[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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KTB - U 113

Wednesday, 17 December 1941 - On Path "Kernleder" -

0600 - Point "Kern" - Diving for trial dive according B.d.U.-Standing Order 507, 135rpm, 3kn.

0632 - Boat is safe and secure at 2A-Meter. Setting Reception Depth.

0650 - T=20. Officers and Petty Officers conference in the Control Room. The Commander gives a briefing about the operational targets of this war cruise. Also, the crew needs to be on high alert while the boat is in Qu.BF40, due to expected heavy enemy air cover. The Petty/Officers are to inform the crew accordingly.

0656 - S-Tiefe. Early Morning Dawn.

0700 - Surfaced after 1h and 2.1sm.
Weather unchanged since Lorient. Battery 9900Ah.

0814 - Sunrise. Weather unchanged since Lorient.

1125 - New course 256°. From now on, "All hands on 'Quivive'!".

1200 - Qu.4399BF - Days Run - since Lorient (22h 45'):
255.7sm - ↗ 253.6sm (21h 45') - ↘ 2.1sm (1h).
232.1cbm (7.9cbm/23h). On course 256°. Battery 9900Ah. 14 internal and 8 external eels. Weather unchanged since Lorient (24h).

1201 - Second position and status request for U 557 (VIIC, Kvtkpt. Paulssen) and third position request from B.d.U. to U 127 (IXC, Kvtkpt. Hansmann), boat is presumed lost.

(U 127, IXC, KvtKpt. Bruno Hansmann, was sunk on its first war patrol, while operating on convoy HG.76, on 15 December 1941 in the North Atlantic west of Gibraltar, in position 36.28N, 09.12W, by depth charges from the Australian destroyer HMAS Nestor. 51 dead, all hands lost.)

1248 - Qu.4399BF - ALARM! Twin engine airplane approaching from 30°true, E=7500. At T=50, 5-6 bombs, moderate concussions. At A-20, no damages.

1303 - At Reception Depth.

1308 - Surfaced after 20min. and 1.2sm.
Weather unchanged since Lorient. Battery 9700Ah.

1556 - Qu.4623BF - ALARM! Single engine airplane approaching from 25°true, E=9000. At A-20 no bombs.

1612 - At Reception Depth.

1616 - Surfaced after 20min. and 1.1sm.
Weather unchanged since Lorient. Battery 9600Ah.

1631 - Incoming F.T.: From U 131:
After heavy Wabo attack, unable to dive. Repelled aircraft attack by shooting down airplane. Being surrounded by destroyers, scuttling the boat. - Kvtkpt. Baumann -

1643 - Sundown. Weather unchanged since Lorient.

2222 - Qu.4615BF - ALARM! 2-3 twin engine airplanes attacking the boat. E=5000. Direct approach in complete darkness! 3-4 bombs about 100-150m astern. Machine Gun Fire. After the airplanes passing over, crash diving. During the diving process, 3-4 bombs at T=40 and at T=50, another 3 bombs.

2224 - At A-20, no damages!

2238 - Boat remains submerged at A-20, 105rpm, 2kn. No silent running.

Boat operating acc. to Op.-Orders "Paukenschlag".

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.

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

+++++

KTB - U 113

Thursday, 18 December 1941 - Bay of Biscay -

Cmdr.: Today, U 125 (IXC), Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers, will leave for Operation "Paukenschlag".

0019 - O₂ = 20% (1h 57').

0359 - O₂ = 19% (3h 50').

0739 - O₂ = 18% (3h 40').

0752 - At Reception Depth.
Incoming F.T.: From U 751:
Qu.8756BE. Aircraft Carrier protecting convoy HG.76. Constantly fast single engine fighters in the air. Calm wind and sea. - Bigalk -

0800 - Surfaced after 9h 38' and 21.9sm.
Weather unchanged since Lorient. Battery 8700Ah.

Incoming F.T.: From U 434:
Convoy HG.76: Diving from airplanes! - Hyda -

Cmdr.: Convoy HG.76 seems to be very well protected by air and sea!

0810 - Boat ventilated. 2xH.F.

0817 - Qu.4539BF - ALARM! One twin engine airplane in 50°true, E=10000, on a southwestern heading.

0819 - At A-20, no bombs.

Cmdr: "Most likely didn't see us."

0820 - Sunrise.

0834 - At Reception Depth.

0837 - Surfaced after 20min. and 1.1sm.
Weather unchanged since Lorient. Battery 8600Ah. 2xH.F.

Cmdr.: The Intel Briefing about the very strong air cover in the Bay of Biscay and Qu.BF40 in particular, was not exaggerated!

0855 - Incoming F.T.:
Different contact reports of convoy HG.76

0901 - F.T. from B.d.U.: To Group "Seeräuber":
Operate on Convoy HG.76, according to contact reports 0855/18.

Group "Seeräuber" consists of:
U-67(IXC), Kptlt.Günther Müller-Stöckheim
U-71(VIIC), Oblt.Hardo Rodler von Roithberg
U-107(IXB), Oblt.Harald Gelhaus
U-108(IXB), KvtKpt.Klaus Scholtz
U-127(IXC), KvtKpt.Bruno Hansmann
U-131(IXC), KvtKpt.Arend Baumann
U-434(VIIC), Kptlt.Wolfgang Heyda
U-574(VIIC), Oblt.Dietrich Gengelbach

1016 - Qu.4561BF - ALARM! 3 Catalina approaching from 40°true on course SW, E=11000.

1019 - At A-20, no bombs.

1031 - At Reception Depth.

1036 - Surfaced after 20min. and 1.1sm.
Weather unchanged since Lorient. Battery 8500Ah. 2xH.F.

1200 - Qu.4555BF - Days Run: 146.1sm - ↗ 119.7sm (13h 02') - ↘ 26.4sm (10h 58').
228.6cbm (3.5cbm/24h). On course 258°. Battery 8500Ah. 14 internal and 8 external torpedoes. Weather unchanged since Lorient (48h).

1201 - Incoming F.T.: From B.d.U.:
First position and status request for U 131 (Baumann) and U 434 (Hyda), and third position and status request for U 557 (Paulssen), boat is presumed lost.

(U 557, VIIC, KrvKpt. Ottokar Arnold Paulssen, sank on 16 December 1941 in the Mediterranean Sea west of Crete, in position 35.31N, 23.19E, after erroneous ramming by the Italian torpedo boat Orione; 43 dead, all hands lost.)

1530 - 1/3-Ahead.

1655 - Sundown. Weather unchanged since Lorient.

2052 - Boat operating on ship contact report 2040/18, in Qu.4487BF, on course NNE, medium speed.

2113 - "Smoke plume ahead!". It is the ship contact report 2040/18 and is identified as a small tramp steamer type merchant. Running off on southerly heading, acc. Op.-Orders "Paukenschlag".

2133 - Back to general course 259°.

Boat operating acc. to Op.-Orders "Paukenschlag".

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.