[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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Monday, 22 February 1943 - Danzig

At Danziger Werft AG, for Repairs and Overhaul.

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Winston Churchill is said to be "on the mend" after a severe fever.

Air Marshall Sir Arthur Harris is appointed chief of RAF Bomber Command with a new remit: attempting to hit specific military and industrial targets is, in the main, to be abandoned in favour of the most densely built-up areas of German cities. The area bombing directive essentially says that if the RAF cannot destroy the factories it should destroy the homes and the morale of the workforce.

German Armeegruppe Mitte launches an offensive between the Dneiper and Donets Rivers in southern Russia.

Allied troops pre-emptively strike the Axis attacking forces near Thala, Tunisia.

Enemy reports torpedoing of a destroyer in the vicinity of Cape Spartel indicates a new sinking through the mines laid by U 118 (XB; Korvkpt. Werner Czygan), since no German boat was operating in this area at the time.

Convoy No. 10 (ON.166):
The weather situation in the area of the convoy was wind W. 4, sea 3 and variable visibility at midday on the 22nd February. Towards evening wind was S.W. 7.
The contact with the convoy was not broken. At 1025 U 606 (Oblt. Hans-Heinrich Döhler) detected the convoy again in BD 5551. U 603 (Oblt. Hans-Joachim Bertelsmann) also contacted it at 1035 and U 628 (Oblt. Heinrich Hasenschar) at 1601 in BD 5458. In the course of the night U 92, 358, 223 and 186 also came up to the convoy. At 0738 U 628 reported it in BD 4564. According to the reports of the boats it was proceeding at 8 knots and maintaining its mean course of 250 - 260°.
Few reports were received regarding enemy escort. No air cover at all was reported. U 753 (Korvkpt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein) reported having been depth-charged, one Diesel being out of action for 20 hours and main periscope and stern tube being faulty. She received orders to operate against the subsequent Graef convoy after repairs. 5 boats reported being driven off by destroyers. The operation on the convoy is being continued. 5 boats from the supply group will also operate against the convoy, i.e. U 358, 707, 223, 186 and 403.

Convoy No. 11 (ON.167):
Last contact report came from U 664 (Oblt. Adolf Graef): 0945 enemy in BD 3568. No further contact.
Boats operating in this area will form Group "Sturmbock". Operational orders, course 230 - 250°, enemy speed 7 - 9 knots. Indications of convoy route: U 403 (Kptlt. Heinz-Ehlert Clausen) reported at 0128 on 23rd single destroyer BD 6116, 236°, speed slow. U 753 (Korvkpt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein) reported at 0510 destroyer in BD 5238, no hydrophone fix. According to this the convoy is following Convoy No. 11.

Convoy No. 12 (UC.1):
U 522 (Kptlt. Herbert Schneider) reported at 1413 convoy in DH 1165. The following were sent into operation Group "Rochen" including U 66, 521, 43, 218, 504, 558, 87 and 202. In addition U 107, 382, 569 of Group "Robbe". U 522 reported continuous contact until 2016. Mean course of the convoy 235°, speed 10 knots. After losing contact the boats were ordered to search in the sector from 280 - 230°, 2 boats each in a 10° sector, one boat at enemy speed 11 knots, the other 9 knots. U 107 (Kptlt. Harald Gelhaus) broke off operations as she was too far away. U 522 freedom of action. At 0740 U 522 again contacted the convoy in DG 6239. Group "Rochen" was sent in.

Rendezvous of supply Group "Schnoor" ("Milkcow" U 460; Kptlt. Ebe Schnoor) will be revised to BD 4355 in view of the direct westerly course of the convoy. The boats there are ordered to operate against Convoy No. 10 or, if refueling later, against Convoy No. 11. Further refueling is permitted. For this reason U 462 (U-tanker; Oblt. Bruno Vowe) is ordered to proceed to BD 81 at high speed.

Since Group "Rochen" has been ordered to operate against Convoy No. 12, refueling from "Milkcow" U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler) has been temporarily suspended. U 461 will, therefore, arrive at 1600 on the 23rd February in CF 7355 with U 511 (Oblt. Fritz Schneewind) to carry out refueling and to supply a Radar intercept antenna. Subsequently U 461 will proceed at slow speed behind the convoy, U 511 will cover the operational area ordered off Gibraltar.

