[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, 15 May 1943 - Northwest of Madeira

0015 - T=50. Commencing torpedo reloading.

0127 - Torpedoes reloaded with previous loadout.

0132 - Course 121°. Sound contact with stationary steamer bearing 275°, E=15300. Suspect the vessel hit by the T-4 "Falke".

0138 - At Reception Depth.

0145 - Surfaced after 3h 45min. and 11.0nm. Weather and Sea unchanged.

0147 - Boat ventilated and Compressed Air Supply filled; Battery 80%.

0150 - Running after convoy on course 31° and 1/3-Ahead.

0229 - On course 0°. FuMB Detection in 23°true, E=16000.
At the same time, Granville steamer 2197ts sighted, bearing 32°, E=5300, stationary. Must be the steamer torpedoed with the T-4 "Falke". Has upper deck cargo in crates and a deck gun on the ships stern. Is also armed with a gun on the bow and at least 4 Flak guns.

0235 - At E=4800 diving for submerged attack.

0252 - T=18, H.F., course 15°.

0307 - Turning in toward steamer, approaching from the port side, course 105°.

0317 - S-Tiefe. "Battle Stations!". Flooding tube III.

0318 - Qu.8749CF - Submerged "Coup de grâce" with tube III: AtoFat/PiG7H (AZ); Running depth 4m; Vt40; FAT-Settings: Straight Run 2000m - Giro Angle green90° - Giro Run 1600m; Own course 105°; Own speed 2kn ahead; Target ship: Granville Bulk Carrier 2278ts, draught 6.0m.
Target heading 15°; Target distance 1000m; Target angle red90°; Target speed 0kn; Firing angle α 001°.
Weather/Sea: S7/6, medium heavy swell, clear, visibility 6.5nm, >1000mb.
Shooter: KvtKpt. & Cmdr. RST.

=> Torpedo hits after 50 Sec.(1029m), but fails to detonate.

0321 - Retreating backwards and diving for torpedo reloading. "Dismissed from Battle Stations!".

0343 - T=30. Tube III reloaded with AtoFat (PiG7H/AZ).

0357 - S-Tiefe. "Battle Stations!". Flooding tube III.

0358 - Qu.8749CF - Submerged "Coup de grâce" with tube III: AtoFat/PiG7H (AZ); Running depth 4m; Vt40; FAT-Settings: Straight Run 2000m - Giro Angle red90° - Giro Run 1600m; Own course 105°; Own speed 2kn ahead; Target ship: Granville Bulk Carrier 2278ts, draught 6.0m.
Target heading 15°; Target distance 1000m; Target angle red90°; Target speed 0kn; Firing angle α 002°.
Weather/Sea: S7/6, medium heavy swell, clear, visibility 6.5nm, >1000mb.
Shooter: KvtKpt. & Cmdr. RST.

=> Torpedo hits after 37 Sec.(761.4m), but fails to detonate. Flooding tube IV.

0359 - Qu.8749CF - Submerged "Coup de grâce" with tube IV: AtoFat/PiG7H (AZ); Running depth 4m; Vt40; FAT-Settings: Straight Run 2000m - Giro Angle red90° - Giro Run 1600m; Own course 105°; Own speed 2kn ahead; Target ship: Granville Bulk Carrier 2278ts, draught 6.0m.
Target heading 15°; Target distance 1000m; Target angle red90°; Target speed 0kn; Firing angle α 002°.
Weather/Sea: S7/6, medium heavy swell, clear, visibility 6.5nm, >1000mb.
Shooter: KvtKpt. & Cmdr. RST.

=> Torpedo is a hit amidship after 32 Sec.(658.5m)!

A big hole can be seen where the torpedo hit but at first, no apparent signs of the ship sinking can be seen.

0407 - By now, the ship has a distict list to port and some of the crew can be seen trying to launch some boats in the heavy sea.

0408 - "Dismissed from Battle Stations!".

0409 - The steamer sinks with loud and big explosions.

0411 - Surfaced after 1h 36min. and 3.8nm.

Running to the sinking position. Nothing found except an empty life boat and some debris. The life boat has the name BARON RUTHVEN written on it. Running off on course 209°, 1/3-Ahead.

Note: All Fat-Attacks acc. B.d.U.-Standing Order No. 306 and all Pi-2/MZ-Attacks acc. B.d.U.-Standing Order No. 309.

0600 - Outgoing F.T.: To B.d.U.:
From 14.5., 2300 to 15.5., 0400, sunk from convoy 1030/14/5 in submerged attack, 3 steamers for 10,000ts., Qu.8748CF to 8749CF. Double salvo T-3, single shot T-3 and T-4 hits. One EtoFat a miss on a Black Swan Sloop. 3 AtoFat duds, 1 AtoFat a hit on Coup de grâce on a Granville Bulk Carrier that was torpedoed with the T-4. Last position of convoy 1030/14/5 on 14.5., 2330, Qu.8749CF top left, course 31°, speed 10kn, 20 steamers and 9 escorts in two groups due to storm. A single Sunderland over the convoy. Still have 3 T-3, 2 EtoFat and 1 T-4. 482cbm. S7/6, medium heavy swell, clear, visibility 6.5nm, >1000mb. Continue outbound transit acc. Op.-Orders. - RST -

0850 - Charging batteries (74%): Stbd.-Charging, 496RPM; Port-Propulsion, 285RPM/7kn.

