Tuesday,
18 May 1943 - West of the Canary Islands
- 2nd week at sea completed -
0700 - Qu.9577DG - Diving for torpedo maintenance and trial dive.
0705 - T=50. Beginning torpedo maintenance.
0756 - Tube I serviced.
0813 - Tube II pulled - Watch Change -
0849 - Tube II serviced.
0924 - Sunrise.
0940 - Tube III serviced (tubes I-III are T-3/Pi39H) - Break until 1000 -
1051 - Tube V serviced (EtoFat/Pi39H).
1142 - Tube VI serviced (T-4/Pi39H).
1148 - Reception Depth. CO₂ Warning at 1.7% (after 4h 48min.).
1200 - Qu.9736DG -
Days Run: 160.7nm - ↗ 147.7nm (19h) - ↘ 13.0nm (5h)
Total: 2585.9nm (13tg 22h) - ↗ 2485.4nm (12tg 9h 44') - ↘ 100.5nm (1tg 12h 16')
472cbm (2cbm in 24h); Course 211°; T=20; CO₂ 1.7%; Battery 88.6%; 3xT-3, 2xEtoFat, 1xT-4; 9xBold.
1300 - Beginning of Trial Dive acc.
B.d.U. Standing Order No.507 & 308. 145rpm/3kn.
1345 - Boat is safe and secure at 2A-Meter. Setting for T=20 with 96rpm.
1403 - At Reception Depth (140m in 17min. at 96rpm).
1410 - Surfaced after 2h 10min. and 6.5nm - since Etmal; Total 7h 10min. and 19.5nm.
CO₂ 2.0%; Compressed Air 280 Atü; Battery 82.9%; Weather and Sea unchanged.
1413 - Boat ventilated and Compressed Air Supply filled (3min. for 20 Atü). 2x225RPM/8kn.
2256 - Sundown. NNW7/6 medium swell, clear light haze, medium visibility, >1000mb.
2305 –
Incoming Radio Reports:
From O.K.W.:
a) Japanese Forces launch an offensive along the Yangtze River, about 400km northeast of the Nationalists Capitol of Chungking.
From B.d.U.:
a)
U 648 (Oblt.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) while entering the Bay of Biscay shot down a Whitley at 1424h in BF 4543, after dropping four depth charges, none of which caused any damage. The crew of six were all killed.
b) U 198 (IXD2; Kpt.z.S. Werner Hartmann) was driven off during night attack on convoy, reported yesterday in KP 8541, by aircraft using searchlights. During the night aircraft were continuously located but none approached. During the day active sea and air reconnaissance up to 50 miles from the coast. U 178 (IXD2; KrvKpt. Wilhelm Dommes) was detected by two aircraft carrying lights. She suspected cooperation of air cover with convoy of U 198. (Unlikely, since positions were too far apart). U 195 (IXD1; KrvKpt. Heinz Buchholz) is to operate in the area S. of Madagascar. Passage thence making long legs, sweeps under the coast. The attention of boats in the Capetown area is drawn to the fact that in Lourwence Marques and other harbors ships are delayed owing to U-boat warning and therefore, heavy traffic is to be expected off the harbors at times.
c) U 182 (IXD2; Kptlt. Asmus Nicolai Clausen) has probably been lost - has been at sea for over 5 months. According to an intercepted message, a U-boat was bombed on the 15th May in DH 4365 by a British aircraft which scored two hits. According to dead reckoning, U 182 was in this position. She was asked for her position but did not report again after the attack. She must be considered lost.
d) U 214 (VIID; Oblt. Rupprecht Stock) has put out for minelaying operations off Dakar.
B-Dienst Report:
a) Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier USS Bogue (CVE-9) and her task group departed Iceland and joined the escort of Convoy ON-184.
b) At 0730 hours, a Spitfire aircraft of No. 542 Squadron RAF flew across the Ruhr region and photographed the extent of the damage from the Dambuster Raid.