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Old 10-17-14, 04:01 PM   #16
Threadfin
Ace of the Deep
 
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U-47 left Toulon on her eighteenth war patrol on October 9, 1943. Acoustic torpedoes were finally available, and we loaded all forward tubes and reserves with T III electrics, and the stern tube and reserves with three of the G7es (TV) Zaunkönig second generation homing torpedoes, for use against escorts. The objective was once again off the coast of Algeria. Just two days out of Toulon enroute to our patrol grid, a convoy was contacted in heavy seas. U-47 was able to penetrate the screen and sent two big ships to the bottom before slipping away from the pinging escorts. Having fired half of our torpedo load, we set sail back to Toulon for a reload, then set course once again for the Algerian coast.

After running a search pattern for several days, another convoy was contacted, but had gotten by, so an end run was conducted and after a 200-km dash, U-47 dove on the expected track. Two more big ships were sunk from this convoy. As we ran the end around, many airplane contacts were made, and for the first time that we had seen in this career, they were flying in pairs. At this stage of the war, the Allies had taken Sardinia, and were approaching Rome in Italy. What had been a largely German controlled Sea upon our arrival in the spring of 1942, was now dominated by the Allies.

A big tanker explodes after being struck by U-47's torpedoes



Afer completing our objective, we set sail to the east, hoping that perhaps we could find a gap where air coverage was not so thick. Near Tunis, another convoy was encountered. This time however, the seas were dead flat, with clear weather and blue skies. I considered avoiding, but as were were already in near perfect position, U-47 submerged and closed the convoy's track. As luck would have it, there was no screen on the starboard side of the formation, and we exploited this gap and slipped inside the starboard wing colum.

This convoy was another with a Bogue escort carrier sailing in it, and we selected this ship as our first target. Somewhat astern of the carrier was a T3 tanker. I planned to fire three torpedoes at the carrier, and the fourth at the T3, with the hope that tube one could be reloaded quickly and also used against the tanker. In the dead clam sea, periscope exposures were kept to an absolute minimum, and very brief, just long enough to check bearings and AoB, as well as mark those bearings for the speed calculation. To determine speed I make bearing marks on the navigation map. At intervals, the distance between marks is measured with the compass. Once you know the distance the ship has travelled over a certain amount of time, the nomograph is used to determine the speed of the ship. This convoy was making 6 knots. Ships travelling so slowly do not present much of a challenge to targeting, but do test one's patience as they plod on. The longer we wait, the more likley we will be detected by the escort, and I was a bit nervous as I took brief looks at the destroyers, but none detected us. The Bogue sailed past our scope at a range of just 500 meters. Three torpedoes were fired along her length and the reload on tube one began immediately. The first torpedo hit below the bridge and the carrier exploded. The other two also hit but were not needed. I always have a sense of regret at firing multiple torpedoes at a ship when the first one destroys it. But you can never know how many it will take, so you try to fire enough to ensure the job gets done.

The carrier explodes after being struck by the first torpedo



As the carrier was sinking, the rest of the ships began the Silent Hunter Shuffle, constant helming which slows them even more along their base course. As the escorts were now looking for us, it was nerve wracking waiting for the T3 to come on, and it was evident it would be a close run thing on whether the escorts or the tanker would arrive first. In the event it was a draw, and two destroyers came on pinging just as tube one was reloaded and two torpedoes were fired at the T3 from 400 meters. I quickly dialed in a high-gyro solution to fire one of the acoustics at one of the charging destroyers. Both bow torpedoes hit the tanker and it blew up, aflame from stem to stern. U-47 was now making flank speed on the way down to try and lose the escorts below the ships of the convoy. The Zaunkönig I believe missed the escort and locked on to another merchant in the convoy and exploded, but whatever it hit did not go down.


The T3 tanker looks huge as she sails to her demise



U-47 successfully evaded to the northwest. After all merchant screws were lost, we returned to periscope depth to have a look at the single destroyer that was left behind to search for us and hold us down. As it circled the area where the ships went down, I thought it would make a good target for a homing torpedo. I dialed in a solution, but with these torpedoes precision isn't needed, and it was fired from a range of 3200 meters. I had set the depth to 5 meters against the 4.2 meters draft of the Buckley. I beleive the torpedo made multiple passes under the ship, but never exploded. It's possible it was fired with an impact pistol, which would explain it, but I was certain I checked to make sure it was magnetic. Regardless, it did not detonate and we cleared the area content to call it a draw.

U-47 continued to the east, and closed in on an area south of Malta where we had gotten several task force radio reports over the past two weeks. Soon after arriving we made contact with the Cross of radar emmissions. In heavy seas at night we made a flank speed dash to get ahead an close the track. We dove and turned in, and soon several destroyers were in sight. I searched in vain for any capital ships they might be escorting, and seeing none, prepared to dive to evade when suddenly the closest destroyers began pinging. Before going deep I fired the last Zaunkönig which found a Clemson Class flush-decker and blew it up. We managed to evade toward Malta, but it seemed the other warships did not look for us for long. This was the third or fourth such group we had found on this patrol. It is possible that I just never saw what they were escorting, but I believe these were hunter groups of 5 or 6 destroyers out searching for enemy submarines.

I decided to head to Malta to have a look in to Valetta and see if we could torpedo any ships we found at anchor. But as we approached from the southeast a convoy came bearing down. This convoy seemed especially well escorted, and I believed we would be hard-pressed to avoid detection by the leading escort so went deep to 150 meters. This worked and the convoy plowed on.

After clearing the formation we returned to periscope depth and turned back in, sinking two medium freighters with four bow tubes. The first two missed my target, but continued all the way through the formation to sink a ship in the far column. The target was 1200 meters away, but they hit a target 4000 meters away. Sometimes you get lucky. Again we dove deep and evaded, using our decoys, but I cannot say whether they actually helped. With just two torpedoes left forward, U-47 set sail towards home. As we neared the southern tip of Sardinia, I saw some radio reports of lone ships sailing close to the coast and thought we might be able to get one.

On the night of November 21, as we neared the island, the Cross detected radar. Soon more destroyers came on and we began a deep dive to avoid. We had gotten past the first three, but the fourth found us as we passed 140 meters and delivered a perfect string right on target. This time, the crew of U-47 could not overcome the damage. I stood in the control room and watched as the depth guage soared past 200 meters, then pegged. Lights started popping, and then darkness. At around 390 meters, U-47 succumbed to the overwhelming pressure and was lost with all hands.


The depth guage has long since pegged as we pass 350 meters in the final moments of U-47



U-47 was lost on her eighteenth patrol, having sunk 123 ships for 887,517 tons, including 7 merchants, a carrier and an old four-pipe destroyer for 66,285 on her final patrol.

The Aces Board before patrol eighteen



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Last edited by Threadfin; 10-17-14 at 04:58 PM.
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