[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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Friday, 24 April 1942 - North of Anguilla -

0150 - Incoming F.T.0150/24: From B.d.U.:
B-Dienst reporting that convoy 2340/23 is now in Qu.8958DO, on course 98°, speed 7k. - B.d.U. -

0152 - On new course 283°. 2xH.F.

0230 - "Smoke Plume Ahead!".

At first it appears that there are 6 steamers in 2 columns, but at a distance of 5000m it can be seen, that there are 6 steamers in keel line.

0238 - Boat on course 0°, in order to reach the luff-side and the side opposite of the moon, which will rise in about 2h.

Convoy consist of from front to back:
1. Coastal Steamer, 1174ts, draught 3.8m
2. Granville Freighter, 2010ts, draught 6.1m
3. Patrol Boat, 610ts, draught 2.5m
4. Coastal Tanker, 1250ts, draught 4.6m
5. Side-Wheeler, 2540ts, draught 4.7m
6. Coastal Steamer, 1174ts, draught 3.8m

0245 - Turning boat hard to stbd. and unto attack course 187°. "Battle Stations!".

0250 - Decks awash and preparing boat for surface attack acc. B.d.U.-Standing Order 302.

0302 - Flooding tube II.

0305 - Qu.8959DO - Single Shot with tube II: G7a/G7H (K-a/AZ); Running depth 3m; Vt30; Own course 187°; Own speed 1kn ahead; Shooter: Ltnt.z.S & I.W.O. Rainer SCHEUFLER.
Target ship: Pos.2 Granville Freighter of 2010ts, draught 6.1m.
Target course 98°; Target distance 950m; Target angle red86°; Target speed 7kn; Firing angle α 345°.

Closing tubes II. Flooding tube III.

0306 - Qu.8959DO - Single Shot with tube III: G7a/G7H (K-a/AZ); Running depth 1m; Vt44; Own course 187°; Own speed 1kn ahead; Shooter: Ltnt.z.S & I.W.O. Rainer SCHEUFLER.
Target ship: Pos.3 Patrol Boat of 610ts, draught 2.5m.
Target course 98°; Target distance 1000m; Target angle red67°; Target speed 7kn; Firing angle α 014°.

Closing tubes III.

Both torpedoes are hits after 59sec. First on the Granville Freighter midships and second on the Patrol Boat in the stern. The Patrol Boat explodes and sinks by the stern within 1 minute, while the Granville Freighter capzises to port and sinks on an even keel after about 2 minutes.

0308 - Blowing tanks and manning the deck gun. E=800.

0309 - "Weapons Free!". Engaging the Coastal Tanker.
After 2 shots and hits (136 remaining) - debries are flying through the air - the Side Wheeler is shining a search light at the boat and is firing with flak guns mounted on the bow, midships and stern. The rear Coastal Freighter is firing with a stern gun. At first the shots are way off but in due course getting closer.

0311 - After 17 shots and 16 hits (119 remaining) on the Side-Wheeler the rear Coastal Freighter scores a close hit. Distance now is 500m. The Flak, the Bow Torpedo Tubes and the Bow Compartment are taking some damage. The pressure hull also seems to have suffered some damage.

0312 - "ALARM!". Crash diving from firing merchants. Regaining trim at 45m and coming back up to T=20. The steamers can be heard above, running right over our position.

0320 - Back at Reception Depth, the damages to the Bow Torpedo Tubes and Bow Compartment are repaired. 135rpm/3kn.

0330 - On course 98°. Commencing loading of tubes II & III with the G7e torpedoes stored above the floor plates.

0352 - Tubes II & III reloaded. "Dismissed from Battle Stations!".

0355 - Commenced Trial Dive acc. B.d.U.-Standing Order 507.

0420 - Boat is safe and secure at 2A-Meter. Setting for Reception Depth.

0437 - At Reception Depth.

0439 - S-Tiefe. The Half Moon has risen in the Southeast. The steamers can seen in the glowing light from the burning tanker in relative bearing 347°.

- to be continued -

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

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- continued from 24 April, 0439h -

0442 - Surfaced after 1h 30min. and 4.3sm.
Weather and Sea unchanged. The steamers are about 4000m ahead. Boat is moving back to the darker luff side of the convoy. Battery 9500Ah, Compressed Air Supply 5.5Atü.

0446 - On Course 60°. 2x1/3-Ahead.

Cmdr.: The plan is to engage the steamers with the deck gun one-by-one from the rear, as they are positioned in front of the halfmoon.

0455 - Light damages to the Flak repaired. The steamers are now back in keel-line, on course 98°.

0515 - Approaching with a narrow angle, first on course 118°, and now on course 96°. Back to "Battle Stations!". "Manning Deck Gun!".

0520 - Qu.8968DO - The steamers are postioned in front of the halfmoon in relative bearing 006°, E=2000. Small-Ahead/7kn. At E=2000, "Weapons Free!".

0523 - After 18 shots and 16 hits (101 remaining), the rear Coastal Freighter sinks, all the while, firing with her stern gun. 1 boat with 3-4 survivors is seen, while chasing after the Side-Wheeler.

0524 - After 5 shots and 4 hits (96 remaining), the Side-Wheeler sinks, also, firing a deck gun during the engagement. In total 22 shots and 20 hits were scored on her. 1 boat with 3-4 survivors is seen.

0530 - "Weapons Free!", on the Coastal Tanker. E=1500.

0532 - After 15 shots and 14 hits (81 remaining), the Coastal Tanker sinks, all the while exploding and burning but sinking only after a total of 16 hits. 1 boat with 3-4 survivors is seen.

0533 - Compressed Air Supply filled. The boat has to chase down the lead Coastal Freighter, that is zig-zagging and senden "SSS".

0540 - "Weapons Free!", on the lead Coastal Freighter. E=2000.

0544 - After 17 shots and hits (64 remaining), the Coastal Freighter sinks under very thick smoke (had heavy smoke all along). Approached the sinking position and questioned and supplied 7 survivors in 2 boats.

0600 - Running off with high speed on southerly heading.
"Dismissed from Battle Stations!".

- to be continued -