The long hand of death reached Oberleutnant z. S. Karl Stuppner

[BulSoldier]

After becoming legendary uboat submarine commander of the famous U-51 died tragicly by us navy.

Karl Stuppner has known for being the most succesiful captain with most tonnage.From the begining of the war he was commander of the VIIB U-51 and in the end of octomber has expressed his wish to be transfered on a bigger recently avaibable type IX/40 U-510.

His experienced crew wasnt enough to operate the new boot so a new members arrive and joined the crew.Soon after the transfer came the assigmend.The place was several hundred kilometers east of kanada coast.The weather was clear almost unaturaly. On the way to the assigned place everything was going well,the weather was clear and no contacts were picked.There was a protest , before the patrol, from Karl Stuppner that stated " I ask the supreme command not to send our boot as it is not equiped with an adequate equipment for these time of the war,we have no radar,no radar warning reciever,no sonar,no antisonar coating, the uboot is just a hull and crew"

THe request was dennied and the boat went.

Somewhere in the midle of Nord Atlantik the watch cried out - "Ship Spotted ! "
Karl Stuppner immediately climbed on the bridge with his first officer.There it was, in the darknes of night a well lighted ship,and it was big .Ahead flank,course 285" Stuppner shouted and the crew done what it was told.Minute of approach and a fear struck the captain,a destroyer heading exactly towards them, 2 kilometers away.
ALARM - crash dive.

The boot began its descent, several seconds later a explosion hit the conning tower and destroyed the periscopes and heavyly damaging the flak huns.THe boot however survived the hit and there were no big leaks.The boot creaks but get to 80 meters, weserbomb, the first explosions were behind but the next ones hit hard the boots bow.THe deck gun was ripped out and the bow quaters and torpedo room heavy flooding.THe crew strugled to pump out the water while others were stoping the leaks,the boot still was going deeper and deeper. Karl Stuppner undestand that the boot wont hold deeper than 180 meters and yet she was about to reach them. "Back emergency" was his order and the boot began slowing down but still couldnt stop.The flood in the bow was stoped but still much water was left to be pumped out. 190 meters - "we are taking damage her Kaleun, we cant go much deeper" said the first oficer,no response from Stuppner.He hoped to hold the boot and stay silent with hope the destroyer to past them.BUt now the boot was still sinking and one move left to bring them back to some reasonable depth or just to give them few more seconds to live - Blow balast !

The crew did it but after leaving no air they were at 160 meters and again sinking.The destroyer didnt depth charged them but there was no need.THe boot began its last dive. The crew watched the vareous repeaters to the depth meter.Several seconds after the dreadful 200 , the hull didnt withstood.

[Keelbuster]

A sad tale, told with a gnarly tongue - I felt like we were sailing an 18th century frigate for a moment there. Arrgh.

Cheers to good men lost, and new Kaleuns Born! Fight on brother.

[nikbear]

A sad end for a gallant crew The way you told your tale made me shiver just thinking about it Better luck next time

[Hanomag]

Uh-Oh...my new IXC/40 is 510!!!

Damn BdU! Dont they know how unlucky that is!

[StarTrekMike]

You will be added to the wall of brave Commanders that went out to the great blue unknown and never looked back.

My crew will raise a glass for you and your brave crew, perhaps a moment of silence if we ever venture to those waters.


It was a good death...you, your crew and your boat did what needed to be done.


Michael Holmes

- U-1701

[Fenris_Wolf]

I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your gallant crew. However, after experiencing the type IX boats (IXD2 in my case) for a number of patrols I have reason to believe that while it's great load of torpedos and heavy flak emplacements are a big plus, evading destroyers can become a bit of annoyance and I'm usually forced to use cheap tricks like surfaced aft torpedo shots while having the destroyer after me intentionally. Risky, but better than hearing "pingpingpingping" helplessly at 250m depth and depending solely on decoys. I guess the boat is just too big to hide like you can hide a smaller type VII. Perhaps it just requires a different technique than the smaller boats.

[papa_smurf]

Another experienced commander lost to the allies.

U-510 shall be avenged