[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

++++++

KTB - U 113

4th War Patrol

Sunday, 5 April 1942- 2nd U.-Flotilla (Korvkpt. Heinz Fischer, 08.41 - 01.43) - Lorient (Qu.6157BF)

- Easter Sunday -

0700 - N2/2, clear, visibility 8-9sm, >1000mb.
Casting off from bunker. Left for Fourth War Patrol with U 113 and Sixteenth War Patrol overall.

Taking on escort, distance 300m.
Some burning ships in Lorient - probably, ran aground during fog. A pair Me110 are patrolling the harbor and roadstead and a pair of Ju52 "Mausi", are searching the area north of Ìle de Groix for mines.

0800 - Point Luci-1. Releasing escort.
Met incoming U 564 (Suhren), entering Lorient for taken on on fuel and fresh water before its 5th war patrol (Florida Strait), and U 129 (Clausen), returning from its 4th war patrol (South America).

0812 - New course 180°.

Testing of Diesel Engines:
- K.F., 7kn;
- 1/3-Ahead, 10kn;
- 2xH.F., 14kn;
- G.F., 16.5kn;
- A.K., 17.5kn.

0818 - New course 257°. Two torpedo boats and fours minesweepers ar patrolling the area south of Ìle de Groix.
In due course, passed quite a few french fish trawlers and a Schooner on a southerly heading.

0920 - Distance to Blockade Runner is 400m, speed 9kn/275RPM (Range: 14150sm/26200km).

0945 - A German Destroyer on a southerly heading, is crossing our stern at a distance of 5000m.

1111 - A type VIIC boat on course ESE to our stbd. beam, E=2000.

1127 - Qu.6177BF - Two pair of Me109 in 150°true, E=12000. on course ENE.

1200 - Qu.6177BF - Days Run: 54.0sm/100km - (↗ 5h) - since Lorient.
239.0cbm (1cbm/5h). 14+8 torpedoes. Weather unchanged since Lorient.

1202 - Third Position and Status Request for U 702 (Kptlt.von Rabenau). Boat is presumed lost.

(U 702, VIIC, Kptlt.Wolf-Rüdiger von Rabenau, was sunk on 31 March 1942 - on the second day of its first war patrol - in the North Sea west of Denmark, in approx. position 56.34N, 06.16E, by a mine in the British field FD 37, laid by the French submarine "Rubis", on 21 March 1942; 44 dead, all hands lost)

- to be continued -

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

++++++

- continued from 5 April, 1202h -

1214 - Qu.6177BF - Diving from 3 pairs of twin-engine bombers approaching on course south from 10°true, E=14000.

1218 - At A-20 heard bomb impacts and sinking noises.
Boat remains submerged, depth under keel is 45m.
In relative bearing of 33°, sound contact with a steamer on a westerly heading, E=21000.

1254 - Surfaced after 40min. and 2.0sm.
Nothing seen of the Blockade Runner.

(In the external view it could be seen, that the blockade runner was bombed and consequently sunk by the airplanes without firing a single shot from her Flak guns or any other gun. The submerged boat, barely missed the broken in half blockade runner, her stern sticking straight up from the ocean floor.)

1257 - Right after surfacing, the boat has to dive again from 2 pair of Hurricane fighters, approaching on course south from 5°true, E=14000.

1304 - At A-20 no bombs.

1312 - Surfaced after 15min. and 0.7sm.
Leaving area on ordered outbound transit path at 2xH.F.

1330 - Outgoing F.T.: To B.d.U.:
At 1214h in Qu.6177BF, diving from 3 pair of twin-engine bombers. Heard bomb impacts and sinking sounds. After surfacing at 1254h had to dive again from 2 pair of Fighters. Nothing seen of blockade runner. Current position Qu.5299BF. Continuing outbound transit acc. Op.Orders. - RST -

1339 - Right after sending the F.T., boat has to dive from 2 pair of Hurricane fighters, approaching on course south from 20°true, E=14000, crossing our stern at a distance of 6000m.

1341 - At A-20 no bombs. Depth under keel is 46m.

1354 - Surfaced after 15min and 0.9sm.
Leaving area on ordered outbound transit path at 2xH.F.

1403 - Incoming F.T.: From U 505:
Status report: Medium amount of traffic from and to east and south round Cape Palmas, much dispersed, at a distance of 150 sea miles. On 28 march, A/C bombs in ET 9152. D/C hunt on 29 March. Successes: 3 April, in EU 9781, 2 hits on escorted freighter "Westermore", 5775ts, probably sunk. On 4 April, in FF 2245, "Alpacca", 5759ts. Total: 25454ts. - Loewe -

1412 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
RST: Message received. Continue outbound voyage as ordered. - B.d.U. -

1801 - Norddeich Radio sending a report about air raids of the Luftwaffe on the harbour of Leningrad: 62 Ju87 Stuka dive bombers and 70 other bombers escorted by 59 Me109 fighters attacked the Soviet fleet at Kronstadt near Leningrad, in the afternoon, damaging battleships "October Revolution" and "Petropavlovsk", Cruisers "Maxim Gorky" and "Kirov", and Destroyers "Silny" and "Grozyashchi". After dark, He111 bombers, some of which had participated in the Kronstadt attack in the afternoon, bombed Leningrad.

1835 - Sundown. N1/1, partly cloudy, good visibility, >1000mb.

2045 - Point "Tanne". Diving for trial dive according B.d.U.-Standing Order 507, 135rpm, 3kn.

2110 - Boat is safe and secure at 2A-Meter. Setting Reception Depth.

2128 - Submerged cruise at T=19, 135rpm/3kn.

2233 - O₂ = 20%.

2400 - Evaded Area 1, between 47° N - 5° 30' W, Qu.BF5463, according Op-Orders.

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.