U 620 (Kptlt. Heinz Stein) and U 442 (FrgKpt. Hans-Joachim Hesse) have not replied in spite of repeated orders to report. U 442 last reported on the 9th February a destroyer in CG 4861 and U 620 on the 12th February two destroyers in CF 9266. Both boats had been ordered to return, but up to now have not arrived in their port of destination. They were probably lost on operations on the south-bound Gibraltar convoy, sighted by U 569 (Oblt.z.S.d.R. Hans Johannsen) on the 12th or 13 February in area CG 40. On the night of the 13th February several U-boats were attacked by aircraft (British Intelligence reports).

Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie, members of the White Rose, are executed in Stadelheim Prison in Munich.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) conducts Torpedo Firing Training with the 25th Flotilla Danzig.

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RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115

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

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Tuesday, 23 February 1943 - Danzig

At Danziger Werft AG, for Repairs and Overhaul.

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Erwin Rommel orderes his forces in western Tunisia to move east to avoid being attacked on both sides.

Convoy No. 10 (ON.166):
The weather situation in the area of the convoy was wind W. 2, sea 3 on the 23rd February midday. Towards evening it freshened to west south west 5, sea 4. At 1030 U 707 (Oblt. Günther Gretschel) contacted the convoy and reported it continuously until 0110 on the 24th. Besides this boat the following also approached the convoy, U 621, 358, 653, 468, 92, 600 and 628. On the morning of the 24th U 628 (Oblt. Heinrich Hasenschar) reported the convoy in BC 9361.
According to data, the convoy had maintained its mean course of 250° until 0200 on the 24th. According to the latest report of U 628 it was proceeding at 8 knots.
There was no air cover with the convoy on the 23rd. 4 boats reported being depth-charged, U 454 (Kptlt. Burckhard Hackländer) with serious damage, so that the boats had to turn back. U 303, 223, 186 and 358 also broke off the operation in order to refuel.
The operation against the convoy is being continued.

Convoy No. 11 (ON.167):
No contact.
According to aircraft locations, the convoy is about in the same latitude. A patrol line has been ordered from BC 3995 to BD 4755.
In operation: U 758, 664, 591, 84, 432, 409, 753, 332, 383, 226, 607.
The location reports received from the boats show that the majority are probably already behind the convoy.
The convoy is awaited towards 1800 on the 25th February in the area of the patrol line.

Convoy No. 12 (UC.1):
Contact constantly by U 522 (Kptlt. Herbert Schneider), which dived for attack at 1540. Since then contact by U 202 (Kptlt. Günter Poser) until 2220, then by U 87 (Kptlt. Joachim Berger) until 0820. Convoy route DG 6239, squares 6191, 5624, 5812.
All the boats contacted the convoy which consisted of 16 large ships in two lines abreast, with 2 destroyers each as remote escort fore and aft, two destroyers and two corvettes as close escort. Speed of convoy was 10 knots. Probably convoy bound from Gibraltar to America.
Weather: wind S.E. 2-3, sea 1 - 2, 1/10 - 3/10 clouded, good visibility.
In the course of night attacks 5 boats were seen by escorts and attacked with depth charges.
Sinkings:
U 382 ptlt. Herbert Juli): 2214 1 "Falke" on a bunch of steamers, hits not observed, since submerged. 1 single F.A.T. and a two-fan on 2/8,000 tonners, 3 hits heard. Sinkings probable.
U 202 (Kptlt. Günter Poser): At 2220 in CG 5624 1 tanker, 1 steamer each 6,000 GRT sunk 2 further hits probable.
U 569 (Oblt.z.S.d.R. Hans Johannsen): At 2230 3 hits on large tanker, effect not observed, since she dived on account of destroyers.

U 180 (IXD1; Fregkpt. Werner Musenberg) will proceed over BD 80 and is to take over there from "Milkcow" U 462 (Oblt. Bruno Vowe), 60 cbm. fuel and the casks for special purposes (U-180 to meet I-29 in the Indian Ocean to transfer two Indian Nationalists to the Japanese submarine, one of whom is Subhas Chandra Bose. I-29 to put both men ashore at Sumatra).

Rendezvous "Milkcow" U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler) and U 511 (Oblt. Fritz Schneewind) for handing over Radar interception cables carried out.

U 403, 525, 607, 226, 283 refueled from "Milkcow" U 460 (Kptlt. Ebe Schnoor).

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) conducts Torpedo Firing Training with the 25th Flotilla Danzig.

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RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115