[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

4th War Patrol

Saturday, 28 March 1942 - 2nd U.-Flotilla (Korvkpt. Heinz Fischer, 08.41 - 01.43) - Lorient (Qu.6157BF)

Taking on of Fuel Oil (240cbm) and Lubricating Oil.

0250 - St. Nazaire reports by telephone landing operations by 20 enemy cruisers and destroyers.

0254 - St. Nazaire lay under heavy gun fire, under impression enemy was about to carry out still larger operations with heavy units.

0331 - B.d.U.-F.T. to all boats east of 29° West: Make for St. Nazaire with all speed, enemy landing in progress.

B.d.U. Orders addressed for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 10th submarine flotillas:
Proceed according to instructions given in B.d.U.'s Most Secret 1035 of 14 March 1942: Flotillas state readiness. Boats ready for departure to put to sea immediately for battle in coastal waters; take measures to prevent boats falling into enemy hands, if necessary sink them. Remove secret document or arrange for their destruction as the case may be.

7th Submarine Flotilla reports soldiers of the 7th and 10th Submarine Flotillas on way from La Baule to La Rochebernard with all secret documents belonging to all boats in the flotilla. Town in enemy hands. Fighting in the harbor. A destroyer has been rammed into the lock gate of the Normandie-Drydock. Is ordered to get through to the submarine pens and organize a defense.

0930 - After U 109, 130, 654, 85 and 582 immediately received orders to continue westward passage, this order is extended to all outward bound boats, after conference with Group West.

From reports received in due course, it becomes apparent it is only a raid carried out by light forces and is codenamed Operation "Chariot". Our own air reconnaissance was due to fly at dawn. Only single light units were sighted. So far as can be assessed, no damage was done to the working of the 7th and 10th submarine flotillas. No losses, no boats damaged.

Details of areas endangered by mines, are captured from the destroyer rammed into the Normandie-Drydock.

1200 - The destroyer rammed and scuttled in the Normandie-Drydock lock gate explodes, while a party of 40 senior German officers and civilians are on a tour of the destroyer (Campbeltown), and are all killed. In total, the explosion kills about 360 men.

The explosion will put the only dry dock big enough to hold KM Tirpitz, out of commission for the remainder of the war.

Tragically, it must have been this very task force, that U-Kelbing reported yesterday.

Of the 612 men of the Royal Navy and commandos who took part in the raid, only 228 men will return to England. Five commandos will escape via neutral Spain and Gibraltar with the help of French citizens and will take a ship to England; 169 men are killed (105 RN and 64 commandos) and another 215 become prisoners of war (106 RN and 109 commandos). They are first taken to La Baule and then sent to Stalag 133 at Rennes. The fallen British raiders are buried at the La Baule-Escoublac cemetery, with military honours.

This attack on St. Nazaire underlines the necessity of removing the B.d.U. control station to a less dangerous position. Certainly, the control station has been safeguarded in the same way as a base for some time, with barbed wire, light weapons and attached (local defense) company, but in spite of this, it would not have been equal to a raid carried out with similar strength as that on St. Nazaire. The removal to Paris will be hastened accordingly.

Continuing pre-war patrol preparation.

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.

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

++++++

KTB - U 113

4th War Patrol

Sunday, 29 March 1942 - 2nd U.-Flotilla (Korvkpt. Heinz Fischer, 08.41 - 01.43) - Lorient (Qu.6157BF)

- Palm Sunday -

Trimming trials and test cruise at Lorient roadstead.

Boats receive details of areas endangered by mines, according to captured material taken from the English destroyer (HMS Campbeltown) in St. Nazaire, before exploding in the Normandie-Drydock:
Area 1:
Between
47° N - 5° 30' W, Qu.BF5463
47° 30' N - 5° 30' W, Qu.BF5196
47° 40' N - 7° 20' W, Qu.BF4392
48° 20' N - 7° 20' W, Qu.BF1998
Area 2:
Between
48° N - 9° W, Qu.BF4229
49° N - 10° W, Qu.BF1736

In the Artic Ocean, our destroyer Z26 sinks Panamanian ship Bateau of Allied convoy PQ-13 in the Barents Sea shortly after 0000 hours. At 0943 hours, British cruiser HMS Trinidad spots Z26 along with Z24 and Z25, hitting Z26 with gunfire; at 1024 hours, HMS Trinidad is hit by a own torpedo that she fired and circled around, killing 31. At 1032 hours, British destroyer HMS Eclipse continues the attack, hitting Z26 with 6 more shells; at 1120 hours, Z24 and Z25 coordinate an attack on HMS Eclipse, hitting her with two shells, killing 23. Shortly after, Z26 sinks from the heavy damage. 243 of those aboard Z26 are killed, 96 survived; 88 of the survivors are picked up by Z24 and Z25, while German submarine U-376 picks up the remaining 8. HMS Trinidad is given temporary repairs in Murmansk, Russia and will sail for home on 13 May 1942.

Back home, between 2318 hours on the previous day until about 0300 hours on this day, 234 RAF bombers attack Lübeck, Germany, killing 320, injuring 784, and destroying 30% of the city. The Lübeck Cathedral, among other buildings, are destroyed in the city's historical center. The new "GEE" navigation systems are used by the British bombers on this attack. 12 bombers are shot down by our anti-aircraft defenses, and a GEE system is captured by us.

Continuing pre-war patrol preparation.

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.