[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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Tuesday, 8 December 1942 - Gotenhafen-Oxhöft

Work-up's and Trials with the U.A.K. (Kpt.z.S.R. BRÄUTIGAM), the 2nd Training Division (U.L.D.; Freg.Kpt.d.R. Ernst HASSHAGEN) and 22nd U-Flotilla (Korvkpt. Wilhelm Ambrosius):

Dry-Run Exercises with Machinery/Mechanics; Weapons; Torpedoes.

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After refueling U 373, 445 and 663 steered a course for AJ 90 at economical cruising speed. There, with other boats they plan a patrol to intercept an HX convoy expected on the 12th.

According to a Radio Intelligence report (X), an English unit or convoy is proceeding with an advancing speed of 7.3 to 10 knots via ES 3690, ER 1510, EO 1320 to Trinidad and should arrive there in the afternoon of 19.12. U 172 (Kptlt. Carl Emmermann) and U D 3 (ex Dutch submarine O 25; Krvkpt. Hermann Rigele) received orders to operate on the line of route. U D 3 intends to await the reported unit in ER 16.

U 178 (IXD2; Kpt. Hans Ibbeken) had a circle runner and a miss on a freighter of 5,000 GRT, course 60° in CQ 5129 on 4.12.

In connection with the hydrophone gear U 178 had the same experience as U 181 (IXD2; Kptlt. Wolfgang Lüth). The boat reports the following as the possible causes:
a) Greater length of boat - therefore less favorable reaction to length of seaway;
b) Very sensitive balance results in less transverse stability;
c) Difficulty, above all in banking with and against the sea. An effective solution by an adjustment of the hydroplanes can only be expected, if there is a great enlargement and higher hydroplane speed. Better conditions have been confirmed as a result of increasing attack depth to one meter.

U 224 (Oblt. Hans-Carl Kosbadt) sighted (prematurely) a silhouette in BF 6779 which did not reply to request for recognition signal. U 224 presumed it to be a German low speed U-boat type. According to wireless bearing an English unit - probably a U-boat was in BF 9440 at 1849.

Convoy No.68:
Several boats reported air activity on the convoy on the afternoon of the 8th. Altogether 11 Radio Intelligence reports were received during the night from which it appears that the boats were sighted by aircraft and variously attacked with depth charges and aircraft armament. In addition, 5 boats reported being beaten off by the convoy protection. There were no reports of successes. U 221 (Oblt. Hans-Hartwig Trojer) reported ramming U 254 (Kptlt. Odo Loewe) at 2225 in AK 2551 and having taken survivors on board (4). It continued the search and intended to begin the return voyage after daylight. No more survivors were found. U 221 began her homeward voyage after dawn.

For the first time during a convoy operation a ramming has taken place between two U-boats, and thereby caused the loss of one of them. As far as can be seen here, this accident took place on a dark night and in a rough sea, so that the ramming boat cannot be blamed. The presence of so many U-boats on convoy operations has for a long time made this kind of damage a possibility. Reflection on this matter shows that generally speaking, it is not practicable to have more than 13 to 15 boats on to one convoy. Any tactical limitations in connection with the number of attacking boats, the time of the attack, the disposition for attack, by which such collisions could be avoided will be refused, as it is wrong with the difficulties of convoy warfare to apply even the smallest conditions. With the difficulties of convoy warfare every chance of attack must be exploited to the utmost and the maxim impressed again and again on the boats, "on to the target as quickly as possible, attack as often as possible, utilize every chance of attack at once", may not be repudiated on the grounds of security.

The planned Allied invasion of Burma was called off due to lack of supplies; British and Chinese troops fell back from their forward position

U 648 (Oblt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) lies in Rönne, Bornholm, due to bad weather and enemy mines in the silent running testing area.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115

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

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Wednesday, 9 December 1942 - Gotenhafen-Oxhöft

Work-up's and Trials with the U.A.K. (Kpt.z.S.R. BRÄUTIGAM), the 2nd Training Division (U.L.D.; Freg.Kpt.d.R. Ernst HASSHAGEN) and 22nd U-Flotilla (Korvkpt. Wilhelm Ambrosius):

Dry-Run Exercises with Machinery/Mechanics; Weapons; Torpedoes.

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Germany agrees to cede to Italy the French warships captured at Bizerte, Tunisia in the previous month. They include sloop La Batailleuse, sloop Commandant Rivière, torpedo boat Bombarde, torpedo boat La Pomone, torpedo boat L'Iphigénie, submarine Phoque, submarine Saphir, submarine Requin, submarine Espadon, submarine Dauphin, submarine Turquoise, submarine Circé, submarine Calypso, and submarine Nautilus.

U 602 (Kptlt. Philipp Schüler) has passed through the Straits of Gibraltar and therefore comes under F.O. U-boats, Mediterranean.

The following have taken on supplies from U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler): U 172 for return voyage, and U 161 and U 159 for continuation of operations.

As side protection for the German tanker "Germania" which is putting out on 11.12., the following waiting areas are ordered:
U 563, in BE 6899 from dawn on 13.12.; U 706 in BE 9596; U 409 in BE 5766 and U 513 in BE 3574 from dawn on the 14th. Depth 40 sea miles.
U 125 and U 514 both of which put out today are to be in BE 9580 and BE 6880 on the morning of 13.12. and to remain there until it is dark.
U 460, 67, 183 and U 91 are returning to support the tanker on 44° 30' N.

Attacks on isolated traffic in the "Route Anton" area from the S. is forbidden as follows:
S. of 0° from 12.12; S. of 10° N. from 14.12; S. of 20° N. from 16.12; S. of 30° N. from 19.12, closed completely from 22.12. In effect from 0000.
Closing of the northerly section of "Route Anton" owing to the putting out of our own tankers is to be expected sooner.

U 648 (Oblt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) lies in Rönne, Bornholm, due to bad weather and enemy mines in the silent running testing area.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115