rudewarrior
09-01-11, 09:50 PM
Hi everyone,
I have posted about this in a couple of threads, but I have yet to be successful in finding what I am looking for. :damn: I apologize for having to make a new thread out of this, but anything to get more eyes on this issue will really help me. I am working on a mod that will give out real orders based on the BdU KTB's at www.uboatarchive.net (http://www.uboatarchive.net). In particular, I am trying to get context that has to do with the British coastal zones mentioned in the early parts of the war. What I am looking for is an original source for the Radio Log entries posted below. I am trying to get some context for the information that is posted in these particular entries. If someone could point me to a website or book that has information about these items, I would be eternally in your debt. :yeah:
Here are the entries I am talking about:
1939/10/02|All darkened ships in the whole area off the east coast of Britain and the whole of the French Coast may now be attacked on sight and without warning. Darkened ships encountered off the British and French coasts can be assumed to be either warships or auxiliaries. Complete freedom of attack against these vessels is permitted between 44 degrees N. and 62 degrees N., and 7 degrees W. and 3 degrees E||BdU
1939/10/04|U-boats are permitted to attack, without warning, enemy merchant ships which are observed to be armed, or which are listed by the Naval Staff as being armed, or which commence firing from unobserved weapons. The area in which darkened ships may be attacked without warning is extended to 15 degrees W. U-boats are still required by the Führer's order to save the crew of any ship they sink, providing it can be done without endangering the U-boat.||BdU
1939/10/19|The area in which darkened ships may be attacked is extended to 20 degrees W.|Ships are not to be boarded for examination. They may be stopped by gunfire, and their papers examined, but must be sunk only with torpedoes. U-boats are not to engage in gun actions with merchant ships.| BdU
1939/11/17|By order of the Führer, all tankers, other than American, Russian, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish may be attacked in the American Safety Zone West of 2 degrees E. When attacking neutral tankers, U-boats are to reamin unobserved, and to use electric torpedoes, in order that the illusion of internal explosion may be created, and political repercusions might be avoided. The cargo of tankers is of particular importance to the enemy's war effort and is therefore now to be classified as absolute contraband.||BdU
1939/12/30|Since the Greeks have chartered and sold numerous ships to England, Greek ships are to be regarded as hostile within the operational area surrounding Great Britain. U-boats must try to remain unobserved while attacking.||BdU
1940/01/06|All ships in the British eastern coastal area A, except American and friendly neutral vessels are allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits.||BdU
1940/01/12|All ships in British eastern coastal areas A and now B, in and to the west of Bristol Channel, except American and friendly neutral vessels are allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits. Outside these areas, the Prize Regulations remain in force.||BdU
1940/01/24|British eastern coastal area C, the area off the southeast coast from Flamborough Head to Dover, and eastwards a little beyond the British danger area, is now unrestricted. All ships except American and friendly neutral vessels are allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits.| (continued)
1940/01/24|Message continues: Area A is extended to 2 degrees E. and Area B southwards and southwest to 10 degrees 30' W. and to include the whole of the Irish Sea. Irish territorial waters extend for 10 miles. Ouside these areas, the Prize Regulations remain in force.||BdU
1940/02/09|All ships in British eastern coastal areas A and now B, in and to the west of Bristol Channel, except American and friendly neutral vessels are allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits. Outside these areas, the Prize Regulations remain in force.||BdU
1940/02/23|Immediate freedom of attack is permitted against liners showing no neutral markings, and against those darkened, provided they are in the area in which other darkened ships may already be attacked.
1940/05/10|Area C is extended eastwards to the Dutch coast at Texel, and southwards and westwards to include the whole of the Channel as a result of the outbreak of war with Holland and Belgium.||BdU
1940/05/24|To intensify action against Britain and France, U-boats are now permitted to operate unrestrictedly in the area west of Scotland and the whole area off the French Atlantic coast, zones E and F, all ships are now allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. This includes unescorted neutrals and passenger ships, though caution should still be taken to avoid action against American and friendly neutral ships.| (continued)
1940/05/24|Message Continues: Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits. Outside these areas, the Prize Regulations remain in force when engaging neutrals.||BdU
1940/08/17|Attacks without warning against all liners of hostile nations, armed or unarmed, is now permitted for the entire operational area surrounding Great Britain.||BdU
1940/08/17|There is no longer any trade between Great Britain and neutral states which is considered legal. All ships transporting goods to English ports are now considered to be carrying contraband, and therefore all the waters around Britain are considered a blockade area. In this operational area, U-boats are permitted to attack, without warning, up to 20 degrees west, all vessels including liners, with the exception of a few specified ships belonging to the Irish Free State.||BdU
I have checked the following references, and unless I am missing something, I haven't found them there:
http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-3900Intro.htm
http://www.uboat.net
http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/index.html
http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/timelines-index.htm
http://ubootwaffe.net/index.html
There is a slight exception. The BdU KTB's indirectly mention some of the entries (e.g. the first two or so) but the others are not mentioned. If anyone could shed some light on this matter, your help would be very greatly appreciated.
