|
Post by crushedhat on Apr 27, 2017 4:49:41 GMT
After what proved to be the beginning of an eventful patrol communication is lost with U-793. She fails to return to Bergen. U-Boat Name and ID Number: U-793, Banshee Successful Patrol: No Number of Freighters Sank: 3 Number of Tankers Sank: 0 Number of Capital Ships Sank: 0 Total Tonnage Destroyed: 10,600 Refit Time: U-Boat sunk Award Requests: WB for entire crew Narrative: U-793 reports narrowly escaping a surprise attack by an allied submarine just outside Bergen the night of 4 Nov. A 3,600 ton freighter is reported sunk after an attack and on a convoy and subsequent follow up on 19 Nov. 24 Nov attacked by a Sunderland. Dive Planes irreparably damaged and Lt Alois Sieffert, ship’s doctor is seriously wounded but ObLtzS Bruer decides to continue patrol. Attack on a convoy the night of 25 Nov results in the sinking of a 4,800 ton freighter. On 27 Nov Lt Sieffert dies of his wounds. No further communication is received from U-793 and she does not return from her second war patrol. Radio intercepts from the night of 2 Dec indicate an attack on a convoy in U-793’s assigned patrol area. Indications are that one freighter (1,900 tons) was sunk while the escorts claim to have sunk a U-Boat.
|
|
|
Post by keyboy on Apr 28, 2017 15:32:14 GMT
U-Boat Name and ID Number: U-871 Kastengelee Patrol: #2
KptLt: Ludger Steinhausen Patrol Assignment: Indian Ocean Successful Patrol: Yes Number of Freighters Sank: 7 Number of Tankers Sank: 2 Number of Capital Ships Sank: 0 Total Tonnage Claimed: 44,500 Ships Damaged : Elihu B Washburne Ships Destroyed: Motor Tanker of 8200t – Nacella, Brazilian Steam Merchant of 5200t – Pelotastoide, Panamanian Steam Merchant of 1400t- Alcedo, British Steam Merchant of 1300t – Alexander Kennedy, American Steam Tanker of 6600t – Gulfprince, British Steam Merchant of 7200t – Fort Bellingham, British Motor Merchant of 7300t – Tahsinia, British Motor Merchant of 2300t – Tulagi and British Motor Merchant of 5000t – Cornish City
Refit Time: Standard +2 months
Award Requests KptLt Ludger Steinhausen– request for Iron Cross 1st class and Knights Cross with Oakleaves
Crew Names: Crew Status: TRAINED
KptLt Ludger Steinhausen 1WO Heinrch Kuemmel 2WO Bodo Bruetsch LI (Eng) Prosper Metz Doctor Volprecht Luchtenberg
U-871 (Kastengelee) enters Penang on 30th January 1944 with nine victory pennants flying from her conning tower.
With a quarter of the crew infected and taking medication, I was glad to get out of Penang as soon as possible. So on the 1st November we got underway. We traversed the Malacca Strait without incident and had no contact with the enemy on transit to our patrol area in the Indian Ocean.
We reached the patrol point during the afternoon of the 17th November 1943.
It was late morning on the 20th November that a single ship was sighted to starboard. At close range, a full salvo was fired from the deck gun and serious damage was done. The coup de grace came 5 minutes later in the form of a torpedo hitting at the stern.
During the evening of the 29th November, two freighters and an escort were spotted and whilst one of the freighters was reasonably large the other was not. I prepared the crew for a frontal attack, so ensured we remained submerged at medium distance, before a bow spread was fired and the BOLD decoy deployed. The two aimed at the large Brazilian steam merchant hit. The force of the explosion sheared off the mainmast and it fell to port. The propeller shaft had been broken stopping the engine and one of the rear holds was filling up with sea water, which caused the Pelotastoide to sink by the stern. The two aimed at the smaller freighter both hit and although one exploded prematurely, the other did its job and the Alcedo was no more. At medium range we evaded detection and went on our way.
It was early evening on the 7th December that a single ship was spotted to port. At close range, a full salvo was fired from the deck gun and before long, the Alexander Kennedy had sunk.
The 16th December saw our first aircraft action and that resulted in a successful crash dive, which was performed by the crew of the Kastengelee under the watchful eye of 1WO Kuemmel.
On Christmas day morning we were surprised by a Sunderland attacking us from above. Henschel, who was part of the observation team, was severely wounded and lowered below. We suffered a little flooding and the diesel engine 1 had taken some water damage. Metz and his team spent the rest of the day fixing the engine and by evening it was fixed. Not the best Christmas I have had, nor that of the rest of the crew in all honesty and certainly not for Henschel. Celebrating New Year was not a lot better and all were relieved that we at least warm and not being shot at or chased by escorts.
