[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...

+++++++

U 115
- KTB -
First War Patrol
(17th war patrol overall)

Thursday, 24 June 1943 - Off Cape Town -

- continued from 24 June, 0150 -

0217 - The #1 Black Swan Sloop lying beneath Lions Head is approaching our position at high speed. Rigging for Silent Running and turning away to the North.

0222 - The Sloop is going on a search pattern and a second Black Swan Sloop is approaching from direction of Cape Town. New course 345°. "Battle Stations!".

0226 - Flooding tube V (EtoFat) and turning away from the second Sloop on course 315°. All the while, a Hunt-I Destroyer is lying stopped between Lions Head and Robben Island.

0236 - Both Sloops are dropping Wabos at our diving position, after the last A/C attack. A Large Ore Carrier of 7330ts and a 2-Mast Schooner are leaving Cape Town and running close to shore on a southerly heading.

0238 - On course 270°. Closing tube V.

0254 - The Ore Carrier changes courses from SSW-West-SSW around a mean course of SW, speed 7-8kn. A 2-Mast Motor Schooner is entering Cape Town harbor. Both Sloops continue to drop Wabos at our last diving position until 0315. "Dismissed from Battle Stations!".

0325 - Both Sloops turn back toward Cape Town and the Ore Carrier turns around and heads back to Cape Town at high speed, as well.

0335 - Secured from Silent Running, as the boat is not quite outside the sonar field of the #1 Sloop. A mistake! The Sloop immediately turns around and heads toward our position at high speed. Going to course 315° and showing our stern. Rigging for Silent Running, as the Sloop begins to go on a search pattern.

0350 - The Sloop stops in relative bearing 172°, E=2800, and remains stationary, searching the water surface with searchlights.

0425 - On course 270°. We are outside the Sloop's Sound Sensor field, which is still stationary 5100m astern. Secured from Silent Running. Nonetheless, again the Sloop heads toward our position at high speed and goes on search pattern at 0427. Again, rigging for Silent Running.

0430 - The Sloop turns around for no apparent reason and runs off at high speed on course ENE, towards Robben Island.

0437 - Secured from Silent Running and Surfacing after 9.0nm and 3h 30min.; CO₂ 1.5%; Battery 83%.

0438 - Boat ventilated; Weather and Sea unchanged.

0440 - FuMB-Signals coming from direction of the Sloop.

0443 - Qu.5385GR center right - Shortly after a Magic Eye Warning, "ALARM!" for a twin-engine A/C, direct approache from NE, is already very close; 1 bomb wide to port; At first manning Flak guns but after the fly-over crash diving; Water Depth is 95m.

0445 - At A-Meter no damages. Depth under keel 10m.

0451 - Setting for Reception Depth at 96rpm.

0501 - T=20. Battery 80%; Compressed Air Supply 290Atü; CO₂ 1.1%.

0513 - Surfaced from S-Tiefe after 1.6nm and 30min.

0514 - Weather and Sea unchanged. Water Depth 105m. Boat ventilated. Sloop sighted in relative bearing 180°, coming up at high speed with AOB 0°, E=7100.

0518 - Running off at high speed. Compressed Air Supply filled. At E=6200, the Sloop turns away again and runs off at high speed towards Robben Island.

0523 - The Sloop is out of sight at 4.9nm. Reducing speed.
FuMB-Warning in 250°true, E=14500 and again at 0524 in 91°true, E=12000. Suspect ASW surface vessels. Boat remains surfaced. Water Depth 124m.

0532 - Qu.5384GR center - A/C in SW, is already very close, crosses our stern on course NE and distance of less than 1000m. Received FuMB-Warning from direction of the airplane, after it goes out of sight.

Cmdr.: Very strange: The fact that we received a FuMB-Warning after the airplane has flown off, indicates that it is equipped with radar gear. Still, it didn't attack the boat.

- to be continued -

Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...

+++++++

U 115
- KTB -
First War Patrol
(17th war patrol overall)

Thursday, 24 June 1943 - Off Cape Town -

- continued from 24 June, 0532 -

0540 - Qu.5384GR - On course 180°. Water Depth 131m.

0548 - A Sloop in relative bearing 70°, E=7700, approaching the boat at high speed at AOB 0°. Trying to evade on course 157° and A.K.

0550 - Qu.5384GR bottom center - The Sloop is coming up quickly. Diving at a distance of 6100m. T=10 after 70 Sec.

0553 - S-Tiefe, course 180°, rigging for Silent Running.
The Sloop is approaching the position where the boat was at T=10.

Cmdr.: Apparently a trap, the A/C not attacking but signaling our position to the Sloop.

0603 - The Sloop is 900m astern, drops 10 Wabos, and in due course another 40 Wabos in 4 runs astern until 0624. Each time the boat is in the Sloop's baffles, increasing speed to A.K. and thus, managing to gain distance to the Sloop.

0624 - Distance to the Sloop is 3000m. Sound contact with steamer bearing 300°, E=15500, on course 238°, speed 7kn.

0628 - The Sloop drops another 24 Wabos in 3 runs astern until 0640, E=4300.

0649 - The Sloop lies stopped 5000m astern, searching the water surface with searchlights.

0700 - Qu.5387GR center - Water Depth 124m. Distance to Sloop is 6000m. Secured from silent running. AGAIN, about 2min. after securing from silent running, the Sloop runs at high speed toward our position. Rigging for Silent Running again.

0708 - Sloop is 3200m astern, on a search pattern.

0714 - At a distance of 1500m, the Sloop starts firing with surface weapons at our periscope.

0717 - ASDIC! Water Depth is 118m. Diving to Reception Depth.

0718 - Boat is located by ASDIC. Secured from Silent Running, ejecting Bold (8 remaining), and diving deeper with A.K. At T=30, the first series of 12 Wabos, strong concussions, broken glass.

0722 - Rigging for Silent Running. At A+30, depth under keel is 10m. L.I. reports that the boat sustained another 2% hull damage (9% accumulation since leaving BDX): 9% => 91% of 230m = 209.3m safe max. diving depth).

From 0715 until 0745, another 40 Wabos in 4 runs, each time further astern (attacking the Bold?).

0745 - Sound contact with steamer bearing 267°, E=16000, on course 239°, speed 7-8kn. Setting for A+20.

From 0746 until 0752, another 20 Wabos in 2 runs astern. Distance is 3000m.

0755 - Setting for A-Meter.

0757 - 12 Wabos 3300m astern.

0805 - A-Meter. Lost sound contact with Sloop (again, lying still?). Steamer sound contact 0624 now located in Qu.5621GR bottom left, on course 205°. Setting for Reception Depth.

0815 - T=20.

0818 - At S-Tiefe, the Sloop is seen lying stopped 3900m astern. Steamer sound contact 0745 comes into sight, is a Clan-Type-Transport of 2350ts.

- to be continued -