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Originally Posted by Jimbuna
Probably the best animation out there of the event.
Re-enactment footage.
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Thanks, have not seen this yet.
Though this IX D.2 (!) was not "sunk by using hydrophones". edit: just reread
U 864 was primarily detected because of the code breaking, and it was the third time the boat was there, having returned two times because of technical problems already. The third time the british sub was able to sink it. U-864 was heading back the third time, this time because of Diesel engine problems.
The british sub knew position and mission of U-864 via the british tapping service, having broken the code already earlier in the war (no, not the US and not U-571
).
So the british "Venturer" may have then heard the german boat via hydrophones, but it was also clearly to be seen running a regular zig-zag course, surfaced.
The english crew was able to foresay the course, and fired four torpedoes from a distance of roughly two kilometers. The fourth torpedo was set to a deeper run, assuming the german boat would dive when it saw the incoming torpedoes, and so it did. The fourth torpedo hit, and U-864 sank.
It was not exactly an "underwater duel"..