It was early evening on the 7th January that the light of a tanker was spotted in the distance. At close range, the remaining 105mm ammo was fired from the deck gun and caused considerable damage with small fires onboard. Our last aft torpedo was fired and the Gulfprince was struck on the starboard side. The torpedo penetrated some way into the empty but non-gas-free tank before exploding. The explosion ripped a 20-foot hole in the side, destroyed the engine, brought down the main mast and started fires in the tanks carrying fuel, which then caused a large explosion, from which we felt the heat onboard our own boat.
During the evening of the 15th January, smoke was spotted off the port side and once observed and investigated, a convoy was identified. There were three steam merchants to attack, so I concentrated on the two largest. The G7a FaT l torpedoes had already been loaded and we had manoeuvred into position. At long range we surfaced, fired a full spread from bow tubes, submerged once again and deployed the BOLD decoy in the hope of not being detected. Two eels hit each of the two targets. The American steam merchant was hit; but the Elihu B Washburne would be able to deliver its cargo this time. However the same fate did not befall the Fort Bellingham which received a coup de grace during this encounter. The BOLD decoy had been deployed perfectly, as the escort had not detected us. I wasn’t going to track the crippled ship, so we tracked the convoy and came at it from another angle.
Yet again, three motor merchant had become potential targets. I choose to ignore the Swedish vessel and concentrate on the British Merchants. At long range we surfaced, fired a full spread from bow tubes, submerged once again and deployed the last of the BOLD decoys in the hope of once again not being detected. Both ships took the full force from a brace of G7a FaT l torpedoes and the Tahsinia and the Tulagi were both sunk. This good fortune with the torpedo accuracy came at a cost, as the escort spotted us. The 2WO was monitoring the attack on our ship and listening for the depth charges. Then he shouted out the word “Igel!” The 24 charges were fired over the escort and into the sea and luckily the spread missed us and we avoided further detection. We kept in touch with the convoy, but with no BOLD decoys left, I decided upon a submerged attack from long range and hoped for a bit of luck. I ignored the two smaller Norwegian steam merchants and fired the last of the torpedoes at the British motor merchant; two G7a FaT l and two G7es ‘Zaunkönig’. The Cornish City was hit amidships by two of four torpedoes (one of each type) and sank within one minute southeast of Madagascar.
We were detected by the escort, but by effectively using the evasive manoeuvres that I had practiced for half a year, we avoided all damage. This was short lived as the next set of depth charges had been released and we only suffered from some minor flooding. A few minutes later another barrage had been fired, but the accuracy was poor and we evaded damage. We had now been at this for over an hour and there was no let up. Unfortunately the fuel tank had sprung a leak and we were now leaking diesel. There were explosions all around the boat, which caused some hull damage, as well as damage to the #4 tube door and deck gun. The next attack took one of the electric motors offline and jammed the periscope. Two hours into the relentless attack resulted in further flooding and damage to the hull. I ordered the dive down to below test depth and this gave us the break we needed. The escorts lost contact and we slipped away from the area.
Metz and his team spent the next 48 hours trying to fix the old girl. They managed to get the electric motor back online and free up the periscope. However, the deck gun was totalled, #4 tube door was stuck fast and we were still leaking diesel. Having six less torpedoes aboard made little difference in the end, as the patrol had to now be aborted, due to leaking diesel and having no torpedoes or deck gun.
We made no further contacts and there was no further engagement with enemy ships or planes. We continued on our way to Bergen.
The rest of the passage to Bergen was uneventful and we arrived at the base during the afternoon of 30th January 1944 (one month early)
After shore leave and re-supply, U-87 will be ready to resume patrol in May.
KptLt Ludger Steinhausen
|
|
|
Post by keyboy on Apr 28, 2017 16:10:53 GMT
December 1, 1943, Gentleman, from my quick glances at the reports it was a poor month, sinking 0 tons of shipping, and 0 hulls and an encouraging report from the U-871 Kastengelee which is still out on patrol. Unfortunately, all communication has been lost with U-793 Banshee. The first round tonight is on me. The second round will be supplied by the crew of the U-159 Tümmler. The third round will be supplied by OltzS Reinhard Geist, who has been awarded the Knights Cross with Oakleaves. AwardsKnight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and DiamondsNone Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and SwordsNone Knight's Cross with Oak LeavesOltzS Reinhard Geist Knight's CrossNone Iron Cross 2nd ClassNone Iron Cross 1st Class None U-Boat War Badge To the Crew of: NonePromotionsNone
|
|