Cheers and thanx in advance! :up:
I have posted about this in a couple of threads, but I have yet to be successful in finding what I am looking for. :damn: I apologize for having to make a new thread out of this, but anything to get more eyes on this issue will really help me. I am working on a mod that will give out real orders based on the BdU KTB's at www.uboatarchive.net (http://www.uboatarchive.net). In particular, I am trying to get context that has to do with the British coastal zones mentioned in the early parts of the war. What I am looking for is an original source for the Radio Log entries posted below. I am trying to get some context for the information that is posted in these particular entries. If someone could point me to a website or book that has information about these items, I would be eternally in your debt. :yeah:
Here are the entries I am talking about:
1939/10/02|All darkened ships in the whole area off the east coast of Britain and the whole of the French Coast may now be attacked on sight and without warning. Darkened ships encountered off the British and French coasts can be assumed to be either warships or auxiliaries. Complete freedom of attack against these vessels is permitted between 44 degrees N. and 62 degrees N., and 7 degrees W. and 3 degrees E||BdU
1939/10/04|U-boats are permitted to attack, without warning, enemy merchant ships which are observed to be armed, or which are listed by the Naval Staff as being armed, or which commence firing from unobserved weapons. The area in which darkened ships may be attacked without warning is extended to 15 degrees W. U-boats are still required by the Führer's order to save the crew of any ship they sink, providing it can be done without endangering the U-boat.||BdU
1939/10/19|The area in which darkened ships may be attacked is extended to 20 degrees W.|Ships are not to be boarded for examination. They may be stopped by gunfire, and their papers examined, but must be sunk only with torpedoes. U-boats are not to engage in gun actions with merchant ships.| BdU
1939/11/17|By order of the Führer, all tankers, other than American, Russian, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish may be attacked in the American Safety Zone West of 2 degrees E. When attacking neutral tankers, U-boats are to reamin unobserved, and to use electric torpedoes, in order that the illusion of internal explosion may be created, and political repercusions might be avoided. The cargo of tankers is of particular importance to the enemy's war effort and is therefore now to be classified as absolute contraband.||BdU
1939/12/30|Since the Greeks have chartered and sold numerous ships to England, Greek ships are to be regarded as hostile within the operational area surrounding Great Britain. U-boats must try to remain unobserved while attacking.||BdU
1940/01/06|All ships in the British eastern coastal area A, except American and friendly neutral vessels are allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits.||BdU
1940/01/12|All ships in British eastern coastal areas A and now B, in and to the west of Bristol Channel, except American and friendly neutral vessels are allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits. Outside these areas, the Prize Regulations remain in force.||BdU
1940/01/24|British eastern coastal area C, the area off the southeast coast from Flamborough Head to Dover, and eastwards a little beyond the British danger area, is now unrestricted. All ships except American and friendly neutral vessels are allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits.| (continued)
1940/01/24|Message continues: Area A is extended to 2 degrees E. and Area B southwards and southwest to 10 degrees 30' W. and to include the whole of the Irish Sea. Irish territorial waters extend for 10 miles. Ouside these areas, the Prize Regulations remain in force.||BdU
1940/02/09|All ships in British eastern coastal areas A and now B, in and to the west of Bristol Channel, except American and friendly neutral vessels are allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits. Outside these areas, the Prize Regulations remain in force.||BdU
1940/02/23|Immediate freedom of attack is permitted against liners showing no neutral markings, and against those darkened, provided they are in the area in which other darkened ships may already be attacked.
1940/05/10|Area C is extended eastwards to the Dutch coast at Texel, and southwards and westwards to include the whole of the Channel as a result of the outbreak of war with Holland and Belgium.||BdU
1940/05/24|To intensify action against Britain and France, U-boats are now permitted to operate unrestrictedly in the area west of Scotland and the whole area off the French Atlantic coast, zones E and F, all ships are now allowed to be attacked on sight, without warning. This includes unescorted neutrals and passenger ships, though caution should still be taken to avoid action against American and friendly neutral ships.| (continued)
1940/05/24|Message Continues: Attacks are to be made unobtrusively and submerged in order to preserve the illusion of mine hits. Outside these areas, the Prize Regulations remain in force when engaging neutrals.||BdU
1940/08/17|Attacks without warning against all liners of hostile nations, armed or unarmed, is now permitted for the entire operational area surrounding Great Britain.||BdU
1940/08/17|There is no longer any trade between Great Britain and neutral states which is considered legal. All ships transporting goods to English ports are now considered to be carrying contraband, and therefore all the waters around Britain are considered a blockade area. In this operational area, U-boats are permitted to attack, without warning, up to 20 degrees west, all vessels including liners, with the exception of a few specified ships belonging to the Irish Free State.||BdU
I have checked the following references, and unless I am missing something, I haven't found them there:
http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-3900Intro.htm
http://www.uboat.net
http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/index.html
http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/timelines-index.htm
http://ubootwaffe.net/index.html
There is a slight exception. The BdU KTB's indirectly mention some of the entries (e.g. the first two or so) but the others are not mentioned. If anyone could shed some light on this matter, your help would be very greatly appreciated.
Cheers and thanx in advance! :up: