Tanker Alley

[Brag]

You just sunk a tanker. You haven't finished reloading the tube and the sound man reports another contact. It's another oil bearing argonaut, 15,000 tons waiting to go to the bottom.

Sounds like a Kaleun's dream, Right?

Such an area does exist just 50 hours steaming from Lorient. Tanker Alley, a route where frequently you can sink 2 or 3 tankers in one day!

Presently, after 21 days of going up and down the Alley trying to pinpoint its exact location, I'm sailing home to Lorient with 135,676 BRTs under U-123's keel.

As a reference point (Datum) I have used the detailed Kriegsmarine grid

Picture provided courtesy of ReM



When you look at the chart below, you can see the datum is located at grid BE3936. This is an area if any other ship is present it will be within hydrophone range.

I have confirmed the exact location of this route by running 3 patrols here from May to December 1940. The tankers are always there, though, you should expect a few days without contacs from time to time.



If you measure 10 kms south of the BE36 boundary and extend a line of 240 degrees it will give you the route of the tankers. All the ones I have encountered where northeast bound.

Bear in mind, not all tankers travel exactly along this line. Strangely enough, I have intercepted tankers transiting the Alley at headings somewhat different than the direction of the route. Besides tankers, I have intercepted Large freighters here and one whale factory.

I've tried to sink all ships by using one torpedo. A magnetic torp at the engine room or an impact just at the rear of the forecastle are usualy fatal, but it can take a long time for the tanker to sink.

Good luck Kaleuns, we should see some good tonnages from fishing on Tanker Alley