04-23-10, 11:53 AM
|
#15
|
Helmsman 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Ville de Quebec (not the HMCS)
Posts: 106
Downloads: 105
Uploads: 0
|
They got involved in September 1941, in a somewhat "unofficial" way.
Quote:
|
SEPTEMBER 1941 Battle of the Atlantic - Escort carrier "Audacity" sailed with UK/Gibraltar convoy OG74. Her American-built Martlet fighters shot down the first Kondor to fall victim to an escort carrier, but U-boats still managed to sink five merchantmen. The US Navy started to escort HX and ON convoys between Newfoundland and Mid Ocean Meeting Point (MOMP), south of Iceland, where the Royal Navy took over. Five US destroyers began on the 17th with HX150 (50 ships). Earlier on the 4th, the first incident occurred when US destroyer "Greer" on passage to Iceland was in action with "U-652". There was no damage or loss to either ship. The increased number of U-boats available to Adm Doenitz (approaching 200 with 30 operational) allowed him to establish patrol lines in the Atlantic. It was into these that the two SC convoys 42 and 44 (above), had stumbled with such heavy losses. Convoys SL87 and HG73 also lost badly and the four convoys between them saw a total of 36 merchant ships went down.
Monthly Loss Summary
- 53 British, Allied and neutral ships of 200,000 tons in the Atlantic from all causes, and 1 escort
- 2 German and 2 Italian U-boats
|
taken from : http://www.naval-history.net/WW2Camp...tlanticDev.htm
__________________
U-46 Leutnant z. S. Jakob Bock
U-47 ObLt z. S. Jaana Galland
ObLt z. S. Ernst Wagner (BdU)
|
|
|