelze.
b) U 450 (Oblt. Kurt Böhme) was in AK 3218 course 225, at 2000. Boat was bombed by day and the C.O. reports that she cannot be controlled much longer. So far no other boat has reported that she is proceeding to U 450's assistance, U 341, which is about 550 miles away has been detailed to do so at maximum speed. U 592 (Kptlt. Carl Borm) has also been ordered there to give medical assistance. She can reach the position at earliest in 5 days time. Towards 0500 U 669 (Oblt.d.R. Kurt Köhl) reported her position in AL 3214. She must therefore be near U 450. U 450 has again been instructed that if it is necessary to abandon ship, the crew is to stay together at all costs and if possible starshell are to be fired every hour.
c) U 202 (Kptlt. Günter Poser) last reported on 1.6. from AJ 6335. Since 2.6. she has several times been ordered to report her position and the weather, but has not replied. She must therefore be presumed lost. There are no attack or sighting reports for this area and the cause of her loss is unexplained. It is not impossible that American S/m's which were operating at this time were responsible, although our own boats had been warned of their presence.

B-Dienst Report:
a) British S.S. "Alva" (1,584 GRT) ran into the minefield laid off Halifax by U 119 (XB; Kptlt. Horst-Tessen von Kameke) and sank.
b) British Cruiser HMS Cumberland sailed from Iceland to Spitzbergen, Norway.

1800 - Casting off Supply Ship and operating on Ship Contact Report 1500/7/6, at 1500 in Qu.5743FS, course ENO, slow speed.

2239 - Qu.5575FS - Ship sighted bearing 347°, E=11000. It is ship contact report 1500/7/6. Sighted as caculated by dead reckoning. On course 58°, speed 6-7kn.

Going on parallel course ahead of the stbd.-side of the steamer. Is an English Clan Type Transport of 2359ts, draught 6.9m. Has upper deck cargo in crates and a deck gun on the stern.

2250 - Outgoing F.T.: To B.d.U.:
Message for Widder: Ship contact report 1500/7/6 sighted in Qu.5574FS center. Course 58°, speed 6-7kn. Will keep contact. Free to engage when coming into sight. - RST -

2350 - Sundown. Weather and Sea unchanged in 7 days and 8h.

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)

Tuesday, 8 June 1943 - South-Atlantic -

- 5th week at sea completed -

0134 - Supply Ship comes into sight bearing 35°.

0230 - Widder still doesn't attack the steamer. Distance is now 7800m, visibility is 8900m.

0251 - Turning boat toward the stbd. beam of the steamer.

0253 - Qu.5555FS - Diving for submerged attack acc. B.d.U.-Standing Order No. 309, 310 & 311 (Pi39H) => Order No. 302 for T-1 and T-2.

0300 - "Battle Stations!".

0303 - Flooding tube III.

0320 - Qu.5555FS - Submerged Single Shot with tube III (B-Periscope): T-3/Pi39H (MZ); Running depth 5m; Vt30.
Target ship: Clan Type Transport 2359ts, draught 6.9m.
Target course 58°; Target distance 600m; Target angle green90°; Target speed 8.9kn; Firing angle α 352°.
Own course 329°; Own speed 1.6kn ahead.
Weather/Sea: SSE6/5, medium swell, clear, visibility 5.7nm, >1000mb.
Shooter: KvtKpt. & Cmdr. RST.

=> Torpedo is a hit in the forecastle after 44 Sec.!

With speed settting 8.5 kn (actual speed of 7.5kn + 1), the hit would have been midships.

A big hole can be seen in the waterline of the forecastle. The steamer continues on with a distinct list to stbd, zig-zagging on a northerly heading. Two spotlights are searching the water.

0350 - The steamer seems to be lying stationary, but at 0400 continues on, on course ENE, speed 3-4 knots. The steamers dips into the sea washing over the forecastle, but always pops back up like a cork. The spotlights are now dimmed.

0405 - "Dismissed from Battle Stations!".

0424 - Qu.5555FS top right - Over 1h after being torpedoed, the steamer finally sinks.

0433 - Surfaced after 1h 40min. and 4.4nm. - Weather and Sea unchanged.

0434 - Boat ventilated. Battery 97%. Running toward the sinking position.

Besides some debries and an oil patch, found one dead body. Pulled the body aboard and searched for identification. Afterwards, submitted the body to the sea.

0505 - Running back to Supply Ship.

0610 - Giving Recognition Signal and report about the sinking and giving personel details of dead person found, for sending to the Red Cross.

0615 - Leaving Supply Ship on course ESE and continued with outbound transit.

1200 - Qu.5912FS - Days Run: 139.3nm - ↗ 134.9nm (22h 20') -
↘ 4.4nm (1h 40')
Total: 6011.6 (34tg 22h) - ↗ 5755.2nm (30tg 23h 54') - ↘ 256.4nm (3tg 22h 06')
508cbm (2cbm in 24h); Battery 97%; 2xT-3, 2xEtoFat, 1xT-4; 9xBold; SSE6/5, clear, visibility 5.7nm, >1000mb (Weather and Sea unchanged in 7days, 20h) - Early Morning Dawn -

1300 - Sunrise. Weather and Sea unchanged in 7 days and 21h.

2045 - Qu.6748FS -

2356 - Sundown. Weather and Sea unchanged in 8 days and 8h.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115
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