[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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Saturday, 26 September 1942 - Paris, Avenue Maréchal Maunoury

Current Operations:
Convoy No.55 (most likely RB-1)
As further pursuit of the fast convoy when contact had been broken and the weather was deteriorating promised little chance of success, the order was given that all boats who were not in a favorable position should break off the pursuit.
This unscheduled convoy again shows how difficult it is to attack a fast formation. Our boats have a maximum continuous speed of about 14 knots., but this does not often give them sufficient superiority to get ahead of the enemy and take up an attack position.
Underwater attack is also very difficult as it is only rarely possible to get into a favorable position for firing at a target that keeps making wide zigs, especially as the destroyer escort and its location gear force the submarines to take avoiding action underwater.
Despite the lack of success during the first 2 days, the operation was continued without considering the large consumption of fuel, and finally a real success was achieved. No losses, no major damage. On 27 Sept., planes are busy seeking survivors and this suggests that the steamers sunk were troop transports.

U 107, 333, 406, 87, 590 have refueled from U 460. It is intended that these boats shall operate in the Freetown area.

US 417th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron are assigned to Bluie West Eight airfield in Greenland.

Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down one Hurricane fighter and three Spitfire fighters near El Daba, Egypt between 0910 and 0916 hours. In his second sortie of the day, escorting Stuka dive bombers to El Hammam, Egypt, he shot down four enemy fighters between 1656 and 1710 hours. His score stands at 158 kills by the end of the day. When he returned to base, he was observed to be extremely exhausted, and his hands trembled uncontrollably. His superior Eduard Neumann, is grounding him for some days to give him a chance to rest.

Our troops begin another "final" attack in Stalingrad.

Soviet troops launch the Tuapse Defensive Operation in the Caucasus region of southern Russia.

Bogue-class escort carrier USS Bogue is placed in commission as an Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier, at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, with Captain Giles E. Short in command.

The Manhattan Project is given permission to use the highest wartime priority rating by the United States War Production Board.

RST
KvtKpt.& A I op
(convoy staff officer)

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

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Sunday, 27 September 1942 - Paris, Avenue Maréchal Maunoury

Radio Message to all boats:
C-in-C Navy has again issued a personal and definite order that all submarine commanders are to conform most carefully with the orders for the treatment of neutral ships. Infringement of these orders will lead to unforeseeable political repercussions. This order is to be brought immediately to the notice of each and every Commander.

Reports on the enemy:
1) U 262 (Kptlt. Günther Schiebusch): Bombs dropped in AF 4799. Proceeding to Bergen because of damage.
2) U 513 (Korvkpt. Rolf Rüggeberg): Convoy reported consisted of about 61 (doubtful) steamers, 6 destroyers; it made zigs between 25° and 85°, speed 7 knots. Air escort while making a daylight attack in BC 4128 submarine was picked up; depth charges were dropped.
3) U 177 (Korvkpt. Robert Gysae): 26 Sept., anti-submarine group in AL 6540, fast single ship, camouflaged super-structure, destroyers in quarter-line on either side. Ships were well handled, no chance to attack.
4) U 552 (Korvkpt. Erich Topp): Reported several patrol vessels in CG 58, some showing lights like neutrals. At night continuous horizontal locating (horizontally polarized radar transmissions).
5) U 514 (Kptlt. Hans Jürgen Auffermann): Sighted convoy at 0010h in FA 2948, 4 vessels on a northerly course. Submarine sank 2 freighters of 4,000 and 6,000 tons. Forced to move away.

Our Auxiliary Cruiser 'Stier' and supply ship 'Tannenfels, came across US Liberty Ship 'Stephen Hopkins' off of Dutch Guiana. Exchanging gunfire at the distance of 2 miles starting at about 0900 hours, 'Stephen Hopkins' sank about an hour later; only 15 men survived and will drift for a month before reaching the Brazilian coast. 'Stier', fatally damaged, is scuttled by her crew at 1140 hours; 2 men were lost.

Our Luftwaffe unit III./KG 4 (flying He111 bombers), flew its last bombing sortie over Stalingrad. The unit will soon be transported out of its base in Morozovsk for Germany, to undergo glider towing training.
One of our Ju88A-4 bombers and a Bf109-G2 fighter piloted by Horst Loose, where shot down today over Stalingrad, by Lydia Litvyak ('The White Rose of Stalingrad'), flying a Yak-1 fighter.

RST
KvtKpt.& A I op
(convoy staff officer)