[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

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

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Wednesday, 3 February 1943 - Stettin

Conducting tactical exercises and training together with U 648 (Stahl)*, with the 4th Training Flotilla (Freg.Kpt. Heinz FISCHER), Stettin and AGRU-Front, (Kvt.Kpt.-Ing. H. MÜLLER).

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During the day, the German OKW issues an announcement to inform the German public of the defeat at Stalingrad. The message, read over the radio, is preceded by a solemn drum roll and is followed by the 2nd movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's 5th symphony.
12 He 111 aircraft, with supplies on board, fly over the northern pocket of Stalingrad, before dawn. Of the 11 aircraft that reach the intended drop zone, only 3 drop some of their cargo, as they find no friendly activity.

Convoy No. 4 (HX.224):
The remaining 4 boats continued the operation in favorable, calm S.W. weather. The convoy was clearly making for the North Channel at 9 knots. U 456 (Kptlt. Max-Martin Teichert) and U 614 (Kptlt. Wolfgang Sträter) continued to shadow. Towards midnight contact was lost, after U 456 had last reported the convoy in AL 6133 at 2030. Contact was not regained.
U 632 (Kptlt. Hans Karpf) reported at 1400 that she was chasing an independent tanker on an E. course, 12 knots, in AL 59. At 2200 she reported the tanker Cordelia, 8,190 GRT, sunk.
U 257 (Kptlt. Heinz Rahe) reported that she was returning owing to lack of fuel. A.M. on the 4th operations against the convoy were broken off.
There was no boat shadowing and U 456 reported that she was 30 miles astern. The remaining 3 boats were therefore directed against a NE-bound convoy picked up A.M. on 4/2 in BD 10. In conclusion: It is thanks to U 456's excellent shadowing from midday on the 1st until the 3rd that such a small group of boats were able to operate against the convoy over this long stretch. Of 5 boats, 3 made contact. Unfortunately only U 456 was able to fire. Altogether 2 tankers and a freighter, totaling 23,190 GRT were sunk.
U 265 (Oblt. Leonhard Auffhammer) was probably lost in this operation. There is a report of an attack by an English aircraft with bombs on a U-boat N. of the convoy in position 56.35N, 22.49W, by depth charges from a British Fortress aircraft of 220 Sqn RAF/N (46 dead, all hands lost). Otherwise no losses or damage.

Convoy No. 5 (SG.19):
No further reports were received of the convoy, and it can be assumed that the boats have not been able to get their radio messages through owing to the well-known difficulties arising off Greenland. According to dead reckoning the convoy should reach a port on the SW coast of Greenland on the 3rd. Boats were therefore ordered to press on to the coast and, if conditions were favorable, to penetrate into the fjord. Operations control does not know if boats are even in contact. The convoy cannot be discussed further until reports have been received from Group "Nordsturm".

Following U 404's (Kptlt. Otto von Bülow) report of 3.2, the special operation "Lands End" ordered for U 71 (Oblt. Hardo Rodler von Roithberg) has been broken off. U 71 will join Group "Hartherz" and will occupy U 107's position in the patrol line (BE 5933), making a day's run of 180 miles. U 107 will extend the patrol line to the E. as far as BE 6832.

U 156 (KrvKpt. Werner Hartenstein) and U 510 (Korvkpt. Karl Neitzel) are proceeding to ED 90 via EG 30. Operation here must be attempted at all costs, as there has been no boat there for a fortnight and the area was always a good hunting ground so far.

U 105 (Oblt. Jürgen Nissen) has supplied from U 504 (Kptlt. Wilhelm Luis).

Boats have again been reminded of the closing of Route A in stages. The homeward bound ship is the tanker "Hohenfriedber" ex-"Herburg".

Over lunch, Dwight Eisenhower informs George Patton, that Patton has been chosen to help plan the invasion of Sicily, Italy.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) conducts Tactical Exercises in the Baltic Sea, together with U 115 (RST)*.

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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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Thursday, 4 February 1943 - Stettin

Conducting tactical exercises and training together with U 648 (Stahl)*, with the 4th Training Flotilla (Freg.Kpt. Heinz FISCHER), Stettin and AGRU-Front, (Kvt.Kpt.-Ing. H. MÜLLER).

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In Germany, three days of national mourning begin over the disaster at Stalingrad. All theatres, cinemas and night clubs are closed.

Soviet naval infantry repels our attempt to land at Malaya Zemlya. Nearby, later today, Soviet troops land near Novorossiysk, in southern Russia.

