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Originally Posted by Kapitän
Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...
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Sunday, 31 January 1943 - Stettin
Conducting tactical exercises and training with the 4th Training Flotilla (Freg.Kpt. Heinz FISCHER), Stettin and AGRU-Front, (Kvt.Kpt.-Ing. H. MÜLLER).
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B.d.U. Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, is appointed as Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine (ObdM) - (Commander in Chief of the German Navy)!
Out of food and ammunition, the southern half of the German 6.Armee in Stalingrad surrenders; The final radio message coming out of this pocket is made at 1945 hours, which closed with the Morse abbreviation "CL", short for "Clear (I am closing my station)". Shortly after, 110 German transport aircraft take off for the northern pocket with supplies; more than 90 of the aircraft find the illuminated triangular drop zone and released their loads.
The British RAF Bomber Command uses the H2S radar system for the first time operationally.
U 187 (Kptlt. Ralph Münnich) reported suspicious looking isolated vessels on a course of 50 in AK 8922. No contact. The boat is reminded in this connection that the presence of "Q-boats" in the open sea is unlikely.
New position for U 439, 653 and 332 = BD 24, for U 265 = AK 02. Operations on convoys are intended with these boats.
U 584 (Kptlt. Kurt Nölke) has broken off the ordered special duty (attack on convoy traffic in BF 2190; "Op. Lands End") owing to own strong noise interference. Instead, U 71 (Oblt. Hardo Rodler von Roithberg) with a relatively large amount of fuel - 44 cubic meters - is detailed for this task.
U 376 (Kptlt. Friedrich-Karl Marks) lost the Warrant Quartermaster/3.W.O. (OStrm. Heinz Richter) overboard. After relief procured in Hellisoc (Bergen) passage continued.
U 553 (KrvKpt. Karl Thurmann!) has been requested repeatedly since 28.1 to send position report without, however, an answer being received. The last W/T message dated 20.1 was from BE 6113.
U-553 was last seen by U-465 (Kptlt. Heinz Wolf) south-west of Ireland in position 48.15N, 15.35W in the evening on 20 January 1943, and had reported troubles with its periscope the day before.
Subsequently, the boat was ordered to join "Landsknecht" and disposed in a patrol line. When and how U 553 was lost is not known.
Its loss must be presumed.
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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Monday,
1 February 1943 - Stettin
Conducting tactical exercises and training with the 4th Training Flotilla (Freg.Kpt. Heinz FISCHER), Stettin and AGRU-Front, (Kvt.Kpt.-Ing. H. MÜLLER).
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Japanese troops begin to be evacuated from Guadalcanal by destroyers.
Trapped in the ruins of a department store in Stalingrad, Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrenders the southern pocket along with 14 of his generals; Paulus becomes the first German field marshal to surrender to an enemy force. Fighting continues in the northern pocket, however, and 85 of the 108 transport aircraft dispatched to airdrop supplies to the northern pocket are able to do so. Meanwhile, our troops fall back from Demyansk, Russia.
The Führer's special train "Amerika" is renamed "Brandenburg".
U 175 (Kptlt. Heinrich Bruns) heavily depth-charged by aircraft in EJ 9677 on 30.1. Heavy loss of fuel, ability to dive restricted. Early refuelling from U 118 (XB; Korvkpt. Werner Czygan) planned.
U 377 (Kptlt. Otto Köhler) is on her way to Peterhead and reports constant unmistakable radar location transmission from shore (AN 1616). She is moving away to the East. Boat has been informed that she is unlikely to be picked up by shore radar at such long range.
U 584 (Kptlt. Kurt Nölke) reported that she was still fit for operations and was allocated square AL 84 as temporary attack area.
Convoy No. 4 (HX.224):
At 1231/1/2 U 456 (Kptlt. Max-Martin Teichert) reported a convoy on a N. course in AK 9117. The former "Landsknecht" boats proceeding W. should already have been a long way astern of the convoy and all "Landsknecht" boats were therefore ordered to report by short signal if they were operating against convoy Teichert. 3 boats reported and of these only U 614 was detailed. The 2 others were hopelessly far astern and will join Group "Pfeil", which is being disposed along the course of this convoy, as it is believed that this is the HX and that the SC convoy may be astern of the HX on the same route. Besides U 615, U 632 and U 257 were also detailed against the convoy.
U 456 shadowed constantly until morning. The convoy was steering a main course of 10 to 15° and was making about 8 knots. At 0344 U 456 reported that she has sunk an 8,000 GRT freighter. The convoy was in AK 6271 at 0200/2 and the operation continues.
According to agent's and Radio Intelligence reports, a convoy passed Group "Rochen" on 31.1 and another one on 1.2 on N. and S. courses respectively. Boats have once more been reminded to keep a sharp lookout.
U 518 (Kptlt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann) is to be detailed against the Brazilian coastal traffic. New approach point is FJ 30.
Cruiser Köln departs Germany for the Baltic Sea.
U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) commences Tactical Exercises in the Baltic Sea.
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RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115