[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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- continued from 23 October 1941, 1200h -

1214 - Outgoing F.T.: To B.d.U.:
Convoy 0650/23 now at intersection point of Qu.17/18/19/01AM, on course 98°, speed 7kn. Still no attack possible due to no internal eels. Convoy consists of 5-6 columns. Keeping contact. SSW5/4, overcast, hazy, visibility 3sm, ~1000mb. - RST -

1240 - The stbd fwd escort (V&W destroyer) goes on a search pattern. Showing the destroyer our stern, going on course south.

1249 - A L-Class destroyer comes into sight, must be the stbd. rear escort, also, has no radar.

Cmdr.: "We showed the V&W Destroyer our stern at the right time."

1255 - The rear escort runs back to the convoy.

1300 - Received new attack order from B.d.U. Convoy very likely is SC.49 (left Sydney on 11 Oct., arrived in Liverpool on 27 Oct.)

1303 - Contact report from U 564 (Suhren) on convoy HG.75.

1306 - Contact report from U 206 (Opitz) on convoy HG.75.

1326 - The stbd. rear escort comes into sight bearing 27°, E=5000, on search pattern. Evading on surface.

1330 - Contact report from U 71 (Flachsenberg) on convoy HG.75.

1343 - Flower Corvette ahead, also, no radar, on search pattern. Must be the rear escort. Evaded on surface.

1403 - Contact report from U 564 (Suhren) on convoy HG.75.

1413 - The stbd. rear L-Class destroyer comes into sight, bearing 298°, E=2800, turns to course east and runs off at high speed. Must have been on a search pattern.

Cmdr.: "This would mean, that the convoy is now on course south."

1450 - The stbd. rear L-Class destroyer comes into sight again, E=3000, turns to course east again and runs off at high speed. Must have been on another search pattern.

1500 - Diving for sound check and trial dive.

At reception depth, sound contact with the convoy in Qu.0112AM top right, on course east. At 1504h and 1507h, received contact reports from U-Suhren and U-Opitz from convoy HG.75.

- to be continued -

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

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- continued from 23 October 1941, 1500h -

1510 - Commencing trial dive acc. B.d.U. Standing Order 507, 135rpm/3kn.

1535 - Boat is safe and secure at 2A-Meter. Setting reception depth.

1552 - At reception depth. The convoy can now be heard in Qu.0113AM middle left.

Cmdr.: "This means, that my previous assumption that the convoy was heading south, was incorrect."

1600 - Surfaced after 1h and 2.7sm. Weather unchanged.

1609 - Outgoing F.T.: To B.d.U.:
According sound contact, convoy 0650/23 at 1600h in Qu.0113AM middle left, on course east, slow speed. Has 6 escorts, 2 destroyers on each side and in front, 1 corvette in back, no radar. Have 8 external Ato and 151cbm. Torpedo loading not possible due to weather. Heading west. SSW5/4, overcast, visibility 3sm, ~1000mb. - RST -

1632 - Contact report from U-Flachsenberg from convoy HG.75.

1649 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
RST: Message received. Until further notice, further radio transmission via short wave frequency.

1753 - Sundown. Weather unchanged.

1950 - New course 297°. Boat is operating on convoy HX.155.

2114 - Contact report from U 564 (Suhren) on convoy HG.75.

2201 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
RST: Convoy HX.155 is approaching target patrol area. Code word is "Taskforce". Warning: Be aware of friendly units! Good luck and Happy Hunting!

2337 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
B-Dienst is reporting a small enemy convoy in Qu.1671AM, on course ESE, speed 5kn.

Boat continues to operate on convoy HX.155.

Cmdr.: U 71 made contact with convoy HG.75 at 0030 in CG 9585. A little later U 564 and U 206 also reported it. The convoy was steering on a mean course of approximately 270°. The boats maintained contact during the whole day. This was a noteworthy performance, not to be expected in this area which is within the range of aircraft operating from Gibraltar, and in face of a strong convoy escort (10 escort vessels, 3 destroyers). The last position report came from U 564, CG 8835, at 2114h.
Air reconnaissance did not find the convoy in spite of the several shadowing reports which were transmitted by the U-boats. This fact is in opposition to past experience, where it has often been found that aircraft are more reliable in finding a convoy in a large area. It shows however, how dependent air reconnaissance is on the weather for results.

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.