Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...
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U 115
- KTB -
First War Patrol
(17th war patrol overall)
Thursday,
24 June 1943 - Off Cape Town -
- continued from 24 June, 1628 -
1635 - T=20. Sound contact warship bearing 76°, E=17500.
1639 - S-Tiefe. In the A-Periscope a smoke plume can be seen bearing 80°; The II.W.O. is scanning the sky with the B-Periscope.
1643 - One by one, 6 sound contacts with warships approaching from general direction North, distance between 12500m and 17500m. Turning boat hard to port, in order to evade to East.
1653 - 7th sound contact warship. The first warship comes into sight (Hunt-III-Destroyer) and one by one the others as well, E=7000, all on course South. 1/3-Ahead and turning boat back around hard to stbd., in order to evade to west.
1658 - On course 270°. The 8th sound contact warship and at 1659, #9. Rigging for Silent Running.
1707 - #10 sound contact with warship.
1708 - A Sunderland and a Catalina drop 12 Wabos at our last diving position and fly off again in opposite directions at 1715.
The enemy has assembled a U-Hunt Group of 10 (!) escorts and at least 4 airplanes in search for us, the escorts are sniffing around our last diving position but not dropping any Wabos. Luckily, they are not conducting a "Swamp-Action".
The search group consists of: 3 Black Swan Sloops, 2 Hunt-I Destroyers, and 1 each Hunt-III, A&B, E&F and G&H Destroyer and 1 River Class Frigate.
1730 - The Search Group has split up with 5 searching around and diving position and 5 a bit more towards our direction.
1749 - A Catalina appears from SW and drops 3 bombs and the diving position, circles once and flies off on course NE.
1754 until 1800 - 3 airplanes that appear to be 2 Sunderlands and another twin-engine airplane, drop 16 bombs at our diving position. After they fly off, it seems as though, that one of the Hunt-I Destroyers is burning and lying low in the water by the stern. E=7000. Apparently, she was hit by one of the bombs dropped by the airplanes.
1843 - A Sunderland and another airplane continue to drop 13 Wabos at the diving position.
1849 - After dropping another 6 Wabos, the Sunderland flies off on course SW.
1851 - Another 1 Wabo can be heard and at 1853 2 more.
1854 - An airplane at the diving postition 11000m astern, flies off on course NE.
1912 - Retracting the A-Periscope and continuing to observe the situation with the B-Periscope.
1926 - 3 Wabos are dropped at the diving position by A/C and again 1 at 1929 and 1 at 1932.
1959 - An airplane (Consolidated) can be seen in 193°true, E=6000, on course 68° and disappears in 108°true, E=7000, in Qu,5646GR center top.
2008 - With the change of watch, secured from Silent Running.
2112 - CO₂-Warning at 1.7%.
2132 - Catalina in 217°true, E=6800, on course 47°, turns to course 85° when positioned 2000m abeam to port and is out of sight in 100°true, E=8000. About 1min. later, 6 Wabos are being dropped at the diving position, about 23000m astern, where the destroyers are still searching for us.
2136 - 2 Wabos at the diving position and 3 Wabos at 2138; a airplane can be seen flying off on course NE.
2149 - Surfaced after 5h 30min. and 14.9nm. Compressed Air Supply 285Atü, Battery 51.4%, Weather and Sea unchanged.
2153 - Boat ventilated and Compressed Air Supply filled.
2200 - Charging batteries (51.4%): Stbd.-Diesel Charging 496RPM; Port-Diesel Propulsion 185RPM/5kn.
2201 - Manning the 2cm-Flak Gun.
2210 - 1/3-Ahead, 285RPM, 8kn.
- to be continued -