As elements of the British 8th Army enters Tunisia, Winston Churchill visits Tripoli, Libya, and inspected troops of the same.

U 217 (Kptlt. Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke) sank the British "Rhexenor", 7,957 GRT, from Freetown to St. Johns, on 3.2 in DR 14. One officer taken on board (4th Mate C.W.G. Allen).

U 414 (Oblt. Walther Huth) was attacked by seaplanes and slightly damaged on her way to Group "Haudegen" 's patrol line.

From Group "Haudegen" 's patrol line U 753 (Korvkpt. Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein) reported a corvette and an aircraft in BE 5915, on a S. course and U 575 (Kptlt. Günther Heydemann) a single corvette in BE 5825 at 1630, course SW. Air reconnaissance reported a steamer in BE 6432 and another in BE 2955, both also on a S. course. Boats operated against these sightings without intercepting the expected convoy or scoring successes against the independently-routed ships.

U 632 (Kptlt. Hans Karpf) reports, that according to statements by a prisoner (Chief Engineer I.C. Bingham; sole survivor of British Motor Tanker 'Cordelia'), that Convoy No. 4 is to be followed by another large convoy from Halifax, making 6 knots, on the same route. Destination North Channel. Traffic from Curacao via New York to Halifax is to follow the shortest route.

Convoy No. 6 (SC.118):
At 1108/4/2 U 187 (Kptlt. Ralph Münnich), of Group "Pfeil", sighted a large convoy on a NE course in broad formation in BD 1199. Operations Control was therefore right in disposing a group on the route of the HX convoy on the assumption that the SC convoy would follow the same course. As U 187 reported that the convoy was very large (61 ships), it was assumed that it was the one reported by Radio Intelligence Service which left New York on 24.1. U 632 (Kptlt. Hans Karpf), which sank a tanker from the preceding HX convoy, reported that an officer of this tanker had said that a large convoy was to follow. It is an important convoy, part of which, according to Radio Intelligence, is destined for Murmansk. As many boats as possible were therefore detailed against it. First of all, all boats of Group "Pfeil" and other boats in the vicinity. These were the following 13: U 187, 402, 262, 609, 454, 135, 413, 266, 594, 608, 267, 465, 98. Then also 5 boats from group "Haudegen", U 438, 624, 704, 613 and 752. Operations against the "Teichers" convoy (Convoy No. 4; HX.224) were broken off and the boats U 614 and U 456 were also sent to meet the convoy. Altogether 20 boats were therefore operating against this convoy.
In the course of the afternoon U 402, U 608 and U 267 made contact, and U 609 during the night. U 608 and U 609 both reported flares over the convoy. From the beginning individual boats only shadowed for short periods at a time, as they were constantly driven off and depth-charged by escort forces. At 0736/5 U 262 reported the convoy in 8442.
According to shadowers' reports the convoy was making about 7 knots. At first it steered 40 degrees along the route followed by its predecessor and in the course of the afternoon altered to 10° probably by way of evasive action.
The fact that the boats were constantly driven off can only be explained by unfavorable weather. The escort forces probably had good Asdic results in the calm west weather conditions and therefore had the advantage over the U-boats (British Escort Group B2; Lt Cdr Proudfoot) consisting of the 3 destroyers Vimy, Vanesa and Beverly and the 3 British corvettes Campanula, Mignonette and Abelia, the Free French corvette Lobelia and the American Coast Guard Cutter Bibb. In the convoy is the rescue vessel Toward equipped with HF/DF. The group is later enforced by three American escorts, the destroyers Babbitt and Schenk and the cutter Ingham, coming from Iceland).

After the boats best off for fuel have been detailed against Convoy No. 6, the remaining 10 boats of Group "Haudegen" have been ordered to occupy the following attack areas a economical cruising speed: U 69 : 1189, U 414 : 1444, U 403 : 1737, U 201 : 1548, U 525 : 1883, U 606 : 1598, U 607 : 4347, U 226 : 1982, U 383 : 4682, U 303 : 4399. All BC.

As Group "Delphin" has found nothing in its present patrol line, the boats are being disposed in an angular formation to intercept traffic approaching from the N. and W. The large distances apart of about 35 miles, which are necessary for this, will have to be accepted. The new line runs in the same order from CG 4655 via CF 9264 to DH 2556.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) conducts Tactical Exercises in the Baltic Sea, together with U 115 (RST)*.

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RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115