Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...
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U 115
- KTB -
First War Patrol
(17th war patrol overall)
Tuesday,
13 July 1943 - Southeast of the Mascarene Islands -
- 10th week at sea completed -
1000 - Early Morning Dawn.
1101 - Sunrise.
1200 - Qu.1293KS -
Days Run: 184.9nm - ↗ 24h
Total: 12469.2nm (69tg 22h) - ↗ 12046.4nm (63tg 07h 05') - ↘ 422.8nm (6tg 14h 55')
Course 20°; 507.5cbm (2.5cbm in 24h); Battery 100%; 2xEtoFat; 8xBold.
ESE7/6, overcast, light haze, visibility ~3.5nm, ~1000mb (Weather & Sea unchanged in 1w 2d 12h)
1206 -
Outgoing F.T.:
To B.d.U.:
Supply from Schliemann completed. Compressor still faulty. 2 EtoFat, 507cbm. Continue outbound voyage according Op.-Orders. ESE7/6, overcast, light haze, visibility ~3.5nm. - RST -
1439 -
Incoming F.T.:
From U 607:
Air attack. Casualties. Sinking. - Jeschonnek -
Cmdr.:
U 607 was previously commanded by Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen (ex U 101).
1708 -
Incoming F.T.:
From Schliemann:
Positioned in Marqu.4661KS bottom right.
Cmdr.:
Is 27° 27' S, 62°53' E.
2140 - Sundown.
2312 -
Incoming Radio Reports:
From O.K.W.:
a) After our advances at
Kursk were stopped, The Führer ordered Operation Citadelle to be suspended, and told Erich von Manstein that the forces to repel the Allied thrust through Italy and the Balkans would have to be found from the Eastern Front.
b) On
Sicily, the Allies were able to take the cities of Augusta and Ragusa, as well as captured the Primosole Bridge over the Simeto River by the British 1st Airborne Division, despite our heavy resistance. Meanwhile, British Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst, moved his Western Desert Air Force Headquarters to Pachino, Sicily, with three squadrons of Spitfire VC fighters under his command. Over the next week, our Luftwaffe operations will be reduced from 275-300 sorties per day to less than 150.
c) In the Gulf of Kula of New Georgia in the Salomon Islands, the Japanese sank the US Destroyer Gwin and heavily damaged 3 US Cruisers, while loosing only the Cruiser Jintsu.
From O.K.M.:
a) In Bremen, the Atlas Werke AG held its final General Meeting. Shortly after, Krupp will take over Atlas's operations and will rename the company Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH.
From B.d.U.:
a) U 709 (Oblt. Karl-Otto Weber) is starting on her return passage with one battery having completed repairs.
b) U 43 (IX; Oblt. Hans-Joachim Schwantke; ex Lüth) sailed today for mining operation.
c) U 177 (IXD2; KrvKpt. Robert Gysae) and U 181 (IXD2; KrvKpt. Wolfgang Lüth) will again operate off Capetown during the next new moon period. Until then they have freedom of action.
d) "Milkcow" U 462 (Oblt. Bruno Vowe) which was to have been the tanker for the
Far Eastern boats, and was to have refueled them in about FD 20, is again out of action. The Far Eastern boats will therefore have to be supplied further N. than intended, (DG 7754). As the tanker U 487's (Oblt.d.R. Helmut Metz) stocks will not be sufficient an outward-bound operational boat (U 160; IXC; Oblt. Gerd von Pommer-Esche) will have to be used as reserve tanker. It will then be possible to let all Far Eastern boats, as well as
U 648 (Oblt.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl), have 40 cbm and the corresponding provisions and also to supply U 527 (Kptlt. Herbert Uhlig) for her return passage. After supplying on approximately 15 July,
U 648 (Oblt.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) will steer for EO 20.
With this quantity of fuel the Far Eastern boats can reach
Penang without difficulty, if for some reason the second supply cannot take place.
The IXC and VIIC boats at present on outward passage will have to occupy their attack areas without first refueling. For this reason the VIIC boats which have so far been replenished by the tanker are to operate in the Caribbean or off the Brazilian coast, so that the VIIC boats proceeding south without refueling can occupy the less remote sea area off Freetown. The boats should be able to arrive there with about 80 cbm. If the 3 next U-tankers to sail get through Biscay unscathed one of them will go to ER, so that the boats off Freetown can remain as long as possible in their operations area. They must start their return passage with about 20 cbm, and would thus have 60 cbm to use until then in their operational area.
The second U-tanker is to proceed as far west as possible to supply the Caribbean and American boats. Nothing has been decided yet for the last tanker to leave.
RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115