Fourth war patrol U-201

[Markus Witt]

The most dangerous commander for a crew is an inexperienced commander trying to prove himself.
The second most dangerous commander is an experienced commander who becomes overconfident.

After little more than three weeks in port U-201 is send out again into the North Atlantic.
Nobody could know it yet, but U-201 would never reach her destination…

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Cover page

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[blackswan40]

The Sinkings of U-201 Carrer


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-201

[Markus Witt]

Just 3 days after leaving port U-201 is chasing a convoy that is reported to be nearby.

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Route chart until 24 September 1200

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Attack plot

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Shooting sketch

[Markus Witt]

Torpedo firing reports of the convoy attack

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Firing report 1 front

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Firing report 1 back

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Firing report 2 front

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Firing report 2 back

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Firing report 3 front

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Firing report 3 back

[Markus Witt]

After the convoy attack there is not enough time left to attack again before dawn.
Alexander Witt decides to stalk the convoy during the day and attack again after darkness.
The coming night will be the last chance to attack the convoy as it will be too close to enemy defences after that.

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Route chart

[Bubblehead1980]

This is excellent!

[Markus Witt]

After being forced away unexpectedly by an airplane in the darkness U-201 has made contact again with the convoy and is ready to attack.

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Attack plot convoy

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Attack plot lone steamer

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Route chart

[kapuhy]

Nobody could know it yet, but U-201 would never reach her destination…

[Darth Vader voice]Noooooooo![/Darth Vader voice]

Great read, as always :up:

[Markus Witt]

U-201 has successfully attacked the convoy for the second time and again narrowly escapes on the surface with escorts in her wake close behind.
While moving ahead of the convoy to set up another attack U-201 runs into a lone steamer and sinks it. After this commander Witt decides to move away from the area.

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Route chart of the operations near Porcupine Bank

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Firing report 4 front

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Firing report 4 back

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Firing report 5 front

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Firing report 5 back

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Firing report 6 front

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Firing report 6 back

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Firing report 7 front

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Firing report 7 back

[Markus Witt]

As U-201 moves away from the area, another convoy is reported nearby. Alexander Witt has to make a decision.
Go after this convoy and face a third straight day of convoy engagements or move away and rest his tired crew.
But he soon realises he does not really have a choice…

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Torpedo firing report 8 front

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Torpedo firing report 8 back

[Markus Witt]

After attacking the convoy, U-201 is forced to crash-dive by the escorts.

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Attack against the destroyer.

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Convoy attack

[Markus Witt]

After surviving a depth charge attack and with just the stern tube available, Alexander Witt decides to attack the convoy again right away. Is this the correct decision?

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Firing report 9 front

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Firing report 9 back

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Firing report 10 front

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Firing report 10 back

[Markus Witt]

U-201 approaches the convoy to attack again.

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Attack plot

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Route chart of the convoy engagement

[Markus Witt]

U-201 narrowly survives two counter attacks by the convoy escorts and is retreating with a bloody nose. Commander Witt pushed his luck too far and is lucky to escape.
Attacking the convoy a second time, shortly after the first attack, with just one tube available was a questionable decision. The escorts must still have been on high alert
after the first attack and U-201 approached the convoy too soon and too close. U-201 is moving away from the convoy and is proceeding to her patrol area while
assessing the extent of the damage sustained.

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Approach plot neutral liner

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Photo of the liner taken with the Zeiss-Ikon Contax III camera though the AP

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Complete route chart of all the convoy operations

[Markus Witt]

U-201 has intercepted a fast liner but it turns out to be neutral and she has to let her go.

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U-201 approaches St. Nazaire closely behind her escort.

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U-201 enters port alongside various small craft who have come out to meet her. Six pennant are raised from her periscope.

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U-201 safely back in port, moored in the Penhoët Basin. Six pennants, representing 52000 tons, fly proudly from her periscope and a new emblem is displayed on her conning tower. The previous emblem had weathered away and had been painted over after repairs to the conning tower after the last patrol. On the way back to port the crew paints a new emblem on the conning tower. It is a porcupine to celebrate the successful convoy operations off Porcupine Bank and inspired by the poetic message send by the commander after the attacks.

[kapuhy]

U-201 safely back in port, moored in the Penhoët Basin.

Got me worried there with that "never reached its destination" intro in first post. Hitchcock grade suspense :D

[Markus Witt]

The poet-warrior Alexander Witt has safely returned to St. Nazaire. As he stands on the quay side he looks at his crew and they are all smiling as they receive flowers and congratulations, happy to be back in port after a successful patrol. But Witt himself is not smiling. He knows he made some questionable decisions that could have been fatal. During the last convoy attack he became too fixated to get rid of the last torpedo. It was reckless to approach the convoy escorts closely so soon after the first attack. Especially with an exhausted crew and just one tube ready. He should have let the convoy go.
He knows he cannot afford to make these mistakes again, next time he might not be so lucky.


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Cover page completed

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Patrol summary

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BdU remarks

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Route chart entire patrol with noon positions

[Markus Witt]

Got me worried there with that "never reached its destination" intro in first post. Hitchcock grade suspense :D

A bit of a cheap trick, but technichally I didn't lie. :O: