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)
Wednesday,
23 June 1943 - Off South-Africa -
- continued from 23 June, 2028 -
2049 - Sound contact warship bearing 345°, E=14500, is approaching our position at high speed. Boat is at A-20, setting for Reception Depth with 1/3-Ahead.
2057 - T=20.
2059 - S-Tiefe. Water Depth 162m, about 20nm off Cape Town.
Nothing can be seen through the A-Periscope.
2106 - Adding the B-Periscope.
2109 - An airplane can be seen on opposite course West to our port beam, dropping Deterrent-Wabos and again at 2111. Rigging for Silent Running.
2113 - Retracting B-Periscope. The approaching surface vessel is identified as a Flower Corvette, passes our port beam on opposite course WSW, at a distance of 1000m. A second airplane is sighted to our stbd. beam on course West.
2118 - Retracting A-Periscope to prevent a mirroring effect in the low setting sun and going to T=18.
2121 - Wabos in the distance and at 2122 the Flower Corvette is dropping Wabos at our last diving position. This means, that the airplane at 2024 did in fact detect the boat but instead of dropping bombs, must have marked our diving position with some kind of sonar buoy and/or smoke flares, in order to setup for a surprise attack on the boat.
2126 - Wabos at our diving position.
2143 - Boat is about 19nm off Cape Town. The Corvette is still sniffing around our diving position and Wabos are continuing to be dropped in the area.
The listening room is reporting a second warship contact bearing 301°, E=12800, also, approaching our position, comes into sight and is identified as a Black Swan Sloop, also heading toward our last diving position.
2158 - 13nm off Cape Town, a third sound contact is heard, bearing 339°, E=14600.
2224 - A Consolidated with a search light can be seen 1500m to our Stbd.beam on course West, is dropping Wabos 3-times at our last diving position, about 10000m astern.
2236 - Sundown. Switching B-Periscope.
2251 - Secured from Silent Running. Battery 71.5%; Compressed Air Supply 280Atü; CO₂ 1.4%.
2255 - Qu.5387GR - Surfaced after 2h 30' and 6.8nm. - Weather and Sea unchanged in 23days and 8h. Water Depth 136m.
FuMB-Signal in 263°true, E=12800, which is at the diving position, suspect it originated from one of the two patrol vessels there.
2302 - Boat ventilated and Compressed Air Supply filled. Charging batteries (71.5%): Stbd.-Charging, 496RPM; Port-Propulsion, 285RPM/7kn.
2303 - Third FuMB-Warning in 255°true, E=11000 (no Magic Eye). Diving to S-Tiefe, however, boat is sinking to T=20.
Sound contact with the two patrol vessels at our last diving position, the third sound contact was therefore a airplane.
2308 - Wabos are continued to being dropped at our last diving position.
2310 - Back to S-Tiefe, a Consolidated on course East 1500m to our Stbd. beam (suspect the same A/C returning to Cape Town). Nothing else can be seen.
2318 - Surfaced after 15' and 0.7nm. Water Depth 124m.
Getting closer to land, wind and sea are subsiding: SSE4/3, clear, visibility 4-5nm, >1000mb.
2320 - Charging batteries (71.5%): Stbd.-Charging, 496RPM; Port-Propulsion, 285RPM/7kn.
2330 - Batteries charged to 75% (10min. for 3.5%).
2344 - An Armed Trawler is protecting the harbor entry, bearing 317°, E=8400, on course ENE, slow speed. Reducing own speed to Port, 185RPM/5kn.
2349 - Qu.5387GR - Water Depth 100m - After somewhat of a quite spell, a Liberator appears without prior warning in 30°true, E=4700, direct approach, search light. Both Flak guns manned. The A/C drops bombs behind the boat - no damage. After the fly-over,
our Flak shoots down the Liberator. However, none of the patrol vessels react to it. Boat remains surfaced and Flak guns manned.
Loud explosions and fires can be seen and heard in and around Cape Town harbor.
RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115