[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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Tuesday, 17 February 1942 - NNE of the Azores -

- Ninth week at sea completed -

0545 - Breakfast for the Port Machine Watch.

0600 - Port Machine Watch on duty. Wake up and morning wash for the rest of the crew.

0630 - Breakfast for the remaining crew.

0639 - Sunrise. Weather and Sea unchanged since 16 Feb., 1640h.

0700 - Qu.7455BE - Swab-the-decks for the Off-Watch.

0845 - Daily work routine for the Off-Watch.

1200 - Qu.7463BE - Days Run: 173.7sm (↗24h).
75.6cbm (2.6cbm/24h). On course 78°. Battery 10000Ah. 2 internal Ato. 136x10.5cm-SpG. 7676xM.G.-2cm-C/30-PbG. Weather and Sea unchanged since 16 Feb., 1640h. - Lunch -

1216 - Incoming F.T.: From U 108:
Traffic to America stopped excepting close inshore. Moderate northeast traffic in DC 12-21 and south of it. (English) Night route for traffic to America via shallow water. Sunk: 4 freighters totaling 22,000 BRT. Protracted return voyage. 3 torpedoes, 65cbm. - Scholtz -

1228 - Incoming F.T.: From U 502 (Neuland boat):
On 16 Feb., sank 2 tankers totaling 3,300 tons off the northwest coast of Paraguana, and scored 2 hits on a 1500 ton tanker. On 17th Nicolaashaven (Aruba) was completely blacked out, 3 patrol boats, no traffic. Air patrol by day. Impossible to use ship's guns. 145cbm. - von Rosenstiel -

1300 - Diving for torpedo maintenance and trial dive. 135rpm/3kn. Daily work routine for the Off-Watch.

1310 - T=50. Beginning of torpedo maintenance.

1440 - Tubes I&IV serviced.

1445 - Beginning of Trial Dive acc. B.d.U.-Standing Order 507. 135rpm/3kn. O₂ = 20%.

1448 - A-Meter.

1505 - Boat is safe and secure at 2A-Meter.
Testing E-Motors:
135rpm=3kn
185rpm=4kn
250rpm=6kn
296rpm=7kn
305rpm=7.5kn

1527 - Sundown. At Reception depth.

1530 - Surfaced after 2h 30min. and 7.0sm.
Weather and Sea unchanged since 16 Feb., 1640h.

1600 - Boat ventilated. Charging batteries (9300Ah):
Port-Diesel Propulsion, 285RPM/7kn;
Stbd.-Diesel Charging, 496RPM.

1640 - Batteries charged (40 min. for 700Ah). 2x235RPM/7kn.

1715 - Dinner for the crew.

1801 - Norddeich Radio sending report about the war in Asia-Pacific: Dutch-East-India:
While Allied planes were attacking Japanese shipping on 13 February, Kawasaki Ki-56 transport planes of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Chutai, Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF), dropped 460 Teishin Shudan (Raiding Group) paratroopers over Pangkalan Benteng airfield on Sumatra. At the same time Mitsubishi Ki-21 bombers from the 98th Sentai dropped supplies for paratroopers. As many as 180 men from the Japanese 2nd Parachute Regiment, under Colonel Seiichi Kume, dropped between Palembang and Pangkalan Benteng, and more than 90 men came down west of the refineries at Plaju. Although the Japanese paratroopers failed to capture the Pangkalan Benteng airfield, at the Plaju oil refinery they managed to gain possession of the entire complex, which was undamaged. However, the second oil refinery in Sungai Gerong was successfully demolished by the Allies. A makeshift counter-attack by Landstorm troops and anti-aircraft gunners from Prabumulih managed to retake the complex but took heavy losses. The planned demolition failed to do any serious damage to the refinery, but the oil stores were set ablaze. Two hours after the first drop, another 60 Japanese paratroopers were dropped near Pangkalan Benteng airfield. As the Japanese landing force approached Sumatra, the remaining Allied aircraft attacked it, and the Japanese transport ship Otawa Maru was sunk. Hurricanes flew up the rivers, machine-gunning Japanese landing craft. However, on the afternoon of 15 February, all Allied aircraft were ordered to Java, where a major Japanese attack was anticipated, and the Allied air units had withdrawn from southern Sumatra by the evening of 16 February 1942. Other personnel were evacuated via Oosthaven (now Bandar Lampung) by ships to Java or India.

2100 - Lights-Out for the Off-Watch.

2340 - Wake-Up for the 1st Sea Watch and the Stbd.-Machine Watch.

2400 - "Mittelwächter" (Midnight coffee) for the Watch on duty.

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 ...

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Wednesday, 18 February 1942 - North of the Azores -

0629 - Sunrise. Weather and Sea unchanged since 16 Feb., 1640h.

1200 - Qu.7385BE - Days Run: 159.4sm - ↗ 152.4sm (21h 30') - ↘ 7.0sm (2h 30').
75.6cbm (2.6cbm/24h). On course 79°. Battery 10000Ah. 2 internal Ato. 136x10.5cm-SpG. 7676xM.G.-2cm-C/30-PbG. Weather and Sea unchanged since 16 Feb., 1640h.

1510 - Sundown. Weather and Sea unchanged since 16 Feb., 1640h.

1651 - Incoming F.T.: From U 108:
Have sunk from dispersed convoy ON.62, the British Somme, 5265ts, northeast of Bermuda, in Qu.CB8926. - Scholtz -

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

RST

Kptlt.&Cmdr.