1105 - Batteries charged => 2h 15min. for 26%. 225RPM/8kn.

1200 - Qu.1255DH - Days Run: 202.4nm - ↗ 185.6nm (18h 04') - ↘ 16.8nm (5h 56')
Total: 2050.0nm (10tg 22h) - ↗ 1964.7nm (9tg 15h 29') - ↘ 85.3nm (1tg 6h 31')
480cbm (7cbm in 24h); Course 211°; 3xT-3, 2xEtoFat, 1xT-4; 9xBold; Weather and Sea unchanged in 2 days and 14h.
Note: Possible salvo shots with 3 torpedoes are: I-II-III and II-III-IV.

- to be continued -

- continued from 15 May, 1200 -

1213 - FuMB Detection (also, Magic Eye).

1214 - Qu.1255DH - Sunderland in 20°true, crossing our stern on course WNW, E=9500. Boat remains surfaced.

1243 - FuMB Detection in 15°true, E=14000 (no Magic Eye). Boat remains surfaced.

1317 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:

B.d.U. Ref. 2555 A4.

To all Submarine Commanders:

In his efforts to rob the submarines of her most valuable characteristic (invisibility) the enemy is several lengths ahead of us by virtue of his radar location.
I am fully aware of the difficult position that this puts you in when fighting enemy escorts and anti-submarine forces.
You may rest assured that I have done, and shall continue to do everything within my powers as Commander-in-Chief to change this situation as rapidly as possible.
Work is being carried on both within the Navy and outside it to develop and improve your weapons and gear.
I expect you to continue your determined struggle with the enemy and by pitting your ingenuity, ability and toughness against his tricks and technical developments, finally to finish him off.
Commanders in the Mediterranean and Atlantic have proved that even today the enemy has weak spots everywhere and that in many cases the enemy resources are not nearly so efficient as they would appear at first sight, if the boat's Commander is determined to score a success in spite of everything.
I believe that I shall shortly be able to give you better weapons for this hard struggle of yours.

(Signed): DÖNITZ

1403 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
RST: According to enemy radio intercept, attacked convoy is SL.129. Departed Freetown on 11 May. Rendezvous planned with MKS.13 on 24 May. 47 merchants and 9 escorts. Ships reported sunk are: SANSU, Br., 5,446ts, W. A. Prod; 9 passengers; FORTOL, Br., 2,629ts; BARON RUTHVEN, Br., 3,178ts, Iron Ore. One of the escorts is Black Swan Sloop, HMS Whimbrel (U 29).Congratulations! Continue acc. Op.-Orders. - B.d.U. -

Cmdr.: So, the name of of the ship on the life boat of the last ship sunk was correct.

1802 - Qu.1515DH bottom right - "ALARM!" for Sunderland in 85°true, E=9000, on course West (No FuMB/Magic Eye detection).

1805 - At A-Meter no bombs.

1825 - T=50. Commencing torpedo loading.

1832 - Tube III reloaded with T-3/Pi39H.

1840 - At Reception Depth.

1844 - Incoming Radio Reports:

O.K.W.-Report:
a) Japanese troops surrounded Chinese troops near Baiyang, Hunan Province, China, inflicting heavy casualties.
b) Luftwaffe I./KG 55, flying He 111 bombers, departed from Sarabuz Russkiy Airfield in Krym, Russia for Stalino (now Donetsk), Ukraine. The transfer was in response to the Soviet counter-offensive toward Kharkov, Ukraine.

O.K.M.-Report:
a) British Admiral Andrew Cunningham announced that "the passage through the Mediterranean was clear", and convoys from Gibraltar to Alexandria, Egypt resumed.
b) During convoy action from 9-13 May against convoys HX.237 and SC.129, in favorable attack conditions, very strong and accurate defense and radar activity. Only 5 ships sunk and 3 own losses.

B.d.U-Report:
a) U 266 (Kptlt. Ralf von Jessen) and U 753 (FrgKpt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein), have been lost with all hands.
b) U 108 (Kptlt. Ralf-Reimar Wolfram; ex KrvtKpt. Klaus Scholtz) has been withdrawn from active service and will be used as a school boat.

B-Dienst Report:
a) In the estimated (German) submarine situation issued by the enemy on 13.5., 15 boats were reported as probably patrolling within 150 miles round 57° North and 40° West. At the time the Groups "Isar", "Inn" and "Lech" totaling 13 boats were lying in the area named. As only one radio message was sent from this area on 11.5, it appears that only location can have been used as a basis for this report.
At the same time about 10 boats were supposed to be in the area between 50-55° North and 27-30° West. However, at the time, only 2 tankers and one submarine were there. During the previous days several radio messages were sent.
b) Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier USS Bogue (CVE-9) returned to Belfast, Northern Ireland from the Firth of Clyde, Scotland for 16 hours before departing again bound for Iceland.

1847 - Surfaced after 45min. and 2.2nm.

1848 - Boat ventilated.

1853 - Compressed Air Supply filled. 2x225RPM/8kn.

2231 - Sundown. Weather and Sea unchanged in 3 days.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115