[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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KTB - U 113

Sunday, 21 December 1941 - WNW of Cape Finisterre -

0037 - Further contact reports by Group "Seeräuber" of convoy HG.76.

0545 - Breakfast of the Port Machine Watch.

0600 - Port Machine Watch on duty station. Wake-Up of the remaining crew and morning wash.

0630 - Breakfast for the remaining crew.

0700 - Diving for Torpedo Maintenance at Reception Depth.

0705 - T=20. 135rpm, 3kn. Beginning of Torpedo Maintenance.

0849 - Sunrise.

0859 - O₂ = 20%.

1005 - Bow torpedoes serviced. Break until 1030h.

1200 - Qu.8255BE - Days Run: 167.8sm - ↗ 153.2sm (13h 00') - ↘ 14.6sm (5h 00').
218.0cbm (1.8cbm/24h). On course 259°. T=20. O₂ = 20%. Battery 7500Ah. 14 internal and 8 external torpedoes. Stern torpedoes serviced. Lunch Break until 1300h.

1225 - Qu.8255BE -

1249 - O₂ = 19%.

1300 - Diving for trial dive acc. B.d.U. Standing Order 507. 135rpm, 3kn.

1321 - Boat is safe and secure at 2A-Meters.

1223 - Testing of E-Engines:
- 1/3-Ahead, 185rpm = 4kn
- Half-Ahead, 245rpm = 6kn
- Full-Ahead, 285rpm = 7kn
- A.K., 296rpm = 7.5kn

1327 - 135rpm. Setting reception depth.

1343 - At reception depth.

1345 - Surfaced after 1h 45min. and 5.0sm (Total: 6h 45' and 19.6sm). Weather unchanged since Lorient (5 days). Battery: 7000Ah.

1349 - Boat ventilated.

1350 - Charging batteries:
- Port Diesel, 285RPM, Propulsion, 8kn;
- Stbd. Diesel, 496RPM, Charging.

1402 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
First position and status request for U 451 (Hoffmann) and second position and status request for U 574 (Gengelbach).

1620 - Battery charged = 2h 30min. for 3000Ah.
2x235RPM, 8kn.

1734 - Sundown. Weather unchanged since Lorient.

2100 - Lights-Out for the Off-Watch.

2340 - Wake-Up of the First Sea Watch and the Stbd. Machine Watch.

2400 - "Mittelwächter" - Midnight Coffee for the Watch on Duty.

Boat operating acc. to Op.-Orders "Paukenschlag".

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.

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

+++++

KTB - U 113

Monday, 22 December 1941 - West of Cape Finisterre -

0421 - Incoming F.T.: From U 751:
In Pos.Qu.8721. On 21 Dec., 2300h, in Qu.8719BE, sunk enemy Escort Carrier of the "Formidable" Class 10,000ts, of convoy HG.76. - Bigalk -

(At 21.37 hours on 21 December 1941 HMS Audacity (D 10), 11,000ts, (Cdr D.W. Mackendrick, RN) was hit at the stern by one of four torpedoes fired by U 751 while escorting convoy HG-76 about 470 miles west of Cape Finisterre 43° 45'N, 19° 54'W. U 751 reloaded two of the bow torpedo tubes as fast as possible in order to attack the stopped aircraft carrier again, firing a spread of two torpedoes at 22.55 hours and the U-boat withdrew after launching the stern torpedo too at 22.57 hours. The latter missed, but the others struck the stricken vessel and caused her to sink by the stern in less than 15 minutes. The survivors (73 dead and 225 survivors) were picked up by HMS Convolvulus (K 45) (T/Lt R.S. Connell, RNR), HMS Marigold (K 87) (Lt W.S. Macdonald, RNVR) and HMS Pentstemon (K 61) (LtCdr J. Byron, RNR)

Cmdr.: The current position of Bigalk is about 70sm to the south of our current position in Qu.8179BE. In order to stay undetected, I therefore decide to continue with my outbound transit.

0730 - Early Morning Dawn.

0856 - Sunrise. Weather unchanged since Lorient.

1200 - Qu.7631BE - Days Run: 181.6sm - ↗ 176.6sm (22h 15') - ↘ 5.0sm (1h 45').
213.6cbm (4.4cbm/24h). On course 258°. Battery 10000Ah. 14 internal and 8 external torpedoes. Weather unchanged since Lorient (6 days).

1202 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
Second position and status request for U 451 (Hoffmann) and third position and status request for U 574 (Gengelbach), boat is presumed lost.

(U 574, VIIC, Oblt.Dietrich Gengelbach, was sunk on its first war patrol and while operating on convoy HG.76, on 19 December 1941 in the North Atlantic east of Ponta Delgada, Azores, in position 38.12N, 17.23W, by ramming and depth charges from the British sloop HMS Stork. 28 dead and 16 survivors.)

1746 - Sundown. Weather unchanged since Lorient.

Boat operating acc. to Op.-Orders "Paukenschlag".

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.