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Old 01-24-23, 03:50 AM   #306
Kapitän
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Default 4th Training Flotilla, Stettin and AGRU-Front

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Originally Posted by Kapitän View Post
Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...

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Saturday, 23 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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The British Eighth Army capture Tripoli, Libya.

Soviet troops capture Armavir, Caucasus.

The Gumrak Airfield on the western side of Stalingrad, is taken by Soviet troops.

Air Reconnaissance: 3 aircraft in AL 90 and 60 to intercept an expected ON convoy.

Convoy No. 3 (SC.117): The following W/T with T.O.O. 0850 was received from U 413 (Oblt. Gustav Poel) at 1142: Contact with escort in AJ 7267. As according to the text of this message other message must have been already sent, and also U 598 (Kptlt. Gottfried Holtorf) had not reported contact at 1500 from AJ 4971, the boats of Group "Jaguar" are requested to send a short situation summary. It can be seen from the messages received that U 413 sighted a convoy on a course of 20° at 1714 on 22.1. in AJ 7855, and that it reported the same at 2240 in AJ 7592 and at 0545 in AJ 7291. Also the boat sank a straggler of 5,000 GRT in AJ 7592. Unfortunately these W/T messages were not picked up by the control station owing to interference presumably caused by the northern lights, and this had a particularly adverse effect on the operations decided for Groups "Jaguar" and Haudegen". As it is likely that at the moment there is no contact, the group "Haudegen" will be at once disposed on receipt of the first situation report, on a course of 300°, speed 9 knots. Disposition of a patrol line is planned for the forenoon of 24.1, if no contact has been established by then. Group "Jaguar" received ordered to continue the search, U 525, 69 and 201 are to operate at cruising speed on the information contained in U 413's report. U 268 reporting from N.W. of the Group "Haudegen" and 358 on the outward passage in A 30 are to be diverted to AJ 25. A W/T received from U 413 at 0117 reports that the boat lost contact at 0900 in AJ 7267. Last course doubtful, NE, speed 9 knots. Convoy drawn out, about 20 ships. Weather: variable visibility, wind N.N.W., freshening to 10-11. It does not appear from the number of ships involved to be the expected SC convoy. The operation continues.

U 214 (VIID; Kptlt. Günther Reeder) situation: 19 days in the Caribbean, submerged by day. No traffic in EC 90 at night, tanker escorts from Aruba only at dawn. It is only possible to stay there a short time owing to the strong current. U-boat chaser activity at night in EC 60 large craft radar small craft then attacked. Continue to search for traffic from DP 75 via EO 52 to EE 60.

U 175 (Kptlt. Heinrich Bruns) received instructions to return via DU 70. It is to search for further traffic there, and not leave the position to replenish supplies until there is only 20 cu. mtrs. of fuel left.

Owing to the return of "Milkcow" U 462 (Oblt. Bruno Vowe), U 105 (Oblt. Jürgen Nissen) and U 124 (Kptlt. Johann Mohr) received orders to remain in DF 50 using as little fuel as possible until the arrival of the next tanker (about 9.2).

General Dwight D. Eisenhower is tasked with planning the invasion of Sicily, with the target date set as the period of the favourable Jul 1943 moon. General Harold Alexander, Eisenhower's deputy, will be in overall command of all Allied land forces during the operation.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) conducts exercises with the AGRU-Front Hela.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115
Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...

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Sunday, 24 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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Tirpitz completed its refitting at Fættenfjord/Lofjord near Trondheim, Norway.

12 aircraft are launched to attack Allied convoy JW-52
; three of them find and attack the convoy, but all three are shot down.

Soviet troops capture Starobelskiy, Ukraine
, while the Soviet Trans-Caucasian Front's offensive toward the Kuban bridgehead is halted near Krasnodar and Novorossiysk. A new offensive drive, named the Tikhoretsk-Eisk Offensive Operation, is therfore launched today.

The Soviets once again demand surrender from the encircled 6th Army in Stalingrad
. Responding to Friedrich Paulus' message requesting permission to surrender as his men were now nearly out of ammunition and medical supplies, The Führer tells Paulus to fight to the last man even if defeat is imminent. By the end of this day, the 6. Armee in Stalingrad will be divided in two pockets and will have lost the use of the last airstrip available to them, Stalingradsaya Airfield.

Convoy No. 3 (SC.117):
Wireless conditions are still bad
and make escort duties impossible for Group "Jaguar". According to U 594 (Kptlt. Dietrich Hoffmann) report U 706 (Kptlt. Alexander von Zitzewitz) fired a quadruple miss at a destroyer on 23.1. and U 598 (Kptlt. Gottfried Holtorf) sighted a suspicious looking isolated vessel in AJ 7972 and smoke trails in AJ 7974. U 706 and U 123 searched in the direction of 20°, also 60° and began their return passage in the course of 24.1. owing to fuel shortage. Group "Haudegen" received orders to take up position in patrol lines with 15 boats at 1100 on 24.1 from AD(?) 3989 to AK 4178. With a cruising speed of 8 knots the convoy should reach the lines at about 1130. Owing to heavy north-westerly storms the boats could only cover a distance of 4 sea miles and were unable to occupy the lines at the time decided upon. As, however, U 266 (Kptlt. Ralf von Jessen) confirmed with certainty a broad hydrophone bearing in 80° at 0130 from AJ 2745 and a strong noise band of 210° - 265° from AJ 2746, it may be presumed that the convoy is further astern than previously supposed and the boats must have occupied the lines before it passed through. Group "Jaguar" and U 525 and 201 are operating on the hydrophone bearing obtained by U 266. No further messages were received up till morning. The operation continues.

U 105
(Oblt. Jürgen Nissen) sank a tanker of 10,000 GRT which was lying for no apparent reason with engines stopped about 60 sea miles S. of the isolated traffic route confirmed by Radio Intelligence report (special) in DQ 2347. It was carrying Benzene - Note: "The British Viligence" which had been hit by U 514 (Kptlt. Hans Jürgen Auffermann) on January 3rd and abandoned. A flying boat was sighted at 2115 circling over the sinking area.

U 217
(VIID; Kptlt. Kurt Reichenbach-Klinke) situation: From 26 - 29.12. and 10. - 23.1. only passenger steamer on a course of 330° encountered from EO 52 to EP 48 on the 200 meter line and a hydrophone bearing in EO 5252 with southerly deflection. Systematic aerial activity by "Consolidated" type flying boat as far as 200 sea miles from the Guiana Coast.

U 260
(Kptlt. Hubertus Purkhold) replenished supplies from U 117 (XB; Korvkpt. Hans-Werner Neumann) and began return passage.

U 164
(Korvkpt. Otto Fechner) operated off the Brazilian Coast and sank a steamer after examination of the cargo on 2.1. in FB 3815 (Note: Swedish Brazaland). In spite of repeated requests the boat has not since reported. According to an earlier W/T message, U 164 had a leak in the pressure tanks, that was effectively mended. It is likely that the leak sprang up again on a deep dive and caused the destruction of the boat. (Note: U 164 was sunk on Jan. 6th).

British war expenditure is estimated to be running at £14 million a day.

The Casablanca Conference ends with the announcement of a requirement for unconditional surrender from Germany to end the war.

U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) conducts exercises with the AGRU-Front Hela.

RST
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115
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